Director, Event Fundraising & Strategic Sponsorships

Points of Light• Remote, Remote, US, Remote

19h•$82,000 - $110,000•Remote

About The Position

The Director, Event Fundraising & Strategic Sponsorships leads Points of Light’s fundraising strategy for the George H.W. Bush Points of Light Awards, Points of Light Conference, Global Gathering, and other convenings. This frontline fundraising role manages a personal portfolio and mobilizes colleagues across Philanthropy, Business Development, Fee For Service, and organizational leadership to secure and steward event partnerships. The Director develops mission-aligned sponsorship opportunities that grow event revenue and deepen partner relationships. The Director is accountable for an individual annual new-business sponsorship goal of $1.5 million to $3 million, while building a multiyear pipeline, cultivating and soliciting priority prospects, closing commitments, and identifying renewal and upgrade opportunities. Success is measured by event revenue growth, pipeline strength, sponsor retention and upgrades, and compelling, market-responsive sponsorship offerings. The role uses Salesforce to support forecasting, pipeline visibility, and performance reporting. The Director also develops event fundraising priorities and plans for Board participation in partnership with the Chief Development Officer and CEO’s office; equips Board members and leadership with briefing materials and coaching; and works with Convenings, Marketing and Communications, Revenue Operations, and Revenue Enablement on sponsorship strategy, event planning, sponsor fulfillment, and stewardship. The position is remote-first and may be based anywhere in the United States in the Eastern or Central time zone in a market with a major airport; Washington, DC is preferred. Travel may be required up to 35% as needed.

Requirements

At least 8 years of experience in fundraising, sales, events, or a related field.
Demonstrated success originating and closing new sponsorship or partnership revenue.
Demonstrated relationship-building and consultative selling skills, including engaging senior corporate and institutional decision-makers.
Strong strategic judgment and ability to prioritize opportunities, shape compelling offers, and act on market insights.
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, including developing persuasive prospectuses, proposals, executive briefings, and sponsorship narratives.
Consistent follow-through and ability to manage the details required to close revenue.
Proficiency with CRM and project management systems.
Ability to collaborate, take direction, lead through influence and ambiguity, and align stakeholders around a shared revenue strategy in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to create a welcoming work environment for all.
Able to travel up to 35% as needed.

Nice To Haves

National or global experience is strongly preferred.
Experience securing institutional sponsorships, corporate partnerships, or comparable new business for events, convenings, experiences, or mission-driven platforms.
Experience building or relaunching sponsor benefits, prospectuses, or event sponsorship models is strongly preferred.
Salesforce and Asana experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Achieve an individual annual new-business sponsorship revenue goal of $1.5 million to $3 million, aligned with organizational event revenue goals.
Develop and execute prioritized new-business strategies for the Awards, Conference, Global Gathering, and related scholarship and engagement opportunities.
Build, manage, and advance a multiyear sponsorship pipeline, prioritizing new corporate and institutional relationships.
Lead outreach, cultivation, solicitation, follow-up, and tailored account strategies for priority prospects and sponsors.
Close and steward sponsorship commitments and identify renewal, upgrade, and cross-portfolio opportunities.
Use Salesforce and pipeline data to forecast revenue, assess conversion risks, and recommend actions to improve prospect movement and close rates.
Coordinate with the Senior Director and senior leadership on selected high-value relationships and solicitations.
Develop personalized stewardship plans for event sponsors and attendees.
Recommend annual event fundraising priorities, Board participation goals, prospect strategies, solicitation plans, and accountability measures for the Chief Development Officer’s review and approval.
Develop strategies and individual fundraising plans to activate Board members as event fundraising ambassadors, in partnership with the CDO and CEO’s office.
Coordinate with Development, Executive, and program teams to support timely and aligned Board fundraising activity.
Prepare event briefing materials, talking points, prospect intelligence, solicitation strategies, presentations, reports, and coaching resources for the CDO and Board members.
Track Board fundraising participation, results, and next steps in Salesforce, and provide performance insights to the CDO.
Evaluate Board event fundraising approaches and recommend improvements.
Partner with the Convenings team to identify, recruit, engage, and steward event chairs and host committee members.
Qualify and follow up on prospects generated through Conference host committees and other volunteer networks.
Represent Development in cross-functional event planning so fundraising strategy, sponsor value, and revenue opportunities inform decisions.
Work with Convenings and Marketing and Communications to develop sponsorship prospectuses, proposals, rights and benefits, recognition, activation, stewardship, communications, fulfillment standards, and post-event reporting.
Redesign event revenue models and develop differentiated, mission-aligned sponsorship opportunities that reflect corporate and institutional partner needs.
Develop and test sponsor propositions, including year-round and multi-event partnerships, thought leadership and content, mission activations, executive engagement, and other experiences.
Translate sponsor and prospect insights into event experiences, offers, communications, and fulfillment plans, with clear owners, milestones, decision points, and escalation paths.
Own revenue, pipeline, and sponsor performance reporting for the event portfolio, including forecasts, conversion analysis, and recommendations to senior leadership.
Partner with fundraisers and Revenue Operations to maintain accurate event pipeline, outreach, sponsorship, and stewardship data.
Brief the Senior Director and leadership on progress, priority opportunities, risks, and actions needed to accelerate results.
Lead structured pre- and post-event revenue reviews and identify practical improvements for future events.
Partner with Revenue Enablement on sponsor fulfillment and stewardship plans, timely thank-you communications, recognition and activation deliverables, and Salesforce records.
Review sponsor fulfillment against agreed rights and benefits, resolve outstanding items, and ensure timely, complete post-event sponsor reports.
Use post-event performance and sponsor feedback to drive renewal, upgrade, and re-engagement conversations and improve future sponsorship strategies.