If you do it right, you can raise all the funds you’ll need for a year with one gala.
Just look at the Met Gala — after charging $300,000 per table, you can bet that The Costume Institute brings in plenty of revenue.
OK, you might not be there just yet, but you can make your gala dinner a successful event by carefully selecting your sponsors, vendors, and venue so that their values align with yours.
Inspired by Eventbrite’s most successful gala event creators, this guide will give you a clear roadmap of how to host a charity gala. Our tips and downloadable checklist will help you at every step of the way.
Table of contents
Charity gala planning checklist
Making your fundraising gala accessible
What is a gala event?
A gala is a grand celebration, usually a formal event, thrown to raise awareness and support for a specific cause.
Galas can be powerful tools for organizations to raise funds and direct attention to their mission. They’re also a great way to find volunteers and celebrate their accomplishments.
How to plan a gala fundraiser
In this section, we’ll discuss the finer points of putting together a gala fundraising event, from basic event planning to higher level tips that’ll make it extra special.
Kickstart the gala planning process early
Start your planning as early as possible so you’re not in a rush in the weeks leading up to your event date. To help, form a planning committee to help plan the event and leverage important community figures’ personal networks. By creating the committee as early as possible, everyone will have the time they need to come up with innovative ideas and reach out to their contacts.
💡Pro tip: Make sure you and your committee have all the tools you’ll need. For example, you might want to plan out your seating arrangement with an online seating chart generator or get inspiration from other galas by searching Eventbrite’s community of event creators.
Decide on a budget
If this isn’t your first event, you likely have an existing budget itemizing what you’ve spent previously and the associated return on investment (ROI).
Consider creating two budgets — one for essentials and one for good-to-haves. This way, you can prioritize areas for spending to account for changes in costs. You can even use an event budget template to help you stay on track.
Also, estimate the potential revenue that your event will generate. Multiply the number of anticipated attendees by ticket price, and then subtract your projected spend from that number. Don’t forget to include projected merch and add-on sales as well.
Remember that charity-rating organizations often pay close attention to fundraising costs for events like galas. So, it’s best to keep your total costs as low as possible.
💡Pro tip: Consider setting aside a specific number of tickets for early bird registration. That way, you can raise funds sooner, and even use that money to expand your marketing efforts, create more accurate budget projections, or negotiate early vendor payments for a discount.
Use a compelling gala theme
When the objective of your event is to raise money, you need attendees to connect with the mission they’ll be supporting. Your charity event is an opportunity to tell a story that will make an impression on your donors. Tie your story into the entire event, from the entertainment to the venue to the décor.
A consistent theme can also guide your planning, foster attendee engagement, and spark conversations. In essence, a thoughtfully chosen theme can help tell a great story with your event.
💡Pro tip: Using a compelling event theme can amplify the emotional connection attendees feel toward your cause and make the event more memorable. Try choosing themes that will connect with your audience with nostalgia, excitement, sympathy, or whichever emotion you’re hoping to inspire.
Choose a great gala venue
Finding the right venue for your unique event will involve a lot of considerations, from the vibe to the amenities to accessibility. As you explore different event spaces, keep these factors in mind:
- Ambiance: Ensure the venue aligns with the desired atmosphere of your event.
- Capacity: The space should comfortably accommodate all vendors and attendees.
- Accessibility: Ensure it caters to attendees with various needs.
- Facilities: Check for adequate power sources, parking, and restroom facilities.
- Theme alignment: The venue’s aesthetic should complement your event’s story or theme.
💡Pro tip: The sound quality can significantly impact the overall experience of your event, especially if it involves speeches, presentations, or live performances. A venue with poor acoustics can lead to muffled sounds or echoing, which can be distracting or even uncomfortable for attendees.
Before finalizing a venue rental, test the sound quality in various parts of the space, and if possible, consult with an audio expert.
Organize world-class refreshments
If you’re looking for large donations from your attendees, you want to make sure they’re well-fed and hydrated. Tailor your food and drink options to the theme of your event.
Think about how much your attendees are paying for their event tickets and plan to serve food and beverages that will reflect the value of the ticket prices. A charity gala typically includes a plated dinner, so budget for more than just hors d’oeuvres.
💡Pro tip: Refreshments can be a great way to incorporate sponsorships. That’s more obvious if you’re being sponsored by a food or beverage company, but you can get creative and choose foods with brand colors or even a logo.
Find trusted vendors
Be sure to find dependable vendors — especially important if your gala will include high-profile attendees or speakers such as politicians or celebrities.
Make use of your network by asking your venue and your organizing committee if they have any recommended or trusted vendors. You can even do some old-fashioned internet sleuthing to look for reviews online from previous customers.
If you’re planning a charity gala for a nonprofit organization, you’re likely working with a tight budget. Consider negotiating with potential vendors to get the best price. Ask if they have specific rates for nonprofit events, or offer the opportunity to be featured on promotional materials in return for a discounted rate.
💡Pro tip: By properly managing vendors, galas can offer an exciting variety of activities and attractions for their attendees. The Volunteering Untapped Chicago held a gala with food, an open bar, a photobooth, and a live DJ.
Recruit enough volunteers
Aside from the volunteers on your planning committee, you’ll need other people to help you out on the event day. The types of volunteers you may require for your gala include:
- Greeters
- Registration/check-in attendants
- Coat check attendants
- Waitstaff
- Bartenders
- Volunteers to man a donation table or booth
Some of these positions, like coat check staff, may be covered by your venue, and your caterer may bring event staff such as bartenders and waitstaff, so check with them first. For large events, plan to have more volunteers than you actually need so you aren’t short on people on the day of the event.
💡Pro tip: Take a cue from the National Museum of the Great Lakes. When they’re looking to recruit volunteers, they use Eventbrite! By creating separate events on Eventbrite for volunteers, they can list the volunteer requirements and time commitments in their own place and promote them on the world’s most popular events search engine.
Organize entertainment or speakers for your charity gala
Select speakers and entertainment that fit the theme of your event, make sense for your budget, and draw attendees. Tap into your committee’s network to find entertainers that may be willing to donate their time to a good cause.
Hosting a meet and greet or round table with well-known speakers that your VIP ticket holders can attend is a great way to raise additional money.
💡Pro tip: Pittsburgh Earth Day created thematic, exceptional entertainment options at their Ecolution Fashion Gala. They included food and a fashion show, but also offered performances by a local artist and the “First Lady of Pittsburgh Drag.” For VIP ticket holders, they also held a reception with the fashion designers.
Secure sponsorship
Finding the perfect sponsors for your charity gala is important, both for your budget and for the image of your event. Make a list of corporate organizations whose mission and values align with your event. Collect data about your audience demographics using tools such as Google Analytics so you can present that information to potential sponsors.
💡Pro tip: Identify sponsors that speak directly to your target audience like the South Florida Tech Hub did. They also did great work finding a large number of relevant sponsors for their Golden Palm Awards Gala.
They didn’t just partner with local tech companies — instead, they partnered with local furniture suppliers, power companies, consultants, financial advisors, and businesses that could help out local tech companies.
Remember, corporate giving is up even as individual giving declines, so corporate sponsorships are a perfect way to raise funds right now.
Consider your ticket prices
Offering different ticket tiers allows you to raise more money from attendees who are looking for a VIP experience. Eventbrite allows you to sell different ticket types to your potential attendees that come with different perks. You can also offer a donation ticket type that enables attendees to specify the price they’d like to pay rather than a price set by you.
💡Pro tip: At the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women’s 25th Anniversary Gala, there were three simple ticket tiers. VIP tickets were about double the price of regular admission tickets, but both were in the hundreds of dollars.
That’s why they offered special student pricing at only $25, which made it much more accessible to young people. If there’s a group of people you’d like to encourage to come to this social event, consider giving them a discount!
Promote your gala on event websites
If you put together an event committee, ensure that the members are sending personal invitations to the people in their network to start generating RSVPs, and buzz, for your event. Develop a solid marketing plan that involves email, social media, and event discovery websites like Eventbrite.
💡Pro tip: With Eventbrite Ads, you can push your gala to the top of the list so people searching for local charity events can find you straight away. For example, Casa Mezcal & Amantes Social Club got to the top of the list for people looking for galas in New York with an Eventbrite Ad.
Fundraising gala event ideas
Black tie charity events don’t have to be overwhelming to plan. With good programs, a smooth check-in process, a well-run auction, and easy payment processing, it can all go off without a hitch.
Plan the event program
Plan the event minute-by-minute so everyone knows what to expect, especially speakers. Be sure to work announcements into the program that let your audience know how much progress you’ve made toward your fundraising goal. To make that process even easier, you can use an event program template.
💡Pro tip: Provide incentives by offering different amounts of ad space according to their sponsorship levels like the Black Belt Community Foundation did. They used their programs to raise more money by including advertising space in them.
Create an easy check-in process
A seamless check-in process ensures your attendees are in a great mood at the beginning of the event and you’re able to stick to your schedule. Consider using contactless check-in options with QR codes emailed directly to attendees, and create a seating plan so there’s no confusion about where attendees should go.
💡Pro tip: You can also use RFID technology to make check-in even faster. RFID can also help you keep track of which parts of your gala people enjoyed the most, and can help attendees make transactions within the venue even smoother.
Use the Eventbrite app to make check-in seamless.
Host a raffle or auction
Give attendees the option to donate more funds to your cause by hosting a raffle or an auction. You can choose prizes or auction lots that are directly related to your cause, such as a training session with a professional athlete if you’re raising money for sports programs for kids.
The laws around raffles and similar games are different by state, so be sure to check local requirements and restrictions first. For even more excitement, consider getting a local celebrity or politician to emcee the auction or raffle to keep attendees engaged.
💡Pro tip: One great way to increase the urgency around your raffle is to limit the number of tickets you sell. That’s what the Senior Services of Alexandria did at their Annual Gala, meaning that guests knew exactly what the odds were that they’d win. That encourages people to buy more tickets and get excited about their chances.
Decide how you’ll collect donations
Make it easy for attendees to make donations by providing a QR code on signage at the event so they can make easy donations using their phones. For attendees who are less comfortable donating digitally, consider setting up a designated location where you can collect checks and credit card payments.
The key is to make payment processing as smooth and painless as possible.
💡Pro tip: Be sure to provide donation receipts to all of your generous attendees. One of the draws of a charity gala can be the tax benefits of charitable donations, so clear, usable receipts can encourage even more donations.
Charity gala planning checklist
With so many factors to consider, it’s a lot to keep track of. To help you keep track of your gala preparation process, we’ve put together this charity gala planning checklist.
- Determine the objectives for your event
- Organize an event committee
- Set a fundraising goal
- Create an event budget
- Decide on your event’s theme
- Create a marketing plan
- Make a list of your ideal sponsors
- Collect audience demographics data and other important information to share with sponsors
- Reach out to prospective sponsors
- Book entertainment or speakers related to the theme of your event
- Make a list of what you need from a venue
- Find your venue
- Make a list of the vendors needed
- Book vendors for your event
- Acquire auction items or raffle prizes from sponsors or donors
- Promote your event through social media, email, direct mail, and other channels
- Communicate the event plan with your team and on-site staff
- Plan the program for your event
- Run through the event prior to event day
Making your fundraising gala accessible
Make sure your event is inclusive and accessible for everyone. That will improve the experience for everyone, bring in a wider audience, and encourage more donations. It’s an important aspect for your event’s success, so here are some great ways to improve accessibility:
Make marketing materials accessible
Ensure that your marketing materials are accessible by adding subtitles to marketing materials and making sure all static images have hover text that can be read by text-to-speak programs.
Make it easy for your attendees to specify, in advance, if they require any additional on-site assistance. You can gather this information on the registration form when they purchase their tickets with Eventbrite’s invitations tool.
Choose an accessible venue
Find an event venue that will easily accommodate your attendees. Look for features such as entrance ramps, large doorways, and elevators. Check with your venue to see if they allow service animals.
Make the journey easier
Consider making the trip to and from your event especially seamless for any attendees for whom driving themselves or taking public transportation isn’t possible or comfortable. You may explore partnering with rideshare companies to offer discounts and create a designated pick-up/drop-off location.
Consider your signage and literature
Make sure that any signage at the event for things such as directions, table numbers, or signs for silent auctions are large enough to read. Ensure that the signage is in multiple languages if you’re hosting international attendees. Have volunteers available to direct attendees who are unable to read the signs.
Ready to start planning your gala?
Planning a gala is not for the faint-hearted, but with the right tools and strategies, it can be a transformative experience for you and your attendees. From selecting the perfect venue to ensuring accessibility for all, every detail matters in creating a memorable event that resonates with its purpose.
When you’re ready to get started, remember that Eventbrite offers a suite of marketing tools designed to streamline your planning process, boost your event’s visibility, and enhance attendee engagement.
Harness the power of Eventbrite’s platform to elevate your gala’s impact and reach your fundraising goals.
