Manager of Special Events & Corporate Partnerships

Nov 20

Anticipated Start Date: 1/6/2025

Description

Boston Harbor Now (BHN) is an organization committed to re-establishing Boston as one of the world’s truly great harbor cities – ensuring a vibrant, welcoming and resilient Boston Harbor, waterfront, and islands for everyone. This is an exciting opportunity to join a diverse team of talented individuals who work closely with public agencies, communities and private for profit and non-profit partners.

In this highly visible, collaborative role, the Manager of Special Events & Corporate Partnerships provides strategic and creative oversight for a portfolio of events designed to achieve bold and strategic fundraising, cultivation, and stewardship goals, expand Boston Harbor Now’s brand, and engage and increase the number of Boston Harbor Now’s corporate and institutional donors. The Manager of Special Events & Corporate Partnerships is the lead for Boston Harbor Now’s two signature fundraising events, Spectacle on Spectacle and the Onboard Awards.

They will also oversee other cultivation and stewardship events, working in tandem with the Chief Development Officer and Director of Individual Giving to develop a donor engagement and retention strategy designed to engage, strengthen and increase the overall donor base. In addition, the Manager of Special Events & Corporate Partnerships is responsible for developing and implementing a strategic plan for corporate giving and engagement inclusive of developing corporate partnerships, corporate grants and employee giving, supporting the organization’s fundraising goals and working with the Volunteer Coordinator This work will strengthen and increase our donor base, support pipelines for major gifts and grantmaking, and generate a growing revenue stream to support the mission of Boston Harbor Now.

Responsibilities

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Manager of Special Events & Corporate Partnerships will be an innovative development professional with a track record of successfully planning and executing events and fundraising. The preferred candidate will be a team player, capable of communicating and working effectively with donors and prospects, vendors and consultants, colleagues from Boston Harbor Now, park partners, and members of boards and volunteer committees.

The Manager of Special Events & Corporate Partnerships will develop and implement a work plan to identify, cultivate, and steward corporate sponsorships, corporate volunteer programming, and event management., They will work with the Board of Trustees and Advisors, and individual donors while maintaining procedures and systems to accurately track projects, record gift information, and maintain and track special events budgets. The candidate will ensure follow-through on events and donations including receipts, sponsor benefits, and current and future cultivation and stewardship events. This is a full-time position, requiring a flexible work schedule. Some weekend and evening work is required.

Responsibilities include:

Development Events (50%)

Conceptualize, plan and execute an annual event strategy designed to diversify Boston Harbor Now’s revenue streams by attracting new sources of corporate support, cultivating new donors, stewarding and renewing existing donors, and increasing visibility for the agency’s mission
Work with Boston Harbor Now leadership to identify and recruit event Chairs and Host Committee members tasked with revenue generation and promotion. Manage and provide leadership, oversight, and follow up for all event committee activities and ensure Host-Committee members have the resources necessary to be successful solicitors.
Manage a portfolio of new and returning corporate sponsors and prospects accounting for over $1M of the organization’s annual revenue goals.
Successfully oversee and execute all Boston Harbor Now events from inception to completion, including but not limited to, Spectacle on Spectacle, the Onboard Awards, cultivation, recognition and stewardship events, and other existing and new development events
Work with the Vice President of Development and the Director of Individual Giving and Manager of Operations to set post-event evaluation and analysis. Ensures all goals, strategies, timelines are met and analysis is completed for all events.
Renew and increase sponsorship from corporations and ensure the delivery of benefits associated with all sponsorships.
Develop systems, protocols and best practices to ensure all Boston Harbor Now events are consistently exceptional, high-caliber occasions that showcase our positive impact on Boston Harbor
Work closely with the Manager of Operations and vendors to execute all aspects of guest experience, event production, logistics, speaking programs, printed and digital materials.
Develop and manage all event expense budgets, and identify new in-kind gift opportunities
Manage all key vendor and consultant relationships
Ensure all required licenses and liability/insurance forms are secured in a timely manner.
Provide thorough analysis of each event following the event.
Recruit, train and supervise assigned staff and volunteers

Corporate Partnerships (30%)

Develop a list of prospective new and existing donors by identifying corporations with capacity and propensity to give.
Initiate and strengthen corporate relationships with key donors through systematic cultivation and stewardship.
Develop and deliver presentations to internal and/or external stakeholders.
Oversight and management of corporate partner recruitment and cultivation events, including those specific to event sponsorships.
Network with appropriate organizations to build organizational presence in the corporate community.

Donor Engagement and Stewardship (20%)

Manage all aspects of donor engagement and stewardship events including island, harbor and waterfront tours, corporate volunteer programing, cultivation events and our annual Boston Light Society (donors giving $1,000) and annual membership meeting in conjunction with the Vice President of Development and the Director of Individual Giving.
Monitor the progress toward financial goals and coordinate with the finance team.
Coordinate the timely processing of gift acknowledgements and thank you phone calls with the Development Coordinator. Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

5-7 years of event fundraising experience with a proven track record of securing corporate and individual gifts.
Experience developing relationships with constituents and corporations while achieving annual goals.
Enjoy working on a team and face-to-face interactions with a diverse group of people
Training and professional experience in Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack preferred
Proficiency in Google Suite, including Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Drive, and Calendar, to manage appointments, document sharing, and digital collaboration
Proficiency in advanced Microsoft Excel skills preferred including lookup function, filters, and formulas
Ability to maintain high level of donor confidentiality
Demonstrated skills in organization and communication in an office setting and responding to donor or customer communications
Problem solving skills and ability to present possible solutions to supervisor
Bachelor's degree or other credentials, traditional and nontraditional, and experience considered and appreciated.

The Ideal Candidate

Is highly organized, detail oriented, and is able to prioritize multiple tasks to meet deadlines and budgets Takes initiative and manages time well
Continually builds technical and professional knowledge and abilities associated with job objectives
Is a proactive problem solver
Works well with people inside and outside the organization
Believes in the mission of Boston Harbor Now
We recognize that experience can be gained in various ways: lived, professional, volunteer, and other experience. We encourage Black, Indigenous, people of color, people with disabilities, and people with non-dominant gender identities who may not believe they meet all of the described qualifications to consider what they can contribute to Boston Harbor Now and apply.

Work Hours and Physical Requirements

This position is based in Charlestown and is located close to public transportation. This position must be able to work irregular hours as needed, including early morning and evenings, and occasional weekend events. Boston Harbor Now follows a hybrid work schedule.

Salary Range and Employee Benefits

The salary range for this position is $75,000 to $80,000 annually, depending on experience, plus a competitive and inclusive benefits package, including medical, dental, life and disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, vacation, sick and personal time, as well as the option to participate in our 403(b) retirement plan with employer matching.

How to Apply for this Job

Please send your resume/CV and cover letter to employment@bostonharbornow.org for consideration.

Please use the Subject line “Manager of Special Events & Corporate Partnerships Application (your last name)” in your email. It is important to us that the hiring process is accessible to everyone. If you require accommodations to participate in the interview process, please let us know when you apply.

About the Organization

Boston Harbor Now envisions a vibrant, welcoming, and resilient Boston Harbor, Waterfront, and Islands for the benefit of everyone. Our mission is to ensure that these unique regional resources are accessible, inclusive, and properly adapted to the risks of climate change. BHN focuses on Coastal Resilience, Access, and Equity. BHN works with public and private partners to increase people’s awareness of and access to parks and public spaces on Boston Harbor through programming, communications, and engagement.

The organization serves as the legislated non-profit partner of the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park and the city's partner for the Boston Harborwalk and Moakley Park. Current priority projects include the Stone Living Lab, focused on finding nature-based solutions to sea-level rise, and Harborwalk 2.0, a framework for improving waterfront development on Boston Harbor as well as imagining a bolder vision for the waterfront and islands. Harborwalk 2.0 goes beyond existing regulations in anticipation of building a more resilient and accessible waterfront that is prepared for the coastal impacts of climate change.

WOC is not responsible for the content of job postings.