Special Events and Donor Relations Officer

At House of Friendship we believe in what we are doing. We get out of bed each day to make a difference in our community; to walk with and to serve. We are not happy with the status quo. We get energy from ongoing learning and growth. We lead with passion and believe without a doubt that everyone deserves to belong and thrive. We live and breathe our values of Compassion, Inclusion, Justice, Dignity and Hope. And we have fun

Sounds pretty great doesn’t it? It is

*** This is a permanent, full-time (37.5 hours per week), salaried position with paid sick time,**

**personal days and vacation; group health benefits and defined contribution pension plan.**

**Schedule will be Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm, with flexibility required;**

**including occasional evening and weekend work to support events.**

**Valid G class driver’s licence and access to a reliable vehicle is required;**

**local travel within Waterloo Region.**

**Key Responsibilities**:

- **_
Lead and execute House of Friendship special events_**:

- Confirm and document the strategic direction and financial goal of each event annually, executing all details on strategy
- Lead all event activities to achieve the established objectives, and coordinate effectively with internal team members on roles, timelines, information needs, list pulls and event day details, providing meticulous project management
- Provide excellent engagement, including co-ordinating and communicating with, and cultivation and stewardship of, event sponsors, volunteer event committee members, and attendees
- Be the internal and public face of House of Friendship events, and represent the organization in event related media opportunities
- Record and maintain current information in Raiser’s Edge
- Lead and maximize the organization’s use of event software (Trellis)
- Review and maintain up-to-date event roadmaps annually for each event and execute accordingly
- Conduct an annual evaluation of each event, gathering input from key stakeholders and completing a written evaluation within 4 weeks of the event
- **_
Deliver top-notch donor experiences for selected supporter groups_**:

- Create amazing supporter journeys and experiences for donor groups as assigned, including faith groups (all denominations), monthly donors and businesses
- Grow understanding of assigned donors through administering surveys, research and other means
- Manage and execute the new donor experience digitally and over the phone
- Be the House of Friendship point of contact for community fundraising events
- Support community fundraisers in alignment with House of Friendship’s Third Party Event Policy
- Provide website updates, explanatory videos, updated resources for community members to use to make their fundraising a success
- Provide stewardship for community fundraisers that may include phone calls, video thanks, cheque presentations etc.
- **_
Provide back up and ad hoc support as assigned_**:

- Support Development Manager and Development team on strategic initiatives and projects as required
- Provide backup support for development team members as required for vacations etc.

**Education/Experience**:

- Post-secondary education in Events Management or related field such as Communications
- A minimum of two (2) years related work experience in service-related positions, or leading high impact fundraising and stewardship events
- Proven ability to effectively engage a wide variety of constituents, such as media, community leaders/partners, colleagues, sponsors, donors and volunteers, with demonstrated excellent interpersonal and team collaboration skills

**Job Specific Knowledge/Skills**:

- Certification in Event Management is a definite asset
- Strong relational skills that build rapport and genuine trust quickly
- Strong communication skills, both oral and written, that inspire and engage
- Excellent planning, organizational, follow through and time management skills
- Self-directed with high capacity to manage multiple shifting priorities and timelines
- High attention to detail and accuracy
- Excellent ability to maintain confidentiality at all times
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
- Media training and experience is an asset

**Critical Skills**:

- Commitment to understand and uphold the mission and values of House of Friendship
- Ability to meet a variety of new people, develop genuine warmth and sincere rapport
- Exemplary emotional intelligence, resilience, communication, conflict management and problem-solving skills required
- Ability to work professionally as a team member with staff, donors, volunteers and community members
- Excellent project, timeline and deadline management skills including skills in logistics, planning and detailed record keeping
- Excellent public presentation, verbal and written skills
- Proven technical aptitude to learn and effectively use digital tools like event management software, inputting in to a database, and digital tools f