Fundraising Event Planning Guide

Planning a fundraiser can be easy with good organization. With the right approach you are sure to reach your fundraising goal and have a great time doing it! Here is a planning guide of several steps that will help you budget your time and money and keep an organized schedule while planning your event.

Step 1: Set Goals

It is important to begin your fundraising plan by establishing your goals for the fundraiser. Make decisions about who your audience will be, what kind of fundraiser you want to have and what you wish to accomplish (how much money you wish to raise or teaching friends about the organization). Communicate and discuss your goals with all those who will be involved and keep written records of any changes or updates to your goals.

Step 2: Draw up a Budget

The budget is a financial outline for you to use while planning your event. It should contain all anticipated expenses. The budget should be as specific as possible even if you are having a small fundraiser. A budget for a large fundraiser would include income, such as sponsorship, ticket sales, concession stands and donations, as well as expenses such as entertainment, advertising, invitations and supplies to set up the event. Make sure to indicate which items you will need to buy and which items can be donated.

View our sample budget chart.

Step 3: Set the Date and Time

It takes time to plan an event! Build in enough time to do it properly without stressing yourself and your volunteers. When choosing a date, make sure it does not conflict with national holidays or major events in your community unless you are coordinating your fundraiser to coincide with those. Another good strategy is to plan your fundraiser's date to coordinate with a specific time of year. For example, host an event to raise funds for breast cancer education in the month of October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month).

Step 4: Create a Timeline and Make a Checklist

After you have set the date of your event, create a schedule of how you want to organize your event and the steps you will need to take to get everything completed. A checklist of necessary actions or decisions and when they should be completed is key to keeping yourself organized and on track. Try working back from the date of the fundraiser to get a better idea of timing: for example, invitations or flyers to promote the event can be distributed 3 to 6 weeks before the event (depending on formality).

Step 5: Choose a Location

Pick a location where you want the event to be held (if there is a cost to renting a location, remember to include it in your budget). Schools, community buildings and locally-owned businesses are all cost-efficient options. Depending on the type of event you are throwing, your home can serve as a great location and will also save you money.

Step 6: Choose Your Entertainment

Entertainment at an event is not always necessary, though something as simple as music can make a fundraiser more fun and spirited. A DJ or a guest speaker should be booked early. Be sure to consider the space and "feel" of the event when choosing your entertainment.

Step 7: Publicize the Event

Spreading the word about your event can be done in many ways depending on the type of event you are creating. If it is a community event, post and send out flyers around the neighborhood. Places like coffee shops, book stores, grocery stores, town bulletin boards and community centers are great places to post information about your event (get a group of volunteers together to hang flyers). Additionally, many local newspapers have event listings through which you can usually promote your event for free.

If you are hosting a private event, you'll need to create an invitation and a list of those you are inviting. For a larger or more formal event, a stationery store can help you design and print your invitation. For your invitation list, ask your volunteers/friends for their input or extra names and addresses. Designate a person to be in charge of the invitation list—to check for duplicates, confirm addresses and names, etc.

Step 8: Get Food, Drinks and Decorations

Depending on the type of event, refreshments and decorations may be very important or not important at all. If your event is casual, you can save money by asking vendors or friends to donate food and drinks. For a more formal event, you might want to price catering options. If you're having a themed event, decorations can set the mood—get creative!

Step 9: Enjoy!

Recruit enough volunteers and delegate duties on the day of the event to lessen stress and enjoy the big day or night. The whole event will run more smoothly if you coordinate things instead of trying to do everything yourself.

Step 10: Send Your Donation and Your Thank Yous.

Take some time to savor your accomplishments and thank all of those people who made it happen—volunteers, vendors, donors, etc. When you send in your donation, you can also coordinate thank yous through the organization.

Good luck!

Sample Budget Chart