Event Planner / Fundraising Event Organizer

The Ones Who Stayed Foundation is a Louisville-based nonprofit created to support foster youth, former foster youth, foster families, kinship caregivers, transition-age young people, and families connected to local agencies and community partners.

Our mission is to provide practical support, community connection, and consistent care for youth and families who have experienced foster care, instability, trauma, placement changes, or hardship. We are working to provide youth support boxes, hygiene items, school supplies, diapers, clothing, gift cards, technology when available, transition resources, and basic needs assistance.

We are currently building our fundraising and community event efforts so we can open our doors, begin accepting referrals, and provide direct support to youth and families in the Louisville area.

Role Overview

The Ones Who Stayed Foundation is seeking a creative, organized, and community-minded volunteer to help plan and coordinate fundraising events.

This person will help us bring community fundraising ideas to life, including chili cook-offs, spaghetti dinners, trivia nights, car washes, car shows, fishing tournaments, supply drives, restaurant fundraiser nights, community cookouts, and other events that help raise money and awareness for the foundation.

The ideal volunteer is someone who enjoys planning, organizing, reaching out to local businesses, coordinating details, and helping turn ideas into real events. Louisville-area volunteers are preferred because some events will require local planning and in-person coordination, but remote volunteers may also be helpful with outreach, planning documents, sponsor lists, event timelines, emails, and social media support.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities may include:

Planning fundraising events from idea to execution

Helping organize chili contests, spaghetti dinners, trivia nights, car washes, supply drives, outdoor events, and community fundraisers

Researching possible venues, sponsors, restaurants, churches, businesses, and community partners

Creating event timelines, checklists, and volunteer task lists

Helping contact local businesses for sponsorships, gift cards, raffle items, food donations, and event support

Coordinating with volunteers before and during events

Assisting with event registration, setup plans, cleanup plans, and supply lists

Helping create or organize sponsor packets, flyers, outreach emails, and social media posts

Tracking event needs, contacts, donations, and follow-up tasks

Helping make each event organized, welcoming, and successful

Helpful Skills

We are looking for someone who is:

Organized and dependable

Good at follow-through

Comfortable communicating with businesses, volunteers, and community members

Creative with fundraising ideas

Able to help manage details and deadlines

Passionate about helping youth and families

Comfortable using email, Google Docs, spreadsheets, or basic online tools

Able to work independently and communicate regularly

Event planning experience is helpful, but not required. A strong desire to help and the ability to stay organized matter most.

Ideal Fit

This role may be a good fit for:

Someone with nonprofit, fundraising, event planning, hospitality, restaurant, church, school, or community organizing experience

A student or graduate student looking for nonprofit experience

A retired professional who enjoys community work

A parent, foster parent, former foster youth, or community member who wants to give back

Someone who loves planning events and connecting people to a meaningful cause

Why This Role Matters

Fundraising events are one of the ways The Ones Who Stayed Foundation will build the resources needed to serve youth and families. Every successful event helps us move closer to providing direct support such as hygiene supplies, school items, diapers, clothing, gift cards, youth support boxes, and transition resources.

This volunteer role helps turn good ideas into real community impact.