Development & Special Events Manager

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.