How to plan a fundraising gala event in 11 simple steps

Gala events are the ideal way to put the “fun” in fundraising. These parties-for-good bring together your biggest supporters, donors, and sponsors for an evening of celebration and raising money. But is it the right choice for your nonprofit? And, if so, how do you successfully plan one?

In this guide, we share all our expert advice on planning a successful gala event and walk you through our step-by-step guide with tips for making your event more engaging and meaningful for everyone.

What is a fundraising gala event?

A fundraising gala is a large gathering designed to raise money for a cause while bringing donors and supporters together. Gala events are often formal events, combining a sit-down catered dinner with entertainment, speakers, and donation appeals. 

Nonprofit gala events are powerful ways to engage your audience, celebrate their impact, and encourage donations. Your gala should entertain and inspire attendees while reflecting your chosen theme or nonprofit mission, putting your guests in the right mood to make a contribution. 

Since gala fundraisers are significant undertakings, most nonprofits only host them once or twice a year. The planning process often includes adding other fundraising elements, such as a raffle or the launch of a new fundraising campaign.

Are galas good fundraisers for nonprofits? 

With a group of loyal supporters in one place, successful galas often generate significant donations—especially if you host a silent auction or ask for pledges alongside your formal dinner.

Fundraising galas can be especially helpful for nonprofits looking to increase donations at scale or attract new major donors or corporate sponsors. As galas are typically high-value events with a ticket price to match, those on the guest list often have the means to make a substantial or recurring donation. 

In addition to being a valuable fundraising event, a gala presents nonprofit leaders with an ideal opportunity to meet individuals, strengthen existing relationships, and build new connections. 

How to plan a fundraising gala dinner in 11 steps

The right gala party can secure a steady stream of donations and build a community of loyal supporters. Here’s how to take your fundraising gala idea and plan your way to a successful evening.

Step 1: Determine your goals 🎯

To determine whether an event was successful, you first need to set goals. Consider your most valuable outcomes and plan goals around them.

Set a realistic fundraising goal based on your previous data or a stretch goal to challenge your team to raise even more. You can also include non-financial goals, like the number of guests, donated auction items, corporate sponsors, or social media coverage.

Create SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) so you can clearly define your target and track your progress. To stay motivated, keep your goals visible in your event planning document or on a whiteboard in your office.

More to explore

Keep things simple with our event planning checklist template →

Step 2: Set your budget 💰

Formal gala dinners can be expensive to host, depending on the venue, catering, and size of the event. Finalize your budget as early as possible to avoid unexpected costs later on.

Collect estimates from potential venues, caterers, event decorators, DJs, entertainers, and other potential vendors. Do the same for any event planner or external team you plan to hire. Prepare a list of estimated supplies, marketing materials, and equipment costs. Combine everything into one event budget and use it to guide your decision-making. 

Step 3: Choose your gala party theme 🎨

A theme is not required for your fundraising gala, but it can help create a lasting impression for your event. Consider building an event theme around your organization’s mission, your latest campaign, a current trend, or the time of year. 

Choose a theme that matches your overall goal, values, and audience. You want your guests to feel excited about attending your gala, so use event design and theming to create an atmosphere that promotes celebration, joy, and giving.

Step 4: Book the right event venue 🪑

The success of your event hinges on several factors, but the right venue can play a vital role in the number and amount of donations you receive. Look for a venue that’s a good match for your audience, budget, goals, and theme.

You can host a gala anywhere with enough space and amenities. Ballrooms, dedicated event spaces, art galleries, hotels, country clubs, and school halls are all popular options. Be sure to confirm with the venue team that it meets your needs, including table capacity, the option for live music, and on-site catering. 

Step 5: Assign roles and manage logistics 📋

Planning a successful gala is a collaborative effort, so gather your best team members early and assign roles to keep everything running smoothly.

Based on individual strengths and experience, delegate responsibilities across logistics, marketing, sponsorship development, speaker engagement, volunteer recruitment and management, and on-the-day support. Act as the manager or assign someone on your team to take on this role. In a smaller nonprofit organization, each team member might need to juggle multiple duties.

When we tell really good stories, we connect more, we invest more, we feel a more positive connection and relationship. Then, we leave and are able to repeat and share what we learned. So, if you want people leaving your event and repeating your mission out into the world, you need good stories. - Samantha Swaim 

Step 6: Find corporate sponsors ✔️

Hosting a gala event is expensive, but partnering with corporate sponsors can bring this cost down and provide benefits like co-promotion and additional support.

Put together attractive corporate sponsorship packages and reach out to business leaders within your network. Start by inviting companies you have partnered with previously to be your headline sponsor or have their name associated with an element of your event—like sponsoring the dinner, live auction, or entertainment. You can also discuss matching gifts as another way they can support your nonprofit.

⭐ Pro Tip: Not sure how to ask a business to support your event? Read our guide on how to find corporate sponsors.

Step 7: Create an engaging event page 🎉

Planning an event is one thing, but transitioning those ideas into ticket sales is another. Create a high-quality, engaging online fundraising event page to promote your gala in a way that is irresistible to your desired audience.

With Givebutter’s event ticketing feature, you can create custom ticket types and offer as many as you need on your fundraising page. You can also add an auction to your page, prompt donations with ticket purchases, and make buying gala tickets a more engaging experience.

Step 8: Spread the word about your upcoming event 📣

Your incredible gala deserves a marketing plan to match. Keep your audience in mind as you plan a marketing campaign to promote your upcoming event.

Choose effective marketing and social media channels, craft an engaging email campaign, and highlight the gala on your website. If you’re hosting an invite-only event, send customized save-the-dates, invitations, and reminders to encourage early ticket purchases.

⭐ Pro Tip: Prepare marketing materials for your event sponsors and supporters to promote the event to their own networks.

More to explore

Capture attention and increase ticket sales with our free gala invitation template →

Step 9: Finalize your gala program 📝

As you move closer to the special day, it’s time to finalize your gala event program. Confirm details with your speakers, vendors, and sponsors, and put together an event timeline.

Plan your agenda and communicate the order of events with your hosts, speakers, or entertainers. Prepare your program early and rehearse it to address any potential challenges, timing issues, or conflicts in advance. 

Step 10: Be present on the day ☕

It’s the day of your gala event, and if everything’s going smoothly, you have the final details prepared and ready to go. Now it’s time to focus on managing the event, welcoming speakers and VIP guests, and being present for your team and event partners.

Create a plan for the day with everyone’s names and assigned roles so your team members know exactly what to do, where to be, and who to go to with any on-the-day issues. Depending on your role in the event, you might be assisting speakers or vendors or networking with business leaders, nonprofit CEOs, and major donors. 

⭐ Pro Tip: Have a direct line of communication with your team on the day of the event, whether that’s through a mobile chat app, walkie-talkies, or headsets.

Step 11: Send thank-you messages 🎁

After the event has finished and you’ve had celebratory high-fives with your team, it’s time to write to your event attendees, thanking them for their contributions at the gala.

Prepare a thank-you message and personalize it with each attendee’s details and donation amount if you have that data available. Use Givebutter’s built-in nonprofit CRM to streamline this process and promptly send those thank-yous—whether by email, direct mail, phone calls, or all of the above. 

Creative gala theme ideas for your next fundraiser

Having a theme for your gala can create a unique atmosphere and give you fresh new ways to engage your audience. If you’re looking for a new theme to try this year, set the tone with one of these ideas:

• Art Deco 🍸 Take it back to the Roaring Twenties.
• Masquerade ball 🎭 Add a sense of mystery and intrigue.
• Casino night 🃏 Set up casino tables and promote charitable giving.
• Retro disco 🎤 Invite everyone to boogie the night away out on the dancefloor.
• Carnival 🎡 Create your own carnival with themed stalls and decor.
• Hollywood 🎬 Roll out the red carpet and feature live entertainment.
• Black tie event 👞 Host a sophisticated formal event with an elegant dress code.
• Under the sea 🐟 Transform your venue into an underwater paradise.
• Vintage tea party ☕ Swap the elegant dinner for an afternoon tea party gala.
• Secret garden 💐 Decorate with flowers and celebrate the great outdoors.
• Halloween 🎃 Host your very own monster ball.
• Winter wonderland ❄️ Bring your own snowy wonderland to life.
• Holiday themed 🎄 Celebrate the season of joy and giving.

With the right audience, styling, and budget, almost anything can become a successful gala theme. Take inspiration from us or poll your community to find out what they’d be most excited to see at your next fundraising gala.

How to take your gala night to the next level 

With our game plan and your fun theme, your gala is sure to raise funds and strengthen connections with your audience.

Want to take it a step further? Check out these go-to gala ideas and tips for high-impact events: 

• Add an auction 💰 Give your supporters another opportunity to give with a live or silent auction.
• Make check-in easy 📝 Speed through the line and check in attendees on our mobile app.
• Include a live display 📈 Showcase real-time donations using a live display.
• Have exclusive gala swag 🎁 Surprise your attendees with a thoughtful thank-you gift or bag of goodies.
• Add an event livestream 🖥️ Sell even more tickets by hosting a livestream of your in-person event to virtual attendees everywhere.
• Use QR codes to promote donations 📱 Simplify the in-person donation process with QR codes.

⭐ Pro Tip: Watch our webinar replay on mastering fundraising events for even more expert tips.

If you scan that QR code and click donate, your name shows up on the screen. I have seen folks sitting in an event give, give again, and then give again to see their names show up on the screen. So donor stewardship in real time is a really powerful thing. - Samantha Swaim

Make this your best fundraising gala yet

Gala events can be highly profitable for nonprofits, but they also take a lot of time, energy, and a big budget to pull off. Use our guide and gala fundraising ideas to plan an unmissable event.

Make gala planning easier than ever with Givebutter. Our all-in-one fundraising platform has the tools you need to create a fundraising page, host auctions, engage with your donors, and so much more. Sign up for free to discover all the ways Givebutter can help you get more from your next gala event.