Online Ticket Sales for Fundraisers: Strategies, Benefits, and Best Fundraising Practices

Manually selling fundraiser tickets can be a hassle -- for both guests and nonprofit organizations. Even if your nonprofit offers a great marketing campaign that attracts a lot of people, if your event team needs to handle paper tickets, track cash and check payments, and manually enter buyer information into a database, the drain on your time and manpower can be considerable. Most donors don't want to go through the inconvenience of buying their tickets in person, or waiting in line to get checked in at the actual event.

Plus, keeping track of real-time data is all but impossible when you're getting your staff and volunteers to sell tickets in person. Organizers won't be able to adjust their marketing efforts mid-campaign to increase interests, and it's hard to analyze all your campaign activities or reconcile sales at the end of your fundraiser when your data is on a bunch of spreadsheets and physical records. This makes it hard to know how to improve your fundraising efforts and provide guests with better fundraisers moving forward.

Luckily, these hassles are a thing of the past thanks to modern online event ticketing. Thanks to online fundraising platforms and digital giving tools, selling tickets can now be done entirely digitally. This allows donors to buy tickets from anywhere at any time via mobile apps. It also streamlines payments, expands your donor reach, and even makes the check-in process faster and simpler during your actual galas.

Let's examine why digital ticketing has become essential for modern fundraisers. We'll cover the main benefits for selling tickets online, how to maximize your online ticket sales, the type of ticketing software you'll need to invest in, and how to navigate the new challenges that come with selling online tickets. You'll also see how other NPOs are maximizing their ticket sales using best online ticketing practices and explore what future trends to focus on when selling your tickets online.   

What Are the Benefits of Digital Ticket Systems for Fundraising?

Selling fundraiser tickets online involves using a digital platform to sell tickets, accept payments, and manage event attendance. By investing in an online ticketing system, you'll be able to customize online forms that collect specific information from your attendees beyond basic contact and payment information. This data, which might include donation preferences or dietary restrictions, can be stored in your database and retrieved as you're setting up your gala to provide guests with a more personalized experience.

Guests can also purchase tickets via their smart phones and other mobile devices, making ticket buying more convenient (which can drastically increase the number of your attendees). And since the whole process is done through a website and/or app, you can reach out to a wider online audience, expanding your donor pool and educating more people about your nonprofit's mission.

Where traditional ticket selling is a labor-intensive process that requires your staff to work at a physical box office and spend long hours handling and tracking physical tickets, online ticketing can be automated and lets you keep track of your data in one centralized location. Not only does this make ticketing faster and more affordable for your nonprofit, it also lets you organize and analyze your ticket sale data, giving you valuable insights into how you can attract even more attendees to your future fundraisers.

Beyond getting people to your event, online ticketing systems make life easier at the gala itself. You can reduce wait times by simplifying the check-in process with rapid digital scanning of tickets. Guests can start enjoying your event sooner and you can collect attendance data more efficiently. Later, after guests have participated in your online auctions and other activities, the same system helps speed up the check-out process, creating convenience here too. 

This form of real-time data collection becomes extremely useful after your fundraiser when you need to generate reports detailing how successful your gala was. Since online ticketing systems automatically collect information on ticket sales and attendees, you can then organize and analyze this data to show where your marketing efforts are paying off and where they might need to be improved.

Many platforms allow you to showcase this data in multiple ways, from interactive dashboards to charts and graphs. You'll be able to communicate how well your gala reached your goals and allow board members and other stakeholders to zero in on key data points, like total funds raised, average donation amount, total participants, donor acquisition, and engagement levels. All this helps show the effectiveness of your efforts and justifies the continual support of your backers.  

Being able to automate many of your ticketing processes also reduces administrative work and costs for your volunteers and staff. Your human workers simply need to oversee the general ticketing process and troubleshoot any technical issues. The software can handle most of the heavy lifting and make event management simpler before, during, and after your fundraiser.

Top 5 Benefits of Digital Ticketing for Nonprofits

• Expands your online reach, letting you attract more donors
• Reduces administrative workload and costs, saving you time and money
• Collects donor data automatically, helping you build more detailed reports
• Speeds up guest check-in and check-out processes, improving attendee experience and reducing staff stress
• Places all your data in one centralized location for easy retreival

Strategies to Maximize Digital Ticket Sales

Making the ticket buying process simple, attractive, and affordable is a sure fire way to maximize your ticket sales. You can do this with an online ticketing system by focusing on your website design and marketing strategies.

To start, make your website and app easy to navigate and provide potential attendees with attractive options. For instance, instead of just offering a single ticket, create tiered ticket options that let people pay different amounts for general and VIP admission. Make it clear what guests will receive if they choose the VIP option (better seating, free gifts, additional recognition etc.). This is a great way to engage in some early ticket upselling.

You can also provide a donation-based option that lets people pay what they can afford for a ticket. This can encourage people with limited funds to attend while other donors may give more generously.

Provide incentive to buy tickets early. You could offer reduced early-bird pricing for people who buy their tickets a month in advance to entice early visitors. Make sure to advertise this incentive in your marketing materials, including your social media posts and emails, to get the ball rolling on your early-bird ticket sales.

Differentiate your fundraiser from other similar events by providing testimonials on your ticketing pages from people who attended your previous fundraisers and had a good time. You can also share video clips and photos of past events, which can provide social proof of how popular your fundraisers are. 

And make sure to integrate your ticketing efforts with your social media promotion! A lot of your website material, particularly your photos, videos, and testimonials, make excellent copy for your social media posts. You should also include a link to your ticketing page on all your social media (and email) copy to make it simpler for supporters to purchase tickets.

Want to start earning money right away for your nonprofit? Bundle your tickets with merchandise or games like raffles. Give guests a chance to immediately purchase some branded items (at a discount) if they buy tickets right away. Show them how they can immediately participate in your raffles or silent auctions and showcase the type of prizes they can bid on or win in all your social media promotional content! Event strategies like these aren't just profitable -- they help generate the hype you need around your gala.

Comparison of Ticket Pricing Strategies

Standard                      Basic price for mass accessibility

Early-bird                   Drives early sales by offering initial discount pricing

Donation-based          Focuses on mission-driven funding, broad accessibility

VIP                              Maximizes revenue from high-value attendees with extra offers

Technology and Tools for Selling Tickets

With the regular advancement of virtual fundraising tools, ticketing software is becoming similarly updated. However, if you choose to invest in digital ticketing and mobile payment solutions, it's important to focus on some key features.

First, make sure whatever ticketing platform you use offers good payment security. People are going to be providing their credit card and other payment information through your website and apps, and it's important that they feel secure while doing this. Choose software that provides strong data encryption, secure payment gateways, and advanced fraud protection systems. You'll want to partner with reputable payment processors and make sure your digital tickets have unique bar codes and QR codes if you plan to scan them during your event. Software updates are common with good payment platforms, so make sure to update your system regularly.

Customization options are also important since your ticketing page should reflect your personal branding. Choose software that lets you modify your pages to include your nonprofit's logo, unique font, and colors. Branding also extends to how you relate to your customers, so modify your online forms to collect and offer pertinent information. For example, if you offer tiered ticket pricing, you can show the impact guests make by choosing each level. (i.e. general admission might buy a meal for a child, VIP admission could buy a family dinner, and donation-based pricing could potentially go beyond that).

Many of your attendees will interact with your ticketing page on their smart phone or through a mobile app, so it's vital that your ticketing software let you create a mobile-friendly design. All content on your page should be easily viewed on a phone's small screen. Graphics, videos, and other content need to load quickly, and links should be easily spotted and clickable. Bear in mind that people will be purchasing tickets on their phones too, so look into reliable mobile payment solutions. 

Finally, it's important for your online ticketing tools to integrate smoothly with donor CRMs and your other event platforms. All the information you collect through your digital ticketing system can be used to help organize and manage your gala, so it's essential that the data can be moved into one central location. Once your event staff has easy access to all your guest data, providing each attendee with a personalized experience that encourages them to support your nonprofit will be a lot simpler.

Must-Have Features in Ticketing Platforms

• Good payment security
• Customization options
• Mobile-friendly design options
• Easy integration with existing donor CRMs and event platforms

Challenges for Online Event Ticketing

Along with the new opportunities that come with online event ticketing, you'll also need to be prepared to handle some new challenges. These include issues with donor trust, digital ticketing fees, promotional challenges, and risks with low attendance.

We've already discussed the issues surrounding sharing payment information online. People expect their credit card information to be protected when they share it on your site, so make sure to invest in good payment security and data encryption. The more you reassure visitors that their data is safe, the more willing they'll be to enjoy the convenience of online ticketing.

Selling tickets online can also require you to pay new ticketing fees. This typically takes the form of a platform/service fee as well as a payment processing fee (usually a percentage of the ticket price plus an additional small fee). These extra costs can eat into your nonprofit revenue, so it's important to take them into account when coming up with your ticket price(s). Some platforms like PayBee also allow you to offer attendees the opportunity to pay those costs themselves, letting your nonprofit keep more of the money. Many donors happily take on this extra charge, so it's worth investing in a platform that gives you this option. 

While nonprofit software and online ticketing platforms allow NPOs to reach out to a wider audience, in many ways, this has become a double-edged sword. Supporters and donors are now inundated with so many invites to alternative fundraisers and free events that it's become something of a competition to secure enough attendees for your event while not giving potential guests "event fatigue."

To avoid this, focus on the needs of your guests. Pay attention to past event data and your donor database and learn what type of event your target audience really likes to participate in. If you can tailor your gala into the type of fundraiser your guests actively gravitate toward (auction, fancy luncheon, costume ball, fun run etc.) then you stand a better chance of attracting more people and keeping your fundraising attendance high.

Finally, let's not forget that while society is becoming increasingly digital savvy, gaps in digital literacy still exist, particularly among older donors. This can represent a good chunk of your high-value donors and long-time supporters, so it's important to deal with their needs.

Consider incorporating some old-school print marketing, like flyers, posters, or direct mail letters that come with the web address of your website as well as a QR code. Thank your donors for all their support and highlight your event (which should be geared toward their interests). If you can make your web page mobile-friendly, provide multiple payment options, and keep your ticketing forms simple and uncomplicated, this should make your online ticketing options easier for everyone.

Top 4 Challenges in Online Fundraiser Ticketing

• Providing good payment security
• Managing ticketing fees
• Competing with multiple fundraisers and events
• Helping donors who are less digital savvy

Digital Ticket Sale Trends

Although galas remain a way to engage with your community and raise revenue, several key aspects have changed, especially in recent years. NPOs need to know what guests expect at modern fundraisers and adapt their strategies accordingly.

First, ever since the pandemic, fundraiser attendees have grown accustomed to the virtual and hybrid gala. These fundraising events take advantage of online platforms, live streaming technology, and mobile apps to provide fundraisers that can be attended either entirely online or in tandem with virtual guests. This provides several advantages -- like reducing the need for a large event venue (or any physical venue at all), while also requiring event organizers to become familiar with online technology like digital ticketing software. Since virtual attendees will both purchase tickets and attend the actual event online, it's essential to become familiar with online fundraising platforms -- and have a tech support staff available to troubleshoot any issues.

With more people engaging in online events through their mobile devices, it's only natural that mobile-first ticketing solutions are experiencing a noticeable upswing. These platforms allow your mobile device to be the primary point of interaction for event organizers and attendees. Not only does this mean you can buy tickets via mobile apps, it also means your ticketing app can integrate with mobile wallets and event apps. It also means features like mobile check-ins (and check-outs) and real-time reporting will be expected on your app to streamline your event operations.

One very easy way to ensure seamless check-ins is by providing attendees with unique QR codes for their mobile tickets. This makes it simple for your staff to just scan your guests' phones and let them into your event much faster. You'll also save money by not having to print paper tickets (or require your guests to print their tickets at home).

As already stated, you can offer different ticketing tiers (general admission, early bird, VIP, and donation-based) when selling tickets online. You can also target specific donor segments that will be more likely to purchase specific tiers, based on their engagement levels and donation history. For instance, first-timers will be more likely to buy general admission while major donors may be willing to go the VIP route. You can also offer bundling options for donors who like to attend with groups or family to encourage multiple sales.

If you like, you can personalize even more by customizing each guest's digital ticket to showcase their name and even provide a nice message thanking the attendee for their support. Software tools can automate certain customization elements, making this less time consuming and expensive for your staff. You can even take this a step further by using the donor contact information you collect to send thank you notes to each guest after the event, strengthening your relationship.

Fundraising Ticketing Trends 2025

• Virtual and hybrid galas make online ticketing essential
• Mobile apps increase convenience for buying and storing tickets
• QR codes make the check-in process easier and faster 
• Ticketing software help you personalize tickets and thank donors personally

Case Studies and Success Stories

So, can successful digital ticketing campaigns lead to more profitable fundraisers? Check out how these nonprofit organizations used some of the best practices associated with online ticketing to raise more revenue.

Once Upon a Second Chance Upsells with Tiered Pricing

Televerde Foundation works to help women released from prison find work through education and support programs. Its annual fundraiser, Once Upon a Second Chance, uses a tiered ticketing system to encourage supporters to buy more tickets.

Supporters can choose from multiple fairy tale-themed tiers, including "Rose" (admission, food, beverage, and 2 raffle tickets), "Glass Slippers" (admission for two, food/beverage, 6 raffle tickets), and "Castle" (admission for four, food/beverage, 12 raffle tickets). By being upfront and transparent about their ticket offers, the nonprofit builds trust with donors. The website also explains how much of each ticket package is tax-deductible, helping donors make their decision.

All this translated into several successful fundraisers, including a 2025 event that reached its goal of $100K. Transparency and multiple ticketing options helped encourage more generous purchases.

Driven Brands Foundation Encourages Attendees to Buy Early

In Las Vegas, the Ultimate Driving Experience at Spring Ops raises funds for Driven Brands Foundation, a nonprofit that supports children's hospitals. While the event is extremely popular and offers plenty of incentives to attend (you can drive a supercar, race go-karts, etc.), its ticketing campaign offers additional motivation.

Driven Brands Foundation's simple online ticketing form provides a discounted early bird ticketing option that takes $50 off general admission for patrons who buy tickets early. Not only is this a great way to start raising revenue earlier, it also secures attendees well in advance of the event, letting staff know what they need to do to prepare. All this helped Driven Brands Foundation raise increasingly more money from its fundraisers and other revenue-generating activities -- up to $2 million in 2023.

Speaking Volumes Draws in Multiple Audiences

Pongo Poetry Project addresses rising depression and suicide rates in young people by providing therapeutic programs focused on healing through writing poetry. Its annual fundraiser, Speaking Volumes, is an online event where paying attendees can participate in a virtual reception and Q&A session with a best-selling author. Following the reception, the fundraiser offers a celebration with a poetry reading.

However, the ticketing page also offers a free option for attendees who only want to attend the celebration. This helps attract more attendees to the fundraiser who are informed they can donate at the main event. The web page also shows how much of the ticket price is tax-deductible, and all visitors can see how funds raised from the event will impact the community. These, and other revenue-generating activities, have allowed the project to raise $215K in 2023.

Best Practices for Sustaining Online Event Ticketing

Ticket sales optimization hinges on several factors, from positive donor experiences to consistent campaign improvement. Let's look at some of the best donor engagement tactics to sustain ticket sale growth.

Building trust with your donors is an essential part of any successful campaigns. When promoting your tickets, be transparent with your pricing. Show donors exactly what they're getting for their purchase. Does your ticket include meals, activities, or special offers like raffle tickets? Or will donors have to spend more to participate in your other event activities? All this can affect how donors choose to budget their money when they attend your fundraiser. If you offer multiple ticketing tiers, be upfront about what each type of ticket offers each guest.

Some of the best online ticketing campaigns also showcase how much of the ticket price is tax deductible. This can also affect how much attendees are willing to spend at your event, so make sure all this information is clearly displayed on your web page and/or app. Make it simple for donors to receive receipts for their purchases, as these can be important in deducting donations from their taxes (as well as providing you with essential information for your own records). 

Be sure to provide donors with the option for offering donation add-ons during checkout. Many supporters are more than willing to offer your NPO something extra, so make it easy for them to contribute. As always, inform donors of how they can deduct donations from their taxes and make sure they receive tax-compliant receipts that separate ticket and donation amounts.

It might sound obvious, but maintaining consistent branding across all your digital platforms is an important part of maintaining your NPO's brand identity. This goes beyond just using the same brand colors and logo and extends to how easy your websites and apps are to navigate. Remember, a positive user experience depends on how well a user can find the event information they need, how quick your checkout process is, and how well you reinforce the importance of supporting your mission. Guests who come away feeling like they were able to support something important with just a few simple clicks or keystrokes will be more likely to advocate for your nonprofit in the future.

Finally, keep improving your online ticketing strategies by collecting and analyzing your ticketing data. How many people visited your website? How many purchased tickets? Where did they learn about your event? How many took advantage of your bundling offers or bought a higher-priced ticket? The answers to these questions reveal how successful your campaign strategies are and how you could improve them by reaching out to different audiences, offering extra ticket perks, adjusting your ticket price, or optimizing your website design.

Donor Engagement Tactics for Selling Tickets

• Be transparent about pricing and donation write-offs 
• Provide donation add-ons during checkout
• Maintain consistent branding and focus on creating positive user experiences
• Analyze ticketing data to see where your campaigns can be improved

The Future of Digital Event Ticket Sales for Fundraising

Fundraiser technology is constantly being updated, particularly in the use of AI tools and donor personalization. Let's see what aspects of future fundraising technology you'll want to keep your eyes on.

AI software tools are already being used to analyze donor behavior and market trends to help improve campaigns. In the future, more nonprofits can take advantage of AI by determining points of peak demand for popular fundraising events. This lets them know when they can increase ticket prices to maximize revenue. Alternatively, if AI identifies slower sales periods, nonprofits can either schedule events for different times or lower ticket prices to make sure they sell enough to hold a successful event.

Generative AI can also be used to create catchy headlines and subject lines to help market your upcoming events on social media or via email newsletters. You can also use AI to segment your audience into different groups based on their donation history and event interests. This allows for more targeted marketing campaigns, letting you focus on the most valuable donors or offer perks to retain key populations (like providing a discount for supporters who haven't attended your recent fundraisers).

In addition to securing donor payment information, attendees can also enjoy better security on their tickets themselves through blockchain technology. By minting each ticket as a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) on a blockchain, you can prevent ticket counterfeiting and build better trust with donors. You can even encode special perks into NFT tickets, like digital collectibles or access to meet-and-greets, encouraging more ticket purchases. 

And as virtual and hybrid galas become more common and high-tech, donors will grow increasingly accustomed to attending them. This will give rise to more global virtual events where guests can meet and interact with NPO supporters from multiple countries in the same space. Naturally, this will make digital ticketing more relevant, and online ticketing systems will need to accommodate for more flexible pricing. For instance, guests may need options to purchase virtual-only tickets since not everyone can attend in-person. You'll also have to deal with NPOs holding similar virtual events, meaning your tickets will have to promise more engaging virtual content to compete. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Let's cover some last-minute details about nonprofit ticketing on online platforms for event fundraising.

What is the best platform to sell tickets online?

Choose your online ticketing platform based on your organization's unique needs. If you're working with a limited budget, platforms like Zeffy that offer a free option may be a good choice. Other nonprofits may appreciate Eventbrite and the trust its name recognition brings. PayBee offers an affordable and user-friendly way to sell tickets online, and provides useful features -- such as the option for donors to pay certain ticketing fees. 

Can donors add a donation when purchasing fundraiser tickets?

Absolutely. This is often called a "bifurcated gift" where a donor's payment includes what they paid for the ticket and what they added on as a donation. Keep in mind that if the donor wants to write off their donations, only the amount paid above the fair market value of the event ticket is considered tax deductible.

Does selling tickets digitally improve fundraiser attendance?

It can. Selling tickets digitally opens you up to a wider online audience, allowing you to attract more attendees. Ticket buyers can also share your event via their social media feeds, which helps promote your gala to even more people. And since more people have become accustomed to paying for tickets online, it just makes sense to accommodate your audience and give them the options they prefer. People will be able to purchase tickets anywhere and at any time, which can significantly increase ticket sales and attendance.

Of course, all this depends on how well you market your actual event and if your activities appeal to your target audience. Look at your past ticketing data to see who's buying your tickets and where they're learning about your event. This will help you create more targeted marketing campaigns for your current fundraiser, helping you gain more conversions.  

Are mobile tickets better than printed tickets for fundraisers?

Mobile tickets offer several advantages over printed tickets. Being able to buy and access their tickets online makes it easier for guests and even staff to keep track of tickets and attend your fundraiser. Digital tickets with QR codes are also easier to scan at the door, streamlining your check-in process. And since you won't have to print hundreds of physical tickets (or require guests to print copies of their tickets at home), you'll save money and resources.

What reporting features should nonprofits look for in ticketing software?

Look for real-time data dashboards and detailed attendee analysis. This will help you assess how well your ticketing campaigns performed and share your findings with stakeholders. You'll also want financial performance tracking with ROI analysis and post-event survey integration. This lets you automatically email attendees with feedback requests, allowing you to gain a more in-depth look at how guests responded to your event and campaigns. 

Make sure that whatever ticketing software you use integrates smoothly with your CRM and donor management system. You want to make it easy for your systems to share information to better streamline your operations and help your staff communicate with each other.

Better Ways to Sell Tickets on Your Website or App

As people become more accustomed to purchasing items online and via mobile devices, nonprofit event planning must become more familiar with online ticketing systems for future digital fundraising success. Your websites and mobile apps need to make the ticket buying process safe, simple, attractive, and affordable for users in order to maximize ticket sales.

Invest in a ticketing platform with strong data encryption features to keep customer financial information safe. Customize your ticketing options so users can buy tickets with just a few clicks and simplify your ticket forms to collect only essential information.

Tailor your events to offer activities that entice your target audience -- and highlight these activities on your ticketing page. Be transparent and let users know exactly what they're getting for their tickets and how much of the ticket price they can write off on their taxes. By being upfront, you build trust with your base and show them the value of your event.

Different segments of your audience will be able to afford different prices, so consider using a tiered ticketing system with general admission, VIP, and early bird pricing to attract different audiences. This builds a sense of exclusivity which can entice guests while also keeping your tickets affordable for your overall audience.

To really maximize ticket sales, take advantage of data analytics and AI software tools to analyze your past galas and ticketing campaigns. Learn where your guests are learning about your events and determine what types of events and ticket types attract the most attention. As you get a better idea of how much your audience is willing to pay for tickets and when they are more likely to attend your events, it'll be much easier to manage your events to improve online ticket sales and overall revenue generation. 

Selling tickets online is a powerful way to reach out to a larger audience for your fundraisers and improve the donor experience. By appreciating the needs of the online generation, you can expand your fundraising events to accommodate many more virtual and in-person guests, boosting event revenue for your nonprofit. 

Investing in a good online fundraising platform is one of the smartest things you can do to build a better ticketing campaign and improve your fundraising galas. Discover which platform fits your needs the best by scheduling demos and testing out the software and digital tools for yourself.

PayBee offers a free demo of its software tools that highlights the advantages of virtual events. Sign up for a free demo and see how our platform can help you offer a successful online auction and popular digital games. You'll be able to meet with our team of experts and ask all your questions on running good marketing and ticketing campaigns. See how PayBee can help elevate your fundraising success by signing up for a demo today!