Events Specialist

Position Summary:

The Events Specialist leads the planning, logistics, and execution of fundraising and donor stewardship events for Kids’ Food Basket (KFB). Actively builds and nurtures relationships with event sponsors, donors, and community to deliver an exceptional experience adhering to the Kids’ Food Basket brand. Attends third-party and community events on behalf of KFB.    

Organizational Values:

Kids’ Food Basket believes all children have a right to equitable, consistent access to the nutrition they need to grow.

Since its inception in 2002, Kids’ Food Basket has grown from serving 125 students in Kent County to serving thousands of children daily across four counties (Kent, Ottawa, Allegan and Muskegon) with healthy nourishing meals through our flagship Sack Supper program and other community-driven meal provision programming.

In addition, over the past two decades, Kids’ Food Basket has also increased healthy food access for our communities through the growth and distribution of sustainably grown produce on our two chemical-free farms. Nourishing healthier generations of children is at the core of Kids’ Food Basket’s mission and is what we strive for daily through our five commitments:

·       Nourish: We feed our future by providing healthy, nutritious, ready-to-eat meals each weekday to children experiencing food insecurity.

·       Grow: We increase healthy food access for our communities through the growth and distribution of sustainably grown vegetables and fruits on our chemical-free farms.

·       Learn: We use our facilities and farms as classrooms to foster a deeper understanding of where food comes from and why it is important, empowering children to make lifelong healthy choices.

·       Engage: We invite and include diverse perspectives to increase culturally responsive solutions and food equity in West Michigan.

·       Advocate: We strive to increase our community’s understanding of food access, why it is important and what we can do to ensure good food for generations.

Job Responsibilities:

1.     Envision, plan, develop and execute event logistics for donor and stewardship events, including creating timelines, maps, parking, program agenda, vendor coordination, and application of licenses and permits.

2.     Leads event theme planning by researching trends, décor, and other ideas.

3.     Represents organization at third-party, community, and Kids’ Food Basket events.

4.     Works cross departmentally to create event materials.

5.     Compiles guest lists and manages sponsors and RSVPs for donor events.

6.     Coordinates auctions for events including procurement and pricing of items, managing software system tracking, coordinating with auction winners, and promotion of auction.

7.     Coordinates, communicates, and schedules staff and volunteers for events.

8.     Writes and sends pre-event emails to guests including event details, expectations, and dietary considerations.

9.     Works directly with vendors, sponsors, and partners to plan, purchase, and prepare food and beverage for events.

10.  Drafts event budgets including tracking expenses, researching cost saving measures, and reviewing/coding invoices.

11.  Travels to regional locations as needed.

12.  Other duties as assigned.

Supervision Received:

  Specific Direction: Follows established work procedures. Receives periodic checks for performance. Refers unique questions/conditions to immediate supervisor.

Supervisory Responsibilities: 

Informal leading: Project management of team members and interns working within department. Responsible for assigning and scheduling project-based work. Provides training and coaching.

Education & Experience:

1.     Associate degree required. Bachelor's degree preferred.

2.     Four (4) or more years of relevant experience.

3.     Valid driver’s license.

Other Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

1.     Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.

2.     Experience with CRM or donor database. Raiser’s Edge preferred.

3.     Experience with event digital platforms. Click Bid preferred.

4.     Experience in event management and customer service.

5.     Knowledge of development, events, community outreach, and stewardship.

6.     Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

7.     Comfortable speaking in front of groups.

8.     Strong organizational skills, excellent attention to detail, and strong attention to follow through.

9.     Ability to solve problems, analyze processes, and make suggestions for improvement.

10.  Ability to manage multiple factors in decision making.

11.  Ability to work on nights and weekends on a regular basis.

12.  A sense of optimism and an assets-based way of viewing people and situations.

13.  Ability to effectively interact with a diverse population from a variety of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

14.  Have a desire to develop a basic understanding of hunger and poverty issues in West Michigan.

This job description does not list all duties of the job. Employees may be asked by management to perform other duties as needed. The Company reserves the right to revise this job description at any time. This job description is not a contract for employment and does not infringe upon the Company’s at will employment status.

Please visit https://kidsfoodbasket.org for physical requirements.

Benefits:

Kids’ Food Basket offers a competitive benefits package to full-time employees including medical, dental, vision, short-term disability, life/accidental death & dismemberment, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan with employer match, a generous PTO policy with 4 weeks in the first year of employment, paid holidays, and more. Benefits eligibility begins on the first day of the month following the date of hire. 401(k) plan eligibility is after 6 months of employment.

Equal Employment Opportunities

Kids’ Food Basket provides Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) to all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, height, weight, marital status, genetic information, qualified disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic. In addition to federal law requirements, we comply with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.

To be considered for the position, please send your resume and cover letter detailing your experience in event management. to humanresources@kidsfoodbasket.org

Please, no phone calls or walk ins. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.