Director of Special Events

About Us: French Heritage Society (FHS) is an American nonprofit dedicated to preserving French architectural and cultural heritage in France and the United States. Since 1982, FHS has awarded over $16.5 million to more than 700 restoration projects, supporting historic sites from châteaux and monuments to urgent preservation efforts following the Notre-Dame fire and Hurricane Katrina. FHS has also enabled nearly 600 university students to pursue career-defining internships in the heritage field. Headquartered in New York with an office in Paris, with 12 volunteer-led chapters – 11 in the U.S. and 1 in France – FHS advances its mission through grants, education, and a dynamic program of over 40 programs, galas and trips that connect and inspire supporters across both countries.  

Position Summary: The Director of Special Events leads FHS’s special events portfolio as a strategic driver of fundraising revenue, donor engagement, and organizational visibility. The current portfolio generates substantial operating revenues, with significant opportunity for future growth. This role owns event growth strategy, revenue performance, and flagship event leadership across key markets. Reporting to the Director of Advancement, this role works closely with the Executive Director and Communications Manager to ensure alignment across fundraising, donor engagement, and organizational visibility initiatives.

Responsibilities

Flagship Event Leadership

Lead strategy and execution of the NYC Fall Gala as FHS’s flagship fundraising and donor engagement event.

• Develop and implement annual growth strategies for sponsorship, attendance, donor participation, and net revenue
• Grow net proceeds from the NYC Fall Gala by 20-30% over a three-year period through sponsorship expansion, donor cultivation, and revenue optimization
• Partner with the Director of Advancement on donor strategy, invitation development, sponsorship outreach, and stewardship
• Oversee all event production, budgeting, vendor management, and execution
• Track event performance metrics and prepare post-event analysis for leadership and Board review

45th Anniversary Planning (2027)

Lead planning and execution of FHS’s 45th anniversary activities in 2027, including major events in New York and Paris, as well as regional programs across the United States.

• Develop and implement a cohesive anniversary events strategy in coordination with Advancement and the Executive Director
• Oversee planning, budgeting, and execution of anniversary-related events, including flagship galas in New York and Paris
• Work closely with the Paris team to coordinate planning and executive of the Paris gala, ensuring alignment across teams, timelines, and stakeholders
• Support development of regional anniversary programming
• Collaborate on donor engagement, sponsorship opportunities, and communications strategy tied to anniversary initiatives
• Ensure alignment of anniversary activities with broader fundraising and organizational visibility goals

Portfolio Event Management

Lead strategy and execution of additional fundraising and cultivation events, including the Palm Beach Gala, Palm Beach Luncheon, Summer Soirée in the Hamptons, and select regional benefits.

• Develop annual event plans and revenue goals 
• Support sponsorship and audience growth strategies
• Ensure alignment with organizational branding, donor engagement, and fundraising priorities 
• Collaborate with the Communications Manager on event communications, branding, and collateral; the Communications Manager leads execution, with strategic input from the Director of Special Events
• Ensure compliance with fundraising regulations and best practices
• Track event performance and prepare post-event reports for leadership and the Board

Auction Strategy and Execution

• Develop auction strategy as one component of gala revenue growth
• Manage auction partners, procurement support, and bidder cultivation in coordination with Advancement

New York Chapter Events

Support for New York Chapter events in coordination with volunteer leadership.

• Coordinate logistics and vendor relationships for select Chapter events
• Ensure alignment with FHS branding, fundraising priorities, and donor engagement strategy
• Support volunteer leadership in planning and execution

National Chapter Event Support (Advisory)

Support FHS chapters across the U.S. in planning and executing events.

• Serve as strategic advisor to Chapter leadership on event planning, donor engagement, and revenue growth

Collaboration and Organizational Alignment

• Partner with the Executive Director on institutional representation, strategic donor engagement, and high-level event positioning
• Work closely with the Director of Advancement to ensure events are fully aligned with fundraising strategy and donor engagement priorities
• Collaborate with the Communications Manager to ensure consistent messaging, branding, and promotion of all events
• Contribute to a cohesive donor experience across events and broader organizational activities

Performance Metrics and Organizational Goals

• Achieve annual gross and net revenue goals across the events portfolio
• Increase sponsorship revenue and donor participation year over year
• Grow net proceeds from the NYC Fall Gala by 20–30% over a three-year period
• Track and evaluate event performance metrics, including attendance, sponsorship retention, donor engagement, and ROI
• Develop strategies to strengthen long-term donor cultivation and event sustainability
• Assess event portfolio performance annually and recommend opportunities for growth, refinement, or restructuring

Knowledge and Skills

• 5+ years of experience planning and executing complex fundraising events, preferably within a nonprofit or cultural institution
• Demonstrated experience managing high-profile events (200+ guests) from concept through execution
• Strong project management and organizational skills 
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage donors, vendors, and stakeholders
• Strong attention to detail, including budgeting, contracts, and event execution
• Ability to work independently, prioritize effectively, and manage multiple concurrent projects
• Available to attend evening and weekend events as needed
• Positive, collaborative approach and strong team orientation
• Bachelor’s Degree required 

Schedule

• Full-time, hybrid (3 days in the office, workload permitting)

Benefits

• Full health benefits, including dental and vision coverage
• Employer-managed 401K
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Generous paid vacation and holiday package

Salary

$90,000 

To Apply

Interested candidates should submit their resume and a cover letter detailing their relevant experience to [email protected].

French Heritage Society is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from candidates of diverse backgrounds. 

To Apply

Interested candidates should submit their resume and a cover letter detailing their relevant experience to [email protected].

French Heritage Society is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from candidates of diverse backgrounds.