The Best Nonprofit Event Planning Checklist: 9 Winning Steps
If you’ve been to your fair share of nonprofit events, the phrase itself might leave you with a mental image of typical fundraising activities, endless speeches, and drab decor. But what if we told you that effective nonprofit event planning can make the difference between a boring nonprofit event and one that attendees will be talking about for weeks to come?
In this definitive guide, we’ll walk you through the ins and outs of nonprofit event planning, including:
Ready to level up your events? It all starts with a great plan. Let’s dive right in by examining the benefits of planning incredible nonprofit events.
The Importance of Nonprofit Event Planning
Nonprofit events serve a holistic purpose. When planned and executed well, events leave positive impressions on your community of supporters that encourage future engagement—whether that means donating, attending another event, telling their friends about your work, following on social media, or subscribing to your newsletter.
Think of it this way: Events are vehicles of opportunity. In particular, carefully planned events present nonprofits and their supporters with valuable opportunities for the following:
Awareness-raising. An event is an excellent chance to spread the word about your cause, whether through speakers, motivational videos, or one-on-one conversations. Educate your attendees about the problems your nonprofit is striving to solve for its beneficiaries—and how attendees can get involved!
Fundraising. Fundraising is also a big element of nonprofit events, as people will be highly motivated to act on the cause they’re learning and talking about with your team. You might raise money by charging an event registration fee, selling auction items, or encouraging donations in creative ways throughout the event.
Relationship-building. How often do you have board members, sponsors, community leaders, donors, and volunteers all gathered in one place? At events, your team can easily network with your community of supporters, getting to know their needs and interests, all of which can inform your future engagement strategy.
Volunteering. For your organization to accomplish its goals, it must have the support of volunteers. The moving parts of running an event allow for numerous volunteer opportunities—whether you’re having volunteers decorate a venue, facilitate fundraising activities, or usher attendees to their seats.
Brand-building. Having positive experiences with your organization solidifies your nonprofit’s reputation and brand in the eyes of your supporters—as a driver of positive change, as an important contributor to your community, and even as an employer.
Memory-making. In addition to all of the other opportunities mentioned above, events offer the chance for your organization to make memories with your community. Events can be a lot of fun! So create memorable experiences by hiring talented entertainers, offering fun activities, and leaving supporters with a smile at the end of the event.
In order to plan showstopping events that open up the doors for these valuable opportunities and long-term benefits, you need to set yourself up for success early. That’s where a careful and thorough planning process comes in.
A Nonprofit Event Planning Checklist: 9 Steps and a Template
Much like a chef preparing for dinner service, or a contractor drawing up blueprints before starting on a building project, nonprofit organizations need to take the time before an event to carefully plan out the experience.
In this section, we’ll cover nine critical planning steps that your nonprofit can follow to plan its next event. Then, you can kickstart your own planning process by downloading our template at the end to walk through the checklist yourself!
1. Determine your objectives and set specific goals.
In order to plan a successful nonprofit event, you have to first define what success looks like for that event. Your definition of success will be unique to your nonprofit, mission, audience, and goals.
Start by determining the general objectives for the event—the why behind hosting the event in the first place. Ask yourself:
What do we want to accomplish through this event? Consider what you hope to accomplish by hosting the event. Do you want to mingle with supporters to get to know them better or educate them on your most recent project? Do you have a specific fundraising target? Are you launching a new campaign or program?
What will our event look like? Think about what structure the event should take to best serve the purpose of the event. For example, should the event be hosted virtually or in person? A casual gathering or a lavish gala?
Once you know the general objectives for your event, you can begin building specific goals around those objectives. Set goals following the SMART framework:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-Based
SMART goals provide a guiding light for your organization throughout the event planning process. When you have a goal that you can measure your progress against, you will be better able to stay on track and see the big picture of planning an event—championing your cause and serving your beneficiaries!
2. Create an event planning committee.
Once you’ve set a clear goal for your event, you’ll need to assemble the right team to help your organization achieve that goal. Many of your team members will have other responsibilities to attend to while the event is being planned, so be sure to appoint designated representatives to keep your operations running smoothly.
To keep things organized, many nonprofits create event planning committees, with individuals or teams taking on certain roles (depending on the scale of your event). Here are some typical committee member roles you might create:
Committee Chair: The committee chair is in charge of maintaining communication with your nonprofit’s leadership team, ironing out the budget for the event, and ensuring that all of the committee’s activities are steering the organization toward meeting its goals for the event.
Event Designer: Also referred to as an event planner, this individual (or team) is in charge of the details of the event. They select a venue, a catering company, entertainment, and decor. They are also often responsible for ensuring that your nonprofit obtains any necessary liquor or games of chance licenses well in advance of the event.
Sponsorships Coordinator: A sponsorships coordinator takes on the job of building and maintaining strong relationships with businesses that may be willing to sponsor the event. They identify potential sponsors, initiate conversations about sponsorships, and ensure that sponsors receive promised benefits from contributing to the event.
Volunteer Coordinator: Most nonprofit organizations need an extra helping hand (or a few hundred!) to pull off a successful event. The volunteer coordinator is in charge of recruiting volunteers, training them in their duties, and overseeing them on the day of the event.
Public Relations/Communications Manager: No matter the specific goals of your event, in order to make it successful, you’ll need people to know about it! A public relations or communications manager can help with this. They handle the promotional activities for the event, including inviting supporters to attend and informing the media about it, if necessary.
Auction Item Procurement Specialist (or Team): If you host an auction as part of your event, you’ll need to secure auction items that your supporters want to bid on. Your auction item procurement specialist (or team, for especially large events) locates and gathers auction items for the event and manages relationships with their donors. This can be a difficult process, as it takes time to procure an entire auction catalog of items. To really knock their procurement duties out of the park, your specialist may also consider working with a charity consignment company to offer exclusive and unique packages and experiences you can’t obtain elsewhere.
Of course, your nonprofit event committee may consist of different roles or teams, depending on your needs. However you design your committee, it’s important to ensure that you’re accounting for each detail that will contribute to making your event a success.
3. Decide on your budget and timeline.
Together with your nonprofit’s leadership team, your committee chair should determine the budget for your event and establish a schedule for planning activities. Here are some tips for planning out your budget and timeline:
Give yourself ample time to plan the event. Great events take time and focus to come together, and promoting it can’t be left until the last minute. The sooner people can mark their calendars—whether they’re event vendors or supporters—the sooner you can have firm commitments for the big day.
Create a detailed planning calendar. Once you know when your event will take place, work backward from that date to create a planning calendar. Pick specific dates for when certain planning tasks should be completed, invitations should go out, press releases should be sent to media organizations, and more.
Budget based on the event’s goals and purpose. Identify what matters to your organization in the context of your event goals and let the budget follow. For example, would you prefer to focus your energy elsewhere ahead of an event, like major donor cultivation to ensure attendance, and hand over the logistics to an event production company? Allocate your funds based on your planning priorities.
Allow time for fundraising prior to the event. Your nonprofit may need extra funding in order to cover the cost of the event. Identify how much you’ll need to fundraise for event-specific expenses. For example, you may need to set up a crowdfunding campaign to ensure that you can afford the venue or drum up excitement for the event by launching a peer-to-peer campaign.
Hammering out your budget and timeline early in the planning process will ensure that your entire team is on the same page. Plus, you’ll know that you’re planning an event that will truly benefit your nonprofit and its beneficiaries instead of disrupting other fundraising activities or blowing your annual budget.
4. Determine your target audience for the event.
Different events will appeal to different audiences. Depending on your goals and the type of event you’re planning, you might already know who you want to target. As you plan out your specific event, picture the people your team thinks are likely to attend and try to cater to their needs and interests.
For example, a community-wide concert event might appeal to your supporters and people who love music but don’t know about your nonprofit. Since your event will target everyone in your community in a variety of ways, you’ll need to tailor your event to a broad audience. For example, you might plan for families to attend by offering kid-friendly food options.
It may be helpful to create an event attendee persona, a fictional person that you can picture as you plan out the elements of your event. This can make planning your event around its attendees a more concrete and effective activity.
5. Decide how you’ll raise money during the event.
One of the main goals of your event will likely be to achieve a fundraising goal. To do so, you’ll need to include fundraising activities as part of your event. While some events offer natural fundraising opportunities (such as selling t-shirts at a walk-a-thon), other times you’ll be left up to your own ingenuity when it comes to deciding on how to fundraise.
Here are some popular ideas:
Selling tickets: Admission to the event can be your first step in raising funds at whatever event you host.
Donation pledges: Incorporate activities that involve participants collecting donation pledges before or after the event.
Text-to-give: Share your nonprofit’s text-to-give number on event signage and with a public announcement to encourage donations throughout the event.
Auction items: Spark healthy competition by auctioning off high-value items.
Merchandise or concessions: Branded t-shirts, mugs, lanyards, and other merchandise would be an enticing buy for your supporters. You can also raise money through concessions when your supporters snack throughout the event
Share matching gift opportunities: Encourage event attendees to check their eligibility for matching gifts and to make a donation with double the impact.
Use what you know about your target audience to determine what fundraising activities will be most effective. For example, if you know that your supporters respond well to text-to-give campaigns, you might create one just for the day of your event! If you’re seeking larger donations from an in-person audience of major donors, develop a seamless system for collecting pledges.
6. Lock down the details.
At this point, your event planning committee should be busy confirming the critical details for your event—the things that you absolutely don’t want to realize were forgotten on the morning of your long-awaited occasion.
These include:
Securing the right venue. To make sure that your venue is up to par, consider how many attendees you’re expecting, inquire about security deposits or cleaning fees, and think through smaller details like parking availability.
Ensuring event compliance. Depending on where you’re hosting your event and what type of activities it involves, you may need liquor and/or games of chance licenses. Auctions can also bring complex compliance requirements in different jurisdictions. While this should be researched far in advance, at this stage you should confirm that you’ve received all relevant licenses and are prepared to host a compliant event.
Hire a catering company. On top of menus, you should take a look at catering companies’ reviews and certifications. Also, consider the event’s location when choosing a caterer. This will help you determine if the caterer can realistically travel to your event to service it and identify any extra pain points, such as travel times and fees.
Booking entertainment. Ask your board members if they have any connections that could help you easily book a stand-up comic, performing group, or another type of entertainer. If you don’t have the connections but want to book someone with real star power, work with a talent procurement company.
Securing sponsors. Your sponsorship coordinator should also be discussing sponsorship opportunities with local businesses. Make sure you have a clear plan for explaining how sponsorships will benefit your sponsors. For example, you might plan to thank them prior to a performance or include their logo in your event program.
Finalizing decorations. Whether you’re buying or renting decorations, ensure that your event will have a cohesive look and feel and that you’ll have plenty of time beforehand to decorate the venue.
Remember, different members of your event planning committee will be handling this process of finalizing details. Your committee chair should monitor the committee’s progress and ensure that everything is going according to plan.
7. Promote your event.
The event promotion process should start well in advance of the actual event—ask your supporters to mark their calendars so that no scheduling conflicts come up. Depending on the scale of the event, you might even consider sending out save-the-dates.
In the months and weeks leading up to the event, lean heavily into marketing. Your communications and public relations manager should coordinate everything, but ensure that you’re taking a multichannel marketing approach by adapting your promotional materials for channels such as:
Text messages. These days, people are glued to their phones. Why not take advantage of that with text message marketing? Send a quick text blast to your supporters informing them about the event. Add a link to your website so they can learn more. You can also conduct a text-to-give campaign that encourages people to donate before, during, or after your event.
Direct mail. Direct mail has an average return on investment of 43%, proving that this marketing method is still worthy of your attention. Plus, you can make this traditional marketing tactic more modern by adding a QR code that allows people to learn more about your event and sign up online.
Email. Email is a powerful marketing tool that allows you to reach supporters of all ages and demographics. Conversion rates for nonprofit emails increase by 10% when the messages are personalized, meaning that a personalized email can increase your chances of getting a recipient to attend. Use past event data to send personalized emails to supporters, encouraging them to return for another amazing event.
Social media. If you want to generate visibility for your upcoming event, social media is the way to go. Share information about your event on your social media channels and encourage people to comment if they’re planning on attending. You can also share sneak peeks of the event such as the venue or panel of speakers to entice people to attend.
Google Ads. Did you know that nonprofits can participate in the Google Ad Grant program to receive $10,000 in monthly ad credits for free? If you’re eligible for the program, you can apply to receive the grant. Then, use the credits to create ads that direct potential supporters to your website. Tailor your ads to your event by encouraging people to sign up or purchase tickets. As long as you follow all of Google’s program rules, the grant will renew each month, and you’ll be able to continue promoting your current events, campaigns, and initiatives.
If guest registration will be required prior to event day, consider creating a microsite or dedicated events page on your nonprofit’s website that includes event details like date, time, location, cost, and dress code. Offer an online registration form and the opportunity for attendees to donate prior to attending.
8. Recruit volunteers to help run the event.
Volunteers are invaluable to your organization. In fact, research shows the monetary value of a volunteer hour has increased by 6.2% in the past year at a new estimate of $31.80.
While you’re promoting the event to your community of supporters, you should also offer them the chance to volunteer at the event. Your committee’s volunteer coordinator should handle all volunteer recruitment responsibilities, from marketing the opportunity to having volunteers sign waivers beforehand.
Not sure what your team should be asking for help with? Your volunteers can assist you on the day of the event in a number of ways, such as:
Setting up and taking down decorations or equipment
Attendee experience tasks (such as welcoming guests, ticket-taking, or ushering)
Serving food (note that this task should only be assigned to volunteers with food handlers’ cards)
Providing transportation and hospitality for entertainment
Running fundraising activities (such as raffles or merchandise sales)
Offering tech support during the event (such as microphone handoffs, and speaker set-up)
Taking photographs or posting about the event on social media
Acting as a runner or assistant to a staff member
The most effective volunteers are those who are put in a role where their strengths can shine. Make sure you’re giving yourself ample time to recruit volunteers and assess their strengths and interests to ensure that everyone is assigned a role that best suits them. You should also plan for any necessary training or run-throughs that will need to take place before the big day.
9. Plan out your follow-up activities.
Picture this: It’s the day after your event, which was a home run for everyone involved! It’s time to kick back and bask in your success for a while before getting back to your normal day-to-day nonprofit work, right?
Not quite! The days and weeks after an event are a critical time for connecting with those who participated and evaluating its success on a deeper level. By planning your post-event activities as part of the overall event planning process, you’ll have your “thank-yous” ready to go as soon as the event is over. Prepare to:
Thank those who attended, sponsored, entertained, and volunteered at the event. It’s important to treasure your relationships with those who contributed to your event’s success. From entertainers to staff members, every contributor should be genuinely thanked for their time and efforts.
Direct new supporters to your organization’s educational resources, programming, and donation tools. You may have caught the attention of a number of new supporters during your event. Make sure that their relationship with your cause can continue to develop long after the big day. Reach out to new supporters, get to know them, and offer them opportunities for further involvement. Or, if engaging with major donors and prospects was a goal of your event, now is the time to initiate more stewardship conversations or to start an outreach cadence.
Measure the success of your event against the goals you originally set at the beginning of the planning process. Return to the SMART goals you originally set for your event. Did you meet your fundraising goal? Did as many people attend your event as you wanted? Did you secure the number of sponsors you were aiming for? Compare your success to your goals and evaluate how you can improve with future events!
A thorough follow-up strategy will not only help you cap off a memorable nonprofit event. You’ll also be laying the foundation for future event success as you continue to grow relationships with everyone involved. Think ahead to how you can improve your planning down the road.
The CharityBids Approach to Nonprofit Event Planning
At CharityBids, we produce show-stopping nonprofit events. Our goals are not only to help your organization exceed its fundraising goals but also connect with the community that supports your cause. We take care of all the moving parts of producing a stellar nonprofit event, including:
Innovative event production: We’re experts in creating incredible events. We’ll handle everything from scouting the ideal event location to scripting and directing the event production from start to finish.
Exclusive talent procurement: Our connections in the space mean your organization will have easy access to appearances from A-list celebrities that will take your event to a new level.
Unique creative direction: We’ll capture your nonprofit’s mission and vision during the event while ensuring we support your goals through the planning and execution.
Impactful custom content: At CharityBids, we help nonprofits spread awareness about their events (and cause!) through custom-tailored marketing content that impactfully communicates your unique story to your donors.
And if your event involves an auction, we also offer hundreds of high-end auction experiences and packages that your nonprofit can tap into—risk-free with no deposit required.
If you have any questions about how we can help you boost fundraising in ways that are truly unparalleled, reach out to our team today!
Final Thoughts On Nonprofit Event Planning
Events often involve a significant investment of time, energy, and money for your nonprofit. Strong planning gives you the best shot at getting a high return on that investment and strengthening your relationships with your supporters, donors, and sponsors.
As you follow the steps outlined in this guide, you’ll be able to plan your event with more deliberation and intention. This means you’ll save yourself stress on the day of your event. Instead of wondering if everything will come together in time, you’ll be able to proceed with confidence, enjoy your event, and surpass each of your goals!
Ready to learn more about producing incredible nonprofit events? Check out these additional resources:
Virtual Charity Events: 20+ Ideas & Starter Guide. Virtual events are excellent for engaging supporters from the comfort of their own homes. Learn more in this starter guide!
Charity Event Planning & Production by CharityBids. Learn how CharityBids can bring your charity event vision to life by exploring our services page!
CharityBids FAQs. Explore some FAQs about working with CharityBids.
