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 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 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.
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.
Organizational Overview
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.
For more information about Boston Harbor Now, please visit: www.bostonharbornow.org
About the Position
Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Manager of Special Events will be an innovative fundraising professional with a track record of soliciting and securing sponsorships, managing event Host Committees and successfully planning and executing events. 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 will develop and implement a work plan to identify, cultivate, and steward corporate sponsorships 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 Fundraising Events (80%)
- Conceptualize, plan and execute an annual fundraising 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’s 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. Ensure 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.
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.
Qualifications and Experience
- 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.
Benefits and Salary
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.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Boston Harbor Now is an intentionally diverse workplace. We are intentional about hiring, developing, and retaining diverse individuals at all levels. We don’t just accept differences – we celebrate them, we value them, we promote them, and we thrive on them for the benefit of our employees, volunteers, supporters, partners, and community. We recognize that people bring their personal histories to work and that we make better decisions when we include a wide range of experiences and opinions. Diversity refers not only to race and gender, but also to an array of human differences including: culture, ethnicity, geography, socio-economic position, ability, sexual orientation, background, perspective and more that exist in the community and are reflected in the workforce. We value using an equity lens to manage the organization and create spaces for conversations on equity and ongoing staff and board engagement and empowerment to redesign policies, practices, services and programs. Boston Harbor Now strongly believes that diversity plays an essential role in our mission, fostering innovation and creativity, attracting the best candidates to our team, and enhancing our ability to serve.
We are an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.
How to Apply
Please send your resume/CV and cover letter to [email protected] for consideration. Please use the Subject line “Manager of Special Events 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.
Application Link