Event & Stewardship Officer

About the Acton Institute
For over thirty-five years the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty has promoted a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles. We are an ecumenical, nonprofit research organization that promotes the benefits of free enterprise and the interdependence of moral principles and true freedom to religious communities, businesspeople, nonprofit leaders, students, and educators. With an international scope, Acton manages a robust publishing and events outreach that argues for a moral foundation to the market economy. Wholly independent, the nonpartisan Institute works across many faith traditions including Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Our intellectual research, teaching, and popularization at the intersection of faith and economics, morality and markets, and religion and liberty are unique in the liberty movement as is our reach among the religiously minded.

About the Role
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.

Responsibilities
Primary Responsibilities: Donor Event Strategy, Management, and Execution

• 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.

Donor Communications and Stewardship Support

• 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.

Secondary Responsibilities: Development Operations Support

• 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.

This role offers meaningful opportunity for professional development and increased responsibility over time, especially in event leadership and broader advancement operations, as the Officer grows in skill and familiarity with Acton’s donors, mission, and fundraising strategy.

Required Qualifications

• 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