Events and Engagement Manager

UNITED WAY OF LARIMER COUNTY, INC.•Fort Collins, CO

12d•$57,000 - $59,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Events and Engagement Manager plays a key strategic role in advancing United Way’s broader donor and community engagement goals through inclusive, mission-aligned events and other engagement activities. This position leads the planning and execution of both external and internal events, ensuring they reflect organizational values, elevate community voice, and create meaningful experiences for diverse constituencies. Working closely with cross-functional teams—including fundraising, communications and community impact—the Events and Engagement Manager ensures each event is designed with its intended audience in mind and aligned with the strategic goals of each department. In addition to public-facing event leadership, this role supports internal culture-building through staff engagement events and recognition moments. The Events and Engagement Manager also leads marketing for events in coordination with the Marketing Manager, ensuring brand consistency, inclusive messaging, and broad community reach. Additionally, this role provides engagement support to our donor affinity groups and contributes to broader donor, advocacy, policy, and program engagement efforts. Rooted in collaboration and strategic execution, this role balances big-picture alignment with exceptional attention to logistical detail—ensuring events are impactful, accessible, and reflective of United Way’s commitment to community.

Nice To Haves

Event Execution Experience: 2–3+ years of experience planning, managing, and executing events, ideally in nonprofit, community engagement, fundraising, or mission-driven environments.
Project Management Skills: Demonstrated ability to manage multiple deadlines, timelines, vendors, and priorities while maintaining a calm, solutions-oriented approach.
Strong Communication Skills: Clear, responsive communicator with experience coordinating across departments and with external partners, vendors, and attendees.
Brand and Marketing Alignment: Familiarity with promotional planning and messaging; able to work in partnership with a marketing/communications team to ensure consistent event representation.
Equity and Inclusion Mindset: Commitment to creating accessible, welcoming, and culturally responsive event experiences. Demonstrated ability to plan with inclusion in mind.
Team and Volunteer Leadership: Experience supervising interns, volunteers, or small teams during events or project-based work; skilled in creating inclusive, supportive environments.
Relationship Building: Ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with community partners, vendors, and collaborators; proactive and respectful in communications.
Tech and Tool Fluency: Comfort with project management tools, event platforms, registration systems, and the Microsoft Office suite (especially Excel). Willingness to learn new tools as needed.
Adaptability and Problem-Solving: Able to stay flexible, adjust plans, and troubleshoot quickly during live event environments and shifting team needs.
Commitment to Mission: Passion for United Way’s mission and values; a desire to create meaningful, community-centered experiences that advance impact and connection.

Responsibilities

Plan and Execute High-Quality Events: Lead the end-to-end planning and execution of internal and external events—from concept through follow-up—ensuring every detail is managed, board, staff and volunteers are prepared, and every event reflects United Way’s mission, values, and brand.
Deliver Seamless Event Logistics: Manage all logistics including registration, communications, staffing, accessibility, and on-site coordination. Oversee setup and breakdown, ensuring smooth, inclusive experiences for attendees, partners, and staff.
Align Events with Organizational Goals: Work with cross-functional teams—including fundraising, marketing, community impact, policy, and advocacy—to ensure events and engagement activities are tailored to the intended audience and aligned with strategic goals.
Lead Event Marketing in Collaboration with Communications: Coordinate with the Marketing Manager to promote events through branded, inclusive messaging and materials that reach and resonate with diverse audiences.
Integrate Fundraising and Community Engagement: Partner with development and engagement staff to embed storytelling, donor recognition, and impact moments into events and other engagement opportunities to build trust and connection with the community. Support engagement before and after events and through ongoing touchpoints for donor, advocate, and partner communities, including donor affinity group engagement and stewardship.
Support Internal Culture and Staff Engagement: Plan and manage internal events that celebrate staff and partners within our community hubs, [RK1] support culture-building, and align with values of equity, belonging, and recognition.
Manage Vendors and Venues: Secure and manage relationships with venues, sponsors, and service providers with attention to equity, accessibility, and alignment with United Way’s brand and values.
Supervise Interns and Volunteers: Direct and support interns and volunteers assisting with event planning and day-of coordination, ensuring a positive, inclusive experience and meaningful contribution to event goals.
Track Budgets and Event Data: Create and manage event budgets; track attendance, engagement, and feedback to evaluate effectiveness, support decision-making, and ensure accountability.
Conduct Post-Event Evaluation: Lead debriefs and analysis to assess success, identify areas for improvement, and document lessons learned to strengthen future event strategy and execution.