Events Manager

Location
Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic 6555 Rock Spring Drive Suite 280, Bethesda, MD, 20817
Summary

The Events Manager exemplifies leadership and professional direction in strategically planning and executing chapter’s internal and external events and partnerships to drive revenue. Manages the Events & Partnerships Coordinator.

Responsibilities
  • Develop annual Internal Event and Partnership (External Event) strategy, including goals, metrics, and revenue/expense budgets for all internal events.
  • Manage annual budget for Internal Events, as well as budgets for each event, to maximize revenue and minimize cost without sacrificing quality.
  • Provide monthly reports detailing progress to event fundraising goals.
  • Work collaboratively with staff and volunteers to prepare all event correspondence including sponsorship packets, invitations, save-the-date cards, donor letters, corporate underwriting solicitations, acknowledgement letters, etc.
  • Tracks and provides timely moves management reports on sponsorship solicitations, ticket sales and auction donations.
  • In coordination with the Director of Development, execute sponsorship deliverables.
  • Implement procedures and timelines to plan and track event components to monitor progress, take corrective measures if needed, and ensure events’ successful completion.
  • Secure and negotiate contracts with event venues and vendors (space, accommodations, a/v, food, etc.).
  • Manage key relationships with vendors, venues, etc.
  • Set-up events in Salesforce, Sphere, One Cause, Luminate and chapter website.
  • Secure in-kind donations for auctions. Manage all aspects of event auctions, including writing auction descriptions, assembling packages, determining bid structure, setting up auction platform, delivering auction items to successful bidders, and acknowledgments.
  • Solicit feedback from stakeholders and completes a formal evaluation of each event with specific evaluations of volunteers’ usage and effectiveness, goals accomplished, overall event success, and issues that arose before, during and after the event.
  • Create and maintain an event improvement document citing areas for improvement in the next event and any solutions to issues that arose during the event in order to prevent repeat issues the next year.
  • Determine need for event-related materials including all promotional items. Solicit in-kind donations prior to spending chapter monies. Negotiate lowest pricing available and work within budget guidelines.
  • Collaborates with Marketing and Communication colleagues on the messaging, production, and design of materials for each event, including web-based communication platforms.
  • Work with Finance and Operations team to coordinate recording and tracking of financial data.
  • Assign duties to volunteers, interns, and other internal staff to ensure the expected outcome of the event.
  • Maintains high levels of effectiveness and efficiency for all internal events through monitoring both gross and net revenues from events.
  • Track and report all revenue and expenses following events to analyze the success of each event.
  • Helps plan and implement donor cultivation events.
  • Identify and communicate to chapter leadership all potential opportunities and/or relationships that will increase our chapter’s ability to raise funds and grant wishes.
  • Identify challenges and recommend solutions to senior leadership; balances competing priorities and works collaboratively with colleagues.
  • Adheres to all Make-A-Wish America performance standards and Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic internal controls, policies, and procedures.
Requirements
  • Computer/System Skills: Microsoft Office and Salesforce database management software.
  • Work nights and weekends as necessary to attend meetings and events. Must have access to reliable transportation and ability to travel to meetings or events at different locations.
  • Must believe in the mission and vision of the Make-A-Wish Foundation
  • Skill in writing in a creative, descriptive, technical, or factual manner; skill in writing, editing and designing a variety of materials.
  • Skill in developing project budgets and monitor expenditures.
  • Ability to solve problems and to think strategically and tactically about opportunities to raise funds, balance competing priorities and work collaboratively with colleagues.
  • Ability to be an effective manager; lead by example with a “can-do” work ethic.
  • Ability to maintain meticulous records of each event.
  • Ability to work with minimal supervision, ability to manage multiple priorities, and work in a deadline driven environment.
  • Ability to demonstrate a professional appearance and demeanor and work successfully with a wide variety of constituents including donors, board members, volunteers, and consultants.
  • Ability to demonstrate a high level of integrity, trustworthiness, flexibility, compassion and humor necessary to address the practicalities of a growing nonprofit, along with the creativity and persistence required to elicit new thinking and change.
Education & Experience
  • Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Event Management/ Communications fields preferred
  • Experience: Four (4) to seven (7) years professional experience in a fast paced, high volume event logistics and fundraising role. Experience with virtual events a plus.
Chapter Benefits
  • Competitive salary
  • Comprehensive benefits package including healthcare, dental, vision insurance; life/disability insurance; 403b company match; paid vacation and holidays.
  • Hybrid work environment
How to Apply

To apply submit your cover letter and resume to: [email protected]

Other Info

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to a diverse workforce. We value all employees’ talents and support an environment that is inclusive and respectful.