Ticket sales and registration at the event.Members of the committee should be chosen mutually-that is the staff should be comfortable with the choice of person and the person should be comfortable with the assignment-to run subcommittees for the key functions: If the committee meets monthly and a question arises for which no answer can be given, a month of work can be lost.īefore much work can begin, the committee should settle on a theme, financial objectives and contractors. Never have a committee meeting without the decision maker someone needs to be able to approve or reject every spending item, point of messaging or entertainment decision. One key, Javits points out, is to designate one person who is ultimately responsible for the event-someone “with good project management skills.”Īt the outset, it is important to organize a planning committee that includes the staff and volunteers-including board members-who will be involved in planning and decision making. Levy notes that planning the next event starts with a thorough analysis of the last one. Our experts suggest that planning begin well in advance, perhaps as much as 18 months for a big, first-time event. The key, he says, is to have volunteers who support the staff in planning the events. Not surprisingly, having a celebrity-driven relief event works well, he says.īrett Durbin, whose low budget galas have raised up to $300,000 with an average of just $25,000 in expenses, says almost any nonprofit can make it work “if there is a demand for such an event.”ĭerek Rapp, whose national organization fighting Type 1 diabetes has chapters around the country that host galas. “Organizations that serve children (especially those stricken with devastating illnesses), the arts, hospice and healthcare are those that would tap into an affluent demographic that would feel comfortable in a gala setting.” He adds that galas in support of animals are also successful. If you don't have an established network, a gala could be a risky proposition.”įred Reggie, whose firm helps to organize galas and other fundraising events for nonprofit organizations, notes that the cause is key. A portion of the revenue needs to be predictable. “There is overhead involved, and it takes a ton of staff time to plan and execute. Jordan Levy, whose most recent gala raised “almost $1 million” for the Ubuntu Pathways work in South Africa, explains why it is so important for an organization to have an existing base of support before attempting a gala. She notes that an organization is a good fit when it has a project manager capable of planning and organizing such a big event. The organization’s galas raised millions of dollars over an eight-year span. Organizations must have a “base of supporters who are likely to be energized themselves,” says Carla Javits, whose REDF organization fund nonprofit social enterprises that help people to overcome homelessness and incarceration to return to productive, fulfilling work. If every organization is not a good candidate for a gala, which are and which are not?
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