Development Events Manager

Essential Functions:

• Work in collaboration with the Donor Database Manager to develop and maintain proper procedures, record keeping of donor information and leverage data to support decision-making.
• Identify, cultivate, steward, and solicit donors to secure sponsorships, partnerships, and contributions, building long-term relationships that align with organizational goals and funding priorities.
• Represent Ronald McDonald House Central Texas as a mission speaker at corporate events and other community functions.
• Maintain involvement with external organizations and professional groups that may provide continuing education and connection for relationship building with donors/supporters.
• Participate in bi-weekly moves management meetings and work with other development team members to identify prospective donors and volunteers for event support.

Event Strategy and Project Management

• Serve as the project lead for all Ronald McDonald House Central Texas signature fundraising events, overseeing the full event lifecycle from concept development and planning through execution, financial reconciliation, post-event evaluation, and stewardship.
• Develop and manage comprehensive event workplans, critical-path timelines, production calendars, budgets, milestones, and accountability measures for each fundraising event.
• Partner with the Director of Philanthropy to establish annual event fundraising goals, sponsorship targets, attendance objectives, and key performance indicators.
• Lead event planning meetings, committee meetings, and cross-functional coordination to ensure decisions, assignments, and deliverables remain on schedule.
• Prepare and maintain event briefing documents, production schedules, detailed run-of-show materials, contact lists, floor plans, seating charts, and post-event reports.

High-End Event Logistics and Guest Experience

• Own and direct all event logistics, including venue coordination, catering, audiovisual and production services, entertainment, décor, rentals, transportation, registration, signage, guest flow, security coordination, setup, and breakdown.
• Develop elevated guest-experience plans for donors, sponsors, table hosts, board members, honorees, speakers, and VIP attendees, including arrival, check-in, seating, hospitality, recognition, and accessibility needs.
• Coordinate event-day staffing, volunteer assignments, vendor load-in and load-out, production cues, program transitions, and real-time issue resolution to ensure seamless execution.
• Anticipate operational, weather, technology, guest-service, and vendor risks and maintain contingency plans, backup resources, and clear escalation protocols.
• Conduct venue walkthroughs, production meetings, and final readiness reviews to confirm that all event standards, timelines, and deliverables are met.

Sponsorship and Donor Engagement

• Collaborate with development leadership to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward sponsors, underwriters, table hosts, major donors, and community partners.
• Assist in the development and management of sponsorship fulfillment plans to ensure recognition, hospitality, benefits, and contractual commitments are delivered accurately and professionally.
• Partner committee volunteers, and event leadership to leverage relationships that support sponsorship, attendance, auction procurement, and fundraising goals.
• Create high-touch donor and sponsor experiences that strengthen long-term engagement and philanthropic support for Ronald McDonald House Central Texas.
• Auction, Raffle, and Event Revenue Management
• Lead procurement and packaging efforts for live and silent auction items, raffle prizes, in-kind donations, experiences, and other event revenue opportunities.
• Oversee auction and event fundraising technology, registration systems, bidding tools, guest records, payment processes, and event reporting in coordination with appropriate team members.
• Coordinate onsite fundraising activities, including auctions, raffles, fund-a-need appeals, paddle raises, sponsorship activations, and donor recognition.
• Track sponsorship commitments, auction performance, donor participation, and event revenue to support timely follow-up and stewardship.

Financial and Vendor Management

• Develop, monitor, and reconcile event budgets, ensuring responsible stewardship of organizational resources while maximizing net fundraising revenue and return on investment.
• Source, evaluate, negotiate with, and manage event venues and vendors, including catering, production, entertainment, rentals, transportation, photography, floral, and related service providers.
• Manage event contracts, certificates of insurance, invoices, payment schedules, vendor deliverables, and internal approvals in accordance with organizational procedures.
• Conduct post-event financial and operational analyses and provide recommendations to improve revenue, guest experience, efficiency, and future event performance.

Marketing, Communications, and Stewardship

•  Partner with marketing and communications staff to coordinate event branding, invitations, sponsorship materials, event collateral, digital promotion, signage, scripts, and attendee communications.
• Ensure event messaging and materials align with the mission, brand standards, sponsor commitments, and fundraising objectives.
• Coordinate timely post-event acknowledgments, sponsor recognition, donor follow-up, impact communications, and stewardship activities.

Reporting and Continuous Improvement

• Prepare comprehensive post-event reports detailing fundraising results, attendance, sponsorship performance, budget outcomes, donor engagement, operational observations, and recommendations.
• Use donor, sponsor, guest, and event-performance data to evaluate results, identify trends, and inform future fundraising and engagement strategies.
• Continuously assess and improve event processes, systems, templates, vendor resources, and workflows to strengthen organizational efficiency and event quality.

Position Requirements:

• A minimum of 7 years of prior experience in event management and fundraising is required.
• Passion for the mission of Ronald McDonald House Central Texas.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities while working both independently and in a team environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office required; experience with donor databases and fundraising software is required (Bloomerang preferred).
• Reliable transportation to travel between Ronald McDonald House Central Texas program locations as needed.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to connect with diverse individuals.
• Receptive to change and strong aptitude for adaptability, flexibility, and process improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships and develop partnerships with supporters. Experience soliciting donations required.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, based on organizational and event needs.
• Must attend and provide onsite leadership for all major fundraising events, including but not limited to Bandana Ball, Starlight Affair, Friends of the House, donor cultivation and stewardship events, and third-party fundraising events.
• Responsible for ensuring successful event execution from advance planning and logistics through event-day leadership, post-event reconciliation, sponsor fulfillment, donor follow-up, and stewardship.
• Commitment to ensuring families receive exceptional care and comfort during their stay.
• Highly collaborative, innovative, and driven by process improvement and organizational efficiency.
• Must maintain discretion with regard to confidentiality and privacy.
• Bachelor's Degree is required.

This position description is for informational purposes and is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities. Additional duties that are consistent with the responsibility level of this position may be assigned.

Compensation and Benefits

This position offers a competitive annual salary commensurate with experience and a robust benefits package, including health and wellness benefits, paid time off, holidays, and other valuable employee programs.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.
• Ability to work off shift hours when needed.

Equal Opportunity Employment Statement: Ronald McDonald House Central Texas is

strongly supports equal employment opportunity for all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.