Most nonprofits use fundraising events to raise large portions of their annual budget. Everything from charity golf tournaments and galas to 5Ks and bake sales fund organizations large and small.
Events are excellent ways to bring supporters and like-minded people together around a common cause. The right fundraising event can generate a lot of revenue for your nonprofit. Still, big events can require more time to plan and advertise, and they usually have a higher overhead cost. It's critical to choose fundraising events that match your nonprofit's budget and execution capacities.
We gathered a list of some of the top fundraising event ideas and some practical insights about their ease of execution and potential return on investment. Our goal is to help guide your decisions about which events might best fit your nonprofit.
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Things To Consider When Evaluating Fundraising Event Ideas
When you're choosing fundraising events, there's more to consider than just potential revenue. It's critical to consider the time and energy required to make the event successful. What kind of attendee experience will you need to create to bring in donations?
And, of course, you know that every dollar counts--both the dollars coming in and the dollars going out. You don't want to spend more than you make on an event. On the other hand, small, "cheap" events will not necessarily sustain your budget for the long term.
Fundraisers are part of your "brand"
Fundraising events are part of your brand--what you're known for. Choosing a variety of random fundraisers may very well dilute your message, cheapen your "brand," or even annoy your followers!
It can be tough to say "no" to a fundraiser idea from your board or volunteers, especially when you're feeling a bit strapped for cash. But in the long run, will that $200 from a Panara Night or selling candles really meet the bigger need? After all, if you're cobbling your funding together with small fundraisers, your revenue isn't sustainable.
Two main categories of events
While there is an endless supply of fundraising event types, most fall into two main categories: community events and what fundraising guru Sandy Rees calls "heartstring events."
Community events: Community events gather people together to rally around your cause. Most of these events encourage people to participate in a fun or engaging activity. These types of fundraisers help you build relationships and "goodwill" with supporters and the community.
Most nonprofits structure community events so that participants pay upfront or in another way to eliminate the "ask" for a donation. The goal is to educate participants, establish a relationship, and add them to your list of potential supporters.
The most popular community event fundraisers include things like:
- Charity 5Ks, fun runs, or walks
- "A-thon" events of all kinds: knit-a-thons, bike-a-thons, dance-a-thons, game-a-thons
- Charity auctions
- Contests like cook-offs, dance-offs, etc.
- Concerts
- Food rodeos
Heartstring events: These events are more directly connected to your cause and designed to connect with individuals who already care about your mission and goal. The primary purpose of heartstring events is to ask for donations and support.
People attending these kinds of events usually receive a direct invitation from you or someone who already supports your nonprofit, or they purchased a ticket to the event.
Heartstring events range from large galas bringing in millions to small, intimate gatherings of faithful donors. No matter the size or venue, a well-run, enjoyable heartstring event can strengthen relationships with current donors and cultivate strong, lasting relationships with new supporters.
Choosing the right event(s) produces long-term results
Choosing the right fundraising event will help you build relationships within your community, deepen relationships with current donors, and attract potential new supporters. It can also help cultivate or sustain excitement and commitment to your cause.
While there's no "one-size-fits-all" metric to determine the best fundraising event for your nonprofit, there are some factors to consider.
Return on Investment (ROI): With a limited number of events you can host each year, it's critical to choose fundraisers that will maximize your revenue and minimize expenses.
Planning requirements: Based on your current resources, volunteers, and planning resources, which events can you and your team execute most effectively? After all, quality is almost always better than quantity.
What outside tools and resources might be needed: Planning effective events and tracking results often require outside tools. Do you have access to the proper tools and resources each fundraising event requires? Things like event planning software, online donation pages, event pages, donor CRM systems, and other tools can significantly impact the overall quality of the event and fundraising outcome.
Types of Fundraising Events To Consider
As you're putting together your fundraising calendar, here are some of the most popular fundraising events and a few factors to help you determine whether it may be a good fit for your nonprofit.
Auctions
Small and mid-sized nonprofits often report that charity auctions are their most profitable fundraiser. Auction fundraisers give a clear reason for guests to pull out the credit card (or checkbook), and they can be entertaining social events with opportunities for people to connect with fellow supporters.
Auctions can bring high returns on your investment, especially for mid-sized nonprofits with more robust budgets and a larger staff team. Smaller nonprofits often see high ROI but can find these events a bit more cumbersome to plan.
A-thon fundraisers
Whether you're into walk-a-thons, knit-a-thons, or bake-a-thons, fundraising through these types of community events have become increasingly popular over the years. These fundraisers are effective for organizations of all sizes because they help raise awareness of your organization and mission, build support, and can bring in quite a bit of funding.
A-thon events tend to have low overhead costs, making them ideal for organizations with limited budgets, and nonprofits of all shapes and sizes tend to find success. After all, the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life brings in millions each year!
Charity Gala
Charity galas are ubiquitous in the nonprofit world. They're large-scale fundraising events that usually involve some combination of a nice dinner, entertainment, and a raffle, silent auction, or other activity to benefit your cause. Galas are typically an organization's largest event on their fundraising calendar, and they usually require a lot of time, energy, and resources to pull off.
Many nonprofits sell tickets to their gala and solicit sponsorships, corporate tables and incorporate other strategies to increase the return on investment since the overhead tends to be fairly high.
Because of the high up-front cost, galas tend to be most beneficial for large organizations with big budgets. Small and mid-sized nonprofits can undoubtedly bring in a lot of money through galas; still, it's essential to consider the planning requirements of this type of fundraiser before adding it to the calendar.
Competition fundraisers
Whether you're hosting a hot dog eating contest, a singing competition, or some other competition, there are several ways to structure competition fundraisers to bring in money for your cause. Some nonprofits charge the competitors a fee to participate. Others sell tickets to audience members or charge people who want to "vote" for their favorite competitor.
Generally, these fundraisers have low overhead and are often easy to organize with good returns on your investment, especially for smaller nonprofits.
No matter what kind of fundraising event you choose, it's critical to track the right data so you can assess the true return on investment, improve attendance, and identify ways to improve future events.
At the very least, most nonprofits should track the amount each event raises, total expenses, and the number of people who attended the event. An event management software can help you track these data points year over year. This will help you analyze each event without creating a lot of extra administrative work.
Now that you're ready to choose the right fundraising events for your organization, here are three more resources to help enhance your fundraising efforts.
- Make a Fundraising Calendar in 5 Simple Steps: Creating a fundraising calendar can be an excellent recipe for year-round fundraising success. The great news is you can develop and implement a fundraising calendar at any point in the year. Check out this blog for some practical guidance and strategies to help you build an effective fundraising calendar.
- 7 Steps To Successful Nonprofit Event Planning: A successful fundraising event requires excellent planning and preparation. Still, the process can feel a little overwhelming and take quite a lot of valuable time. This blog offers some wisdom and tricks from industry experts, as well as a checklist to help you plan your next fundraising event.
- 9 Steps to Plan and Host a Virtual Fundraiser: Virtual fundraisers became a necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic, then they "stuck" as a practical and effective fundraising strategy with low overhead. Though in-person events are slowly making a comeback, many nonprofits continue to add virtual fundraisers to their event calendars. This blog offers practical guidance on how to plan your first virtual fundraiser.
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