Director - Special Events

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

The Director of Special Events is responsible for the fundraising, strategic planning, and overall successful execution of the American Kidney Fund’s medium-sized signature events, including A Pairing for Prevention and AKF’s Living Donor Assistance Program events, as well as AKF’s peer-to-peer fundraising program, Kidney Nation. The Director of Special Events is a pivotal fundraising role responsible for significantly growing revenue by building and nurturing strong relationships and creating an engaged fundraising community.

• Support committee members and frontline fundraisers to achieve contributed revenue goals of at least $300K annually. Identify and solicit new event sponsors and in‑kind donations. Assess the current sponsorship approach and develop and implement an updated strategy to attract new donors, deepen relationships with existing donors, leverage corporate partnerships, and increase revenue.
• Serve as liaison to event committees, including managing monthly meetings and providing support and guidance in fundraising and sponsorship solicitation, including prospect identification and individualized follow‑up. Responsible for the recruitment and cultivation of high‑level volunteer committees. Facilitate honoree selection and restricted fundraising, as needed.
• Coordinate with the Office of Communications and Marketing on all event collateral, branding, website content, and other program elements within established deadlines. Ensure all sponsor benefits are fulfilled in accordance with sponsorship packages. Develop and implement a strategic communication timeline for each event, including solicitations and follow‑up on payments, guest communications, acknowledgements, and thank‑you notes.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with donors, sponsors, and volunteer committee members. Ensure outstanding guest experiences through proactive, high‑touch communication and service. Fully participate in event‑day execution, serving as the main point of contact for committee members, sponsors, and guests. Maintain positive and professional demeanor during all interactions with attendees, honorees, staff, and volunteers during event execution.
• Ensure successful execution of each event. In collaboration with the Special Events Manager, assist in the creation, communication, and execution of event timelines, schedules, budgets, run‑of‑show, and logistics. Prepare and share updates to leadership and committees on event milestones and goals. Maintain up‑to‑date and accurate database of fundraising activity and sponsor details.
  
  • Prepare post‑event reports, conduct internal and committee debriefs and analyze event performance to inform future strategy and improve outcomes.

• Serve as the main contact and fundraising coach for Kidney Nation individual and corporate fundraising participants. Identify, recruit, and cultivate prospective peer‑to‑peer and community fundraisers who are motivated or inclined to support the work of AKF through fundraising, and steward them to achieve revenue goals.
  • In partnership with our contracted vendor oversee our Facebook Birthday Fundraising program, including the management of the advertising budget and any fundraiser follow‑up that may be needed.
  • Ensure fundraisers have the resources to be successful, assess their mission connection and maximize their fundraising potential, while providing excellent customer service and support.
  • Develop expertise using the Go Fund Me Pro  (formerly Classy) and Pledge It platforms to support and guide fundraisers in customizing their online fundraising pages.
  • Under the direction of the Senior Director of Special Events, enhance and provide new Kidney Nation resources.
  • Implement and develop strategies to recruit, engage, and retain fundraisers through the different peer‑to‑peer programs.
• Lead the annual 37 Mile Challenge social media fundraising campaign.
  • In collaboration with Director of Digital Fundraising, Social Media Managers and contracted vendors, ensure key metrics for recruitment and revenue are achieved.
  • In partnership with the Office of Communications and…