Development & Special Events Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

At HANDY, events are an important part of how the organization brings its mission to life, engages the community, and builds lasting relationships with donors, sponsors, volunteers, and partners. The Development & Special Events Manager is responsible for the day-to-day planning and execution of HANDY's year-round event portfolio while also supporting the development activities that help grow fundraising revenue and community engagement.

This is a hands-on role with a strong focus on events, sponsor stewardship, committee and affinity-group engagement, and donor cultivation. Working closely with the Chief Development Officer, the Manager will help strengthen existing partnerships, identify opportunities for increased giving, and gradually take on greater fundraising responsibility as experience and organizational needs grow. The role is designed to provide a pathway toward broader development leadership and future Director-level responsibilities.

Responsibilities:

Event Planning & Execution-

• Manage the day-to-day planning and execution of HANDY's year-round event calendar, including signature fundraising events such as the Scholars Breakfast, Field Day, and Moonrise.
• Coordinate cultivation and engagement events including Lunchbox Tours, Coffee with the CEO, CONNECT events, monthly tours, Open House, volunteer recognition, and other community-facing activities.
• Build and maintain event timelines, run-of-show documents, scripts, guest lists, task calendars, and internal/external communications to keep all parties on schedule.
• Lead event-day execution, including vendor coordination, staffing, volunteers, guest experience, and troubleshooting.
• Lead post-event debriefs and reporting, capturing attendance, revenue, sponsor fulfillment, lessons learned, and recommendations for future events.
• Serve as the primary staff contact for third-party events and community-hosted fundraising activities.

Committee, Affinity Group & Volunteer Engagement-

• Serve as the staff lead for event committees, including recruitment, onboarding, meeting cadence, agendas, minutes, assignments, and follow-through.
• Support and grow affinity groups, including NextGen and Ladies with Heart, by creating meaningful opportunities for involvement, leadership, outreach, and giving.
• Partner with committee and affinity-group chairs to establish goals, assign responsibilities, and monitor member commitments.
• Identify and cultivate emerging volunteer leaders and potential future committee or board prospects in partnership with the Chief Development Officer.
• Recruit, schedule, train, and recognize event-day volunteers.

Sponsor Stewardship & Corporate Engagement-

• Serve as the day-to-day relationship contact for existing corporate sponsors before, during, and after events.
• Manage sponsor benefit fulfillment end to end, including logo placement, signage, program recognition, digital/social recognition, ticket allocations, and on-site activations.
• Prepare sponsor recap and impact reports and support renewal conversations for established partners.
• Work with the Chief Development Officer to identify opportunities to deepen existing corporate relationships and increase sponsorship support.
• Support new partnership development through prospect research, proposal preparation, sponsorship packages, and cultivation follow-up.
• As experience grows, participate in and gradually assume responsibility for selected sponsor solicitations and fundraising conversations.

Donor Cultivation & Development Support-

• Support the Chief Development Officer in using events and engagement activities as a deliberate pipeline for donor cultivation and fundraising growth.
• Assist with donor and prospect follow-up after events, tours, and cultivation activities.
• Track referrals, introductions, gifts influenced, sponsor renewals, and other development activity in the donor management system/CRM.
• Support fundraising campaigns, appeals, stewardship initiatives, and special development projects as assigned.
• Develop greater ownership of fundraising goals over time, including defined revenue or relationship-management targets established with the Chief Development Officer.
• Represent HANDY professionally with donors, corporate partners, community leaders, volunteers, and other stakeholders.

Operations, Budgeting & Data-

• Manage vendors, contracts, venues, permits, insurance certificates, décor, entertainment, A/V, catering, printing, and other event logistics.
• Maintain event budgets, process invoices and payments, track ticket sales and event revenue, and reconcile revenue and expenses with the Finance team.
• Maintain accurate event, sponsor, donor, volunteer, and constituent records in HANDY's donor management system/CRM.
• Pull and review event and fundraising data to monitor results, identify trends, and support decision-making.
• Maintain organized files, event records, sponsor agreements, and post-event documentation.
• Perform additional responsibilities as assigned to support Development and agency operations.

Growth & Performance Expectations-

• Consistently deliver organized, professional, and mission-aligned events that meet established timelines and budget expectations.
• Strengthen sponsor retention, committee engagement, and donor follow-up through consistent relationship management.
• Demonstrate increasing confidence and effectiveness in fundraising, cultivation, and sponsor solicitation activities.
• Use event and donor data to evaluate outcomes and recommend opportunities for improvement or revenue growth.
• Partner with the Chief Development Officer on an annual development plan that identifies areas of increased responsibility and readiness for future Director-level development leadership. 
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree preferred and a minimum of three to five years of experience in event planning, nonprofit development, fundraising, sponsorships, volunteer/committee management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience independently planning and executing multiple events and projects from concept through completion.
• Experience working with sponsors, donors, volunteers, committees, vendors, or community partners.
• Fundraising or sponsorship experience preferred, with demonstrated interest and ability to grow into greater direct solicitation and revenue responsibility.
• Ability to manage event budgets and understand revenue, expenses, net results, and return on investment.
• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills, with the ability to build trust and maintain professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to manage volunteers and committee members with diplomacy, accountability, and follow-through, including influencing others without formal authority.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines without sacrificing quality or attention to detail.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and donor management systems/CRMs; experience with event registration, auction, or fundraising platforms is a plus.
• Resourceful, self-motivated, adaptable, and comfortable working both independently and collaboratively in a dynamic, mission-driven environment.
• A strong commitment to HANDY's mission to empower youth through support, education, and workforce readiness.