Events & Development Manager

Hands On Children's Museum; Olympia (WA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) retirement plan

Paid holidays and PTO

Wellness program

Family-friendly workplace

Job summary

Hands On Children’s Museum in Olympia, WA, is seeking a Development Manager to lead event planning and fundraising efforts. You will partner with the Development Director to drive annual plans, retain sponsors, and coordinate cross-department execution for major events.

The ideal candidate has 3+ years in nonprofit fundraising, strong communications, and project management skills, with a Bachelor’s degree preferred. This role supports an active events calendar and donor engagement initiatives.

Qualifications

• 3+ years managing a variety of events in non-profit fundraising.
• Bachelor’s degree and sales experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the annual fundraising plan with the Development Director.
• Retain and grow sponsorships from businesses and individuals.
• Coordinate with museum departments to manage major events (e.g., Summer Splash Gala).
• Oversee budgeting, logistics, staff, volunteers, and post-event analysis.

Skills

Event planning

Fundraising

Budget management

Donor relations

Project management

Non-profit experience

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

CRM systems

Microsoft Office

Donor databases

Job description

Description

Status: Full Time

Wages: $65K - $85K annually

About Hands On:

The Hands On Children’s Museum is located on the picturesque East Bay waterfront in downtown Olympia. We are a nationally known family learning destination and the most visited children’s museum in the Pacific Northwest hosting about 300,000 visitors each year. Our mission is to stimulate curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking skills through rich, interactive learning experiences. We believe that all children deserve respect and the opportunity to learn, regardless of their ability to pay, which is why the Museum works hard to serve more than one-third of its annual visitation through the Inspired Learning for All initiative. The Museum is recognized as a national Museum for All and won a Noyce Foundation Bright Lights Award for bringing art and science education to underserved populations.

Voted a “Best Place for Kids” for more than a decade, the Museum offers a state-of-the-art LEED Gold facility with 150 indoor exhibits, a half-acre Outdoor Discovery Center, Art Studio, a MakeSpace for tinkering and inventing, café and gift shop, and award-winning education programs including camps, workshops, preschool, parenting classes, field trips, community outreach and family support programs.

Position Overview:

Work for an award-winning Children’s Museum, voted a “Best Place for Kids” for more than a decade! Do you love event planning and fundraising as well as exciting, hands-on learning? If so, this position could be yours!

Development & Event Responsibilities

· The Development Manager will partner closely with the Development Director to develop and execute the annual fundraising plan and strategy.

• Develops and implements strategies to retain and grow sponsorship support from businesses and individuals.


• Coordinates with the Database Manager to ensure donor gifts and sponsorships are properly recorded.


• Coordinates with multiple Museum departments, educators, partners, and stakeholders to manage multiple museum events such as the Summer Splash! Gala, Fire Rescue Spectacular, and other seasonal events.


• Manages all phases of event planning, from concept through evaluation, including interdepartmental coordination, budgeting, logistics, communications, staffing, committees, volunteers, and on-site management.


• Works with Development leadership to prepare and monitor budgets and provide post-event financial analysis including, live and silent auction performance, raise the paddle contributions, sponsorship revenue, etc.


• Align event strategies with the Museum’s overall fundraising objectives to maximize sponsorship, donor engagement, and revenue opportunities.


• In coordination with the Development team and board, manages the procurement, tracking, promotion, and display of auction items.


• Stewards event sponsors in conjunction with the Development Director


• Negotiates contracts, discounts and in-kind contributions with event vendors including catering, food service, entertainment, AV, videographers, and other similar support companies.


• Works with the Communications team to develop promotional materials, PowerPoints, videos, branding, advertising, and digital strategy for events.


• Prepares detailed advance sheets identifying responsibilities for each department and various contractors. Works cooperatively with facilities and operations for set-up, tear-down and staffing logistics.


• Serves as on-site point of contact during museum events and provides training to staff and volunteers as needed.


• Completes post-event wrap-up, including evaluation of all event elements, recommendations for improvement, donor reports and acknowledgements, and reconciliation of budget and vendor payments.


• Works with development staff to ensure accurate financial coding and gift acknowledgment throughout the year.

Workplace Values:

Achieving our mission requires great people who actively demonstrate our core values.

Compensation & Benefits:

$65K - $85K annually, medical, dental, and vision, employee wellness program, paid holidays and paid time off, a 401(k) retirement plan, and lots of adorable children. Benefits vary by number of regularly scheduled hours worked, length of employment, and employment status. See the benefit details for this position here.

For more information, please visit our website at www.hocm.org

The Hands On Children’s Museum exhibits, education programs, and employment are available to all without discrimination.

Requirements

Qualifications:

• You’re an ideal candidate if you are enthusiastic and passionate about learning, have 3+ years managing a variety of events, and have previous experience working in non-profit fundraising. Bachelor’s degree and sales experience preferred.


• Excellent oral and written communications skills, and the ability to work with a wide range of stakeholders.


• We’re looking for an accomplished project manager who enjoys bringing complex projects to life. The successful candidate can balance multiple deadlines, anticipate challenges, and be an excellent problem solver under pressure. You are able to keep projects moving forward while maintaining a high level of organization and attention to detail.


• You should be experienced in effectively managing budgets with strong analytical skills while maintaining accuracy.


• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality when handling sensitive donor, financial, and organizational information.


• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment. Prior experience supervising staff and volunteers.


• A strong interest in early education, and interactive learning for children and families.


• Comfortable working with technology, including donor databases, CRM systems, Microsoft Office, and project management software.


• Ability to work a core Monday-Friday schedule, with the ability to flex your schedule to work evenings and weekends a few times each month for events.