ALT-22 Nonprofit Service Sector
It only takes one successful bake sale, Bar Mitzvah, or birthday party to make some people believe that a career in special events planning is for them. I have been the Director of Special Events for a large non profit organization for the past 4 years. Based in the large metro market of Philadelphia, we have a robust and diverse calendar of seven annual special event fundraisers that range from high end galas and golf tournaments, to a grass roots walk-a-thon. The total campaign raises $ 1.7 million of the organizations $ 9 million dollar annual operating budget.
Openings for production team members for our larger events, and staff turnover often initiate our recruitment efforts. Within the first week of posting an open special events position, our Human Resource department receives over 400 applicants. In contrast, other open positions at our chapter get less than 40 applicants a week. The applicants are as diverse and eclectic as our events calendar. Many times, we see people that are as overqualified as an engineer who'd recently been downsized but gleaned the planning of a recent United Way Campaign to note events experience, to the stay at home mom that has volunteered at her child's school and wants to now re-enter the workforce. Most applicants arrive to interviews with unbridled excitement for special events planning in general, not realizing that it is way more than picking catering menus and decorations.
Most non-profit organizations must constantly fund-raise to remain operational. Many non-profits employ people with event-planning skills, since these occasions are common fund-raising and donor-thanking tactics. In the for profit world, Event Planners are given a budget and tasked to plan an event using the budgeted resources. In contrast non-profit event planners must raise money in order to produce events. The challenge is making the event fabulous, obtaining free resources, staying within the budget, and making the event goal at the end of the day. On average, each of our events raise over $200,000.
From an outsider's perspective, a special events planning job can seem glamorous and fun. There are many rewarding aspects including, getting invited to other events, opportunities to meet and know some of our city's great CEO's and leaders, and the chance to dress in ball gowns several times a year. Some of the main negative aspects of the job include hearing the word no far more often than you hear yes when asking for free resources; and the feeling of failure when you fall short of event revenue goals. The financial goals of the campaign also increase on average 10% annually. Schlepping boxes in high heels, and breaking up fist fights at events where grown-ups have had too much to drink- which has occurred at one of our larger, open bar events tend to be among the non-glamorous aspects of the job. In your personal life, you are always called upon to help plan parties for families and friends, and you tend to develop the desire to attend every social event with a critical eye for things that go poorly and a notepad so that you can remember to copy what went well.
If you want to event plan under less pressure, for-profit corporate event planning, that boasts the luxury of having a budget is the way to go. Non-profit event planning can be a rewarding career track if you have perseverance, persistence and people skills. Every December, my events team hosts a holiday party for children and their families who have lost their homes and belongings to fires over the past year. Although this is our only event that is not a fundraiser, securing toys, meals and other freebies for 600 children is no easy feat. Relishing at the excitement and happiness on the faces of the children that are in attendance make me know that no matter how challenging, what I do each day makes a difference.
