Virtual Charity Events: 20+ Ideas & Starter Guide
During the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, the loss of in-person charity events suggested nonprofits would see a nosedive in fundraising dollars. After all, research shows that 56% of worldwide donors regularly attend fundraising events. Without in-person opportunities, how would nonprofits effectively fund their missions?
Luckily, nonprofits were ready to pivot, facilitating virtual charity events. And even now, with the end of the pandemic in sight, nonprofit organizations are still tapping into the power of virtual events, leveraging this new form of gathering as a unique, convenient, and cost-effective way to connect with their communities and fundraise.
Still, planning and executing a virtual fundraising event is easier said than done. It won’t be enough to simply schedule a Zoom meeting and make your fundraising pitch to the people who show up—instead, you’ll need the right idea to run with and a knowledge of virtual event best practices to back up your strategy.
That’s where this starter guide comes in. In it, we’ll cover:
With the right approach, you can add virtual events to your fundraising calendar, leaving a lasting impression on your supporters. Let’s get into it.
20+ Virtual Charity Event Ideas Your Donors Will Love
You can turn just about any event idea into a memorable and successful virtual fundraising event. All you’ll need is the knack for looking at an idea and envisioning how it might translate to a virtual setting. To kickstart your brainstorming, let’s look at some virtual charity event ideas your donors are bound to enjoy and how they might look in practice!
1. Virtual Gala
A gala is a high-end fundraiser that typically involves a black-tie dress code, great food, an auction, and unforgettable entertainment. With some thorough planning, a live-streaming tool, and the right fundraising software, you can bring a gala to your supporters at home. To make your virtual gala similar to an in-person gala, you might do the following:
Host a virtual auction (live or silent) and a raffle
Present your event’s sponsors throughout the night
Leverage talent procurement services to find star talent to host or appear at your event
Pre-produce performances from musicians or singers
Give a presentation on your mission and how attendees’ donations can help you drive more impact
Have food and beverages delivered to your attendees’ homes for them to enjoy throughout the event
The key to hosting a successful virtual gala is to make your attendees feel like they’re getting the full gala experience from the comfort of their own home! Encourage them to interact with each other in virtual meeting rooms or through a chatting feature, and be sure to issue plenty of fundraising appeals throughout the night.
2. Virtual Auction
Virtual auctions can generate excitement and friendly competition among your attendees. As bids bounce back and forth between attendees, the stakes for actually winning the item they want climb higher and higher—whether it’s a luxurious trip to a tropical destination or a one-of-a-kind exclusive experience with an A-list celebrity.
A great auction starts with a catalog of great items to auction off. To secure these auction items, appoint an auction item procurement specialist (or full team) on your event planning committee. This team member will be responsible for locating and gathering items for the auction. It will likely take some time to secure a full catalog of auction items, so start the process early. To speed up the process and tap into auction packages that are unique and sure to catch a bidder’s eye, try partnering with an auction consignment company that offers packages with no deposits required.
When it comes time to actually plan the logistics of how your auction will go, remember that you have two options. You can conduct a live virtual auction, with an auctioneer directing the bidding and your participants placing their bids remotely. Or, you can conduct a silent online auction, which allows participants to bid from their phones, tablets, or computers until the auction closes. Either way, you’ll want to leverage powerful auction software to ensure the process runs smoothly for everyone involved.
3. Virtual Walk, Run, or Roll
Walk, run, or roll events are appealing to nonprofit supporters who enjoy exercising for a good cause, and putting a virtual spin on this type of event makes them flexible so that supporters can participate on their own time. To conduct a virtual walk, run, or roll, ask that attendees contribute with a registration fee. Once they’ve completed the walk, run, or roll, they’ll report back to your organization to receive a race t-shirt and medal.
To take this virtual event to the next level, plan a live-streamed race kick-off event complete with entertainment and donation appeals. Or, opt for a peer-to-peer fundraising angle, where supporters secure pledges from their family and friends before the event. For instance, a participant’s family member might pledge to give $20 for every mile the participant runs. After the participant runs three miles during the event, their family member would donate $60 to your organization. This can be a fun way to get your supporters involved in raising money for your organization—and to motivate them to reach their walking, running, or rolling goals!
4. Live-Streamed Telethon
A telethon is a classic fundraising event where participants come together for a night of entertainment and giving. Create your own live-streamed telethon by lining up an evening or full day’s worth of entertainment. Some organizations even conduct 24-hour or 36-hour live-streamed telethons!) Here are a few ideas for the types of entertainment your lineup could include:
Musicians
Speakers
Comedians
Dance groups
Magicians
Chefs that teach immersive cooking tutorials
Throughout your event, participants will tune in to enjoy entertainment and learn about your cause, giving donations through your online donation form. Encourage more giving by updating your fundraising progress on a real-time fundraising thermometer.
5. Cutest Pet Contest
Everyone thinks their pet is the cutest. So why not put it to a vote during a virtual fundraising event? Collect photos and videos of attendees’ pets beforehand, and then set up a live-streamed event where your nonprofit community gets together to crown the cutest pet. Participants will vote with their dollars for the pet they think is the cutest, who can be rewarded with a trophy and donated treats or toys.
A virtual cutest pet contest is an especially fun virtual charity event for a humane society or pet rescue. In addition to showcasing people’s current pets, make sure to show off the animals that are currently up for adoption. This way, you’ll not only pull in donations but also help more furry friends find their forever homes!
6. Virtual House Parties
Fundraising house parties are hosted by a few of your nonprofit’s most dedicated supporters, like your staff members, board members, and major donors. Each supporter will host their own virtual house party, where they invite a handful of people. During the house party, attendees will socialize and enjoy refreshments from the comfort of their own homes. You can even consider having food delivered to each attendee’s home, or sending attendees virtual gift cards for services like DoorDash or Postmates. Another way to run this event is to have your hosts invite small groups of people to their homes, where all attendees can then tune in together to a bigger virtual event hosted by your organization.
Hosts will also prepare presentations about your organization’s mission. They should explain your work and programming, as well as your current needs. The party should culminate in a sincere fundraising ask. To empower house party hosts to be as effective as possible, host a training session beforehand where you help each host prepare talking points about your organization.
7. Virtual Night of Entertainment
There’s nothing better than enjoying live entertainment from the comfort of your own home. Try hosting a virtual concert or another type of performance to give your nonprofit’s supporters a one-of-a-kind experience that will inspire them to donate and leave them with great memories. You can frame your event in a number of ways, depending on what type of entertainment you’d like to feature:
Live Concert
A Night at the Symphony
Battle of the Bands
Comedy Showcase
Dance Recital
An Evening of Spoken Word Poetry
You can rely on local talent to fill out your program. Or, to take your event to the next level, work with a nonprofit event planning company that offers talent booking services. Companies like these have unique connections that can help you power your virtual night of entertainment with star power, drawing in a larger audience, and thus, more donations.
8. Virtual Class or Workshop
A virtual class or workshop is an excellent way to engage your supporters in your fundraising work and offer them the opportunity to learn something new in the process.
Hosting a virtual class might be a natural extension of the work your nonprofit already does. For example, if your nonprofit repairs bikes to provide transportation for your local community’s homeless population, you might teach a virtual class on the basics of bike repair. Or, if your nonprofit provides tutors to young children in need, you might host a workshop on how to empower young children in their literacy journeys.
You can also look outside your organization for a virtual class or workshop teacher. For instance, you might host a virtual mixology session leading up to the holidays, so that your attendees can develop new skills to share with their loved ones. Leverage the connections you have in the local community to find someone who can teach your supporter base a skill they want to learn, whether that’s painting, cooking a gourmet dish, mixing specialty drinks, or composting. If you want to take it to the next level, team up with a talent booking company to have the workshop led by renowned industry leaders—think Wolfgang Puck walking your attendees through the process of cooking a Michelin Star-level dish. Request a registration fee, and be sure to offer multiple opportunities for attendees to pledge additional donations throughout the event.
9. Virtual Roundtable or Discussion
This event idea gets people talking. To plan a virtual roundtable or discussion, choose a topic that relates to your mission and ask a leader at your organization (like a board member or your executive director) to be in charge of the discussion. The discussion leader should prepare talking points and questions that they can use to engage every roundtable participant. These participants should be experts, professionals, or thought leaders on your mission’s issue or the topic at hand. For example, you might invite professors, local elected officials, or leaders of other nonprofits to join the discussion. Or, you might book a celebrity guest who is influential in the area of work that your nonprofit focuses on. You may even create a book club-type roundtable, giving your supporters and participants a month or two to read the book that will relate to the roundtable topic.
During the discussion, encourage participation in a number of different ways. You might encourage attendees to talk with the entire group or in smaller breakout groups. You can also leverage your video conferencing platform’s chat feature, or send out polls or surveys. At the end of the roundtable, invite attendees to act on what they’ve learned and donate to support your mission.
10. Virtual Museum Tour
If your nonprofit runs a museum or has connections to one, why not give a virtual tour? You can feature the entire museum or just one exhibit. Charge a small entry fee for your virtual tour, and give a full overview of each exhibit or artifact. Make sure you have a high-quality camera for your live-stream so that your attendees can see your exhibits clearly.
Make the experience more exclusive by inviting an expert to speak during your tour. This might be the artist who created some of the artwork in the museum or an eyewitness to the historical events that the museum commemorates.
At the end of the tour, encourage attendees to donate more if they can, or to visit the museum in person soon. You can even promote a museum membership program if there is one.
11. Virtual Behind-the-Scenes Look
Even if your nonprofit doesn’t run a museum, your facility may still be the heart of your mission and a place where your most passionate supporters would love to see your work in action!
For example, your facility might be an animal shelter, a school, a library, a food pantry, or a community theater. A “look behind the curtain” gives them the chance to connect with the day-to-day operations involved in moving your mission forward and something tangible to visualize as they donate to your cause. If appropriate, you might even feature some of your beneficiaries during the event, asking them to share how your organization’s work has impacted their lives.
12. Virtual TED Talk Night
TED Talks are recognized globally as simple talks or lectures that present great ideas in 18 minutes or less. You can host your own virtual TED Talk night by inviting speakers to give short presentations about topics related to your cause. For example, a nonprofit committed to Bengal tiger conservation might put together a virtual TED Talk night that covers a range of tiger-related topics, like habitat loss, behavioral research, and more.
Invite experts to present each topic, and leave time at the end of the night for a Q&A session with the presenters. Offering your audience the chance to ask questions will encourage them to be actively engaged throughout the talks.
13. Private Watch Party
Organizing a private watch party is an easy way to set up a fun and lucrative virtual event. You’ll simply need to arrange to live-stream a film or performance for your supporters. And the element of exclusivity that comes with a private watch party will help draw interest and attendance.
Here are a few options for what your organization might feature at its private watch party:
Documentary relating to your cause
Stage performance or dress rehearsal
Family-friendly movie
Sporting event
For example, say you set up a private watch party for a dress rehearsal of your community theater’s production of a popular musical. You could charge an attendance fee, and mail out treats like microwave popcorn or candy to your supporters a few days in advance to make the watch party more of an occasion. To up the ante a little more, you could even raffle off a private virtual meet-and-greet with the cast to take place after the performance.
14. Webinar or Panel
Nonprofits host webinars and panels to spread the word about their causes and to share their expertise with their supporters. Webinars differ from roundtable discussions in that they can be more casual, with a speaker sharing a presentation or talk and answering questions at the end. Your attendees can participate by asking questions in the live-stream chat or by typing responses to the speaker’s remarks.
15. Fashion Show
If your supporters love to keep a pulse on the latest styles, they’ll likely enjoy attending a virtual fashion show on behalf of your nonprofit. For this event, you’ll need to connect with a fashion designer (or designers) who would be willing to feature their looks in your show. Try reaching out to local fashion students or professionals. Next, work with the designer to find volunteer models and prepare the event space. You might give your fashion show a theme, depending on the looks that will be featured. For example, if the fashion designer you’re working with has a line of swimwear, you might go with a beach party or tropical resort theme.
Live-stream the show. To pull in more fundraising dollars, ask attendees to vote with their dollars to choose the best look of the night, or auction off an outfit or two to the highest bidder.
16. Virtual Conference
Planning a virtual conference can be a daunting task, but can pay off in the end as your nonprofit community comes together to learn, network, and spread the word about your cause in a unique way. To get started, schedule your conference well in advance, giving your supporters the chance to mark their calendars and plan to attend.
Next, you’ll need to build out a conference schedule. This will likely consist of the following activities:
Keynote speaker presentations
Live and interactive panels and workshops
Networking events
Breakout sessions and roundtable discussions
To manage all the moving parts of your virtual conference, invest in a robust virtual conference platform that allows you to create a custom, branded virtual event space, or team up with a company that can take care of this for you.
17. Trivia Night
Put your supporters’ knowledge to the test by hosting a virtual trivia night fundraiser. For this event, have your supporters register in trivia teams of four or five. Create a batch of trivia questions that relate broadly to your cause. Think a custom-curated, company-focused game of Family Feud. For example, if your nonprofit is education-focused, you might create a list of trivia questions that cover a variety of school subjects, from science to literature. At the end of the night, reward the winning team with a prize like donated products or services from a local business.
Gamify your trivia night by asking a major donor to pledge a donation based on the number of trivia questions your attendees answer correctly. For example, they might offer to give $100 per correct answer. This will encourage your trivia teams to dig deep and answer as many questions as they can.
18. Game Night
A game night is a fun, family-friendly virtual fundraiser that can get your nonprofit real results. Have your attendees register for your event and gather on a video conferencing platform. From there, you can split the group into breakout rooms that feature different games, such as:
Jeopardy
Charades
Pictionary
Bingo
20 Questions
Battleship
Jackbox Games
Heads Up
Depending on your audience, you can also put a video-gaming spin on this fundraiser, live-streaming each gamer’s progress as they work through various levels. Gamers can even turn into fundraisers, collecting pledges before the event based on how many levels they’ll complete in a certain amount of time.
19. Virtual Wine Pull
For a virtual wine pull, you’ll need to secure a wide selection of donated wines from a local vineyard or winery. Put each bottle in a bag or wrap it so that event attendees can’t tell one bottle from the next. You can include a combination of local delicacies and a selection of rare wines from some of the world’s most renowned wineries.
During your live-streamed event, attendees will choose a mystery bottle of wine to pay for. Typically, wine will be priced at $15 to $25 for these events, but can, of course, range higher for more coveted bottles. You can end the festivities there, delivering the wine bottles to your attendees to open themselves. Or, you might unbox the wine, revealing to the entire group of attendees what each supporter has purchased. Lucky attendees may end up only paying a fraction of the price for a high-end wine!
To add an edge to your event, ask a sommelier to give a presentation on wine and food pairing that will set each attendee up to thoroughly enjoy the bottle of wine they’ve purchased.
20. Virtual Celebrity Q&A
Everyone enjoys a chance to meet a star—whether it’s a famous actor, musician, or athlete. By working with a talent booking agency, you can team up with a celebrity that will partner with your nonprofit to host a Q&A session. During the event, they can talk about their life and their experiences in their field before opening up the floor for questions. Take questions from the crowd, and have a representative from your nonprofit moderate the Q&A so that you can get through as many attendee questions as possible.
If you can, try to work with a celebrity who has some sort of connection to your work. For example, if your nonprofit is an animal rescue, you might try to connect with a celebrity who is an animal lover. This way you can tie your cause into the discussion and encourage donations throughout the event.
21. Virtual Golf Tournament
Who doesn’t love teeing up for a relaxing day of golf? Set up a virtual golf tournament by partnering with a local golf course. Set a date range for your tournament, during which your tournament attendees get a discounted round of golf at the golf course you’re partnered with, with a percentage of that money going to your nonprofit.
Participating golfers will then play their round of golf and submit their scorecards. Announce the results and host a virtual awards ceremony where you celebrate your golfers, recognize your sponsors, and auction off golf-related items or experiences.
Virtual Charity Event Frequently Asked Questions
No matter what virtual charity event idea you decide to pick from the list above, it will be important to have an understanding of the basics to set your nonprofit on the track to success. Let’s cover a few frequently asked questions to lay the groundwork your organization can build its plans on!
What is a virtual charity event?
Also known as a virtual fundraising event, a virtual charity event is an event hosted by an organization that is aimed at raising funds for a certain cause. These events take place online, usually through a live-stream on a video conferencing platform, and give organizations like nonprofits the chance to connect with their supporters in a different way other than traditional fundraising events.
Are virtual charity events worth hosting post-COVID-19?
Absolutely!
Even with the need for diligent masking and social distancing receding, virtual charity events have proven to be a successful way to engage a nonprofit’s community. Whether attendees live in different cities or simply prefer an at-home experience, these events allow nonprofits to:
Offer a flexible event experience for supporters who prefer or need to participate from home
Save money on event expenses, such as renting a venue
Tap into different methods of fundraising using online giving tools
Offer exclusive experiences like celebrity appearances or performances
The best strategy for incorporating virtual charity events into your fundraising strategy might be to mix them into your usual lineup of in-person events. Offering different event formats will give your supporters a variety of options for how they can get involved with your work and events.
What is the difference between a virtual event and a hybrid event?
A hybrid event is a combination of virtual and in-person event elements. For example, your organization might host a hybrid fundraising gala, where some attendees and entertainers participate in person and some participate via video conferencing software. Or, it might involve virtual events that lead up to an in-person experience. A hybrid event is a nice middle-of-the-road approach that offers the ultimate flexibility to everyone involved in your event, empowering them to customize how they participate.
The key to a successful hybrid event is to proactively involve both your in-person and virtual attendees. Don’t let anyone feel left out of the fun!
What tools do I need to host a virtual charity event?
To host your own virtual fundraising event, you’ll need an arsenal of powerful software tools that can facilitate connections between your supporters and help you fundraise:
Your nonprofit’s CRM or database
Video conferencing and live-streaming tools
There are nonprofit-specific all-in-one virtual live-streaming and fundraising platforms out there, but you can also take a DIY-type approach using a common tool like Zoom.
Nonprofit website and donation form
Social media platforms to spread the word about your event
Fundraising software that has text-to-give, peer-to-peer fundraising, and crowdfunding capabilities
Mobile bidding tools for silent or live auctions
Make sure the tools you choose integrate with one another so that your supporters and staff can move seamlessly between platforms to complete tasks and pledge donations!
Virtual Fundraising Event Best Practices
To ensure that your virtual charity events will drive the most impact possible, approach the event planning and execution processes with great care. Here are a few best practices to keep in mind as you begin planning your next virtual event:
1. Start planning early.
Nonprofit event planning has a lot of moving parts. Once you’ve decided on the date for your virtual event, give yourself plenty of time to plan the event or partner with a company that can take care of it all for you. You’ll need to:
Set goals and objectives
Create an event planning committee
Establish a budget
Decide on event details, like software and giving tools you’ll use
Create a marketing strategy
The sooner you start this process, the more time you’ll have to perfect the event. Plus, you’ll save yourself stress in the days leading up to the event.
2. Incorporate your brand into your virtual event.
Your nonprofit’s brand is what sets it apart from other organizations. This includes your mission, but also visual elements, like your nonprofit’s logo, slogan, color scheme, fonts, imagery style, and more.
As you build out your virtual events, look for natural ways to incorporate your brand. You might include your color scheme on roundtable discussion slide decks, brand your virtual conference event space to match your nonprofit’s facility, or use your logo on marketing materials. When your supporters see your branding, they’ll associate your event with your cause and your organization’s reputation, allowing them to be more inclined to RSVP “Yes!” and to pledge donations.
3. Find creative ways to engage attendees.
One challenge that comes with hosting virtual events is that it can sometimes feel tricky to fully engage attendees when there’s a screen separating you. Combat this by incorporating interactive opportunities for discussion, chatting, polls, and surveys into your event.
You can also add elements of gamification to your event to get your supporters excited about helping you meet your fundraising goals—like a fundraising leaderboard or a fundraising thermometer.
4. Take a multichannel marketing approach.
To get as many people as possible attending your virtual events, pull out all the stops when it comes to your marketing strategy. Take a multichannel approach that includes both print and digital elements.
For example, you might use Instagram and Twitter to promote your event. But you might also hang up posters in local community centers announcing your event, including a QR code people can use to register. The more eyes you can get on your promotional materials, the more attendees you’ll have!
5. Host an event run-through before the big day.
Live virtual events naturally lend themselves to technical difficulties. This is why you should run a “dress rehearsal” before the big day. Make sure all your tech is working and that you have thorough backup plans should anything happen on the day of.
For example, if you can’t get a pre-produced performance to play, you might make sure one of your board members is ready to step in and give a short presentation to fill that block of time while you find a fix.
6. Work with a high-end virtual event planning company
If your nonprofit is looking to take its virtual events to new heights, you should consider working with a nonprofit virtual charity event planning company, like CharityBids. We can build you a unique virtual, hybrid, or in-person experience from the ground up, empowering you to offer your supporters an event like they’ve never seen before. Plus, we take care of all the logistics, reducing your team’s workload and stress!
7. Find corporate support
As with any fundraising event, your virtual fundraiser can benefit greatly from corporate sponsorships. And just because your fundraiser is online doesn’t mean a corporate sponsor will lose out on brand exposure or potential customer engagement. Propose a partnership with a business through:
Event funding
Volunteer grants
These best practices illustrate the importance of putting in the same amount of effort for your virtual charity events that you do for your in-person events. Your event doesn’t need to be face-to-face to provide a spectacular experience. Use these best practices to plan and execute virtual events that will leave your supporters excited about giving to your cause and wanting more!
8. Show appreciation for everyone.
At the end of your event, show your genuine appreciation for all attendees. You’ll want to show your gratitude differently for each of these groups:
Donors. For those who made donations during your virtual event, be sure to thank them in your end-of-event speech. Acknowledge that your nonprofit’s work would not be possible without their help. After the event, send email messages to thank these individuals again and strengthen their connection to your nonprofit.
Major donors and sponsors. As these groups have invested a greater amount of funds in the success of your nonprofit’s event, be sure to show your appreciation in a way that reflects that. Mention major donors by name in your end-of-event speech, and call out that your event would not be possible without your sponsors. After the event, send them gift baskets or your nonprofit’s branded merchandise as an extra thank you!
Volunteers. If you enlisted volunteers to help with your virtual charity event, be sure to express your gratitude for the work they did. Since volunteers are often unpaid, showing your appreciation helps to create a positive volunteer experience. This encourages them to help out your nonprofit again in the future.
Staff members. Your nonprofit’s staff members undoubtedly work hard to ensure that your events are a success. Recognize their efforts to continue to motivate them to do good work and help them engage further with their roles. You can do this by sending them appreciation eCards or hosting a team party for a successful event.
Although showing appreciation may not seem like a crucial step for a fundraising event, it will help build longer-lasting relationships for your nonprofit. As you plan your event, be sure to put some thought into how you’ll show appreciation for the groups listed above. That way, you’ll stay connected with these individuals for years to come.
Let’s Wrap It Up
COVID-19 has ushered in a unique era of virtual charity events, one that is challenging nonprofits to rethink how their fundraising events work. Meet the challenge by adding a few of the virtual event ideas above to your fundraising calendar. Virtual events can have just as strong of an effect on your nonprofit and its work as their in-person counterparts, so make sure you strive to get them right!
Want to learn more about charity event planning? Check out these additional resources:
Nonprofit Event Planning: How to Create Spectacular Events. Check out our comprehensive guide to creating spectacular nonprofit events.
CharityBids’ Virtual Events Projects. Get inspired—explore a few examples of CharityBids’ work on nonprofit virtual events.
Charity Event Planning & Production by CharityBids. If you have a vision for your next nonprofit event, learn how CharityBids can help you take it to the next level!
