Nonprofit events are crucial for raising funds, spreading awareness, and building strong donor relationships. Crafting a solid event plan is the key to an unforgettable experience that leaves a lasting impact on your donors.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step, from setting goals to promoting your event effectively. Explore tips and strategies for ensuring that your nonprofit event is a resounding success that resonates with your supporters. Download our complete checklist for your next event.
Why Should You Host Nonprofit Events?
Greater awareness of your mission
Throughout the event, you simultaneously promote your nonprofit’s goals and initiatives, which will increase awareness about your mission.
Larger supporter base
An event also attracts new attendees who don’t know about your nonprofit. A well-planned fundraising event can profoundly impact attendees, resulting in long-term support for your nonprofit.
They also raise awareness about your cause in their network, increasing the number of potential supporters.
Stronger donor relationships
Organizing a nonprofit fundraising event gives your team and donors a chance to connect and build relations. Inviting existing supporters to the event, recognizing their contribution, and offering a memorable experience also boosts their loyalty toward your mission.
Fresh sponsor partnerships
Try to generate the majority of your fundraising target through sponsorships. Events are great for attracting business partners to cover the costs and attract new donors to support your cause.
When trying to secure corporate sponsorships, reach out to potential partners who align with your mission. For instance, a nonprofit working to reduce food insecurity will seek food manufacturers for a strategic partnership.
Higher donations and revenue
Building strong relationships and improving your fundraising strategy throughout the event planning process will generate more funds, which you can use to develop your initiatives.
With so many potential benefits, organizing an event is essential for nonprofits. To execute one successfully and reap these benefits, you must invest your time in thorough event planning.
Why Should You Plan Nonprofit Events in Advance?
- Helps you build a concrete idea:
An event plan will give you a clear picture of your event. You can chalk out actionable steps to turn that idea into reality with a successful event.
- You can save time:
With a copy of the event plan, every team member and volunteer can be on the same page regarding the event’s executions. There is no scope for confusion, resulting in smoother teamwork and efficient organization.
You can use the time saved to refine your event’s concept and theme and work on promotional materials.
- It reduces stress:
Creating an event plan allows you to categorize the tasks into manageable steps and distribute responsibilities in time. When everything is planned, you and your team feel stress-free in the days leading up to the event.
- More options to explore:
Last-minute bookings can create panic and undue stress and having a solid event plan can avoid just that!
Whether it's the venue, activities, your preferred emcee, or caterer, you will have multiple options to choose from without settling.
- More event attendees & funds raised:
Efficient organization will allow you ample time to focus on promoting your event. As more people hear about your event, there is a higher chance of a higher turnout.
Advance planning, with set fundraising goals, a clear strategy, and a target audience, will increase the funds raised through these events.
12 Steps of Nonprofit Event Planning
1. Determine Your Event’s Purpose
4. Determine Your Target Audience
7. Line Up Sponsorships and In-Kind Donations
8. Select an Event Management Tool
1. Determine Your Event’s Purpose
Be clear about why you are hosting this event and how it will help your nonprofit’s mission.
The common answers might be among the following:
- Raising awareness about your cause.
- Acquiring more supporters.
- Acknowledging and appreciating existing supporters.
- Raising funds for your mission.
Spread awareness about the impact the event will have on your mission and what you want from the attendees. The answers will help you to:
- Determine your event’s core theme.
- Define a fundraising goal.
- Establish a course for the event.
- Plan the guest experience.
- Design the event to fulfill its main purpose.
- Give accurate instructions to the team.
2. Form an Event Committee
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Some fundraising events may be simple to plan, but extra help is always useful. Assemble an event planning committee to manage the various planning elements.
Depending on your nonprofit’s size, you can distribute tasks among the following:
- Core staff
- Nonprofit board members
- Volunteers
Choose team members from varied expertise levels and backgrounds suited to event planning and ensure you delegate tasks to specific representatives to keep the operations running smoothly.
Individuals or teams can take up committee member roles such as:
- Committee chair to maintain communication and figure out the event budget.
- Event designer to take care of event details like venue, caterer, entertainment, decor, liquor and games licenses, etc.
- Sponsorships coordinator for securing sponsors in local businesses and maintaining strong relationships with them. They also ensure sponsors get the benefits they were promised.
- The volunteer coordinator is responsible for recruiting, educating, training, and supervising volunteers on event day.
- The public relations manager will handle the event's promotional campaigns. They will also be responsible for invitations and media communication, if necessary.
3. Set Your Goals
Discuss the event goals with your planning committee members and create a roadmap to them.
These goals should be relevant to your event’s purpose, realistic, and measurable so that you can easily track them. For example, if the event aims to acquire support for a new initiative, your goal would be to secure pledges from donors.
These goals may include:
- Overall fundraising from the entire event.
- Targeted number of new or recurring donors.
It will also help you assess your event’s success in the end.
4. Determine Your Target Audience
Your audience will vary depending on the type of event and your goals. Consider the following steps to determine your target audience:
- Define your event goals:
Are you aiming to raise funds, increase awareness, or acquire new supporters? Your goals will help you identify the right audience.
- Analyze past Events:
Look at the demographics and feedback from previous events to understand who attended and why.
- Segment your audience:
Break down your potential attendees into segments such as age, interests, location, and level of engagement with your cause. This will help tailor your marketing efforts.
- Engage with your community:
Use surveys, social media, and feedback forms to gather information about what your supporters want from an event.
- Align with your mission:
Ensure that the audience you target aligns with your nonprofit’s mission and values. This will help in attracting individuals who are genuinely interested in supporting your cause.
By clearly defining your target audience, you can design an event that meets their interests and needs, increasing the likelihood of a successful and well-attended event.
5. Create a Budget
Splurging on the event does not make sense when you seek sponsorships and aim to raise money. Before proceeding with the event planning process, consider your budget and expenses.
Regardless of the event format, calculate the potential promotional costs, event management tool, etc. In-person event costs will also include:
- Decor
- Entertainment
- Venue
- Food
Get the budget approved by the nonprofit board before proceeding.
Pro tips:
- Use budgeting software like QuickBooks, Xero, or Wave to track expenses efficiently. These tools allow you to categorize costs, generate reports, and monitor your budget in real time.
- Be transparent and accountable to your event planning committee, nonprofit board, and key stakeholders. This transparency builds trust and allows for informed decision-making throughout the planning process.
- Regularly monitor and compare actual expenses with the allocated budget.
- Keep away a portion of the budget for unexpected expenditures.
6. Recruit Volunteers
Volunteers are of great help to most nonprofit organizations and can be huge assets when planning your event.
Create a volunteer program and recruit help for tasks ranging from registration and check-ins to food distribution and garbage pick-up.
While recruiting volunteers, ensure that they:
- Get an accessible schedule with defined roles and shifts.
- Can easily register to volunteer.
- Get due appreciation and acknowledgment to boost volunteer retention.
Pro Tips:
- Establish a referral program to encourage current volunteers to refer their friends, family, and colleagues to the organization for volunteering.
- Reach out to campus-based sororities, fraternities, membership groups, and community groups to recruit volunteers for your event.
- Conduct reference checks to ensure that you’re recruiting the right individuals suitable for the role and aligning with your mission and values. Ask volunteer past supervisors, take a look at their work history, and consider the kind of nonprofit events they have worked on.
- Develop a training program for volunteers with both in-person and online training options such as video tutorials, webinars, and workshops.
7. Line Up Sponsorships and In-Kind Donations
Ask your nonprofit board members and volunteers to connect with local businesses that have collaborated with you in the past.
Establish a sponsorship program and provide promotional opportunities to the event sponsors in exchange. You can offer logo placement, ads on your tickets, recognition at the event, etc. for the sponsors.
You can also request in-kind donations from local businesses and use them for the event or later. They may offer in-kind donations like:
- Items for an auction.
- AV equipment for the event.
- Concession on the event venue.
- Discounted catering.
8. Select an Event Management Tool
An event management or online fundraising tool will help you manage ticketing, offer discounts, manage guest lists, collect donations, and more.
Choose a fundraising tool with features like:
- Customizable registration forms and event pages for attendees.
- Automatic ticketing generation for individuals and groups.
- Tracking guest information.
- Online donation options can be embedded in the registration forms.
- Email marketing option.
- Dashboard for reports and analytics to evaluate event success.
Before choosing a platform, you must also consider pricing and aspects like user-friendliness and technical support. Zeffy offers all these features in its easy-to-use fundraising and event management platform, 100% free of cost.
9. Finalize the Specifics
After concentrating on the bigger matters, it’s time to focus on the details.
You will have to finalize the following aspects before starting the preparations:
- Pick an event date:
Ensure it does not coincide with any holidays or school breaks. If there is an awareness day or month related to your mission, that can be your ideal choice. Always have some backup dates in mind.
- Establish an event timeline:
Give yourself at least 6-12 months to prepare for the event. You will need time to get sponsors and take care of other aspects.
- Secure the venue:
When choosing a venue, consider aspects like the number of expected attendees, booking amount, parking facility, etc.
- Finalize event theme and decor:
It will include music, visual background elements, smells, and entertainment.
- Distribute staff and volunteer responsibilities:
Ensure the staff and volunteers have the skills and expertise to handle their specific responsibilities. Give them a clear job description and be transparent about any budget constraints to their roles.
- Plan registration and ticketing:
Determine the cost of registration. Will you keep a fixed amount or offer options to attendees?
Finalize how you will sell tickets. You can sell tickets offline through local stores or supporters, but online ticket sales make the task easier.
10. Focus on Promotions
Begin promoting your event several months in advance to generate interest and anticipation among your target audience. Use various marketing channels, such as social media, email newsletters, and your website, to spread the word.
As the event date approaches, send targeted reminders to registered guests to ensure high attendance. These reminders can include event details, parking instructions, and any last-minute updates.
You must also share promotional materials through different channels, including:
- Social media:
Use social media ads to reach the right audience. Include the registration link on social media groups with your posts.
- Emails:
Create a three-part email series informing your donor list on the importance of your fundraising event.
- Print campaigns:
Create posters, signage, and other deliverables to hang in local libraries, coffee shops, supermarkets, and other community bulletins to promote your event.
- Local press release:
Write a short write-up on your event highlighting its purpose and mission and email it to local news outlets.
You should use all the marketing strategies your budget permits. You can send out promotional materials like:
- An event page
- Email newsletters
- Save-the-date texts
Pro Tip: When choosing marketing methods, consider your target audience's preferences and behaviors.
For example, if your event aims to attract younger supporters, focus on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
If your target audience consists of corporate sponsors, consider targeted LinkedIn ads or personalized email outreach. Tailor your marketing messages and visuals to resonate with your specific audience, highlighting the event's unique value proposition and impact.
11. Host the Event
Executing an event successfully and offering guests a memorable experience can boost donations and long-term support for your mission.
The event day will require you and your team to give your best to make all your efforts worthwhile.
Establish proper communication channels between all team members to ensure everyone is on the same page. Be a good host and make sure the attendees have a good time.
Pro Tips: Consider incorporating additional fundraising elements to maximize revenue:
- Host an online auction featuring donated items or experiences.
- Organize a raffle with attractive prizes to generate excitement and sell more tickets.
- Set up a mobile bidding system or donation kiosks to facilitate easy and secure contributions.
- Provide opportunities for sponsorship recognition, such as logo displays or verbal acknowledgments.
- Engage attendees with interactive activities, such as a photo booth or themed games, to create a memorable experience.
12. Follow Up After the Event
Post-event days are critical for reaching out to the attendees and solidifying your relationships. They will also help you evaluate your event’s impact and success.
Plan your follow-up activities, which may include:
- Thanking individuals who attended, sponsored, or volunteered for the event. It will showcase that you appreciate their efforts.
- Requesting feedback to engage with new and existing supporters, getting their advice, and improving your next event.
- Guiding new supporters to your nonprofit’s informational resources, program details, and donation tools.
- Collecting and organizing attendee information with a donor management system to facilitate future communications.
- Measuring event success against the goals you set up earlier.
Check out our guide + templates on thank-you letters for donations →
Nonprofit Event Planning Checklist and Template
How Did YWCA Lethbridge Save $1,189 on Event Management Fees?
YWCA Lethbridge operates on an annual budget of $5 million that comes from donations and government grants.
Since they started using Zeffy's 100% free fundraising platform for selling tickets to their Annual Royal Gala, the nonprofit has saved $1,189 on platform and transaction fees.
Today, they use Zeffy for collecting online donations, managing volunteers, and ticket sales.
YWCA Lethbridge has raised $23,792 using their favorite features from Zeffy, including:
- Donations through QR code scanning.
- Discount code feature on tickets.
- Email follow-up option.
- Step-by-step event management process.
Zeffy offers these features completely free of cost!
Final Thoughts on Nonprofit Event Planning
Organizing nonprofit events can be demanding, but successful nonprofit event planning can streamline the process. It increases your chances of getting high returns from your event and strengthens relationships with supporters and donors.
The event planning steps outlined in this guide will help you execute your future events with more finesses.
To get started with the planning, be clear about your goals, establish a budget, and secure sponsorships. Choose a free online fundraising platform like Zeffy to manage ticket sales, registrations, and donor management in one place.
No matter how you organize the event, aim to create an impactful experience for the attendees and secure their long-term support.
FAQs on Event Planning for Nonprofits
What is a nonprofit event?
Nonprofit events are virtual or in-person activities hosted by nonprofit organizations to engage with their existing and potential supporters.
These events can have varied purposes, such as:
- Fundraising for a program.
- Gathering support for a new initiative.
- Securing corporate sponsorships.
How to organize a charity event?
Organizing a charity event is easy if you follow these simple steps:
- Define your fundraising goals.
- Finalize a budget.
- Identify your audience.
- Choose an accessible venue for the event.
- Pick an engaging theme.
- Secure sponsorships.
- Implement strategic promotional campaigns.
- Establish straightforward donation processes.
How do you create a budget for a nonprofit event?
Start by defining your event’s purpose to estimate its size and type. The budget will differ for a virtual and in-person event.
Estimate the potential revenue your event will generate and calculate the estimated expenses for venue, catering, entertainment, decor, promotion, etc. Keep an emergency fund from the budget for sudden expenses.
