Event & Stewardship Officer

Acton Institute•Grand Rapids, MI

About The Position

The Events and Stewardship Officer at the Acton Institute is an energetic, detail-oriented advancement professional who serves as the primary lead for planning and executing Acton’s donor-facing events and engagement experiences. Reporting to the Donor Communications and Stewardship Manager, this position is responsible for the operational excellence, hospitality, and logistical execution that make Acton events run smoothly and feel distinctively Acton. Because Acton’s event calendar shifts by season and location, the day-to-day responsibilities of this role will vary throughout the year. The Officer will bring organization, flexibility, and strong follow-through to a wide range of event needs while also providing essential support across other advancement functions. This role is ideal for someone 3 to 5 years out of college who is highly organized, self-motivated, detail oriented, flexible, and always ready to help where and when needed.

Requirements

Strong alignment with the Acton Institute’s mission and culture
Generosity in service, adaptability, and flexibility
Professional demeanor, decorum, and behavior
Aptitude in Microsoft Office Suite and Salesforce (training provided)
Detail oriented with strong organizational and analytical skills
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
Ability to prioritize tasks and make decisions
Ability to effectively manage multiple deadlines simultaneously
Ability to operate in a fast-moving and varied work situation
Ability to thrive in a team-dependent and collaborative work environment
Treats coworkers and all Acton personnel with respect and works as a team player with all members of the organization
Bachelor’s degree is required

Responsibilities

Lead Acton’s donor events program, including the Annual Dinner and donor engagement events held throughout the country.
Partner with the Donor Communications and Stewardship Manager, Director of Advancement, and Major Gift Officers to develop event strategy that supports Acton’s development goals, including cultivation, stewardship, donor upgrading, and major gift discovery.
Build and manage the annual donor events calendar, ensuring clear objectives, timelines, staffing plans, and measurable outcomes for each event.
Own event planning from start to finish, including concept development, run of show, vendor selection, venue coordination, travel details, registration, and on-site execution.
Manage event budgets, contracts, invoices, and purchase tracking to ensure accurate documentation and cost control.
Manage event assets and details such as branding elements, printed materials, signage, seating arrangements, registration lists, guest experience needs, and day-of staff coordination.
Maintain organized event files, templates, vendor contacts, and post-event debrief notes to support continuous improvement year over year.
Lead guest list preparation and invitation workflows in partnership with the advancement team, including RSVP tracking, seating assignments, VIP handling, and event follow-up tasks.
Provide on-site event leadership and support, including set-up, check-in, donor hospitality, troubleshooting, and vendor management.
Support donor follow-up after events by ensuring timely delivery of attendance lists, notes, and key takeaways to the team for next-step outreach.
Assist in drafting and polishing donor-facing communications tied to events and engagement, including invitations, reminders, follow-up emails, brief impact updates, and stewardship touchpoints.
Support preparation of event-related donor materials such as talking points, briefing documents, run-of-show notes, and donor packets for Acton leadership and Major Gift Officers.
Help ensure event communications and materials align with Acton’s brand standards through careful proofreading, formatting, and coordination with the Marketing and Communications team as needed.
Lead Acton’s volunteer cohort as a key stewardship program, including recruitment support, onboarding, communications, scheduling, training coordination, and day-of supervision, ensuring volunteers are meaningfully engaged, well-supported, and connected to Acton’s mission.
Assist with gift processing and database accuracy, including data entry, list management, and routine reporting as needed.
Support donor and prospect research projects that strengthen event invitation strategy and broader advancement efforts.
Provide support to annual giving initiatives, including segmentation support, list pulls, and coordination of mailings or outreach as assigned.
Assist the Vice President of Development and Major Gift Officers through prospect research, portfolio support, trip and meeting planning, and follow up.
Assist with other advancement projects as needed, based on departmental priorities and the Officer’s strengths and professional growth goals.