Charity events are powerful catalysts for change, bringing communities together to support.
But planning a fundraiser can feel overwhelming—especially when you’re wearing every hat: running programs, managing volunteers, and still trying to raise money. Most nonprofit leaders we talk to never signed up to be event planners… yet pulling off a successful fundraiser is critical to your mission.
This step-by-step guide was built for small, scrappy teams like yours—showing you exactly how to organize an impactful event that amplifies your reach, engages donors, and builds community impact.
Plus, we’ll show you how Zeffy lets you keep every dollar for your cause—meaning more money goes towards scholarships, food, rent—and do it all without burning out. Every 3% fee is another scholarship lost. With Zeffy, $100 raised = $100 for your mission.
8 easy steps to plan your fundraising event
Step 1: Determine goals and mission
Defining measurable objectives is essential for planning a successful charity event. Identify the event's purpose and how it aligns with your nonprofit's mission to create a solid foundation for your planning efforts.
While generating revenue is crucial for every charitable cause, consider if alternative fundraising methods, such as a clothes drive, might better serve your mission. Tailor your proposed charity event to best serve the needs of your nonprofit.
There are typically five purposes for organizing a charity event:
- Focusing specifically on raising funds
- Requesting giving in non-monetary forms
- Attracting attention and volunteers to the cause
- Appreciating and thanking supporters
- Connecting and building relationships with new donors
Step 2: Assess your resources
“We lost $0.50 on each hot dog sale to fees.” — Volunteer-parent hustler
Before you can jump into fundraising event planning, you'll need to evaluate what you have available to you, like:
- A detailed budget: Consider how much money you have to fund this event. To cut down on costs, opt for a single-plate meal instead of a buffet or provide light refreshments, and limit gifts to small, low-cost items that can be bought in large quantities, such as coasters, pens, and keychains. You could also find someone within your network or volunteer base to donate their time to offer live entertainment, like music.
- Staff: Consider whether or not you have enough manpower to host the event successfully. If not, you might need to recruit volunteers or board members to chip in.
Tired of switching between spreadsheets, PayPal, and Mailchimp? Zeffy combines ticketing, donations, and guest check-in in one place—without charging fees.
Responsive Table
| Track guest names in a spreadsheet |
Built-in guest management & check-in tools |
| Collect donations via PayPal, then manually record them |
Donations and ticket sales automatically tracked |
| Send emails through Mailchimp (and hope your list is updated) |
Emails and thank-yous auto-triggered from your event setup |
| Pay platform fees on every ticket and donation |
No platform or transaction fees—ever |
| Use 3–5 tools just to run one fundraiser |
Everything in one place: tickets, donations, auctions, P2P |
| Spend hours on admin after the event |
Zeffy handles receipts, reports, and follow-up for you |
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