TL;DR
Successful nonprofit events begin with clarity. Before planning a fundraising gala, auction, or banquet, determine whether your organization has the financial stability and team capacity to execute it. Then define a specific purpose and identify your ideal attendee. Use those two answers to guide every planning decision, and start small enough to learn and improve.
Years ago, I worked with a faith-based nonprofit focused on men's mental health that hosted an annual fundraising event called a Wild Game Dinner.
Picture a couple hundred outdoors-loving guys gathered together for an evening of hunting stories, wild game, and supporting a cause they believed in. Lots of flannel shirts, rugged outdoorsmen, and plates of venison and wild boar.
During the planning process, a well-meaning supporter offered to donate his professional services to the event. He was a clown and balloon artist, the kind you'd expect to see entertaining kids at a birthday party.
The planning committee appreciated his generosity and decided to include him in the program.
So imagine the scene. A room full of rugged outdoorsmen enjoying their wild game dinner, swapping hunting stories, and in the corner of the room...a clown making balloon animals.
It was certainly memorable. But probably not for the reasons the organizers had hoped.
It's a funny story, but it illustrates a problem I see frequently with nonprofit events.
Too many nonprofit leaders begin planning an event before they've clearly defined what they want the event to accomplish and who they're trying to reach.
And those two decisions should guide almost everything that happens next.
First, Should You Even Be Hosting an Event?
For many startup and small nonprofits, hosting a fundraising event feels like a natural next step. Gather a bunch of people together, tell them about your mission, raise some money, and hopefully introduce your nonprofit to some new supporters.
When events are done well, they can accomplish all of those things.
But I've worked with enough nonprofits to know that organizations frequently try to host major events before they're really ready.
Events require a tremendous amount of planning, people, time, and money. And if your organization is still building its financial foundation or operating with a very small team, a large event can become a significant setback.
Before committing, I'd encourage you to consider two things.
Can your organization absorb the financial risk? What happens if you've already committed thousands of dollars to a venue and catering, but attendance falls well short of expectations? Would that loss damage your organization's ability to operate?
Do you have the people necessary to execute the event well? Events almost always require more manpower than you anticipate. What looks like a job for three or four people can quickly require eight or ten staff members and volunteers.
If you've got the financial stability and organizational capacity to move forward, great! Now it's time to answer two questions that I believe will make the biggest difference in your event's success.
Question #1: What Is the Specific Purpose of This Event?
I realize that sounds almost ridiculously obvious.
But you'd be surprised how frequently the answer I hear sounds something like, "We want to raise as much money as possible," or "We want to get more people excited about our nonprofit."
Those are understandable desires, but they're pretty vague. And vague goals tend to produce scattered planning and unfocused communication.
Here's a simple formula I use when coaching nonprofits through event planning:
The purpose of this event is to raise or accomplish [specific goal], which will result in [specific impact].
For example:
"The purpose of our golf tournament is to raise $50,000, which will provide 20 new computer workstations for the technology lab at our community center."
Or:
"The purpose of our silent auction is to raise $10,000, which will provide the hay and feed necessary to care for the horses at our equine therapy center this winter."
Notice how much clearer those statements are?
Now your planning team knows exactly what they're working toward, your communications team has a specific message to share, and potential supporters can picture what their generosity will accomplish.
But there's another benefit to having a clearly defined purpose.
It helps you say no.
Every event planning committee eventually finds itself surrounded by good ideas and suggestions. Some will help accomplish your purpose. Others will simply add complexity, expense, and distractions.
When you've clearly defined what the event is supposed to accomplish, you have a filter for evaluating those ideas.
Does this help us accomplish our stated purpose?
If the answer is no, there's a good chance you don't need to do it.
Question #2: Who Is the Specific Person You Want to Attend?
Here's the answer I frequently hear when I ask nonprofit leaders who they're hoping will attend their event:
"Anybody who cares about our mission!"
I understand the sentiment. But designing an event for everybody usually makes it harder to create an experience that really connects with anybody.
Instead, imagine you could fill the room with people similar to your most engaged supporter.
You know the person I'm talking about. They're enthusiastic about your work, invite their friends to get involved, and generously support your mission.
What does that person look like?
Think about their age, interests, hobbies, community connections, and what motivates them to give.
For example, imagine that equine therapy nonprofit planning the silent auction.
Their ideal attendee might be someone in their 40s or 50s who loves horses, enjoys the outdoors, and has strong relationships within the local equestrian community.
Now think about how much easier it becomes to make decisions.
Where should you host the event? What kind of atmosphere would appeal to those people? What would motivate them to attend? How could you most effectively reach them?
When you know exactly who you're trying to attract, those answers become much clearer.
And it becomes a whole lot easier to recognize when a clown making balloon animals might not be the best addition to your program.
Two Questions That Become Your Event Planning Filter
Once you've defined your event's purpose and target attendee, you've created a simple framework for making almost every planning decision.
Whenever someone suggests something new, ask:
Does this help us accomplish the specific purpose of the event?
Does this make sense for the kind of person we're trying to attract?
If an idea doesn't pass those two tests, it's probably worth reconsidering.
This applies to everything from your venue and catering to your program, fundraising appeal, and marketing messages.
Of course, there will still be hundreds of details to manage. But at least all of those details will be working toward the same outcome.
One More Recommendation: Start Smaller Than You Think You Should
If you're planning your nonprofit's first major event, resist the temptation to make it as big as possible.
I'd much rather see you execute a manageable event for 50 people that accomplishes its purpose and gives you a foundation to build on than attempt an elaborate event for 300 people that overwhelms your team and drains your resources.
Think of your first event as a proof of concept.
You'll discover what works, what doesn't, and what people respond to. Then you can take those lessons and build something better in year two, three, and four.
There's nothing wrong with wanting your event to grow. Just make sure you're growing something worth repeating.
Before You Book the Venue...
If your nonprofit is considering a major event, gather your team before making any commitments.
Spend 30 minutes answering two questions:
What, specifically, do we want this event to accomplish?
Who, specifically, do we want in the room?
Write down your answers and make them specific enough that everyone understands what success looks like and who you're trying to reach.
Then use those answers to guide every decision that follows.
Because the success of your nonprofit event will have a lot more to do with the decisions you make before you book the venue than the decorations, entertainment, or catering you choose afterward.
And you'll probably avoid a few balloon animal moments along the way.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How do you plan a successful nonprofit fundraising event?
Start by establishing a specific fundraising goal and the impact it will create. Identify your ideal attendees, assess your budget and staffing capacity, and use those decisions to guide your venue, programming, marketing, and fundraising strategy.
What is the first step in planning a nonprofit event?
The first step is determining whether the organization has the financial resources and team capacity to host the event successfully. Once that's established, define the event's purpose and intended audience before making logistical commitments.
How do you determine the purpose of a nonprofit fundraising event?
Use a simple purpose statement: "The purpose of this event is to raise or accomplish [specific goal], which will result in [specific impact]." This gives your planning team a measurable objective and communicates the value of participating to potential supporters.
Should small nonprofits host fundraising events?
Small nonprofits can benefit from fundraising events, but they should carefully evaluate financial risk, staff capacity, and expected return. A smaller, focused event may be more appropriate than a major gala or banquet, especially for newer organizations.
How do nonprofits attract the right people to fundraising events?
Start by identifying the characteristics of your most engaged supporters, including their interests, motivations, community connections, and giving capacity. Design the event experience and invitation strategy around people with similar interests and values.
Matt Stockman is a nonprofit growth coach who helps startup, small, and growing nonprofits build stronger fundraising, marketing, leadership, operations, programs, and financial systems. He has coached hundreds of nonprofit and ministry leaders throughout North America, and around the world.