How to Organize a Fundraiser

The steps to organize a fundraiser

Follow the steps in order. Each one makes the next easier, and the first two keep you from planning an event you cannot afford.

1. 1

   Set the goal and the cause

   State what the money is for and the amount you want to raise, so every decision can be tested against it.

2. 2

   Build the budget

   List every cost and every income source, and work out what the event must earn to reach the goal after costs.

3. 3

   Choose the type of event

   Pick a format that fits your supporters, your team and your budget. The charity event ideas guide lists formats by effort.

4. 4

   Form the team

   Name an overall lead, and people responsible for money, venue, volunteers, promotion and the program.

5. 5

   Fix the date and venue

   Choose a date that avoids clashes, and a space that suits the numbers, the format and your budget.

6. 6

   Check permits and licensing

   Ask the local authority and your insurer what applies. See the section below.

7. 7

   Set up ticketing and giving

   Decide how people will buy tickets, donate and, if you hold one, bid in an auction.

8. 8

   Promote the event

   Tell your supporters, partners and community, early and more than once.

9. 9

   Run the day to a plan

   Use a run of show, brief your volunteers and have a plan for problems.

10. 10

    Thank everyone and report back

    Thank donors and helpers promptly, and tell them what the event raised and what it will do.

Goal and budget

A goal is a figure and a purpose, such as raising a stated amount to fund a named program. A specific purpose is easier to talk about and can make people more willing to give.

Then build the budget. List costs: venue, food and drink, equipment, entertainment, printing, insurance, ticketing and payment fees, and anything you must buy. List income: ticket sales, sponsors, donations, auction items, raffle sales and any matching gifts. Compare the two to find the amount the event must earn, then decide whether the format can reach it with the number of people you can realistically attract.

Keep a contingency for costs you did not expect, and set a spending limit for each team lead. A fundraiser with a clear budget can answer the question every donor eventually asks: where does the money go?

Choosing an event type and a team

The best event is the one your supporters will enjoy and your team can run. A gala suits donors who like to dress up and give, a run suits an active community, and a small dinner suits a close group. Compare the options against your goal, your budget and the effort you have. The guides on charity event ideas and fundraising ideas for nonprofits cover formats in detail.

Then choose the team. Give one person the overall lead, and give clear jobs to the people who will handle money, the venue, volunteers, promotion and the program on the day. Meet regularly, and keep a shared list of tasks with an owner and a date for each.

• Event formats by effort

  Galas, runs, auctions, dinners, tournaments, online events and community events.

  Charity event ideas

• Fundraising ideas

  A wider list of ways nonprofits raise money, beyond single events.

  Fundraising ideas for nonprofits

• Volunteers

  How to recruit, brief and thank the people who run the day.

  Volunteer management

Venue, date, permits and licensing

Choose the date first, then the venue. Check for local holidays, other charity events, school calendars and anything that would keep your supporters away. Pick a venue that fits the numbers comfortably, has the facilities you need, and can be paid for within the budget. Ask what is included and what is extra.

Permit and licensing rules vary a great deal from place to place, and they depend on the kind of event. Raffles, auctions, alcohol, food, music, road closures, street collections and public gatherings can each have their own rules in some places. This guide does not state what applies where you are. Ask your local authority and your venue what you need, and ask your insurer whether the event is covered and what cover you may want. Start these questions early, because approvals can take time.

Also ask how charitable status, if you have it, affects the event, and talk to an accountant or lawyer about tax receipts and reporting for donations. Rules differ by place, and a short conversation early prevents problems later.

• Permits

  A guide to the kinds of event permission to ask about, with the caution that rules vary by place.

  Event permit guide

• Risk

  A way to think about what could go wrong and what to do about it.

  Event risk assessment

Ticketing, donations and auctions

Make it easy to pay. Offer ticket tiers, such as individual, pair, table and sponsor levels, and a way to add a donation at checkout or to give without buying a ticket. If you hold an auction, decide whether items are bid on in person, online or both, and prepare descriptions and values in advance.

Eventdex's fundraising event page lists registration and ticketing with customizable pages by donor type, ticket tier or VIP level, online donations (one-time or recurring), and auction management and silent auctions, with cataloging of items, real-time bid updates and automated notifications. It also lists a live donation display for showing totals at gala dinners, charity runs and online campaigns. The page does not describe how auctions are closed or how winning bids are paid, so plan that part separately and check with your payment provider.

• Registration and ticketing

  Pages tailored to donor types, ticket tiers or VIP levels, with RSVPs tracked and e-tickets issued.

  Fundraising event management software

• Gala dinners

  Guest lists, digital invitations with RSVPs, table and seating management and QR check-in.

  Gala dinner event software

• Silent auctions

  How to set up and run a silent auction.

  Silent auction guide

Promotion, run of show and thank-yous

Promote early and more than once. Tell your existing supporters first, ask board members, volunteers and partners to share, and give people a simple link where they can buy a ticket or give. Share the story of the cause, not only the date. Ask local businesses to sponsor or donate items, and thank them in public.

On the day, work from a run of show: a timed list of what happens, who does it and where they should be. Brief volunteers beforehand, give each one a clear job, and name one person who decides when something goes wrong. Plan check-in so that guests are welcomed quickly, and make the ask, the moment you invite people to give, clear and well timed.

Afterward, thank donors and helpers within days, in a personal way, and tell them what the event raised and what it will pay for. Report the result to your board and supporters, record what worked, and keep the notes for next year. Donors who see the result may be more likely to give again.

• Run of show

  A timed plan for the day, from setup to the last guest leaving.

  Run of show guide

• Planning template

  A template for fundraising event planning, with tasks and dates.

  Fundraising event planning template

A fundraiser plan template and timeline

Fill in the plan at the first meeting, and keep it as the single source of truth for the team. The timeline table works back from the event date. Its timings are a common starting point, not a rule, so shorten or lengthen them to suit your event.

FUNDRAISER PLAN
Organization: [Name]   Event: [Name]   Plan owner: [Name]

1. GOAL AND PURPOSE
Amount to raise: [Amount]   Purpose: [What the money will fund]

2. BUDGET
Costs: venue [ ], food and drink [ ], equipment [ ], entertainment [ ], printing [ ], insurance [ ], ticketing and payment fees [ ], other [ ], contingency [ ]
Income: tickets [ ], sponsors [ ], donations [ ], auction [ ], raffle [ ], other [ ]
Net needed to reach the goal: [Amount]

3. EVENT TYPE
Format: [Gala / run / dinner / auction / online / community]   Expected guests: [Number]

4. TEAM
Lead: [Name]   Money: [Name]   Venue: [Name]   Volunteers: [Name]   Promotion: [Name]   Program: [Name]

5. DATE AND VENUE
Date: [Date]   Venue: [Name]   Backup date or plan: [ ]

6. PERMITS, LICENSING AND INSURANCE
Checked with local authority: [Date / outcome]   Checked with insurer: [Date / outcome]   Advice taken on tax and reporting: [Date]

7. TICKETING AND GIVING
Ticket tiers: [List]   Donation options: [List]   Auction or raffle: [Yes / no]   Payment provider: [Name]

8. PROMOTION
Audience: [Groups]   Channels: [List]   First announcement: [Date]   Sponsors approached: [List]

9. RUN OF SHOW
Doors: [Time]   Welcome: [Time]   The ask: [Time]   Close: [Time]   Owner: [Name]

10. THANK-YOUS AND REPORT
Thank-you messages sent by: [Date]   Results shared by: [Date]   Review meeting: [Date]