Special Events Director

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Special Events Director is responsible for the strategic planning and execution of fundraising, public awareness, and stewardship events that drive contributed revenue and strengthen community engagement. This role partners closely with the Chief Development Officer, Development and Club staff, Marketing & Communications, the Board of Governors, event committees, and leadership volunteers to develop strategies that achieve event revenue goals and oversee all aspects of event production from concept through completion, including budgeting, logistics, sponsorship fulfillment, and guest experience. The Director evaluates and reports on event performance and financial outcomes and provides recommendations to enhance future events, increase revenue, and improve attendee satisfaction.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Essential functions and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Strategic Planning:

• Leads the planning, strategy, and execution of all special fundraising events.
• Develops, enhances, and proactively manages project plans, budgets, event templates, and timelines to ensure events remain on schedule and aligned with organizational goals.
• Collaborates with the Chief Development Officer, Development and Club staff, Marketing & Communications, event committees, the Board of Governors, and other stakeholders to ensure successful execution of fundraising, logistics, and overall event management.
• Negotiates with vendors and sponsors to secure event-related goods, services, and partnerships.
• Works with program staff and Marketing & Communications to ensure messaging and program content accurately reflects the organization’s mission and strategic priorities.
• Evaluates the success of special fundraising events using metrics such as revenue achievement, budget performance, attendance, and alignment with the BGCS mission.
• Ensures a high-quality guest and donor experience that strengthens long-term engagement.
• Assesses and strategically manages the growth, performance, and direction of the organization’s fundraising events portfolio.

Resource Development:

• Plans and execute creative, innovative, mission-aligned events that raise critical funding and increase awareness of the organization.
• Responsible for meeting or exceeding event revenue goals established by the Chief Development Officer.
• Solicit sponsorships, underwriting support, in-kind donations, ticket and table sales, auction and raffle items.
• Identifies, recruits, trains, and leads volunteer event committees responsible for supporting the success of fundraising events.
• Cultivates and stewards event chairs and key volunteer leaders.
• Develops and implements stewardship strategies to keep sponsors, donors, and event participants engaged throughout the year.
• Serves as liaison to the Associate Board in support of event participation and fundraising initiatives.
• Partners with the Development Team to identify and cultivate major donor prospects emerging from event participants and supporters.

Resource Management:

• Works closely with the Chief Development Officer and Chief Financial Officer to develop and manage event budgets and financial projections.

• Oversee administrative and operational systems to:
  • Track all event-related expenses.
  • Record direct and indirect event revenue.
  • Ensure timely acknowledgement of contributions and donor recognition.

• Manages procurement processes related to events, including purchase orders, vendor coordination, receipts, and internal approvals.
• Provides project management oversight for all fundraising events from concept through post-event evaluation.
• Develop scalable tools, processes, and documentation to improve efficiency and support the growth of future fundraising events.
• Maintains records and completes all necessary financial and event performance reporting and documentation following each event.

Marketing & Communications:

In collaboration with VP Marketing & Communications:

• Supports the visibility of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale fundraising events by collaborating with the VP of Marketing & Communications to promote fundraising activities.
• Works with Marketing to ensure appropriate recognition of sponsors and donors across event materials and communications and assists in providing event-related content such as auction items, sponsor information, and program details for use in promotional materials.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Serves as an active contributor to the overall work and goals of the Development Team.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a related field.
• Minimum 3 years experience in event planning and management for a non-profit organization. 
• Proven effectiveness and success in event planning and ability to organize and complete multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Strong volunteer management experience.
• Experience with leveraging a CRM and event management tools.
• Excellent interpersonal and internal/external customer service skills.
• Outstanding communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Demonstrated experience in working with corporate executives, high-net-worth individuals, and leadership volunteers.
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Suite applications.
• Flawless ethics and integrity.
• Safety-oriented mindset.

Recommended:

• Experience working in a youth development organization.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities. The phrases “occasionally”, “regularly”, and “frequently” correspond to the following definitions: “occasionally” means up to 1/3 of working time, “regularly” means between 1/3 and 2/3 of working time, and “frequently” means 2/3 and more of working time.

• Must be able to frequently work for long hours at a computer.

• Must be able to regularly deal with normal levels of stress.
• Must be able to occasionally stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and stoop.
• Must be able to occasionally lift and or move up to 25 pounds and in a safe and sound manner.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Typical office environment.
• Must be able to complete work satisfactorily despite significant, frequent distractions throughout the workday.
• Frequent deadlines.
• Ability to motivate and inspire volunteers to engage and execute on their assigned deliverables.
• Special fundraising events timelines will overlap.
• Workload may fluctuate throughout the year.

JOB PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

ACCOUNTABILITY

We uphold punctuality and accountability by consistently meeting deadlines, holding others accountable when needed, and fostering a culture of personal responsibility through transparent communication for continuous improvement.

COMMUNITY

We prioritize inclusivity, valuing the needs of our staff, members, and families. We put community and team interests above personal interests.

INTEGRITY

We uphold a culture of excellence, accountability, and integrity, where we strive for high performance, engage in crucial conversations, and address any integrity concerns promptly.

RESPECT

Striving for continuous improvement, we encourage open dialogue and embrace accountability.

SAFETY

We embody a safety-first culture, actively seeking to enhance policies for safer operations, fearlessly reporting safety concerns, and prioritizing safety in all decision-making processes.

TRANSPARENCY

We foster a culture of transparent communication, embracing respectful radical candor with leaders, peers, and colleagues, openly addressing concerns, and seeking help when needed to continually improve our organization.

Salary : $70,000