How to organise a fundraising event: the 10-step guide for Australian charities (2026)

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Charity events are powerful catalysts for change, bringing communities together to support a cause they believe in.

But planning a fundraiser can feel overwhelming, especially when you're wearing every hat: running programs, managing volunteers, and still trying to raise money. Most not-for-profit leaders we talk to never signed up to be event planners, yet pulling off a successful fundraiser is critical to your cause.

Australia's roughly 60,000 registered charities raised approximately $13.9 billion in donations and bequests in the year to 30 June 2023, and the sector's total revenue reached around $239 billion in the most recent reporting period, according to the ACNC Australian Charities Report. Small events are how a significant share of that comes in. The Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA), the AU peak body for professional fundraising, puts a healthy event return-on-investment at 3:1 to 4:1 for established events, making them one of the most significant income streams a small organisation can develop.

This step-by-step guide was built for small, scrappy teams like yours. It walks you through exactly how to plan a fundraising event that amplifies your reach, engages donors, and builds community impact, from setting the goal to following up the morning after.

One thing to keep in mind as you read: the planning is only half the battle. What actually decides whether your event hits its number is what happens once the doors open and after they close. Ticketing, walk-up payments, auction tables, tax-deductible receipts, donor follow-up. When those tasks live on five different platforms with 2.5% to 5.35% taken off every transaction, the event makes less than it should. With Zeffy, $100 raised = $100 for your cause.

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In this article:

• The 10-step fundraising event plan

• 6 common fundraising event mistakes (and how to avoid them)

• Planning checklist: free templates

• Run your next fundraising event on Zeffy, for free

• Frequently asked questions

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The 10-step fundraising event plan

• Step 1: Set clear goals and success metrics

• Step 2: Build your event budget

• Step 3: Choose the right event type

• Step 4: Assemble your planning team

• Step 5: Create your event timeline

• Step 6: Secure sponsors and in-kind donations

• Step 7: Set up your event tech stack

• Step 8: Promote your event across channels

• Step 9: Execute on event day

• Step 10: Follow up within 48 hours

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Step 1: Set clear goals and success metrics

"Raise as much as we can" is not a goal. Before anything else, define what success looks like in numbers your team can track.

Use the SMART framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. For a single event, that usually means three targets, not one:

• Revenue target. Example: raise $25,000 net (after expenses) by 1 June.

• Attendance target. Example: 150 paid guests, with at least 30% first-time attendees.

• Donor acquisition target. Example: capture contact info and consent from 50 new prospective donors.

Tie each goal directly to your cause. If you're an after-school program, "raise $25,000" becomes "fund 40 tutoring sessions this school term." That cause framing carries into your sponsor pitch, your event-night appeal, and your follow-up emails.

One more thing: anchor your goals in past performance, not aspiration. If last year's gala raised $18,000 with 120 guests, a $25,000 target with 150 guests is a stretch but realistic. A $75,000 target on your first event will set the whole team up to feel like they failed even if the night goes well.

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Step 2: Build your event budget (with real numbers)

In our experience working with not-for-profits across the country, first-time event planners commonly under-budget by a significant margin, often 20 to 30% of actual costs. Build the spreadsheet before you commit to a venue, not after.

A reasonable allocation for a small NFP fundraiser looks like this:

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Two line items most NFPs forget: contingency (something always breaks, runs out, or shows up late) and platform and transaction fees on ticket sales and donations.

On a typical $10,000 event using paid AU platforms, you can expect to lose $265 to $620 to combined platform and processing fees: Humanitix at the NFP rate (2.5% + $0.50 per ticket) works out to roughly $265 on 150 tickets at $50 each; Eventbrite AU (approximately 5.35% + $1.19 + GST per ticket) works out to roughly $580 to $620 on the same volume. Zeffy charges NFPs $0 in platform or processing fees, which means every dollar a donor gives reaches your cause.

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Step 3: Choose the right event type for your organisation

The best event format is not the one you saw work for another org. It is the one that matches your budget, your team's capacity, and what your audience actually shows up for.

A quick decision frame:

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Creative charity event ideas

If a gala is not your style, here are some formats small teams have pulled off successfully:

• Host a trivia night: Charge a per-table entry fee, run it at a local pub or community hall. One of the most reliable community fundraisers in Australia.

• Run a sausage sizzle: A Bunnings-style community staple. Pair with a donation QR code and a brief cause story on a banner.

• Organise a quiz night: Similar to trivia but with rounds you build around your cause. Great for schools, sports clubs, and P&Cs.

• Hold a fete: Classic school or community fundraiser. Stalls, games, baked goods, and a raffle run at the community level.

• Run a themed art exhibit or contest: Bring supporters together for a good cause. Charge a small entry fee for artists and offer judging with prizes.

• Host a golf day: Corporate-donor facing; sponsor a hole, sponsor a team. Refer to the FAQ section below for DGR and sports-club considerations.

• Run a virtual escape room: Teams solve puzzles online. Low overhead, strong engagement, works for distributed supporter bases.

• Host a virtual paint-and-sip: Ship canvases, brushes, and paints to participants' homes with a bottle of wine.

• Run an online magic show: Hire a magician and partner with schools or childcare programs to drive attendance.

• Host an online book-editing workshop: Hire a professional editor to help aspiring writers refine their drafts. Charge for seats.

Pro tip: Offer different ticket tiers or a VIP package. It accommodates a range of supporter budgets and tends to lift average per-guest revenue noticeably.

Still searching for the right format? Check out:

• Fundraising ideas for clubs

• Fundraising ideas for schools

• Online fundraising ideas

• 100+ fundraising ideas for not-for-profits

• 50+ fundraising event ideas to boost donations

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Step 4: Assemble your planning team and assign roles

For an event under 100 guests, you need at least three core roles filled. For 100 to 300 guests, expect five. Beyond that, expand or you'll burn out.

• Event coordinator: Owns the master plan. Communicates with vendors, handles venue setup, runs the day-of show.

• Marketing and promotion lead: Builds and sends the email sequence, runs social, coordinates outreach to promote the event across local press and partners.

• Sponsorship lead: Identifies sponsor prospects, sends pitches, manages follow-up and benefit fulfilment.

• Technology coordinator: Owns the ticketing setup, check-in flow, day-of devices, Wi-Fi backup. For larger events, this is its own role.

• Community engagement coordinator: Works the room the night of. Greets first-timers, escorts major donors, manages the program flow on the floor.

• Entertainment and activities coordinator: Owns auction, fund-a-need, or any other revenue moment inside the event.

For each major task, write down who is Responsible (does the work), Accountable (signs off), Consulted (gives input), and Informed (kept in the loop). One page, all roles. It prevents the two failure modes every small team hits: two people doing the same task, and nobody doing the task at all.

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Managing volunteers

Sound familiar? Assembling volunteers, recruiting, scheduling, and retaining them, can take hours and is not always your team's forte. Here is how to simplify.

Start with what you actually need. Before recruiting, scope the event:

• What has to happen (check-in, cleanup, donation collection)?

• How many shifts do you need covered, and for how long?

• What tasks could be combined or simplified?

Do not wait until the last minute. Many small NFPs start asking for help a week before the event, when people are already booked.

• Reach out to past volunteers early.

• Ask your board or core supporters to refer friends.

• Prioritise volunteers who have done similar roles before.

Match the right people to the right tasks.

• Outgoing? Welcome table.

• Detail-oriented? Cash or card management.

• Teen volunteers? Errands and setup support.

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Step 5: Create your event timeline (6 months to day-of)

The single biggest predictor of a stressful event night is starting too late. Use this reverse timeline as your default and adjust based on event size.

6 months out

• Lock in date, format, and revenue goal

• Secure the venue and any non-negotiable vendors (caterer, AV)

• Draft the sponsorship deck and tier structure

• Build the master budget spreadsheet

3 months out

• Open ticket sales and send the save-the-date

• Confirm sponsors and collect logos for marketing materials

• Launch your first promotion push (email, social, board outreach)

• Begin recruiting volunteers

1 month out

• Confirm catering numbers, AV setup, and venue logistics

• Finalise the run-of-show and program script

• Train volunteers and run a tech walkthrough

• Push ticket sales hard: weekly emails, social countdown, peer-to-peer asks

1 week out

• Confirm every vendor in writing

• Run a full test transaction through your ticketing and payment devices

• Print the day-of contact sheet (phone numbers for every vendor, volunteer captain, and board member on-site)

• Send final reminder email to ticketed guests

Day-of

• Volunteers arrive 2 hours early for briefing

• Test Wi-Fi, payment devices, and check-in tablets

• Place signage, set up registration, confirm AV

• Pull up the contingency sheet (weather backup, no-show backfill, tech failure)

Planning for EOFY? If your event is an EOFY appeal, plan backwards from 30 June. That is the Australian financial-year-end and the peak moment for tax-deductible giving in Australia. Donors want their receipt before EOFY closes so they can claim on that year's return, which means your platform, ABN, and DGR receipt template need to be live and tested by mid-June at the latest. (ATO NFP hub)

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Step 6: Secure sponsors and in-kind donations

For small NFPs, sponsorships can feel out of reach. But securing just one or two sponsors covers event costs, lends credibility, and brings new audiences with them.

A simple sponsor maths check: for a $10,000 event, aim for 2 to 3 sponsors at $1,000 to $2,500 each. That covers 25 to 50% of your budget before you have sold a single ticket.

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Who to ask

Focus on local businesses or community-minded companies that:

• Share a customer base with your cause (youth org and a kids' apparel store, a family restaurant and a community health charity)

• Have donated before (check your records, community foundation lists)

• Are looking for visibility or employee engagement opportunities

Australian workplace-giving programs (Good2Give, Benevity AU) can be a route to corporate sponsors, though cultural penetration is lower here than in the US. Treat it as an opportunity, not an assumption.

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Offer clear sponsor levels

Create 2 to 4 tiers with named benefits:

• Logo on event signage and tickets

• Social media shout-outs

• A booth at your event

• Mentions in emails or press coverage

• Verbal recognition from the stage

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The sponsor outreach sequence

Do not send one email and hope. Send three.

• 1. Initial ask (12 weeks before event): the email below.

• 2. One-week follow-up: "Just bumping this in case it got buried. Happy to send our one-pager."

• 3. Final ask (3 weeks before deadline): "Materials lock on [date], wanted to make sure you had a chance to weigh in."

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Sample sponsorship email

Subject: Partner with [Your Organisation] to support [Cause/Event Name]

Hi [First Name],

I'm reaching out on behalf of [Your Organisation Name], a local not-for-profit dedicated to [brief cause description, e.g., supporting young people through after-school programs].

We're hosting our upcoming event, [Event Name], on [Date], and we're looking for community-minded partners to help make it a success.

Sponsorships help us [cover X cost / reach X people], and in return, we'd love to recognise [Business Name] with [a booth, logo placement, social media features, etc.].

Would you be open to a 15-minute chat this week about how we can work together?

Thanks so much for considering,

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

[Your Organisation Name]

[Contact Info]

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Step 7: Set up your event tech stack

This is where most events quietly leak money. The typical small-charity setup in Australia looks like this: Eventbrite AU or Humanitix for ticketing, Stripe or PayPal AU for donations, GalaBid for the silent auction, Mailchimp for the email blast, and a spreadsheet to glue it all together. Every transaction loses 2.5% to 5.35% to fees, and your team spends the week after the event reconciling four exports by hand.

Humanitix (NFP rate 2.5% + $0.50 per ticket) and TryBooking ($0.50 per ticket + 2.5%) are the AU-native ticketing platforms most small charities compare first. Both are solid options for straightforward event ticketing. What they do not do is fold donations, donor management, and receipt-sending into the same platform, and neither is fee-free. Zeffy consolidates the stack and charges $0 in platform or processing fees.

Zeffy combines ticketing, donations, auctions, donor management, and donor mail in one place, without charging fees.

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How much could fees cost your event?

Let's say your not-for-profit is hosting a fundraising dinner:

• Tickets sold: 150 at $50 each

• Total raised: $7,500

• On Eventbrite AU (approx. 5.35% + $1.19 + GST per ticket): roughly $580 to $620 in fees

• On Humanitix NFP rate (2.5% + $0.50 per ticket): roughly $265 in fees

• On Zeffy: $0

That is between $265 and $620 that could have gone to your cause. With Zeffy, $100 raised = $100 for your cause.

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Step 8: Promote your event across multiple channels

Promotion is not one big blast, it is a layered sequence across channels and weeks.

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A sample 8-week promotion calendar

• Week 8: Save-the-date email to your full list. Announce on social with the event landing page.

• Week 6: Sponsor announcement post. Board members share the event on personal social accounts.

• Week 4: Early-bird ticket push. First press outreach to local outlets.

• Week 3: Behind-the-scenes content (program preview, beneficiary story).

• Week 2: Weekly email reminders. Direct asks from board members to their personal networks.

• Week 1: Daily social posts. Final email reminder. SMS or text-blast to opted-in supporters.

• Day-of: Live posts from the event with a giving link for people who could not make it.

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Channels worth covering

• Social media: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or X, depending on where your audience lives. Consider a contest or influencer partnership.

• Email: Send a sequence, not a single blast. If you are looking for a new tool, see our Mailchimp alternatives for not-for-profits.

• Texting: An SMS campaign with a link to your event page converts well in the final week.

• Direct mail: Personalised letters with a QR code work for older donor segments.

• Website: A dedicated event page where supporters can RSVP and buy tickets in one place.

• Local media: Pitch local newspapers, community radio, and council newsletters. A 30-second on-air mention often outperforms a $500 ad spend. Local councils run community-noticeboard channels worth adding to your outreach list.

• Board and volunteer ambassadors: Give them a script and a personal ask quota ("Ask 5 people you know personally to buy a ticket").

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Step 9: Execute on event day

Most of the day-of stress comes from things that should have been handled the week before. Use this checklist to keep the morning focused on guests, not logistics.

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2 hours before doors

• Volunteer arrival, briefing, and role assignments

• Tech walkthrough: run a $1 test transaction on every payment device

• Registration table setup with name lists, badges, and a fallback paper sign-in

• Signage placement (parking, registration, restrooms, program)

• Day-of contact sheet posted at the volunteer station

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During the event

• Greet first-time attendees individually and introduce them to a board member

• Time the fund-a-need appeal 60 to 90 minutes in, when energy peaks and people have eaten

• Keep payment devices at the auction and bar so impulse giving is one tap, not three steps

• Have a designated photographer capturing moments you'll use in follow-up emails

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Contingency plan

Walk through the three failure modes before the doors open:

• Weather: What is your indoor backup? Who calls vendors to redirect?

• No-shows: If 15% of ticketed guests do not show, what happens to the catering count and the table layout?

• Tech failure: If Wi-Fi drops, your payment devices need cellular backup or pre-printed donation forms.

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Engaging attendees and maximising giving

Once the room is warm, layer in revenue moments:

• Raffles: Raffles can be a strong at-event revenue moment, but they are regulated as minor gaming or community gaming state-by-state in Australia. Check your state regulator (VGCCC in Victoria, NSW Fair Trading, OLGR in Queensland) for permit thresholds before you sell a ticket. Raffle tickets are never tax-deductible.

• Live fund-a-need: An emotional appeal with set giving levels ($25, $100, $500, $1,000) and visible response.

• Networking corners: Speed-networking tables or topic-themed sections where professionals can connect.

• Merch and impulse asks: T-shirts, hats, mini bake-sale stalls. Keep payment options simple and contactless so on-the-spot giving is frictionless.

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Step 10: Follow up within 48 hours

The event is not over when the lights go down. The 30 days after the event are when you turn one-time attendees into regular givers, or lose them for good. Strong post-event follow-up is consistently cited by the Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA) as one of the highest-leverage activities in a charity's calendar.

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A simple post-event timeline

• Within 24 hours: Thank-you email to every attendee. Include a photo from the night. We have templates here.

• Within 48 hours: Tax-deductible receipts sent to every donor of $2 or more (receipt must include your ABN and a statement confirming your DGR endorsement). Personal call or note from a board member to top donors.

• Within 2 weeks: Impact recap email. "Here is what we raised. Here is what it funds. Here is a story from the program."

• Within 30 days: Regular-giving ask. "You showed up for us once. Would you consider giving $25 a month to keep this going?"

• Ongoing: Add event attendees to your regular newsletter. Invite them to the next event before public sale.

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DGR receipt requirements

For your receipt to support a donor's tax deduction, it must include your charity's name, your ABN, a statement confirming your DGR endorsement, the donation amount, and the date. Only donations of $2 or more to a DGR-endorsed charity are tax-deductible in Australia. Donors can verify your DGR status on ABN Lookup. (ATO DGR endorsement and ACNC DGR fact sheet)

If your organisation is ACNC-registered but not yet DGR-endorsed, you can still send a warm thank-you email, but you cannot issue a tax-deductible receipt. Be transparent with donors about your DGR status so they know what they can and cannot claim.

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Convert event attendees into regular givers

Event attendees are warmer than cold-list prospects. The recurring ask should be specific and small:

You helped us raise $25,000 at our annual gala. That funds 40 tutoring sessions this school term. If you would like to fund one student all the way through the year, $25 a month covers a full term of after-school programming. Would you consider becoming a regular giver?

Frame the ask around EOFY where it fits: "You gave once this financial year, would you consider becoming a regular giver at $25 a month to support us through to next EOFY?"

Track which event attendees convert. That data tells you which events are worth running again next year.

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6 common fundraising event mistakes (and how to avoid them)

1. Not showcasing impact

Donors give when they see exactly what their money does. Vague cause language loses the room.

Instead, do this: Articulate the direct effect of a gift in dollars-to-outcome terms ("$50 covers one tutoring session"). Use stories, photos, and short data points. Bring in a beneficiary to give a 90-second testimonial.

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2. Not using donor-centric language

Talking about the organisation's needs rather than the donor's role creates distance.

Instead, do this: Use "you" language. "You made this possible." "Your gift funds..." Centre every appeal on what the donor enables.

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3. Not offering multiple ways to give

If your only option is "credit card at the table," you'll lose half the room.

Instead, do this: Accept tap-to-pay, mobile giving, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Offer text-to-give for guests who do not want to leave their seat. Make sure your donation page works on mobile. Consider accepting PayPal AU, BPAY, and PayID as payment methods so donors can choose the rail that suits them.

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4. Not doing prospect research ahead of time

Walking into a room of donors without knowing who is there is a missed opportunity.

Instead, do this: Use your existing donor CRM to understand giving capacity and interests before the event. For corporate prospects, ABN Lookup is a free way to verify a business's standing and DGR status. Assign a board member to each major-gift prospect for the night.

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5. Not connecting the event to the cause

If guests cannot articulate what the money funds, you will struggle to convert them next year.

Instead, do this: Open and close the program with a clear, single-sentence statement of what the event funds. Tie every appeal back to it.

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6. Not using the right tools

Patching together five different platforms costs your team hours and your not-for-profit thousands in fees.

Instead, do this: Use one platform that handles ticketing, donations, donor management, and follow-up communication. Fewer tools, fewer exports, more money to the cause.

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Planning checklist: free templates

If you would rather not build the spreadsheets from scratch, we put together a full event planning kit with reverse-timeline checklists, a budget worksheet, volunteer scheduling template, and sponsor outreach scripts.

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Run your next fundraising event on Zeffy, for free

Not-for-profit event planning takes time and energy whether it is virtual, hybrid, or in-person. But with the right plan and tools, your team can pull off a memorable event, bring in major donations, and build lasting relationships with supporters, without burning out.

Zeffy is a free, all-in-one fundraising platform built for the way small NFPs actually run events. Ticketing, donations, auctions, donor management, receipts, and follow-up emails, all in one place. Unlike other platforms, Zeffy does not charge NFPs platform or processing fees. When a donor gives $100, $100 goes to your cause, not a cent less. Over 100,000 not-for-profits have used Zeffy to raise more than $2 billion for their causes.

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Frequently asked questions

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