Events and Donor Engagement Specialist
West Cancer Foundation
Reports To: Vice President of Development
FLSA Status: Exempt, Salaried
Salary: $55,000 annually
About West Cancer Foundation
Every day, thousands of Mid-South families face the emotional, physical, and financial challenges of a cancer diagnosis. At West Cancer Foundation, we believe no one should have to face cancer alone. Our mission is to break through barriers to cancer care and improve patient outcomes by providing cancer screenings, mental wellness counseling, transportation, survivorship resources, education, and innovative community programs that help patients receive the care they need.
As the philanthropic arm supporting the fight against cancer throughout the Mid-South, West Cancer Foundation partners with generous donors, corporate sponsors, volunteers, healthcare providers, and community leaders to make a lasting difference in the lives of cancer community, patients and their families.
Joining West Cancer Foundation means becoming part of a passionate, collaborative team committed to compassion, innovation, and excellence. Every event you organize, every donor relationship you cultivate, and every partnership you build directly supports our mission of improving lives and creating hope for those facing cancer.
Position Summary
West Cancer Foundation is seeking an energetic, relationship-driven, and highly organized Events and Donor Engagement Specialist to lead fundraising events, cultivate donor relationships, steward corporate partners, and support the Foundation's growing fundraising efforts.
This role is ideal for someone who thrives on bringing people together around a meaningful cause. You'll oversee the planning and execution of signature fundraising events, manage donor and sponsor engagement throughout the year, and serve as an ambassador for the Foundation throughout the Mid-South community.
Success in this role requires exceptional project management skills, outstanding attention to detail, strong communication abilities, and a genuine passion for relationship building. The ideal candidate enjoys balancing strategy with execution, can manage multiple priorities simultaneously, and takes ownership from planning through successful completion.
Working closely with the President and Vice President of Development, you'll collaborate with donors, volunteers, corporate sponsors, and community leaders to expand the Foundation's impact and help generate the resources needed to serve cancer patients across the region.
What You Will Do
Event Leadership
- Plan, organize, and execute fundraising events of all sizes from concept through successful completion.
- Serve as project lead for the Foundation's signature fundraising event, West Fight On, under the direction of the Vice President of Development.
- Coordinate event logistics, timelines, vendor relationships, volunteers, committees, and event-day operations to ensure exceptional experiences.
- Continuously evaluate and improve fundraising events through creative ideas and best practices.
- Create and share event and organization information on various social media platforms, including LinkedIn.
Donor & Sponsor Relations
- Cultivate meaningful relationships with individual donors, corporate sponsors, volunteers, and community partners to encourage long-term engagement and philanthropic support.
- Manage sponsorship fulfillment, donor recognition, stewardship activities, and timely follow-up for all fundraising initiatives.
- Deliver engaging presentations about West Cancer Foundation and West Fight On to corporations, civic organizations, and community stakeholders.
- Execute corporate partner engagement opportunities that strengthen existing relationships while expanding new partnership opportunities.
Fundraising & Development Support
- Support the President and Vice President of Development in achieving annual fundraising and donor engagement goals.
- Manage donor stewardship activities, maintain accurate CRM records, track donor interactions, and prepare reports that support fundraising strategy.
- Coordinate community-led fundraising events and peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns by providing guidance and ongoing support to volunteers and organizers.
- Assist with donor communications, acknowledgements, sponsorship materials, and fundraising collateral.
- Stay current on fundraising trends, donor engagement strategies, and nonprofit best practices.
What You Will Bring
- Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Nonprofit Management, Business, or a related field.
- 3–5 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, event management, donor relations, project management, or a related field.
- Demonstrated success planning and executing both small- and large-scale events.
- Exceptional relationship-building, networking, and customer service skills.
- Outstanding written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Experience working with donor databases or CRM systems and maintaining accurate constituent records.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and competing priorities.
- Self-motivated with excellent initiative and follow-through.
- Professional, collaborative, and adaptable with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
- Experience with Canva, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Office, and cloud-based project management tools.
- Passion for the mission of improving the lives of cancer patients and their families.
Why You Will Love This Opportunity
- Make a meaningful impact in the lives of cancer patients and their families throughout the Mid-South.
- Lead high-profile fundraising events that unite the community around an important cause.
- Build lasting relationships with donors, volunteers, corporate partners, and community leaders.
- Join a collaborative, mission-driven team where your ideas and contributions matter.
- Grow your career in nonprofit fundraising, event management, donor stewardship, and community engagement while helping expand the Foundation's impact.
Benefits
- Health, Dental, Vision Insurance
- 401(k) with matching
- Paid Time Off
- Paid Holidays
Work Environment / Physical Demands / Travel
- Typical office environment with moderate noise level.
- Frequent local travel for meetings, donor visits, and fundraising events.
- Ability to work evenings and weekends as needed to support fundraising activities and special events.
- Valid driver's license and reliable transportation required.
- Ability to stand for extended periods during events and lift up to 50 pounds when assisting with event setup and breakdown.
- Ability to walk, reach, climb, bend, use hands and wrists, communicate effectively, and perform other physical duties associated with event execution.
