Director of National Gala & Special Events Fundraising

About the Vellore Christian Medical College Foundation:

The Vellore CMC Foundation’s mission is to support the Christian Medical College & Hospital of Vellore, India (CMC Vellore) in its pursuit of excellence in medical education, research and patient services. Through its fundraising, friend-raising and program support activities, the Vellore CMC Foundation contributes substantially to (1) compassionate, high-quality medical care for the underserved, (2) student scholarship opportunities, (3) early-stage scientific research conducted by students and junior faculty, (4) int’l training fellowship opportunities for senior CMC faculty, and (5) building collaborative relationships between CMC Vellore and its U.S. alumni, U.S. medical professionals, scientists & students, and member of the U.S. faith-based community.

Role and Responsibilities:

The Director of National Gala & Special Events Fundraising will be responsible for the strategic development and successful implementation of the Vellore CMC Foundation’s Signature Spring Gala and Fall ‘Edison to India 5K Dash-or-Dally’ fundraising events including (1) all revenue driven solicitations, (2) venue & theme selection, (3) honoree/special guest recruitment, and (4) ongoing donor stewardship. In partnership with the CEO, Director of Development and members of the gala and 5K event committees, he or she will also support the conversion of event sponsors and attendees into mission investors. This position will collaborate with all members of the Foundation staff and board to effectively provide a mission-focused mindset that honors the Foundation’s donors, CMC Vellore faculty & staff, and the millions of patients we serve in India each year.

This is an exciting opportunity for a strategic event fundraiser/organizer to enhance the Vellore CMC Foundation’s charitable profile through the promotion and successful execution of an “annual” gala, 5K and other fundraising events, each benefitting from carefully constructed guidelines and best practices meant to maximize our ability to secure new donor partnerships and ensure the full participation of our existing donor community. Using comprehensive market and competitive analyses, this individual will also make recommendations for the roll-out of other special intimate donor cultivation events organized as regional/local pilots meant to diversify the Foundation’s event offerings while aligning with its unique donor culture and global interests.

In collaboration with the Foundation’s development team and key third-party service providers, the Director of National Gala & Special Events Fundraising will drive strategy for all aspects of the Foundation’s signature Gala, 5K and other events, allowing us to remain competitive and poised to adapt to an ever-changing philanthropic landscape.

The activities associated with the day-to-day responsibilities of the Director of National Gala & Special Events Fundraising include (but are not limited to):

1. Lead solicitation and sponsor procurement activities for all Foundation special events
2. Ensure meaningful experiences for each event donor and/or attendee
3. Institute online and onsite charitable giving processes
4. Incorporate proper stewardship throughout the Foundation’s donor cultivation and retention processes
5. Conduct ongoing pre- and post-event analysis to determine correct donor participation levels
6. Provide framework to maximize integration of the Foundation’s mission into each of its signature fundraising events
7. Create spirit of collaboration and supportiveness with the Foundation’s board, staff, service providers and volunteers.
8. Develop guidelines that support the proper adoption of gala and 5K event best practices in accordance with industry standards
9. Cultivate and steward relationships with new and existing donors using one-to-one personal communications tactics and carefully timed special event charitable requests

Required Skill Sets and Talents:

1. Bachelor’s Degree and 5+ years of business development and/or fundraising, and event management experience
2. Demonstrated success managing special event fundraising activities – gala and 5K event experience preferred
3. Excellent interpersonal, as well as oral & written communication skills
4. Strong organizational and project management skills with demonstrable ability to multitask and manage a variety of organizational assignments concurrently
5. Tech-savy, with experience using Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms and event fundraising tools; DonorPerfect experience preferred.
6. Proficient in the Microsoft 365 Office Suite

The Vellore CMC Foundation proudly provides equal employment opportunities for all employees and job applicants and makes employment decisions consistent with these principles. The organization’s employment actions and decisions – including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, demotion, compensation, transfer, layoff, and termination – are made without regard to an employee’s race, color, religion, creed, age, national origin, ancestry, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, alienage or citizenship status, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, family and medical leave status, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Benefits include: Medical, Dental, Vision & PTO