Coordinator, Special Events

As we serve vulnerable youth, all employees working for Covenant House Vancouver must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Proof of vaccination status will be required prior to your start date.

Since 1997, Covenant House Vancouver has provided relentless support for youth experiencing, or at-risk of experiencing, homelessness. We provide support to young people age 16 to 24 who have experienced a wide range of early life and ongoing, complex trauma; including physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect. Our purpose is to serve all youth with absolute respect, to help youth experiencing homelessness, and provide a safe and supportive environment for all youth in need.

Working at Covenant House will be one of the most meaningful things that you’ll do in your life. However, you will be confronted with significant issues in this work and frankly, this work is not for everyone. In the course of doing your work, particularly for those doing frontline work, you will be exposed to the trauma of others. The youth we serve may also experience overdose, physical harm perpetuated by self or others and even death.

Because we provide a relational model of care, the harms our youth experience can impact us in varying degrees.

While we provide training for youth workers on avoiding what we call vicarious trauma (namely, the trauma you can experience or take on by hearing other’s traumatic stories), and a generous allowance for counselling, it is still difficult work that can and does take its toll on many employees. Self-awareness and self-care are key. Some candidates and employees decide during the recruiting and probationary periods that this work isn’t for them, and that is totally fair.

We will provide more information on vicarious trauma during recruiting and on-boarding, to help you decide if Covenant House is the place for you.

As the Coordinator, Special Events you will play an integral role in supporting the Special Events team with administration, participant communication, and event coordination behind Covenant House Vancouver’s signature Sleep Out events. You will be responsible for the administration of Raiser’s Edge (CRM database software) and Luminate, website development and maintenance through Team Raiser (online peer-to-peer fundraising platform), and communication with event participants and donors to support their fundraising efforts.

You will also assist with the implementation of identified strategies for event logistics, guest experience, volunteer management, budget tracking, vendor coordination, post-event evaluation, and participant and donor stewardship.

• Provide administrative support for the Special Events team by administering Luminate Team Raiser, including event pages, participant registration, participant fundraising pages, gift entry, and reporting
• Administrating Raisers Edge including tracking actions, proposals, queries, and relationships
• Assist with prospecting, financial tracking, critical path management and stewardship
• Support Manager, Special Events and Philanthropy Officers with administrative duties as needed including updating and managing multiple event and fundraising campaign websites, creating and distributing digital fundraising materials for Sleep Out campaigns, and using these tools to encourage participation and facilitate support through donations and registration.
• Work closely with the Donations Processing team to ensure timely gift entry, processing, and tax receipting
• Respond to donor inquiries regarding event donation and tax receipts
• Communicate with high‑level stakeholders
• Correspond with event participants to answer their questions regarding Team Raiser fundraising pages and event logistics
• Support the events team to successfully execute the Sleep Out events including the execution of each event’s critical workflow from conception to completion, both for in‑person and virtual events
• Work closely with Facilities and Food Services to plan set up and food service
• Support day of coordination
• Lead staff on the night of Sleep out and ensuring the event runs…