Event Specialist

Description

Special Kids, a non-profit Christian therapy and nursing center in Murfreesboro, TN, is dedicated to serving children with special needs. We offer comprehensive services to children from birth to 21, including those who are medically fragile. Our Christ-focused mission drives us to provide compassionate, professional care. We’re seeking a dynamic Event Specialist to assist with fundraising and explore new funding opportunities. This role is crucial for securing resources for our operations and growth. If you share our commitment to Christ-centered care and want to make a meaningful impact, we invite you to apply.

The Event Specialist works closely with the Development and Marketing team, and the organization wide Marketing Committee to support the annual development plan and attainment of the Development budget.  In addition, this position works closely with event committees, community organizations, vendors, volunteers, and board members in fulfillment of the organization’s mission, delivering programming, communications with sponsors and donors, and achieving sustainable growth. Full-time, benefits, Flex dollars for continuing education or professional development, paid holidays and paid time off.

Summary

The Event Specialist is responsible for coordinating the development, planning, implementation and oversight of Special Kids events, programs, and organizational celebrations. This position works closely with the volunteer coordinator, volunteer committees and members to ensure events are delivered on time, within budget and at the desired level of quality. This position is also responsible for cultivating positive long-term relationships with event stakeholders, committee members, sponsors, and donors to consistently improve event execution and donor revenue.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Annual Planning: Coordinates the development and management of the annual event plan for Special Kids ensuring that:

The development calendar is coordinated to maximize value to the community. 

Works with the Director of Development and Marketing and the company marketing committee to develop event marketing strategies and timelines for promotion of upcoming events to include flyers, brochures, postcards, social media, e-blasts, etc.

Event dates are publicized to the community as early as possible to avoid schedule conflicts with other community events (marketing or development)

Event planning to include the following events:  

• Race 
• Golf 
• Pickleball 
• SK open houses, SK investor parties, on-campus events (example: Business Before Hours)  
• Other events as approved  
• Support third party fundraising events and publicizing 

Event Planning, Promotion and Execution: Coordinates event organization structure, community relations, vendors and contracts, in-kind donors, venues, and event communications.

• Coordinates with development staff to created timelines, budgets, event logistics, staffing, volunteers, suppliers, and promotions.
• Works with development staff and marketing for implementation of software platforms utilized for event sponsorships, ticket sales and donations.
• Works with volunteers, interns and committees and assists in recruitment of new committee members.
• Documents all communications with vendors, venues, committee members.
• Works with marketing to develop a communications strategy and calendar for save the date, invitations, mailings, email blasts, and materials.
• Prepares timely thank you notes to speakers, sponsors, donors, and key volunteers after events.
• Conducts post event evaluation (standardized) for future execution of events and event improvement.
• Updates all plans, timelines, and other tools to simplify execution.

Finances and Revenue Generation: Responsible for meeting financial goals and deadlines and contributes to enhancing sponsor and donor relationships following the investor stewardship plan and responding promptly to requests and monitoring of event expenses, revenue, and budget variances.

• Solicits, maintains, secures, and grows sponsorship relationships for each event to include multi-event sponsorships and year over year commitments.
• Communicates with assigned event participants improving engagement with organization to garner financial support outside of events.
• Support all fundraising campaigns (The Big Payback, Hope Drive, Giving Tuesday, and others) by communicating with assigned accounts.
• Works with development staff in review of financials actual to budget and reports on variances and remedies.

Administration: Works closely with development, marketing, and finance staff in establishing priorities, timelines, budgets, workplans and communicating updates. Documents all communications related to donor, sponsor, and vendors in the customer relationship management program. 

Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

Preferred bachelor’s degree in communications or 3-5 years’ experience in related field. Experience in non-profits or fundraising preferred. Experience in the following: public speaking, volunteer/campaign management and managing a +$500,000 budget.

Computer Skills

To be successful in this job, an individual should have basic computer skills and the ability to learn new software and web-based applications.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

None required; CPR certification recommended.

Additional Values

• Compassion
• Willingness
• Courage
• Faith