How to plan a fundraising gala 

If you’re looking to raise money for your nonprofit and make your supporters feel special, look no further than a fundraising gala. 

A fundraising gala is a more formal event that helps strengthen your community, and offers multiple avenues for fundraising—plus, fundraising galas can be easily customized to fit your budget and goals. 

Below, we’ll dive into the many benefits of a fundraising gala, the steps to planning an event your supporters will love, and pro tips for raising more during your event. 

What is a fundraising gala? 

A fundraising gala is a special event used by nonprofits and other organizations to raise money for their cause. 

Fundraising gala events come in all shapes and sizes, and can be tailored to fit your nonprofit’s mission, goals, values, and audience. Generally, they’re a more formal type of fundraising event featuring at least some of the following: 

• Live entertainment
• Formal dress code 
• Food and drinks 
• Awards 
• Auctions 
• Presentations 
• Speeches and keynote speakers

Nonprofit galas aren’t just about collecting donations. They’re also a valuable opportunity to network with your high-value supporters, build new connections, and nurture existing ones. 

How fundraising galas raise money

Fundraising galas have multiple objectives: fostering community, attracting new supporters through publicity, and creating valuable touchpoints for major donor moves management—all of which help to generate revenue and increase financial stability. 

Even better, nonprofit fundraising galas present multiple opportunities for raising money: 

• Ticket sales 
• Event sponsorships
• Direct appeal for donations 
• Personal requests to major donors

What are the benefits of a fundraising gala? 

The benefits of a well-organized fundraising gala for nonprofits are far-reaching: 

• Multiple ways to raise funds: Fundraising galas offer many ways to raise money for your cause, including online ticket sales (using online donation software), silent auctions, selling branded merchandise, increasing monthly donor signups, and more.  
• Customizable: It’s easy to customize your event to fit your budget, mission, and goals—the venue, entertainment, catering menu, decorations, and more can be carefully chosen to fit your nonprofit organization’s needs and priorities. 
• Build community: During a gala, board members, nonprofit leadership, volunteers, and supporters have a rare opportunity to spend time together. This helps build emotional connection, working to strengthen your community and support base. 
• Network with high-ticket donors: Successful prospect management requires many touchpoints over time. A personalized invitation to a fundraising gala makes a great impression and is an opportunity to connect with your high-propensity donors. 
• Highlight your impact: There’s no better way to drive home the positive impact of your work (and how your supporters have made this work possible) than a fundraising gala. Share impact report highlights, beneficiary spotlights, and presentations from your leadership during your event. 
• Brand visibility: Through advertising and plus-ones, you’re likely to catch the attention of new supporters during your fundraising gala. Capitalize on this new interest with an easy newsletter signup and “next steps” resource with upcoming volunteer opportunities and social media handles.

Fundraising galas can also be a key part of larger, more extensive campaigns, such as a capital campaign. They are also included in our laundry list of favourite fundraising ideas. 

Types of nonprofit gala 

The possibilities for tailoring your fundraising gala to fit your mission and goals are endless—venues, dress codes, entertainment, and other event details can all be customized to fit your nonprofit’s needs.

Below, we’ve outlined some of the most popular types of gala fundraising ideas that any nonprofit can make their own: 

Dinner or cocktail gala 

One of the most traditional types of gala, dinner or cocktail galas typically involves a sit-down dinner or drinks reception, followed by a keynote speaker, presentation, and entertainment—like live music, a charity auction, or other live performance. 

Virtual or hybrid galas

Virtual galas typically include presentations from speakers, pre-recorded video material, and opportunities for attendees to interact through games or Q&A sessions. Virtual galas come with two major benefits: Guests can attend from anywhere, and overhead costs are typically lower than an in-person gala. 

Hybrid galas can bring the best of both worlds—in-person guests have a more personal experience, and long-distance supporters don’t miss out. Keep in mind that not every aspect of an in-person event will translate to a virtual format. 

Black tie or ball 

One of the most formal types of fundraising gala, black tie galas are a special, formal celebration of your organization and its supporters. 

They may involve a formal dinner, a dress code, and a higher ticket price. Often, black-tie events feature more expensive catering, a photographer, and luxury entertainment. While this type of big event has significant fundraising potential, upfront costs may be higher.

Themed gala 

Fundraising galas are often centered on a theme—this may be related to the nonprofit’s mission, seasonal, or even just for fun! Popular themes include: 

• Masquarade
• Casino night
• Under the sea 
• Winter wonderland
• Black and white
• Roaring 20s

Don’t be afraid to be creative—after all, you’ll want your event to be memorable. Try incorporating your theme into multiple aspects of your gala, like the catering, dress code, and entertainment. 

Charity auction

Charity auctions are great as a standalone gala theme. They’re also a strong addition to other types of gala. To keep upfront costs low, request prize donations from local businesses or corporate partners.  

Behind-the-scenes tour gala 

If your organization has access to an interesting location (a museum, animal shelters, or historic building, for example), try incorporating a behind-the-scenes element to your gala. 

This is a great way to provide an educational experience and deepen emotional connection to your mission. Start with a guided tour, incorporate a keynote speaker, and end with a food and drinks reception or entertainment. 

Breakfast or lunch gala

If your support base is made up of busy professionals with family obligations, try a corporate-style breakfast or lunch gala. This way, you can offer your guests a memorable experience at a time that’s convenient for them. 

Plus, your venue will likely be able to take care of many aspects of your event, including catering, AV, and location (just be sure to communicate with them beforehand). 

How to plan a nonprofit gala in 7 steps

No matter the type of event you’re running, hosting a fundraising gala often requires more planning than other types of fundraisers. 

Give yourself plenty of time: begin the planning process six months or more in advance, and sell tickets at least two or three months in advance. Below, we’ve outlined the simple steps to planning a successful event: 

1. Assemble your event planning committee

Your event planning committee should include an event planner, fundraisers, a marketing lead, AV and technical support, and a team of event staff volunteers. Find a regular time to meet with staff members, and ensure that individual responsibilities are clear from the get-go. 

2. Set a fundraising goal

Review your total fundraising amount and ticket sales from previous fundraising galas to help determine an ambitious but realistic total. The last thing you want to do is spend more on your fundraising gala than you’re able to raise. This is also a great time to review your prospect’s current capacity indicators, so you can determine how likely (and how much) they may be able to give. 

Ensure your fundraising goal reflects your program’s aims. This way, you can be clear with attendees exactly how their contributions will help further your cause.

3. Set your budget

Set an event budget that aligns with your fundraising goal. Fundraising galas should be special and memorable, which means they often cost more than other types of fundraisers. Even so, nonprofits should keep their total fundraising expenses at less than 35% of overall funding.  

Make sure to account for the following as part of your fundraising budget: 

• Venue 
• Entertainment 
• Decorations
• Catering companies

4. Set ticket prices

Once you’ve set your budget and have an idea of your ideal headcount, determine the number of tickets you’ll need to sell to cover the cost of your event. Ideally, ticket sales should cover the cost of your event, freeing up all funds raised for your cause. 

If you’ve opted for a hybrid event, set a lower ticket price for virtual attendees.

5. Choose the gala theme, venue, and date

Nonprofit fundraising galas can occur at any time of year. If you’ve chosen a seasonal theme, ensure it aligns with your preferred venue’s availability. 

Base your venue selection on your anticipated number of guests, theme, and accessibility. The following types of venues are a great place to start: 

• Hotels 
• Historical venues 
• Conference spaces
• Art galleries
• Gardens 
• Banquet halls 

If you’ve yet to choose a theme, let venue availability be your inspiration. For example, if the local aquarium offers reasonable event rates and the dates you’re looking for, what could be better than an under-the-sea theme?

Once you’ve set a date and venue, start spreading awareness amongst your supporters with a “save the date” email. 

6. Reach out to corporate sponsors

Often, nonprofits secure sponsorships from local businesses to help cover the upfront cost of their event. Make your event more accessible to different corporate partnerships with tiered sponsorship packages. 

Each tier should correspond to different levels of recognition. For example, a $100 donation means you’ll be listed in an event brochure, while a $1,000 donation receives special on-stage recognition.

7. Create agendas for in-person and virtual guests

Create an agenda that includes every aspect of your event, including check-in, breaks, entertainment, food, and time to relax and mingle. It’s always better to overprepare than underprepare when it comes to event planning.

Create a second agenda for any hybrid events, keeping in mind how in-person and virtual experiences of your event will differ. For example, a shorter event may be best for virtual audiences, or you could show prerecorded content during your in-person dinner or reception. 

8. Market your event

Effective marketing is the key to event success. Lay out your marketing plan and timeline in advance, and determine who in your event planning team will take responsibility for each task, including:

• Social media campaigns
• Newsletter advertising 
• Website advertising
• Flyers
• Billboards
• Local TV or radio advertising 

Begin marketing your event once you’ve confirmed the date and venue. Build anticipation for your event by sharing more details as they’re finalized. 

Tips for planning a successful gala

On the surface, your gala should be all about creating a fun and memorable experience for your supporters and guests. 

But there are simple steps you can take as you plan your gala to help boost revenue during the event and beyond. 

Know your audience

Plan your event with your guest demographics and preferences in mind, including entertainment, food, and venue. If you’re not sure, consider sending out a survey or posting on social media to learn more about what your guests would like. 

You’ll also need to meet your audience where they are during event marketing. Review last year’s data to see which marketing strategies generated the highest interest—whether it was a specific social media platform, email campaign, or radio advertising. 

If you haven’t run a fundraising gala before, review which of your outreach methods gets the most engagement and focus your marketing in this direction. 

Share your fundraising goal

Encourage giving with a fundraising goal. Share your goal at the start of the night, along with periodic updates throughout your event. Make it clear exactly how reaching this total will contribute to your mission. Gamifying fundraising with strategies like this can significantly increase donation amounts. 

Center your cause

A fundraising gala is one of the few times you have a captive audience—there’s no better time to drive home the importance of your mission and the work you do. 

Share beneficiary success stories, and incorporate speeches from your board members, founders, or industry experts. Try to simplify your mission down to a short, memorable statement that’s likely to resonate with your event attendees. 

Offer discounts and VIP packages

Encourage higher attendance with group tickets and early bird pricing.  Don’t forget to factor any discounts into your overall budget. You can also include higher-priced VIP packages with special exclusive perks, such as VIP seating, a private tour of your facilities, meet and greets, or a special VIP box during the event. 

Host an awards ceremony 

An awards ceremony isn’t just entertainment—it’s a way to show your supporters how much you appreciate them. Spotlight top donors, volunteers, partners, or anyone else who has gone above and beyond for your cause. 

Offer entertainment

Sometimes, gala entertainment offers an additional way for nonprofit organizations to raise money, like a silent auction. 

Entertainment can also be related to your mission—for example, you could bring in an outside expert to speak on your cause, or host a panel discussion. Live music performances are another popular option. 

Put thought into the catering menu

Typically, fundraising galas offer a little luxury—and one luxury most people appreciate is good food. 

A great catering menu doesn’t necessarily have to be the most expensive, but putting some extra thought into what type of food your guests will enjoy will go a long way. Send out a survey ahead of time, so you can account for any dietary restrictions or food allergies. 

Follow up with attendees

A timely thank-you is the foundation of effective donor stewardship. Send a short thank-you note to each one of your attendees within a week of your event, and follow up a week or total later with event photographs, total fundraising amount, and an overview of how that funding will impact your beneficiaries. 

If you secured any major donations during your gala event, a handwritten thank-you note, phone call, or even an in-person thank-you is often the most appropriate way to show appreciation. 

Ask for feedback

Learn what your guests enjoyed about your event and what can be improved on next year with a short feedback survey. Plus, you’ll likely receive some glowing testimonials you can use for next year’s advertising. 

Review your performance

Once your event has passed, take some time to review success metrics, including: 

• Total amount raised 
• Total amount spent
• Ticket sales
• Number of new donors
• Number of newsletter signups

Save this information so it’s organized and accessible for your next fundraising gala event. 

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A fundraising gala is an opportunity to connect with your support base, generate excitement, and offer multiple ways for supporters to donate money. While the upfront cost can be higher than other fundraising events, the many payoffs make it well worth the extra effort. 

Plus, once you’ve hosted a fundraising gala, it’ll be much easier to adapt and repeat your event the following year, helping you to create a memorable occasion your supporters will look forward to year after year. 

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