Event and Fundraising Specialist

Halton Women s Place; Burlington; Hybrid; CAD 55,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

Halton Women’s Place is seeking an Event Specialist to lead planning and execution of signature events, manage sponsorships, and steward donor relationships. The role focuses on logistics, budgeting, and engaging community partners to support fundraising goals.

The position is hybrid, based in Burlington, with an anticipated start as soon as possible and a temporary full-time status through September 24, 2027, with potential extension. Evening/weekend work may be required.

Qualifications

• Degree or diploma in event planning, public relations, fundraising, or related field.
• Demonstrated experience planning and coordinating events.
• Experience with event logistics, budgets, vendors, sponsorship, fundraising, or community partnerships.
• Strong organizational, project management, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Access to a reliable vehicle.
• Availability to work evenings and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate the annual signature events calendar, timelines, and planning activities.
• Support the development of event concepts, themes, and programming.
• Coordinate and facilitate event committee meetings.
• Coordinate event logistics from planning through event day.
• Liaise with venues, vendors, speakers, and other event partners.
• Support event setup, execution, and teardown.
• Troubleshoot issues and support risk management as needed.
• Lead event sponsorship solicitation, stewardship, fulfillment, and relationship management.
• Solicit auction items, contest prizes, in-kind donations, vendors, and other event contributions.

Job description

Salary Range: $55,000.00 To $61,000.00 Annually

Classification: Non-Union

Status : Temporary full time until September 24, 2027, with possibility of extension

Shift: Monday to Friday Days (8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. with occasional evening and weekend work)

Location : Hybrid with 2-3 days per week in the Burlington Office, (may be required to work from either Shelter site or within Halton Region when needed)

Department : Development

Reports to : Manager, Community Engagement and Events

Anticipated Start date

As soon as possible

Application Deadline: October 9, 2026

Who We Are

Halton Women’s Place (HWP) provides a safe haven, information, and education to support a future without violence for women and their children. We offer a wide range of community services and are the only women’s shelter in Halton Region. Halton Women’s Place operates two emergency safe shelters in Milton and Burlington, community outreach services, 24/7 crisis lines and online chat, and our public education program, Learn to Love, which focuses on healthy relationships and preventing violence before it begins.

Summary of Position

The Event Specialist supports the planning and execution of Halton Women’s Place signature events, with a focus on event logistics, sponsorship, fundraising, community engagement, and donor stewardship. We are seeking a highly organized, creative, and self-motivated Event Specialist with strong project management and communication skills. The successful candidate will coordinate multiple events throughout the year, build relationships with sponsors and community partners, and help deliver engaging events that support HWP’s fundraising and community engagement goals.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Event Planning & Coordination

• Coordinate the annual signature events calendar, timelines, and planning activities.
• Support the development of event concepts, themes, and programming.
• Coordinate and facilitate event committee meetings.
• Coordinate event logistics from planning through event day.
• Liaise with venues, vendors, speakers, and other event partners.
• Support event setup, execution, and teardown.
• Troubleshoot issues and support risk management as needed.
• Lead event sponsorship solicitation, stewardship, fulfillment, and relationship management.
• Solicit auction items, contest prizes, in-kind donations, vendors, and other event contributions.

Community Engagement & Communications

• Build relationships with sponsors, donors, businesses, community partners, vendors, and other stakeholders.
• Represent Halton Women’s Place at community and networking events.
• Speak publicly on behalf of Halton Women’s Place as required.

Budget & Administration

• Support the development and management of event budgets.
• Coordinate invoices, contracts, payments, and other event documentation.
• Prepare post-event and sponsor impact reports and evaluate event results.

REQUIREMENTS

• Degree or diploma in event planning, public relations, fundraising, or a related field, or a combination of relevant education and experience.
• Demonstrated experience planning and coordinating events.
• Experience with event logistics, budgets, vendors, sponsorship, fundraising, or community partnerships.
• Strong organizational, project management, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills.
• Creative, resourceful, and able to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office.
• Experience with event fundraising or CRM platforms is an asset.
• Comfortable representing an organization and speaking publicly.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Access to a reliable vehicle is required.
• Availability to work evenings and occasional weekends as required.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This is a hybrid position, with 2–3 days per week in the Burlington office. The Event Specialist supports four signature events throughout the year, with periods of increased activity leading up to and during events. Evening and occasional weekend work is required.

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS:

• Clear Police Record Check, is required to secure and maintain employment.
• A clear reading on a Step one and/or two TB test is required to secure and maintain employment.

We thank all applicants and will directly contact only those candidates selected for further consideration.

In accordance with our intersectional feminist, anti-racist and anti-oppressive framework, we are committed to the development of an organization that reflects the communities that we serve.

We actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity to apply, particularly those from the BIPOC and/or 2SLGBTQ+ communities. We will provide accommodations throughout the recruitment and selection and/or assessment process to applicants with disabilities.

Applicants need to make their accommodation needs known when contacted.

As part of the recruitment and selection function, HWP will collect voluntary self-identification data from applicants in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, HWP Hiring Practices Administrative Procedure, HWP’s Employment Equity Policy and Ontario’s Anti Racism Data Standards:

Personal information is collected under the authority of the Anti-Racism Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 15, in compliance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.56. In accordance with HWP’s Employment Equity Policy, personal information collected on this form will aim to achieve an inclusive, diverse and representative workforce. It works to intentionally identify and remove barriers for equity-deserving communities at each stage of the hiring process. Encouraging diversity of the workforce is vital because the workforce should be reflective and representative of the community.

Although hiring policies must adhere to the qualification requirements set out in applicable Regulations and any applicable collective agreement provisions, HWP recognizes the importance of the following when developing its selection and evaluation criteria:

valuing applicants’ additional experience, lived experience, skills, backgrounds and perspectives; and granting first consideration, where the skills, ability, and qualifications of the applicants are relatively equal, to applicants who self-identify as members of historically under-represented communities.

We encourage you to respond to our voluntary applicant self-identification questions. This data will inform our understanding of the diversity of our applicant pool as well as the progress of applicants throughout the hiring process. This data will inform our goals, strategies and actions and our progress towards creating and sustaining an inclusive and equitable workforce.

The section includes questions from Ontario’s Anti-Racism Data Standards (Standards, 2017). The Standards were established to help identify and monitor systemic racism and racial disparities within the public sector. The Standards establish consistent, effective practices for producing reliable information to support evidence‑based decision‑making and public accountability to help eliminate systemic racism and promote racial equity (adapted from Ontario’s Anti-Racism Data Standards, 2017).

Accommodation:Upon request, we will provide reasonable accommodations for candidates who have temporary or permanent disability, or who otherwise require accommodations based on the protected grounds highlighted in the Ontario Human Rights Code in respect to the recruitment and selection process.

Wellness: The HWP is committed to providing a respectful and healthy work environment.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment

Halton Womens Place does not use artificial intelligence (AI) to screen, assess, and select applicants at any stage of this recruitment process. All applications submitted for this position are reviewed and evaluated by human members of our recruitment/hiring team.

This disclosure is provided in accordance with Ontario's Employment Standards Act, 2000, as amended by the Working for Workers Four Act, 2024.