Development Events Manager

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas•Austin, TX

13h

About The Position

The Development Events Manager leads Ronald McDonald House Central Texas’s signature fundraising events from concept and planning through event-day execution, financial reconciliation, evaluation, and donor stewardship. The role manages event strategy, timelines, budgets, vendors, production, guest experience, sponsorship fulfillment, auctions, and fundraising technology, while coordinating with development leadership, marketing and communications staff, committee volunteers, and other team members. The manager cultivates and solicits donors, sponsors, table hosts, and community partners; represents the organization at community functions; and uses donor and event data to evaluate results and improve fundraising and engagement strategies. The position requires onsite leadership at major fundraising and stewardship events, including evening and weekend work as needed, and travel between program locations. A bachelor’s degree and at least seven years of event management and fundraising experience are required.

Requirements

At least 7 years of prior experience in event management and fundraising.
Bachelor’s degree.
Passion for the mission of Ronald McDonald House Central Texas.
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities independently and as part of a team.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office.
Experience with donor databases and fundraising software.
Reliable transportation to travel between Ronald McDonald House Central Texas program locations as needed.
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to connect with diverse individuals.
Adaptability, flexibility, receptiveness to change, and a strong aptitude for process improvement.
Demonstrated ability to build relationships and develop partnerships with supporters.
Experience soliciting donations.
Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, based on organizational and event needs.
Ability to attend and provide onsite leadership for major fundraising events and oversee execution from advance planning through post-event reconciliation, sponsor fulfillment, donor follow-up, and stewardship.
Commitment to ensuring families receive exceptional care and comfort during their stay.
Highly collaborative, innovative, and driven by process improvement and organizational efficiency.
Ability to maintain discretion with regard to confidentiality and privacy.
Ability to sit for prolonged periods and work on a computer.
Ability to lift up to 15 pounds at times.
Ability to work off-shift hours when needed.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Bloomerang donor database software.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with the Donor Database Manager to maintain donor-information procedures and records and use data to support decision-making.
Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors to secure sponsorships, partnerships, and contributions aligned with organizational goals and funding priorities.
Represent Ronald McDonald House Central Texas as a mission speaker at corporate events and community functions.
Maintain involvement with external organizations and professional groups that support continuing education and relationship building.
Participate in bi-weekly moves management meetings and work with development team members to identify prospective donors and event volunteers.
Lead signature fundraising events through concept development, planning, execution, reconciliation, post-event evaluation, and stewardship.
Develop and manage event workplans, critical-path timelines, production calendars, budgets, milestones, and accountability measures.
Partner with the Director of Philanthropy to establish annual event fundraising goals, sponsorship targets, attendance objectives, and key performance indicators.
Lead planning and committee meetings and coordinate cross-functional work to keep decisions, assignments, and deliverables on schedule.
Prepare and maintain event briefs, production schedules, run-of-show materials, contact lists, floor plans, seating charts, and post-event reports.
Direct event logistics, including venue, catering, audiovisual and production services, entertainment, décor, rentals, transportation, registration, signage, guest flow, security coordination, setup, and breakdown.
Plan guest experiences for donors, sponsors, table hosts, board members, honorees, speakers, and VIP attendees, including arrival, check-in, seating, hospitality, recognition, and accessibility.
Coordinate event-day staffing, volunteer assignments, vendor load-in and load-out, production cues, program transitions, and real-time issue resolution.
Anticipate operational, weather, technology, guest-service, and vendor risks; maintain contingency plans, backup resources, and escalation protocols.
Conduct venue walkthroughs, production meetings, and final readiness reviews.
Collaborate with development leadership to cultivate and solicit sponsors, underwriters, table hosts, major donors, and community partners.
Manage sponsorship fulfillment to ensure recognition, hospitality, benefits, and contractual commitments are delivered accurately.
Partner with committee volunteers and event leaders to support sponsorship, attendance, auction procurement, and fundraising goals.
Lead procurement and packaging of live and silent auction items, raffle prizes, in-kind donations, experiences, and other revenue opportunities.
Oversee auction and event fundraising technology, registration systems, bidding tools, guest records, payment processes, and reporting in coordination with appropriate team members.
Coordinate onsite fundraising activities, including auctions, raffles, fund-a-need appeals, paddle raises, sponsorship activations, and donor recognition.
Track sponsorship commitments, auction performance, donor participation, and event revenue to support follow-up and stewardship.
Develop, monitor, and reconcile event budgets, stewarding resources responsibly while maximizing net revenue and return on investment.
Source, evaluate, negotiate with, and manage event venues and vendors.
Manage event contracts, certificates of insurance, invoices, payment schedules, vendor deliverables, and internal approvals.
Analyze event finances and operations after events and recommend improvements to revenue, guest experience, efficiency, and future performance.
Partner with marketing and communications staff on event branding, invitations, sponsorship materials, collateral, digital promotion, signage, scripts, and attendee communications.
Ensure event messaging and materials align with the organization’s mission, brand standards, sponsor commitments, and fundraising objectives.
Coordinate post-event acknowledgments, sponsor recognition, donor follow-up, impact communications, and stewardship.
Prepare post-event reports covering fundraising results, attendance, sponsorship performance, budget outcomes, donor engagement, operational observations, and recommendations.
Use donor, sponsor, guest, and event-performance data to evaluate results, identify trends, and inform future strategies.
Continuously improve event processes, systems, templates, vendor resources, and workflows.
Provide onsite leadership for major fundraising events, including Bandana Ball, Starlight Affair, Friends of the House, donor cultivation and stewardship events, and third-party fundraising events.
Maintain discretion regarding confidential and private information.