How to Organize & Plan a Successful Charity Gala Event

While there are many ways to raise funds for your nonprofit, nothing beats the energy and excitement of a charity gala event. By planning a formal gathering as a fundraiser, you give donors something to look forward to, while also presenting your organization in the best possible light.

While charity gala events can be extremely effective fundraisers, they take a great deal of work to plan. If you are organizing a dinner and auction, you should make sure to do it right. Not only must you consider obvious factors like your budget, but you also need to pay attention to the fine details.

Luckily, BetterWorld knows exactly what it takes to pull off a successful gala dinner. In this guide, we’ll help you plan an impactful and profitable gala.

What is a Gala Event?

Charity galas are generally formal gatherings that feature dinner, entertainment, and a fundraising event. While charity galas make for great social gatherings, they are organized for the purpose of raising money for different organizations. To this end, nonprofits and charities of all shapes and sizes depend on galas to raise funds.

Galas make for great fundraisers because they pull people away from their day-to-day lives and put them in touch with greater causes. By the time people arrive at these special events, they’ve often shifted to the mindset of helping others and doing good in the world.

Fundraising Gala Checklist

Before you dive into planning your event, you should come up with a strategic checklist for accomplishing milestones. Staying organized with planning is a surefire way to avoid unnecessary work while also remaining within your budget.

1. Know Your Goal

By setting a fundraising goal at the start of planning, you will get a much clearer idea of what it will take to pull off a successful gala. Things to consider are exactly where the money from the fundraiser will be going, as well as how much of it you need to raise.

With a specific goal in mind, you will have a much better understanding of the size gala you must organize, as well as the types of donors you have to line up. Even more, specific financial goals can directly inform what types of fundraising methods you should use.

2. Choose a Fundraising Method

With a strong sense of how much money you need to raise, you can zero on fundraising methods that match your objectives. For formal events like galas, it's a good idea to implement a variety of fundraising methods - such as live auctions, silent auctions, giveaways, and raffles.

Before you decide what mix of fundraising methods is needed, you should also consider donor demographics. Importantly, you should match fundraising methods according to how much money you think people can afford to donate. Raffles are great for small donations, while live auctions are better for getting large donations.

3. Create a Budget

With a clear vision of how much money you need to raise and how you are going to raise it, it's time to start thinking about operating expenses. While galas are fun events that can raise a good deal of money, they are also expensive to organize.

Common things that you have to consider for your operating budget are entertainment, food and beverage, venue rental, marketing, auction items, and raffle items. Depending on the size of your gala and the availability of volunteers, you might also have to think about event staff.

4. Build a Management Team

Building a winning management team is essential for organizing a successful fundraising event. With the right team, you can delegate tasks to people and split the workload. For example, people with food and beverage experience can focus on dinner, while those with bookkeeping experience can help you keep tabs on the budget.

When it finally comes time for the main event, your management team can also help execute the charity gala. Not only can team members market the event, but they can also keep things organized while things are underway. For smaller organizations, volunteer teams often help with duties such as seating guests and serving food.

5. Set a Venue & Choose a Date

Selecting the right venue is critical for making the biggest splash possible for your charity gala. Remember, you must choose an impactful venue while also staying within your overall operating budget. To this end, the venue must be large enough to accommodate your crowd, while also not being so large you can’t afford it.

Once you have chosen a location, you must figure out a date that works for donors. For starters, be sure to give people ample notice to prepare for the gala. With the first step out of the way, be sure not to schedule your event on dates with conflicting events like holidays.

6. Plan Drinks, Meals & Entertainment

There are several ways to go about planning drinks and meals for your gala. Depending on your network, you might be able to find local restaurants willing to donate food for a good cause. In other cases, you will have to pay for a catering service.

You can get as creative as needed for entertainment at your charity gala event. Many groups choose local bands for live music, otherwise, DJs are also a great option. If you really want to spread awareness about your nonprofit, slideshows and videos are great ways to educate people about your specific cause.

7. Market Your Event

With everything lined-up on the operational end of things, you have to consider how you will market your gala dinner.

One of the most important marketing tools for a gala is the invitation itself. As most galas are formal events, you should take the time to create an attractive and informative invitation. Be sure to include important information like location, time, and date. You should also highlight your nonprofit and the specific cause you aim to help with the event.

Finally, you should take the appropriate steps to market your gala online. Common digital marketing avenues to follow include social media and email campaigns.

Contact BetterWorld with Questions

At BetterWorld, we are dedicated to helping your nonprofit raise funds so you can focus on what's important. Charity gala events are a great way to get people together to celebrate a good cause.

Schedule a demo to learn more about our online fundraising platform.