Events Manager

The Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic schools serve more than 40,000 students in 150 elementary and high schools in Cook and Lake counties. It is one of the largest private school systems in the United States. Its schools have received 96 Blue Ribbon awards from the U.S. Department of Education over the past 10 years.

Position Description

We are thrilled to invite a passionate and dedicated individual to join our team at a truly exciting time in our school’s journey. With the arrival of new leadership this past year, we are embarking on an exciting phase of growth, innovation, and opportunity. This is your chance to be part of a dynamic environment, where your contributions will directly shape the future of our students and the school’s vision. Join us and become a key player in this exciting new chapter!

The Special Events and Development Manager is responsible for the management and success of St. Francis Xavier School’s fundraising efforts, to include annual giving and special events. This individual works closely with the Principal, Director of Marketing and Enrollment and the Parish Director of Stewardship and Development to guide fundraising efforts and actively communicate with other members of the school and parish staff to coordinate fundraising events and donor stewardship. The Special Events and Development Manager will also work in partnership with the School Advisory Board (SAB) to collaborate and ensure efficiency and effectiveness in all fundraising efforts and work closely with school administration to coordinate the school faculty/staff needed to support development objectives.

Responsibilities
Lead and support achievement of philanthropic revenue goals for the school (80%)

• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy that includes annual giving, special event fundraising and stewardship:

Annual Fund:

• We Thrive Initiative: Lead and execute annual We Thrive initiative - a 5 week fundraising effort to raise $175,000. This includes the creation of all messaging, videos, solicitation letters, thank you notes, donor tracking and reporting
• Work with Principal and the Parish Director of Stewardship and Development to solicit parishioners to participate in We Thrive/Annual Giving

Ignite Benefit (annual fundraising event):

Serve as the main liaison between the school and the Ignite Benefit Chairs/Committee.

Execute event management responsibilities, to include but not limited to:

• Develop and execute communication plans for fundraising (sponsorship levels and benefits) and community outreach (newsletters, stand-alone emails, ambassador emails)
• Coordinate logistics for event such as location selection, catering, AV equipment and decor
• Create day of run-of-show, volunteer schedules and ensure adequate staffing/volunteers for event day
• Sole management of event software (OneCause), and all tasks related to it including sponsorship recognition, ticket management and donation reporting.
• Track and report on event expenditures and provide post-event financial summaries and reports
• Create any printed materials needed for the event - including sponsor boards, table tents, bid paddles, etc.
• Create and manage all post-event thank you letters, including tax receipts

Other Special Events: There are additional special events that support fundraising goals at St. Francis Xavier School (see below). While the Special Event and Development Manager is not responsible for the execution of these events, they are responsible for providing strategic counsel needed by event chairs. These events include but are not limited to:

• Falcon 5K
• Golf Outing

Family & School Association (FSA): The FSA coordinates educational and recreational in-school and extracurricular events for the school. The Special Events and Development Manager attends FSA meetings and is available to attend certain FSA events as a way to connect with the school community at large.

• Additional Duties include: (20%)

• Serve as a school representative at events and activities, such as fundraising events, open house, concerts, performances.
• Attend School Advisory Board meetings as needed to support collaborative efforts toward achieving revenue goals
• Create a campus-wide communications calendar with parish facility scheduler and social media coordinators

Qualifications

• Faith-based dedication to Catholic education
• Minimum four years of fundraising and/or event management experience (or comparable area of expertise)
• Demonstrated leadership/supervisory skills
• Experience in project management, communications, and database management
• Experience with all Windows/Microsoft Office applications
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred

The Archdiocese of Chicago offers a comprehensive total rewards package to include competitive compensation and benefit programs. Information about our benefit programs is available here.

This position has an annualized salary range of $50,000 - $58,000. An employee’s pay within the salary range will be based on many factors including but not limited to: relevant education, qualifications, experience, skills, geographic location, and organizational needs.