Senior Manager of Special Events and Partnerships

Position Summary:

The Senior Manager of Special Events and Partnerships is responsible for stewarding a portfolio of corporate donors and program management related to the New York Botanical Garden’s special events and partnerships program, as well as playing a vital role in the cultivation, engagement, and stewardship of the Advisory Board and Board of Trustees. The Senior Manager will maintain or support key relationships with Garden donors, staff (full-time and temporary), contractors, and vendors.

As a member of the Garden’s Institutional Advancement department, one of the main objectives of this position is to design, produce, and solicit for the Garden’s in-person and virtual touchpoints (events, social media, communications). The Senior Manager will lead campaign- and appeal-based fundraising efforts through special events and projects that generate a gross yield greater than $1,500,000 each year.

Partnership will be vital to this position’s success. As such, the Senior Manager is expected to be a collaborative and strategic member of the Institutional Advancement department and the Special Events, Projects, and Partnerships team.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities:

• Partner with the Associate Vice President of Special Events, Projects, and Partnerships and key Garden staff to produce best-in-class fundraising and donor relations results.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward a dynamic donor portfolio of at least 50 corporate prospects, personally raising $750,000 or greater in new commitments annually.
• Manage NYBG’s corporate event and sponsorship support program to increase total sponsorships and total dollars raised, including the identification and securing of event leadership, honorees, and corporate sponsors.
• Demonstrate exceptional skill in persuasion through PowerPoint and proposal creation, spoken communication skills, and writing which will include e-mail and social media outreach, campaign and special event proposals, biographies, agenda, event and meeting scripts, stewardship communications, and reports.
• Identify, research, solicit, and engage prospective and historical special events sponsors.
• Manage a special events and partnerships portfolio (in-person and virtual), generating an attendance ranging, on average, between 25 and 600 participants.
• Support the production and implementation of NYBG events and projects led by the President’s Office and other team members.
• Maintain active and accurate use of relevant constituent relationship management (CRM) systems, document tracking, contract and invoice processing, and filing systems.

Required Experience and Skills:

• 3 years of progressive fundraising, sales, or marketing experience.
• Driver’s license.
• Bachelor’s Degree.
• Strong persuasive and creative writing, proofreading, and editing skills.
• Excellent project and time management, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Interest and capacity to work with a multi-generational and diverse identity environment, inclusive of clients, donors, members, Board members and their families, staff, consultants, and volunteers.
• Propriety, thoughtfulness, sound judgment, and discretion.
• Interest and capacity to maintain self-motivation in a high production environment.
• Team player with strong interpersonal skills.
• Willingness to work occasional evenings/ weekends for events and donor visits.
• Fluency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• 5 years of successful acquisition of new corporate sponsors – for programs or events – at a nonprofit, resulting in charitable gifts of $25,000 or greater.
• Familiarity and experience with the NYC corporate philanthropy and donor landscape.
• Experience in special event corporate sponsorship or fundraising and donor stewardship events, preferably in a comparable cultural institution or non-profit setting.
• Knowledge of Raiser’s Edge, SiriusWare, and/or Luminate software preferred.

Physical Demands & Work Environment:

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is required to, at minimum, sit at a desk, lift or move up to 25 pounds, work outdoors under a variety of weather conditions, and occasionally work under moderate or loud work conditions.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Salary is commensurate with experience within the following range: $74,000 - $79,000.