Ultimate Guide to Fundraising Events in 2025

Fundraising events are vital to a nonprofit’s survival for several reasons. Beyond simply raising revenue for nonprofit programs and activities, nonprofit fundraising educates the public about your NPO’s mission. Well-designed benefits also build a sense of community among your supporters and help attract new donors and volunteers.

There’s more. Looking at community fundraisers from an EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) perspective, these events let NPOs establish their credibility on multiple levels. By sharing success stories about how their programs made a positive impact on the community, donation drives show a nonprofit’s experience and expertise. Fundraisers also attract media attention and can be publicized online, strengthening an NPO’s digital presence and authority.

Benefits can also be used as a platform to share information with supporters and the media about how donations will be used to fund different programs and activities. This builds trust between NPOs and their support network, increasing the possibility of long-term support. Statistics back this up — in fact, one study indicates that 97% of donors claim that knowing how their contributions make an impact is a major factor for making those donations in the first place.

With the advent of digital and hybrid fundraising formats, nonprofits now have even more ways to reach out to potential supporters and collect donations. However, hosting a successful modern fundraiser means more than just posting a donation page online. Nonprofits need to take advantage of key trends like gamification and virtual events, which will help drive fundraising in 2025 and beyond.

To help you design more engaging charity events, this article will explore the benefits, challenges, and strategies involved in hosting a classic fundraiser, as well as the new trends and technologies that define the fundraisers of the future. By learning from the successes of modern fundraisers, your NPO will understand how to design, manage, and promote a more impactful event.

Top 5 Reasons Nonprofits Host Fundraisers

• Raise funds for NPO programs and activities
• Build a sense of community for donors and volunteers
• Educate the public about a nonprofit’s mission
•  Attract new volunteers
• Engage with donors to encourage continual support

Good Fundraising Event Ideas

When you picture a fundraising event, you might imagine a fancy charity ball filled with philanthropists ready to write huge checks to support their favorite nonprofit. But nonprofit campaigns can take on a variety of forms depending on your resources and the needs and interests of your support network. Your next fundraiser might be:

• A charity gala complete with a formal dress code, catered meals, live music, and a large donation match program.
• A live or silent auction where participants can bid on signed memorabilia, gift baskets, and vacation packages.
• A charity walk or run where active participants collect pledges based on how many miles they complete.
• A virtual live stream concert where supporters donate to watch an exclusive concert online.
• Crowdfunding events where online donors from everywhere contribute small donations to help reach a large goal.

While classic fundraising event ideas like charity walks and galas continue to attract attention, 2025 has seen the rise of several unique forms of giving. These include:

• Subscription Giving: Rather than collect large, one-time donations, subscription giving (also called “recurring giving,” allows your proponents to make smaller, regular donations every month. This makes donating more affordable to the donor while also providing your nonprofit organization with a steady, reliable source of income.
• Social Media Campaigns: TikTok challenges and Instagram contests provide a great way to reach out to a much wider online audience and collect donations from across the digital landscape. These online events also help build a sense of community among your online supporters. You can also partner with popular social media influencers to promote your NPO to their networks.
• Supporter Led Campaigns: These campaigns, which include peer-to-peer fundraisers, put the power of fundraising into the hands of your volunteers and employees. By letting them build their own donation websites and promoting them to their social networks, you expand your own donation pool while reducing the pressure of running all those campaigns yourself.
• Donor Advised Fund (DAF): These charitable giving accounts let donors make donations to their fund and recommend how those funds should be spent and what causes or charities they should support. Donors receive an immediate tax deduction and often continue contributing to the fund, providing charities with regular sources of revenue. The donor’s family members may also decide to contribute, potentially creating a multi-generational funding source.

Benefits of Hosting Nonprofit Benefits

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits fundraisers offer, from raising revenue to building a sense of community among your donors.

Raising revenue from your benefit doesn’t just provide financial support for your immediate programs and basic operations. Nonprofits that cultivate positive relationships with their proponents can gain long-term sustainability thanks to recurring donations or a large endowment, which can provide stability in times of economic uncertainty. NPOs looking to scale up their operations can also use the funds to hire additional staff and invest in technology that will aid in their mission.

Turning your fundraiser into a fun, community-building event like a festival does more than just raise money. Supporters can come to see your galas as a place of belonging where they can strengthen social bonds and unite around a shared cause. You can encourage such support by approaching local businesses and asking them to sponsor your events.

Sponsorship can take many forms. Beyond cash donations, some businesses provide volunteers, media support, discounted merchandise, or use of their equipment or facilities. Such goodwill makes holding benefits easier and more affordable for NPOs by strengthening community bonds.

While it’s important to promote your fundraiser, it should be emphasized that fundraisers themselves can provide powerful vehicles for improving your NPO brand visibility. By being open and transparent to your guests (and any media personnel) about the programs your activities support, you can generate a very popular public image and create a lot of community trust.

As nonprofit consultant Larry C. Johnson notes, “Fundraising is not about money. It’s about relationships.” Viewing your fundraiser as an opportunity to build stronger relationships with your support network and greater community is an excellent way to enjoy the real benefits that come from successful fundraising.

Top 5 Benefits of Charity Galas

• Better brand visibility
• Increased community support
•  Improved relationships with donors and volunteers
• Sponsorship opportunities
• Increased revenue generation

Strategies for Successful Fundraising Galas

Smart event planning helps build campaigns that not only raise a lot of revenue but also build community support and aid in donor retention (and attraction). Keep the following strategies in mind when creating your campaign:

Set clear goals for your fundraiser

What are you trying to accomplish with your event? Raise money? Gain proponents? Engage your donor pool?

Set a clear, measurable goal for each objective. If you need to raise money, establish a solid figure and let your team know this is what they need to raise from ticket sales, bids, and/or straight donations. If you want to build your support network, establish how many people you want to come to your event — and what type of demographics they should fit.

Want to make your galas more engaging? Establish how much time you want guests to spend at each fundraising activity, how many people participated in an event, how many questions were asked during a webinar, etc.

Leverage digital tools

Fundraising software can do a lot of the heavy lifting involved in planning and managing an event, taking the strain off your team. Invest in a platform that lets you design, promote, and sell tickets online. Good online platforms like PayBee provide analytics tools that let you track ticket sales, donations, and event engagement so you can improve your fundraisers moving forward.

One of the most labor-intensive aspects of managing a gala is guest management. Using visitor or guest management software can help your event team by automating key tasks like visitor registration and guest notifications. Guest management software can also streamline the check-in/check-out process and help with duties like table management, meal choices, signup questions, and event follow up.

Use storytelling to connect with attendees

Nonprofit storytelling, or the practice of explaining a nonprofit’s mission through narratives of the people the NPO aids, has a tremendous impact on successful drives. According to Nonprofits Source, nonprofits that use storytelling in their efforts enjoy a donor retention rate of 45%, while NPOs that do not emphasize storytelling only have a 27% rate.

Storytelling humanizes your mission. When people hear stories about the actual people and communities that have benefited from your nonprofit’s programs, they’re much more likely to remember them. This encourages them to donate more generously to your cause, since they know how your efforts impact the community.

Start asking your staff and volunteers to collect personal anecdotes about individuals they interacted with while engaging in nonprofit activities and programs. Highlight their struggles and successes. If possible, request testimonials from the people who benefited from your nonprofit. Featuring quotes and stories on your website, newsletter, ads, and speeches can do a lot for your credibility.

Incorporate video content for engagement

One great way to make your nonprofit storytelling more engaging is to include visuals. While many NPOs post photos of the people and communities they work with, a far more effective tactic is to provide video content.

According to Forbes, people retain 95% more content after watching a video versus reading text. Seeing images of the issues your nonprofit is dealing with — and your volunteers’ efforts to address these problems — makes your mission more meaningful to viewers. By showing the impact of their donations on your target populations, donors can be more inspired to contribute.

When telling your stories in video format, be sure to focus on a central message — whether that be communicating your mission, inspiring support, or building transparency. Provide short, impactful testimonial videos and make sure to use good lighting and audio quality. End with a clear call to action (i.e. donate money, buy tickets, visit our website etc.). Incorporating such videos into your marketing and fundraisers helps form stronger emotional connections with your guests.

Event Trends in 2025

Modern fundraising software and digital tools have led to the creation of many emerging trends NPOs can now take advantage of. Nonprofits no longer need to be constricted to in-person events. Instead, they can hold fundraisers completely online — or combine in-person and virtual fundraising into a hybrid format to attract larger audiences.

In addition, digital tools can enhance existing fundraiser activities by adding more interactive elements. Consider using the following tactics to engage with your audiences:

Virtual or Hybrid Fundraising

Holding your fundraiser entirely online can attract large virtual audiences who can interact through live streaming or chat in breakout rooms. You can expand this audience by holding a hybrid fundraiser where online and in-person guests interact in real time, providing great opportunities for networking and socializing.

New technologies such as augmented reality (AR) provide additional ways to enhance your virtual events. Since AR superimposes computer-generated images over a user’s view of an environment, nonprofits can use AR to help donors visualize the impact of their contributions. For example, nonprofits raising money for reforestation can offer AR experiences showing virtual trees in local parks, inspiring donors to contribute and make the virtual experience a reality.

Gamified Fundraising

Offering interactive experiences helps retain audience interest and keep them focused on key tasks. Including gamified elements in your activities can motivate supporters to keep donating to your cause.

For example, providing a leaderboard during events such as peer-to-peer fundraisers shows participants how much your event has raised and how much individual teams or donors have contributed. This generates fun competitions between teams or individuals who may donate more to reach the goal and “beat” the other donors. Offering a prize for the group that donates the most can create greater incentive.

Providing other fun challenges can also help raise money and promote your event. For instance, the Ice Bucket Challenge had participants film themselves dunking ice water over their heads and sharing the video on social media. Each participant then nominated friends to tape themselves performing the same challenge or donate to a cause such as ALS research. As celebrities and other high-profile figures got involved, the challenge went viral and many opted to participate and donate funds.

AI-Powered Donor Outreach

AI-powered tools can gather and collect large amounts of data and offering useful insights. Your nonprofit can leverage this by having AI software look through datasets of potential donors and identify which ones align most closely with your organization’s mission and values. Focusing your attention on these prospects can improve your chances of receiving a sizable donation.

AI can also analyze each donor’s giving history, personal interests, and online behavior and offer insights on how to present yourself to potential supporters. For instance, you could emphasize the programs donors enjoy supporting or request donation amounts comparable to past contributions.

In addition, AI can automate manual tasks such as data entry, donor profile updates, and sending event reminders, personalized updates, or thank you notes. This frees up time for your event staff to focus on face-to-face meetings and strategic donor stewardship.

Top 5 Event Trends for 2025

• Digital galas, such as virtual and hybrid events or social media challenges
• AI-driven fundraising to automate efforts and identify potential donors
• Experiential fundraising, including immersive experiences in real-world settings, as well as virtual reality and AR experiences.
• Values-driven fundraising that offers greater transparency and alignment with a donor’s values
• Personalized fundraising that engages donors in experiences tailored to their needs and interests.

Challenges in Organizing Your Fundraiser

New fundraising opportunities also bring new challenges. Nonprofits today must deal with issues such as budget constraints, donor fatigue, and attracting younger donors.

High fundraising expenses

While high benefit costs are nothing new, NPOs now need to balance the cost of investing in new software with traditional expenses, such as high-cost venues and marketing campaigns. Fortunately, virtual fundraisers can help mitigate many of these costs by minimizing staff and eliminating the need for physical venues. Likewise, hybrid galas require smaller in-person venues and a staff to manage them, allowing you to invest your money in other areas.

That said, managing the logistics of a hybrid event requires that you invest in adequate support systems. Hire skilled tech support and in-person staff and make sure they can coordinate their efforts properly. This means budgeting enough time to familiarize yourself with the software and building a schedule that can accommodate both your in-person and online guests. Create communication channels to keep everyone informed before, during, and after the event to create a single unified experience.

Donor Fatigue

Many guests are experiencing donor and virtual fatigue due to the large influx of appeals from multiple nonprofits and online events. To secure their support, your nonprofit needs to differentiate itself from other NPOs. This can be done by focusing not on your mission but the donor’s needs.

Practice effective donor stewardship by communicating with donors through their preferred channels (email, phone calls, mailed letters) and share stories of how their contributions have impacted your community. Share these stories at fundraisers if your donors are comfortable with recognition and take time to thank them for their efforts.

Use AI-powered algorithms to segment your donors into target populations and build fundraisers based on their interests and giving history. If certain donors appreciate face-to-face gatherings, invite them to a luncheon where they can socialize. If others prefer giving online, promote a silent auction that makes it easy for them to donate on the go. The more convenient you make your galas for donors, the more likely you will retain your supporters.   

Engaging New Donors

While donor retention is important, nonprofits also need to look toward other donor pools to secure regular support. That means studying the values and preferences of younger donors and tailoring fundraisers around their needs.

For example, research suggests Gen Z donors are key proponents of social justice, mental health, and environmentalism. If your programs deal with these issues, it’s to your advantage to emphasize this in your marketing content. Gen Z also appreciates organizations that are transparent about their revenue needs and open about the impact their programs make in the community, meaning it’s to your advantage to share impact stories and outline what programs you’re raising money for.

Make it easy for new donors to contribute to your cause. As children of the digital age, Gen Z is comfortable donating via mobile apps — or attending online fundraisers. And while they may not have the established financial power of their older counterparts, many young donors are willing to make recurring donations or take part in crowdfunding campaigns that can raise a lot of money.

Common challenges and solutions

Technology and Tools for Hosting Galas

Software companies have now developed digital tools to assist at every level of benefits. By investing in a fundraising platform like PayBee, you’ll find it’s not only easier to plan, manage, and analyze your fundraisers, but also scale them up to attract more support.

CRM tools for nonprofits assist in donor tracking, allowing you to build detailed donor profiles on for your existing support network and find new donors with values and a giving history that match your needs. Having all this information in one centralized location makes it easy for you to learn what fundraisers they engage with the best and tailor your communication strategies to their needs.

Mobile apps and mobile-friendly donation pages provide donors with more convenient options to give to your fundraiser. This is particularly useful if you’re cultivating relationships with Gen Z supporters who often perform tasks from their smartphones.

If you’re looking to host an event completely or partially online — or if you need a convenient way to get your event team on the same page — platforms like Zoom and YouTube are great for video conferencing and livestreaming. Learning how to produce and post video content on social media can also be a huge boon to your marketing campaigns, as this lets you share your mission and promote your events online.

When investing in an online platform, it’s important to choose one with adequate tech support, especially if you’re still new to digital fundraising. YouTube offers plenty of video tutorials for many popular platforms. You can also refer to PayBee’s webinars for tips and best practices on how to hold virtual and hybrid events — and of course, PayBee’s Support Specialists can provide you with answers to any questions about their platform and its features.

Top 5 Tools for Fundraisers

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools to keep track of donors
• Mobile apps to facilitate donating and event organization
•  Livestreaming platforms for virtual and hybrid fundraisers
• Tech support features, including tutorials and a help desk
• Videoconferencing to maintain communication before and during an event

Nonprofit Success Stories

Let’s examine some successful fundraisers that not only raised a lot of money for charity but also helped establish a nonprofit’s EEAT (expertise, experience, authority, trustworthiness) with the public.

Cycle for Survival has raised over $300 million for cancer research

Since 2007, Memorial Sloan Kettering — a cancer treatment and research institution located in New York City — has raised over $300 million through its Cycle for Survival fundraiser. Participants in this event form teams of 4-8 to share in a four-hour, relay style stationary bike ride to raise money for the institution.

One hundred percent of the raised funds goes into research to find better treatments for rare cancers. People can go onto CycleForSurvival.org and see how every dollar is being spent to find new treatment options. This transparency builds trustworthiness, while the institution’s reputation gives the fundraiser authority as donors can see the people behind the event have both expertise and experience.

The fundraiser’s marketing campaign includes appearances on podcasts, YouTube videos, and news broadcasts, allowing the event team to spread the word about their mission. Online tools, such as a donation page make contributing easy, while the website itself shows visitors how to participate. 

Real Men Wear Pink fosters community engagement

A campaign done through the American Cancer Society (ACS), “Real Men Wear Pink” gets male community leaders and influencers to wear pink during the month of October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month). Participants use their platforms to raise a minimum of $2500 for breast cancer research and patient support, leveraging the power of personal, professional, and social media networks.

Since its start in 2013, the campaign has raised over $50 million. The campaign also allows people to engage in conversations about cancer, share important statistics, and exchange personal stories about their experiences with cancer.

Providing a clear goal for participants, leveraging the power of storytelling, and using digital technology to connect groups across the country makes this campaign a highly successful one. In addition, by specifically targeting men to support a cause that has traditionally been seen as a women’s issue, “Real Men Wear Pink” expands its demographic and donation base.

CharityWater leverages the power of shareable content

Where some nonprofit campaigns focus on collecting donations, CharityWater focuses on collecting fundraisers. Its campaigns create high-quality online videos that show the problems their target populations — many in Central Africa — have with getting access to clean drinking water. Viewers can then share these storytelling videos within their networks.

Inspired viewers can then go to the CharityWater website to learn how they can create fundraisers on behalf of the nonprofit. Many of these are social media fundraisers where donors request donations for their birthday and send them to the nonprofit. This approach has allowed CharityWater to raise over $150 million dollars. Campaigners can see the impact of their donations in other videos that show new wells being created, creating better transparency and stronger relationships among donors.

Case studies

FAQs on Fundraisers

Here are some additional answers to common questions nonprofits have about fundraisers.

What are the 5 P’s of fundraising?

The “5 P’s of fundraising” refer to People, Purpose, Passon, Presentation and Plan. Each element represents a key part of fundraising to focus on when building your strategy and event.

For instance, “People” promotes making personal connections and strong relationships with donors. “Purpose” refers to the importance of sharing your mission and your need to raise money. “Passion” is an attitude that must be conveyed through every part of your benefit to engage donors and supporters, while “Presentation” emphasizes the need to showcase your NPO in a clear, concise, and engaging manner.

Finally, “Plan” refers to the fundraising plan that outlines your goals, strategies, timeline, and budget. Only by having a well-designed plan can you build and execute a good fundraiser.

What is the most profitable type of fundraiser?

The most profitable fundraising event considers your organization’s resources and the budget you must work with. Large NPOs with an established network of philanthropists can raise a lot of money at upscale galas and dinners. Nonprofits with more limited resources can still meet their goals by launching peer-to-peer fundraisers and silent online auctions that are less expensive to produce.

Profitable fundraisers also build their events around supporter interests. Physically active supporters may appreciate marathons and fun runs, while gamers may enjoy a virtual gaming tournament. 

How do you make a fundraiser go viral?

To turn your fundraiser into a viral sensation, focus first on telling a compelling story about your mission and its impact on the community. Clarify what you need to raise and communicate this story through memorable photos, videos, and concise copy. Make it easy to donate by providing a single click mobile app or donation page option.

Now leverage the power of social media. Share your fundraiser early and often with social media groups that match your target audience. Focus on channels your supporters frequent. Create a sense of urgency by establishing a deadline and highlight milestones to encourage people to take part. If possible, you can offer a viral video challenge that encourages visitors to share your campaign with their own social networks.

What is the number one rule of hosting a fundraiser?

Know your donors. Understanding what your donors are interested in, what causes they are passionate about supporting, what social media channels they frequent, and how much they can donate gives you a clear idea of how to present your fundraiser to them.

Base your fundraiser on your donors’ interests. Highlight aspects of your cause they fee; strongly about supporting. Promote your event on their social media feeds and encourage them to share it with others. By creating a targeted marketing campaign like this, you can direct your resources where they’ll make the biggest impact.

How long should your event be?

In-person events like galas tend to last anywhere from 2-4 hours. This provides enough time to entertain guests, promote your mission, and collect donations. Some in-person galas do last longer depending on the activities and events you offer (like dinners or concerts).

However, certain online events can last for several days or weeks since people can choose to exit and re-enter at different times. A silent auction, for instance, can start accepting bids days before your in-person event, and people can even arrange for their bids to be automated. Certain gaming tournaments intentionally last for days to see if a gamer can beat a given record (while collecting donations from spectators).

How much does a nonprofit gala cost?

The cost of your fundraiser will vary based on your nonprofit’s resources, budget constraints, and sponsorships. However, small events like a fun run or silent auction can run around $1000-$5000. Larger galas, such as a casino night or charity golf tournament, can cost $50,000+.

Conclusion: Maximizing Impact with Your Fundraisers

Raising revenue and your NPO’s profile with well-crafted events continues to be a critical element of nonprofit success. Organizations who take the time to understand their supporters and offer events and activities that fully engage guests will have plenty of opportunities to collect donations and increase awareness of their mission.

Going into 2025 (and beyond), however, charities and nonprofits also need to embrace new digital tools that allow them to reach out to a wider pool of supporters and funding sources. Technology like CRMs, mobile apps, AI, and livestreaming can help mitigate the high expenses that can come with fundraisers, making revenue generation easier and more cost effective.

If you’re ready to improve your strategic planning with software, consider investing in an online platform like PayBee. Our user-friendly digital tools can help you with everything from organizing a guest list to building a social media marketing campaign to managing and analyzing your event itself. In addition, PayBee specializes in creating online and live auctions which have proven to be some of the most successful ways for nonprofits to raise money.

Find out if PayBee is right for you by signing up for a free demo of our platform. You can test out the digital tools for yourself and see how intuitive they are for your event staff. You’ll also take part in a simulated online auction and consult with our team of experts who can help you discover what fundraisers PayBee is best suited for. There are so many exciting opportunities to enhance your fundraising efforts today, so sign up for a free demo and see how PayBee can help!

Key takeaways for planning galas in 2025

• Engage communities to be lifelong partners
• Leverage digital technology to reach out to bigger support networks
• Mitigate high expenses with online fundraising options
• Incorporate EEAT in all your fundraisers to build better relationships

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