Partnerships & Special Events Coordinator

Overview

Location: Greater Hartford Area Services (Hartford, CT)

Hours Per Week: 28

Schedule: Tue-Fri; 8:30 am – 4:00 pm; some evenings and weekends as needed

Scope of Position:  Responsible for creating and managing a well-coordinated, strategic development plan to cultivate and solicit corporate sponsorships for Hartford-area events. Manage the operational aspects of multiple major events with particular emphasis on fundraising. Work to establish long-term partnerships, strengthen existing relationships, and initiate new contacts.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a positive and professional representative of The Salvation Army.
• Work to lead a strategy for events, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of existing and new corporate sponsors/partners in the Hartford area.
• Raise new funds while maintaining existing corporate sponsors and special events funding.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward corporate sponsors throughout the Hartford area for events.
• Cultivate a strong community presence by attending networking events, association meetings, business functions, and other events.
• Collaborate closely to set annual income goals for events and partnership campaigns.
• Assist with identifying and recruiting corporate leaders to serve on The Salvation Army Corps’ Advisory Councils and Advisory Boards.
• Work with others to articulate funding needs, program goals, objectives, program functions, and activities to produce persuasive proposals and accurate reports.
• Conduct presentations to various internal and external constituents to educate groups about The Salvation Army partnerships and events.
• Create necessary collateral materials and communication to develop outreach for corporate sponsorship opportunities.
• Create fundraising materials, including concept notes, proposals, project budgets, financial reports, program updates, and narrative reports for corporate sponsors.
• Work to cultivate the William Booth Society.
• Work to secure funding for holiday events, including but not limited to Kettle Sponsorships and Kettle Kick-Offs in the Hartford area.
• Create and manage a timeline, program, and event task list.
• Work collaboratively to implement the Annual Holiday Store.
• Work to co-manage volunteers' recruitment, scheduling, and training for fundraising events and other programs
• After each event, develop and implement acknowledgments to sponsors, volunteers, and organizing partners, including outcomes, statistics, and video when needed.
• Keep donor information up-to-date and strictly confidential.
• Record all events and corporate contacts, actions, proposals, outcomes, and reports in the donor database.
• Write thank you letters and final reports on how funding was utilized.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in business, communications, marketing, public relations, or equivalent work experience in a related field is preferred.
• Minimum three years of experience organizing special events (100-8000 people served) and securing sponsorships required.
• Proven record of raising $250,000+ through significant special events and campaign initiatives.
• Ability to remain tactful and flexible under pressure.
• Ability to travel and work occasional weekends, holidays, and evenings, as assigned.
• Demonstrated ability to provide exceptional customer service to sponsors while maintaining high confidentiality.
• Energetic, highly organized, detail-oriented, adaptable, and able to successfully manage multiple projects gracefully and professionally.
• Enthusiastic professional and capable of building positive relationships with donors and key stakeholders.
• Experience making presentations to large and small groups with the ability to articulate The Salvation Army’s mission.
• Experience with constituent communication and stewardship through written and verbal communication, events implementation, and overall program strategy and implementation.
• Must anticipate project needs, discern work priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Must complete all required trainings upon hire.
• Must embrace, support, and reflect well on The Salvation Army’s mission and values.
• Must have experience producing communications, solicitation, and marketing collateral and implementing successful fundraising events.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and basic graphic design skills.
• Travel required at times; must have a valid driver’s license with the ability to obtain and maintain driving privileges per The Salvation Army insurance standards, or reliable transportation to various locations in Connecticut and Rhode Island.