Planning a Standout Fundraising Event: 4 Considerations

The best fundraising events aren’t just opportunities to secure necessary funds for your organization—they’re also chances to build a stronger community, identify donor prospects, and start impactful new relationships. But before you can reap any of these benefits, you need a strategic fundraising plan.

What do you hope to achieve with the event? How will you drive registrations and keep guests engaged once they get there? What does success look like? A streamlined, structured fundraising plan can provide the answers you need to succeed.

There’s a lot to consider when planning a great event, so we’ve compiled a list of the most important factors to account for. Making these core decisions will help you build a strong foundation for your next fundraising event.

1. Your larger fundraising strategy

First and foremost, determine how your upcoming event fits into your organization’s overall fundraising strategy. Will it kick off a larger campaign? Will it help you cultivate donor relationships before the year-end giving season? How this event supports the rest of your efforts will impact decisions about your budget, marketing tactics, and more.

If you’re not sure how your event supports your needs, look to your organization’s strategic plan or annual fundraising strategy. According to Donorly, a thorough fundraising strategy is made up of the following components: 

• Strategic goals: You should have an annual revenue goal and several strategic focus areas, such as increasing donor acquisition or building out a recurring giving program. Think about how much of that revenue goal you want to raise at this event and how it can support your narrative goals.

• A major gifts strategy: Do you expect major donors to attend this fundraising event? Plan how you’ll develop these relationships or use the event to identify new major giving prospects.

• Marketing plans: Fundraising events can help you market your organization to new audiences. Look over any current marketing plans and communications calendars to see where this event could strengthen your strategies.

• Community outreach and events: Consider the other events and community engagement opportunities you have planned for the year. Think about timing, resource allocation, and staff availability to determine the best time for this event.
• Donor stewardship efforts: How will this event help you engage existing donors? Can you invite current major or planned gift donors to the event to strengthen those relationships?

Even if your event is an annual gala or golf tournament that’s a fundraising priority itself, it should have a clear place in your organization’s larger strategy. Place your event in the context of your other fundraising plans to make sure all your efforts build on each other.

2.  Event format and resources needed

Next, clarify the type of event you’re planning and whether it will be fully in-person, virtual, or hybrid. Analyze past event data to understand audience preferences and what’s worked well in the past, then use this insight to make your decision. Consider what resources you already have, then outline exactly what you’ll need to make this event a reality.

Specifically, evaluate your options for the event’s:

• Venue: Use past attendance numbers to estimate turnout and find an event space that can comfortably accommodate that many guests. Do you have any corporate partners who might lend you a space or cover venue costs?

• Vendors: Will you need catering, entertainment, or other professional services for your fundraising event? List each need and start brainstorming options.

• Technology: you’ll likely need event software to help you manage your event. Start researching options such as auction software, onsite name badge printing, or a pledge fundraising platform, depending on your needs.

• Staffing: Some events require more staff than others. For instance, you might only need a few volunteers to set up a clothing drive, while more involved events like auctions and galas may need a whole team.
• Auction items, prizes, etc: If relevant, consider how many auction items, raffle prizes, or other giveaway items your event should have. How will you procure these? Do you need to budget for them?

If you lack resources from previous events, consider pursuing in-kind donations or corporate sponsorships. Getting Attention’s sponsorship guide explains how these partnerships benefit both nonprofits and companies, since giving to your organization can boost a business’s charitable reputation and engage its employees.

3. Revenue goals and budget

With your list of resources complete, it’s time to set concrete goals and create a budget for your event. Set a topline revenue goal and budget for expenses using the projected costs of the resources discussed above. Use past fundraising data and these questions to inform your decisions:

• How much did you raise from previous events?
• How many guests do you expect to attend?
• Do you have any pledges or commitments from major donors?
• How many fundraising opportunities will the event have?
• Does your event need to further the goals of a larger fundraising campaign?

To create a detailed event budget, take both expenses and revenue into account. If you plan to seek out sponsorship opportunities, consider how you’ll approach potential sponsors and present the benefits to them. You might create an event sponsorship package or several different levels businesses can choose from.

4. Community engagement tactics

Events are great opportunities for donor acquisition and community engagement, but only if you market them strategically. Reflect on your event’s target audience and their interests to predict why your event matters to them. 

Then, determine how you’ll engage donors and the wider community with this fundraiser. Ideally, you should plan several ways to engage guests at your event beyond the main activity (i.e., the auction, race, or tournament). This may include guest speakers, entertainment, networking opportunities, educational portions, merchandise sales, and more. Whichever engagement tactics you choose, outline how you’ll implement them and if you need any additional resources.

For example, if you want to attract guests with your event’s networking opportunities, plan how you’ll facilitate these connections. You might print badges for guests or invest in a conferencing app so attendees can find like-minded people more easily.

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Once you’ve strategized about these essential considerations, you can move on to finer details like your event schedule, marketing strategies, and follow-up plans. Remember to ground your plans in data and consider your audience at every stage, and you’ll be well-prepared to host a standout event.