Event Coordinator

YIMBY Action and Yes In My Back Yard (YIMBY) are seeking an event professional with excellent project management, problem-solving, and communication skills to help us host impactful, cost-effective, and memorable in-person, hybrid, and virtual events to grow and sustain the pro-housing movement.

YIMBY Action and Yes In My Back Yard (YIMBY) are affiliated 501(c)(4) and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that work together to make housing more affordable and accessible. A staggering national housing shortage, most severe in our nation’s highest-opportunity cities and towns, is causing housing costs to skyrocket and leading to devastating poverty and homelessness. The housing shortage also causes a widening racial wealth gap and exacerbates our global climate crisis. Our organizations advance policy change that will increase the supply of housing in high-opportunity cities and towns. We envision an integrated and environmentally sustainable society where every person has access to a safe, affordable home near jobs, services, and opportunity.

What we're looking for

This role is responsible for supporting high-priority events at YIMBY and YIMBY Action including but not limited to in-person, hybrid, and virtual events that position the brand as a thought leader, grow and strengthen the network of activists, and raise funds for the organizations.

The Event Coordinator will be a member of YIMBY Action’s Marketing & Communications Team (MarComm), reporting to the Marketing & Communications Director.

YIMBY Action and YIMBY’s Marketing and Communications Team:

• Grows YIMBY & YIMBY Action awareness through media outreach, press releases, advertisements, education, and social media campaigns;
• Grows and engages the YIMBY Action membership and subscriber base in conjunction with the Organizing Team through events, training, email campaigns, and other outreach strategies; and,
• Grows and maintains small-dollar donations in collaboration with the Development Team.

Benefits

• Up to 100% employer-funded comprehensive medical coverage
• 401k enrollment opportunities
• Generous paid vacation time
• Paid holidays
• Paid sick time
• Paid family & disability leave
• Significant professional development opportunities, including a paid professional development stipend
• Flexible work hours within a 40 hour work week
• Membership in YIMBY Action nationwide activist network and vibrant 4,000+ member Slack community
• Access to YIMBY Action network of elected officials, journalists, and business leaders

Responsibilities

Operations & Coordination for Events & Fundraisers (60%)

• Facilitate event scoping and planning in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
• Conduct outreach and schedule speakers, invite VIPs & elected officials.
• Research vendors (catering, decorators, musicians, etc.) and develop event proposals under budget that balance quality and cost.
• Manage events budget.
• Track and record contact information and relationships with speakers, co-hosts, vendors, sponsors, VIPs, and other relevant stakeholders in collaboration with the Operations Manager and Chapter Operations Associate.
• Assist in event operations (e.g. preparing venue, run of show, event map, signage, welcoming and orienting VIPs, etc.).
• Conduct quality checks on the day of the event (e.g. tables, technology); coordinate with vendors and act as the main point of contact.
• Collaborate with Organizational Leadership to manage the annual events calendar.
• Manage events calendar on public and internal channels such as website(s), Slack, and Airtable.
• Develop event feedback surveys and reports based on participant feedback.
• Facilitate and document debrief conversations with staff and other stakeholders to ensure feedback is gathered from all relevant parties.
• Create post-event reports to evaluate event successes and outcomes; ensure learnings from each event are incorporated into future event planning.
• Coordinate session logistics, including implementing hybrid events, streaming events online, etc.
• Create a volunteer plan, recruit volunteers, and assign roles. Manage volunteers before, during, and after events.

Event Promotion & Communications (15%)

• Brainstorm promotion ideas in collaboration with the MarComm team.
• Develop & disseminate print and digital promotional materials in collaboration with the MarComm and Development Teams.
• Drive event promotions to increase participation, RSVPs, ticket revenue, engagement, and email lists.
• Assist in implementing paid event promotions on digital platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Eventbrite.
• Create and disseminate promotional materials for external stakeholders to use to promote events including sample text messages, social media posts, emails, and graphics.
• Develop and disseminate event follow-up communications using email and other outreach tools.

Virtual Events and Event Consultation (10%)

• Conduct event setup and administration using tools such as Zoom, Google Slides, Action Network, and Google Calendar.
• Edit and upload relevant event recordings to YouTube
• Develop event templates and agendas for recurring events and common event formats.
• Conduct consultation sessions with volunteers and staff to advise on event strategies and best practices.

Coordinating Speaking Engagements & Conference Attendance (5%)

• Conduct outreach to organizations that are hosting events/conferences, request speaking opportunities using specialized pitch language developed in collaboration with the Marketing & Communications Director.
• Support the coordination of conference attendance including securing tickets for staff, arranging travel, and other logistics.
• Manage internal calendar of staff speaking engagements and conferences on Airtable.

Special Projects (5%)

• Participate in special projects or serve on committees, whether as assigned or as interest/professional development opportunities exist.
• Other responsibilities as assigned by the MarComm Director.

Qualifications

We believe a variety of work, school, volunteer, or community experiences could make you a good fit for this job. We welcome candidates from nontraditional backgrounds.

REQUIRED

• A deep commitment to YIMBY Action’s mission and vision. A passion for more housing and shelter of every type including subsidized affordable housing, market-rate (unsubsidized) housing, transitional housing, navigation centers, etc. etc. etc.
• A proven track record of organizing successful events, including managing event logistics for both virtual and in-person events, and securing and prepping event speakers.
• Detail-oriented and conscientious: you know that details can make or break the event experience and track every single one. You are hyper-organized and don’t let things fall through the cracks.
• An adaptable, quick executor: you are comfortable in a fast-paced workplace and can get a large volume of things done with efficiency. You have a proven ability to track multiple projects and manage multiple “moving parts” in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Comfortable with different communication styles and channels including email, phone, and online tools such as Slack.
• Proficient in Google Suite and Zoom.
• Outstanding communication and negotiation ability.
• Well-organized and adaptable.
• Problem-solving skills.

PREFERRED

• Knowledge of event promotion and recruitment strategies to increase attendance.
• Excellent vendor management skills.
• Degree in hospitality management, public relations, or relevant field.
• Knowledge of/previous experience in housing activism.

Benefits

• Up to 100% employer funded comprehensive medical coverage
• 401k enrollment opportunities
• 3 weeks of paid vacation plus another 20 paid holidays
• Paid sick time
• Paid family & disability leave
• Significant professional development opportunities, including paid professional development stipend
• Flexible work hours within a 40 hour work week
• Membership in YIMBY Action nationwide activist network and vibrant 3,700+ member Slack community
• Access to YIMBY Action network of elected officials, journalists, and business leaders