Director of Special Events and Donor Engagement Job New York New York USA,Non-Profit & Social Impact

Are you committed to advancing economic equity and connecting underrepresented talent to career opportunities using mentorship and access to professional networks? Are you ready to drive growth and scale impact in service of a meaningful mission?

Organization Overview:

Street Wise Partners is on a mission to drive career mobility and help build the workforce of today and tomorrow. For more than 25 years, we have expanded access to opportunity through high impact mentoring, career coaching, and job placement, supporting over 25,000 adults on their path to meaningful employment.

Our programs connect unemployed and underemployed adults in New York City and Washington, D.C. to life-changing career opportunities, while providing employers with access to a highly capable talent pool that reflects a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.

Street Wise Partners’ one year mentoring program delivers customized, individualized support to internship and job seekers. Through one-on-one mentorship, participants build professional skills, social capital, and an expansive network of advocates who open doors and support long term career success. This role will play a critical part in driving programmatic and organizational success to support our continued growth and scale.

Join Street Wise Partners in helping to build the workforce of tomorrow.

Position Overview:

Street Wise Partners seeks a dynamic, entrepreneurial, and results-driven Director of Special Events and Donor Engagement to lead the strategy, growth, and execution of the organization's established fundraising events portfolio, which consistently generates more than $1.3 million annually through signature events like the Annual Partnership Breakfast and Raising the Ante Poker Tournament.

The Director of Special Events and Donor Engagement will develop and execute a 1 - 3 year growth strategy, bringing fresh ideas, innovative fundraising approaches, and an entrepreneurial mindset to an already strong event portfolio.

The ideal candidate is equal parts fundraiser, strategist, project manager, relationship builder, and volunteer leader. They recognize that successful events are not simply well-executed gatherings, but powerful tools for generating revenue, strengthening donor relationships, expanding networks, activating volunteers, and advancing organizational goals.

This position reports to the Chief Development Officer and has primary responsibility and accountability for event fundraising revenue and strategy. The Director of Special Events and Donor Engagement works closely with executive leadership, board members, and event committees and will supervise a part-time Contract Event Manager responsible for event logistics and vendor coordination, with dotted-line supervision of a Development Assistant who provides administrative support for fundraising events.

This is a hybrid position based in New York City and requires regular in-person (sometimes in evenings) attendance at events and committee meetings. Occasional travel, including Washington, DC, may be required.

Responsibilities Include:

Fundraising Strategy & Event Growth

Develop and execute a multi-year strategy to grow Street Wise Partners' fundraising event portfolio over the next 1 - 3 years.
Build upon the strong foundation of Street Wise Partners' existing events by introducing innovative fundraising, sponsorship, engagement, and stewardship strategies.
Identify and implement strategies to increase sponsorship revenue, attendee acquisition, donor retention, and onsite fundraising performance.
Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward sponsors in partnership with the development team, committees and Board.
Develop stewardship strategies that convert event attendees, sponsors, and committee members into long-term donors and champions.
Analyze event performance data and fundraising metrics to maximize return on investment and inform future growth.
Research and implement emerging fundraising trends, technologies, and event experiences.
Assess opportunities for new fundraising events and potential expansion into Washington, DC.
Develop and manage annual event budgets while identifying opportunities to improve net revenue.
Build systems and processes that support scalable event growth and reduce operational risk.

Volunteer, Committee & Board Leadership

Recruit, onboard, develop, and lead event committees that serve as ambassadors for Street Wise Partners.
Inspire and equip committee members to activate their personal and professional…