Do you want to make a difference in the lives of animals? Are you someone who champions teamwork and looks for ways to improve processes? Then here is a fantastic opportunity to grow your career as the Manager of Special Events & Corporate Partnerships at Animal Friends, Inc.

Who We Are:

For more than 80 years, Animal Friends has continually set – and raised – the bar for humane programming in the Pittsburgh region. Our 75-acre campus serves as a center of compassion, resources and hope for thousands of homeless pets annually. Our full-service companion animal resource community serves our region by providing tens of thousands of affordable services, and impacting more than 100,000 lives through humane education, pet behavior classes, pet therapy and our pet food bank each year. Animal Friends is proud to continue to save lives … simply put, because it’s what we do. 

Position Summary:

The Manager of Special Events & Corporate Partnerships is responsible for cultivating corporate relationships and managing fundraising events to support Animal Friends’ mission and financial goals. This role will develop and manage a strategic plan to engage the community with effective fundraising events and develop meaningful relationships, both financially and physically, with corporate partners. The lifesaving work of Animal Friends depends upon the support of the community, and the role of Manager of Special Events & Corporate Partnerships will steward efforts to increase community and corporate fundraising support. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, this role will manage Animal Friends’ corporate giving and fundraising events while continuing to be a strong part of the Development team and assisting in accomplishing the organization’s overall fundraising goals.

This position requires a strong leader with a high degree of professionalism who is comfortable building relationships with all levels of an organization and effectively communicating the impact of events and support.

More broadly, the Manager of Special Events & Corporate Partnerships is expected to be a positive ambassador of the organization promoting a team-focused, solution-based atmosphere, balancing our compassionate work with fiscal responsibility. This position holds a big-picture view of animal welfare, and the Manager of Special Events & Corporate Partnerships must be able to provide guidance and direction in emotional situations while remaining poised and professional. Of course, we expect our staff to be comfortable interacting with cats, dogs and rabbits of varying sizes, temperaments and backgrounds and serving as an advocate for their care and rehoming. As with every position within Animal Friends, this position is expected to promote the organization’s mission, vision and policies while supporting an environment of collaboration, teamwork, and mutual respect.

Essential Functions:

Corporate Partnerships

• Responsible for direct cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of Animal Friends corporate partners
• Establish new and maintain current corporate partnerships
• Ensures that corporate partner interests are correctly reflected in marketing, publications, events, etc
• Build and strengthen relationships with key decision-makers among local, regional and national companies by fostering trust and collaboration
• Identify new and creative opportunities for corporate partnerships and support. Devise and facilitate strategy for securing support
• Develop meaningful and compelling engagement opportunities for existing corporate partners, connecting them to our mission and impact
• Develop a comprehensive short and long-term corporate partnership fundraising strategy by tailoring specific goals to established corporate partners as well as new funders
• Develop and manage the plan for revenue for sponsorships and ticket sales for each fundraising event to ensure all event goals are met

Special Events

• Solicit and secure sponsors for Primary and Secondary Events
• Create and implement fundraising efforts at Primary Event with Chief Development Officer
• Creation, planning, and implementation of Secondary Events
• Establish and maintain event budgets
• Handle cash and manage credit card payments and event registrations in accordance with Animal Friends’ financial internal controls policy; train staff and volunteers accordingly and ensure all policies are followed
• Maintain detailed records of event aspects, including financial details. Conduct post-event evaluations to determine how future events could be improved
• Monitor event activities to ensure compliance with applicable laws and resolve any problems that arise
• Solicit in-kind donations from businesses and individuals for raffles and auctions
• Promote relationships among multiple departments for smooth event execution
• Collaborate with the Communications Department to establish appropriate timelines as it relates to Primary, Secondary and Third-Party Events
• Stewardship of vendors as they relate to events
• Manage and train volunteers in an administrative and event capacity

Management

• Provide guidance and assistance to the Development Committee and event steering committees
• Work with Chief Development Officer to build and implement a strategic plan and annual calendar of events to plan scope and format of events, to establish and monitor budgets, or to review administrative procedures and event progress
• Participate in budget planning, goal setting, and strategic planning to assist with the creation of the Development Department’s annual operating plan
• Develop, plan, and manage annual corporate development plan including stewardship events and opportunities
• Using creative thinking and multiple resources to develop new or improve existing revenue streams

Other

• Maintains appropriate records in Bloomerang in accordance with corporate and donor support
• Maintains appropriate documentation of corporate invoicing and logo placement
• Support Capital Campaign as needed
• Participates in training, including animal handling, development related webinars and seminars and other training as assigned or needed
• Maintain a professional, courteous demeanor with clients, volunteers and employees at all times
• Tracking fundraising results and projections; recommending tactics to meet goals
• Anticipate internal and external needs for events and act promptly to address them as they arise
• Maintains a comprehensive understanding of Animal Friends, its many programs, procedures and offerings in order to plan meaningful and effective events
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications and Experience

• A Bachelor’s Degree in a related field is required or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience may be substituted
• At least three years of fundraising or events management experience
• Possess excellent communication skills, interpersonal skills, computer literacy, organizational ability and time management skills
• Courage to make tough decisions and deliver difficult messages with professionalism and poise
• Comfortable working in ambiguous situations with competing priorities
• Consultative style and approach with the ability to develop credible relationships throughout all levels of the organization
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to meet people easily and relate to them in an open, compassionate, and sincere manner
• Flexible work availability required; organization is a 7-day/week operation, which may require individuals to work evenings, weekends, holidays and/or special events as requested
• Experience with donor databases and fundraising platforms required; working knowledge of Bloomerang, QGive, GiveSmart and QuickBooks helpful
• Must have access to dependable transportation and openness to local travel
• Valid driver’s license required
• Must be comfortable working with and handling dogs, cats and rabbits of various sizes and temperaments and be able to successfully complete Animal Friends’ handling training
• Must have a sincere interest in the vision, mission, and culture of Animal Friends
• Must meet essential functions within 60 days of hire

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Communication Proficiency – Ability to express information and ideas to others in both verbal and written platforms
• Organization Skills - Ability to analyze work, set goals, develop plans of action, maintain up to date and accurate records
• Stress Management - Ability to maintain baseline behavior / composure during stressful situations, adapts well to change
• Customer / Client Focus- Actively seeks out ways to aid Animal Friends guests and/or volunteers to ensure the best possible customer service is provided
• Diversity and Inclusion – Ability to welcome, support and value individuals with similarities and differences that may vary from your own
• Teamwork Orientation – Ability to work with others to accomplish like-minded goals and tasks for the organization
• Customer Smart’ Culture - Develops and models strong interpersonal skills, initiates and maintains positive interactions with visitors, volunteers and fellow employees, redirects challenging interactions into manageable ones