Special Events Manager & Regional Senior Philanthropy Officer

American Red Cross • Chicago, IL

9d • $86,000 - $100,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

By joining the American Red Cross you will touch millions of lives every year and experience the greatness of the human spirit at its best. Are you ready to be part of the world's largest humanitarian network? Join us—Where your Career is a Force for Good! Why Choose us? Joining The American Red Cross is like nothing else – it’s as much something you feel as something you do. You become a vital part of the world’s largest humanitarian network. Joining a team of welcoming individuals who are exceptional, yet unassuming. Diverse, yet uncompromising in unity. You grow your career within a movement that matters, where success is measured in people helped, communities made whole, and individuals equipped to never stop changing lives and situations for the better. When you choose to be a force for good, you’ll have mentors who empower your growth along a purposeful career path. You align your life’s work with an ongoing mission that’s bigger than all of us. As you care for others, you’re cared for with competitive compensation and benefits. You join a community that respects who you are away from work as much as what you do while at work. Where Your Career is a Force for Good! What you need to know: Due to an internal promotion, we are looking for a Special Events Manager who will meet fundraising goals and objectives and engage our donors across the Illinois region in meaningful events. In this role, you will lead a team of staff and volunteers to plan, fundraise for, and execute four major fundraising events across the region. This position is part of the development team who support the work within the Illinois region and will report to a Director of Development. This is a hybrid role where you will support events in-person throughout the Illinois region, and work from our Chicago office (2200 W Harrison Street) on a weekly basis. Flexibility to work remotely when possible.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required. Advanced degree highly desirable.
• Minimum 7 years of sales and/or fundraising experience or equivalent combination of education and related experience required.
• Event planning experience preferred.
• Given the realities of event management, operational flexibility is required to meet sudden and unpredictable needs.
• Physical conditions may include lifting up to 30 lbs. unassisted, squatting, pushing or pulling heavy weights up and down ramps and stairs.
• Good manual dexterity, the ability to sit or stand for long periods of time, and ability to adapt to long, irregular hours is required.
• Ability to relate well and work effectively with multiple constituencies and audiences.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of office systems: MS-Office preferred and fundraising database systems (e.g., Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce).
• Ability to work on a team within a collaborative environment and ensure the highest customer service orientation.
• A current valid driver's license and good driving record is required.
• Frequent travel within the Illinois region required.
• Combination of candidate’s education and general experience satisfies requirements so long as the total years equate to description’s minimum education and general experience years combined (Management experience cannot be substituted).

Responsibilities

• Responsible for the execution of four major fundraising events across the Region raising $2M+ in revenue.
• Collaborate with senior paid and volunteer leadership to secure event sponsorships by supporting the development of prospect lists, proposals, stewardship reports and preparatory meeting and solicitation materials.
• Ensure the distribution of relevant special events information by providing support and counsel to departmental staff and volunteer leadership including serving as staff advisor for all fundraising events related committees.
• Day-to-day supervision of two special events staff who will provide programming, logistical, and administrative support to special events. Additionally, provide project-based management to other departments to ensure effective execution of special events.
• Responsible for the management of all fundraising events from conception to execution, including but not limited to: managing event timelines, developing and maintaining event budgets, managing event committees, ensuring that event fundraising goals are met, developing sponsorship packages, ensuring sponsor benefits are fulfilled, coordinating event collateral, managing event logistics, set-up and day of execution.
• Develop and execute ongoing regional strategy for qualifying donors to ensure retention, growth of donor contributions as well as recapture from previous donors.
• Manage assigned portfolio of donors and prospects with intent to form deep relationships.
• Responsible for minimum annual fundraising goal, including both renewable gifts and new incremental revenue.
• Develop donor management plans for entire portfolio resulting in strategic, knowledgeable and complex asks.
• Implement a program/activity to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward donors at the $5,000 level or higher, with an emphasis on maximizing revenue for the American Red Cross.
• Update donor records in Salesforce following donor contacts.
• Carry out any additional assignments required to fulfill the mission of the American Red Cross.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental Vision plans
• Health Spending Accounts & Flexible Spending Accounts
• PTO: Starting at 15 days a year; based on FLSA status and tenure
• Holidays: 11 paid holidays comprised of six core holidays and five floating holidays
• 401K with 6% match
• Paid Family Leave
• Employee Assistance
• Disability and Insurance: Short + Long Term
• Service Awards and recognition

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level