Running a charity gala can be a rewarding experience. The feeling of knowing that your event has helped raise vital funds for a nominated charity can be almost overwhelming. Add in that your planning and focus got the event up and running and you can sit back feeling quite proud of yourself. And perhaps a little exhausted!
It isn’t something to rush into though. You will no doubt want your gala to be memorable so future events garner interest. You’ll also want it to showcase the charity, be fun, engaging and have plenty of opportunity to raise money. This needs a little planning, and that is where we are going to help.
In this blog, we are going to highlight the 9 things you need to consider for your charity gala before you showcase it to your willing donors.
What’s the difference between a charity gala and a regular fundraiser?
A gala is a charity event on a grand scale. Rather than a sponsored walk, run or other typical fundraiser, a gala is often an invite-only event whereupon the purchase of a ticket the bearer gains entry to a spectacular fundraiser. Think of a bespoke venue filled with exciting décor, music, dancing, food and fundraising and you’ll have a good overview of what a gala may look like.
What to consider for your charity gala
You will no doubt have some clear aims for your charity gala. The main one being that you want to raise as much money as possible. To do this though, you’ll need to put some thought into much more than just how much cash you’ll be handing over to the chosen charity. Our selection of key considerations should help:
1. Form a committee
Whether you are hosting your charity gala via your employer or are going it alone, you’ll want an able team alongside you. This will help you plan the smooth running of the event. It may be advisable to find some key members of the local community if you can. They can use their name and reputation to help garner interest later down the line.
Your committee will help source and organise the venue, seating plans, catering, entertainment and auction or raffle items. Don’t think they are limited to just these tasks though. You might also want to place someone in charge of advertising to help push the message.
2. Set a budget
Set a suitable budget. This should be done with your committee so that everyone can be heard. A great idea stems from one mind but an even better one comes when people work together! You may have funds in reserve from previous events or you may be starting from scratch. Take this into account as it could change how much you can spend.
Look at the wants and the needs and factor in the costs. You could perhaps make two lists. The needs are the essentials, so make this list first. Then make one for the wants. The items you’d love to see but that aren’t vital. If there are funds in reserve, see what they cover. If they cover your needs and you have money to spare, factor in some of the wants to add a little more WOW to your gala.
3. Settle on ticket prices
With your committee, you should plan how much you want tickets to sell for and what they include. Too high and you could end up with an empty venue, too low and you’ve missed out on some great opportunity. It is often best to offer tickets in a tier system. Gold, silver, and bronze for example. Gold may cost a little more, but gold ticket holders will receive more for their money than bronze ticket holders. They can become the event VIPs, and everybody wants to be a VIP, right?
Also, look at early bird tickets. Perhaps releasing limited numbers for each category for a short time. You’ll be surprised how much this encourages people to snap up a ticket quickly!
4. Pick a theme and suitable venue
You want your gala to be memorable and a theme could be what makes that happen! Are you aiming this gala at families, adults, or businesses? This could be essential in deciding how to dress up your gala. Look to do something that connects with your core audience, it could be a fancy-dress event, it could be a retro rave, it could be a murder mystery. Or it could be none of those and instead, just be purely focused on the amazing work of the charity with examples of their work and appearances from those who have benefitted from it.
Next up, pick a venue to suit this theme. Look at your number of attendees, the type of ambience it could create, and how it complements your chosen theme. You should also look at the facilities it provides. Are there enough parking spaces? Are there enough toilets? Is there adequate power?
5. Source suppliers and entertainers
With a venue booked, a theme generated and a host of great ideas in mind, you should look to book all the services you may require next. Catering, entertainment and equipment will all be essential. Remember to consult your budget to see what you plan to spend where. It may be that you need to adjust the budget for entertainment to cover the cost of catering, for example.
6. Recruit an events team
You have your committee, and they will likely all help in various ways on the night. You’ll still want some dedicated staff for specific roles. This could be bar staff, cloakroom assistants, glass collectors, greeters and more. Some agencies can help with this but remember to factor in the wage bill this will incur.
7. Secure sponsorship
If your event is sponsored, it can have a great deal of credibility added to it. Especially if the sponsors are respected in their field. They may be willing to donate prizes, donate to the event or help cover some of the running costs. You could even look at selling sponsorship packages. Just be aware that many businesses are associated with charities already so may turn you down. Don’t be disheartened though, there are plenty of local and national brands that will likely offer support.
8. Marketing the gala
When you formed your committee, you may have appointed someone in charge of marketing. If you didn’t, do it now! You need people to know it is happening. Look to social media and create event pages for it. Communicate with the charity itself too. They will gladly promote via their channels.
Then look to your sponsors and investigate the possibility of them promoting it on their accounts too.
Marketing can also extend to whom you invite. Your sponsors are likely to be attending, as are members of the public, but if you can extend the audience to include credible influencers, local politicians and maybe a celebrity affiliated with the charity, you could reap huge rewards both for the charity and reputationally.
It would also be wise to send out press releases to local media and national media telling people of the event, the cause, any VIP guests and the ticket availability.
9. How will you fundraise?
Finally, decide how you’d like to raise money for the charity. Is a portion of the ticket sales going to be donated, or are you relying solely on donations on the night? Could you auction prizes donated by your sponsors to add a little more cash to the fundraising campaign? Will you need donation stations set up around the venue or could QR codes at tables be useful?
These 9 things to consider are in our eyes the most important for any charity gala. We love helping charity galas become a success and our services have helped many ideas turn into stunning events. Whether you want to hire a luxury marquee for a beautiful outdoor event or love the idea of hosting your gala under canvas with tipi tent hire, we can help. We create spectacular, so your gala is memorable and a true showcase of what you want to deliver. Contact us today and see how we can help you create this year’s best charity gala.