Virtual Event Strategy: Mastering Online Experiences for Maximum Impact in 2026

Quick Answer: How can Nonprofts Build a Quick and Effective Virtual Events Strategy?

A combination of selecting the right technology, communicating your cause effectively through storytelling and setting clear goals can help boost your fundraising while also keeping costs low and engagement high.

For an online gathering that began as a necessity of the pandemic, virtual events have grown to become an essential -- and profitable -- tool for conducting business. The virtual events market is already valued at $237 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow to $537 billion by 2029. Hybrid and virtual galas are now a fixture in event management. And with AI-powered software influencing event strategies, attendees can expect increasingly personalized experiences at online, in-person, and hybrid conferences and fundraisers.

Media and technology company Forbes recognizes the value of hybrid and virtual events, not only for connecting with consumers but also communicating with stakeholders. According to a recent article on hosting and securing hybrid events, "Hybrid events can empower executives to connect and confidently communicate with stakeholders without requiring travel or visiting unsecured environments." For nonprofits, this sort of connection helps secure regular sources of funding from philanthropists that can keep its programs running for years. 

All this points to the importance of developing a successful virtual event strategy -- or blueprint for designing, promoting, and executing online gatherings -- to compete with other organizations in the modern event landscape. A robust virtual event plan can help nonprofits reach larger audiences, create more sustainable fundraisers, and leverage online tools to save money. Smart plans also know how to employ trends in AI chatbots and VR technology to manage big donor pools and provide memorable experiences. 

New technologies do come with challenges and learning curves, however, and event planners need to anticipate everything from software glitches to virtual event fatigue in order to develop contingencies when such issues inevitably occur. For NPOs that invest adequate time and resources into building a good virtual event strategy, however, the rewards can be great. Virtual and hybrid galas have been known to substantially boost donations, attract volunteers and advocates, and market a nonprofit's brand to larger and more influential organizations.

In this article, we'll examine the key components that make a virtual event strategy successful. We'll help you foresee the issues that can arise when designing and managing a virtual gala, and the types of trends you should follow to keep your virtual events on the cutting edge. By the end of this article, you'll know all the steps to focus on when constructing your virtual event strategy and how to optimize it to fit your nonprofit's needs.        

Core Pillars of a Strong Virtual Event Plan

• Goal alignment
• Tech integration
• Engaging content
• Strategic marketing
• Attendee Support
• Event Analysis

What Are Virtual Event Strategies?

A virtual event strategy provides your event management team with a map for hosting successful online events. It covers every stage (or "phase") of your event, from pre-event planning to event management to post-event analysis. Staff and volunteers should be able to look at your virtual event strategy and identify:

• Event objectives: Are you looking to build brand awareness? Expand your donor pool? Educate the community about your mission?
• Target audience: Who are your ideal attendees? Where are they located? How will you reach out to them and what are their specific needs (i.e. do they prefer engaging through mobile apps? What platforms do they prefer to view livestreams from?)
• Tech choices: What online fundraising platform will you be using? Are there any new digital tools your staff will need to familiarize themselves with and/or integrate into existing platforms?
• Content strategy: What types of promotional videos, polls, visual aids etc. will you need for your virtual event?
• Promotion and marketing: Will you be using email, social media, direct mail, and/or paid advertising to promote your event?
• Execution timelines: What are the deadlines for pre-planning, detailed planning, and final preparation?
• Data collection and analytics: How will you collect event data, what data do you need to collect, and how will you analyze it to gain insights into how to produce future virtual events?

Unlike in-person event strategies, virtual event strategies emphasize digital tools over logistics. This not only includes the type of online event platform you're using but also any digital software tools you need to integrate into it. You'll also need to have a plan in place for dealing with technical issues and training staff on new software.   

Virtual events are highly adaptable and can be made to fit the needs of a conference, webinar, or trade show. That said, your strategy will have to accommodate for audience expectations in each format. For instance, hosting a virtual webinar requires you to secure guest speakers for online lectures, presentations, and training sessions, along with training videos and other teaching media. Virtual conferences will require online spaces for panel discussions and workshops. And trade shows need interactive exhibitor booths and online channels for product demonstrations. All of these elements will need to be detailed in your virtual gala strategy.

Phases of a Virtual Event Plan

1. Ideation and goal setting
2. Budgeting and platform selection
3. Content planning (including securing speakers)
4. Marketing and promotions
5. Tech setup and rehearsal
6. Live execution
7. Attendee engagement
8. Data collection
9. Analysis & reporting
10. Attendee follow-up

Benefits of Implementing a Robust Virtual Event Plan

Carefully planning your virtual event can result in several cost-saving benefits and engagement advantages. You'll be able to maximize your global reach and help scale up your events, allowing you to enjoy some great ROI.

Because virtual events are generally less expensive to produce than in-person galas, you can enjoy some significant cost savings. Even accounting for some additional costs in online platforms and new software, virtual galas can eliminate event venue fees, catering costs, and attendee travel expenses. You can also significantly reduce staffing costs (although you will want to invest in some robust tech support). Spend time calculating how much your virtual event will save by eliminating in-person gala costs -- this will also give you a better idea of how much you can invest in new event software and support. 

Aside from cost savings, a well-crafted virtual event strategy can help you reach more attendees and engage with them. Learning where your target audience gathers online will help you design a more targeted marketing campaign, letting you promote your upcoming event on the right social media channels or connect with your audience via effective email campaigns. What's more, investing in interactive tools like polls, chats, and online games keeps your virtual attendees involved in your event, allowing you to build relationships with a global audience. 

Polls and chats also allow you to collect valuable data on your online gala. You'll be able to collect feedback directly from your audience regarding which activities they enjoyed the best or what types of events they'd like to see from you in the future. With the help of AI automation, you can even deliver personalized follow-ups with individual attendees -- thanking them for their donations, noting their attendance in past events, and informing them of upcoming events and activities they'll likely enjoy based on past behavior. This not only helps you market future events but also lets you build better relationships with your target audience by letting individual members know you understand and respect their needs.

Virtual events can also help your NPO build a more positive brand. For instance, because hosting your galas and events online reduces travel and staffing needs, it also lowers your organization's carbon footprint. This is something you can easily promote in your marketing and branding materials, and can help audiences look at your organization more favorably (especially if your group handles a lot of environmental issues). You can also point out how many people you help educate globally thanks to your online reach or how your virtual galas allow busy professionals to be involved with the community while maintaining their schedules.   

In-Person vs. Virtual Event Benefits

Aspect             In-Person                                                                    Virtual

Costs               Event venue, staff, catering, branding                        Platform software, tech support, network tools 

Reach              Local community                                                        Potential global reach

Engagement    Face-to-face communication, hands-on activities     Online networking, live streams, virtual games

Step-by-Step Guide to Developing Your Virtual Event Plan

Let's take you step-by-step through the development phase of your virtual event strategy.

Step 1: Define your SMART goals

Focus first on what you want to accomplish with your event. Is this a fundraiser intended to raise a specific amount of money? Or are you looking to expand your audience and reach out to potential new donors and volunteers? Do you want to educate an influential segment of your community about your mission's importance? All of these goals will determine the form of your virtual gala.

It helps to set your goals using the SMART acronym -- Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. This will help you communicate clear, attainable objectives to your event team, so they know what to keep in mind while developing and managing your event.

Specific goals detail who is responsible for reaching that goal, what steps you need your team to take, and why this goal is important to your organization. For instance, you might assign your team the goal of increasing your donor pool by 400 new supporters through targeted marketing campaigns to gain more sustainable funding.

Measurable goals establish specific metrics to track your goals and show when you've achieved your objective. For example, you can set a goal to increase recurring donations by 25% or increase attendance by at least 300 more people.

Attainable goals keep your goals achievable (but still challenging). If your fundraiser has never raised more than $20.000. then setting a $100,000 goal may be too high for your team -- but a $25.000 goal can keep them motivated to reach this more achievable figure.

Relevant goals align with your NPO's values and mission. Communicating that the money raised by your fundraiser will be used to keep your animal shelter in business for the next quarter can be very motivating for volunteers who believe in what you do.

Time-bound goals provide clear deadlines or time frames. Knowing they have only the next five weeks to plan your marketing campaign lets your team know when they should set deadlines for smaller, related tasks and when they need to have specific content ready to go. 

Step 2: Research your audience

Wanting to attract a certain number of attendees to your virtual gala isn't enough. You also need to know what type of audience members you're looking for. 

Do you want your fundraiser attended by established supporters who can be relied upon to donate a certain amount of money? Or would you rather go after new and younger potential supporters whose recurring donations could keep your programs running for years? 

Constructing a persona of your ideal attendee lets you know what type of events interest them and what causes align with their values. This lets you know how to market your event to this crowd, where to reach them, and what type of events and activities to promote in order to engage with them. 

Step 3: Select your online platform 

Knowing how to choose platforms for virtual event strategy is a challenge in and of itself. For starters, you want to choose a platform that has the right tools to host the type of event you want. If you want to host a webinar, then a platform like Zoom can provide the live streaming, polls, and chat capabilities you need. If you want to offer an online auction, then a user-friendly option like PayBee can help you post your auction items, promote your gala, and engage with guests to engineer more active bidding.

Keep in mind that whatever platform you choose also has to be easily accessible by your audience. Developer-focused platforms might offer features for more hands-on workshops, but they might be too technical for your average fundraiser attendee. Using a platform with an intuitive interface is often your best bet (and the most affordable one too). 

Learn which platform fits your needs the best by researching their brand. Explore Zoom's virtual event resources to see how you might apply their tech to your events. Attend a free online demo of PayBee's fundraising platform to assess how intuitive their interface is.

Step 4: Design an interactive agenda with sessions and breaks

What type of activities will you offer at your gala? Webinars? Virtual concerts? Online auctions? All these events need to be scheduled so your guests get a chance to participate in most or all of them.

Stagger your activities so people don't become too overwhelmed by all the choices. For instance, you can start an online silent auction days before your actual event so early birds can participate in it and start generating buzz. However, you'll want to end it before you start a live auction at your event or offer additional activities (like webinars or virtual games), so your audience's attention isn't torn between two conflicting activities. This allows you to maximize participation in all your activities.

Prevent screen fatigue by scheduling breaks (5-10 minutes long) at strategic intervals. This can be before and after major activities like webinars. You can also arrange for breaks within the sessions themselves. During this time, you can provide polls, interactive clocks, sponsored content, and/or videos to keep your audience engaged. 

Step 5: Promote via email and social media

Work out how you want to market your event. In general, virtual events can attract a better audience through online promotion on social media and targeted emails. However, if certain segments of your target audience are less active on social media, you could create traditional print marketing materials with QR codes that grant easy access to your online event.

Refer back to what you learned about your ideal audience during your research phase. Do they spend most of their time on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or some other social media platforms? These are the channels you need to focus your marketing efforts on. Tailor your marketing materials and have them reflect the tone of each channel. For instance, Instagram posts should offer eye-catching visuals to attract your audience while personal stories, case studies, and data-backed evidence might work better on the LinkedIn crowd.

Leverage your e-newsletter subscription list to launch a targeted email marketing campaign. Send promotional emails in regular intervals to remind your supporters of your event and provide incentives to register or buy tickets early (like an early bird discount). Provide links that give easy access to your silent auctions and include photos, videos, and stories about how fun your gala is for your target audience.  

Step 6: Conduct tech rehearsals

Your event staff should be fully versed in the capabilities of your virtual event platform and any additional software tools integrated into your system. Provide training sessions and resources to familiarize staff members on anything new and provide adequate time for them to get to know all the tools.

Before your actual event, run a full-scale simulation of your virtual gala. This includes testing all equipment and connections to identify any vulnerabilities. Conduct stress tests on your internet bandwidth to make sure it can handle large audiences or provide good audio and video quality during high-definition live streaming. Test out any interactive elements like polls and breakout rooms to see what your actual attendees will experience during the real event.

Give your speakers a chance to practice their presentations on the platform and iron out any kinks in the pacing, visual aids, and interactions with audience (such as via chat or Zoom). Make sure they can share their screens easily if this is part of their presentation!

Set up a tech support channel and establish clear guidelines for how to address any technical issues or malfunctions. Every staff member should know who to call in an emergency and how to report an issue. It's also a good idea to have backups on hand. For instance, you can have pre-recorded sessions to use if the live version experiences issues. You should also have a backup internet connection and equipment on hand to deal with any mishaps.

Step 7: Analyze metrics post-event

After your event is done, you can start analyzing attendee data to determine the success of your event. You can also start identifying areas for improvement and offer insights for how to maximize future virtual event success.

Establish key performance indicators that help measure the success of different parts of your gala. For instance, if one of your goals was to increase recurring donations by 25%, you should be able to determine if you reached this metric by calculating how many donors made recurring gifts. 

You can also focus on engagement levels in interactive elements like chats and polls, attendance, and the number of new people who attended your event. Surveys and feedback forms can also provide direct measures of satisfaction on the length, quality, and ease of your activities. And don't forget to calculate how the money you raised from your gala compares to your event costs in order to show your ROI.

Use your platform's built-in analytics tools to help construct a report to share with your stakeholders. Highlight the measurable successes of your event along with any areas for improvement and suggestions for actionable steps you can take in future events.

Key Components to Include in a Virtual Event Plan

We've briefly covered some of the components you should include in your virtual gala plan. Following are some additional details:

Objectives and KPIs

Beyond raising money and improving brand awareness, virtual nonprofit events can have many more objectives. You could, for example, work toward building a stronger sense of community among your supporters. This can help sustain your current support network while also attracting new volunteers. 

When setting these type of objectives, it's important to have some measurable component, or key performance indicators, to assess the success of your event. One KPI for enhancing community among supporters might be getting 200 virtual attendees to share images of your event accompanied by your NPO's hashtag. Not only is this measurable, it expands your promotional efforts -- which can also be measured by the number of new volunteers and donors who learned about your nonprofit through these social media shares.

Tech

Investing in a user-friendly event platform is important for hosting virtual galas, but beyond cost and accessibility, you need to identify key features for your platform based on the type of events you want to offer. Again, platforms with good chat features, screen sharing, and audio/video quality are all important if you want to host webinars. Reliable live streaming and ticket security are essential if you're hosting virtual concerts. Then there are gamification and branding features if you want to host virtual games for a large audience.

Content

Content encompasses everything from the social media posts used to publicize your fundraiser to the scripts and slides in your educational webinars to any interactive elements you want to provide your virtual audience (like polls and Q&A material).

Your material needs to be easily consumable and appealing to your audience. This can be done by keeping your writing concise and easy-to-read. Use short sentences, emphasize active verbs, and focus on the benefits an audience will receive by engaging with the material. Whenever possible, convey messages through storytelling (case studies, fun anecdotes). Stories tend to be more memorable and provide audiences with something to share within their own social circles.

Vary the type of content you produce. Include eye-catching images (photographs and videos) in your webinars and social media posts to highlight any salient points. Provide interactive elements like polls and trivia questions that allow attendees to engage with your content instead of passively consume it. As you get better with creating more engaging material, consider building a welcome kit with links to online videos and blog posts that can help educate others about your mission.  

Promotion

We've already covered how promoting your event through social media channels and email campaigns can attract your audience. However, a virtual event marketing plan can extend into many other areas.

Partner with local businesses and secure sponsorships from organizations that share your values and belief in the community. Not only will they be able to promote your fundraiser within their own social circles, they'll also be able to support your galas by donating materials or even offering financial contributions.

Offer early bird discounts in your promotional materials, allowing community members to save on admission by purchasing tickets early, letting your secure an audience and giving you a clearer idea of how big your upcoming event will be. Create highlight reels with videos of past events and clips from your speakers to show people what your event is offering. These can be shared on your social media posts, emails, and your website -- along with links to your ticketing page.

Finally, consider investing in paid ads on social media channels your target audience frequents. Paid Facebook ads, for instance, can be used to connect with potential attendees who've never heard of your nonprofit -- but share your values and interests -- allowing you to expand your support network.

Backup plans

When you're dealing with a virtual fundraiser, technical issues aren't just a possibility -- they're practically an inevitability. Smart NPOs know how to plan for potential tech problems and create multiple backup systems to handle everything from glitches to major security issues.

To start, have a separate Wi-Fi connection or mobile hotspot ready in case your internet connection fails. You'll also need other types of backup hardware, like a second computer, to take over if your primary unit crashes. Test your software to make sure it's functioning properly, and invest in high-quality security systems to protect yourself from cyber attacks (particularly for your attendees' payment and personal information).

While most people focus on the visual aspects of virtual galas, your audio quality is just as (if not more) important. Invest in good audio equipment and test your recording environments to make sure it contains enough sound-absorbing materials (carpet, walls, furniture) to prevent echoes that can distract audiences.

Create backups for your entertainment and informative content. If you're planning to live stream a speech, pre-record segments of your gala so you can switch to them in the event that your live streaming develops issues. Have an experienced tech support team at the ready to handle any glitches and let you know how serious any potential issues are.

Finally, if the worst should happen and your virtual gala needs to be canceled, have a plan ready for that as well. Offer an alternative date for your gala and clearly communicate how you will handle refunds for those who cannot attend. 

Key components

• Identifying key performance indicators let you know how you'll measure event success
• Investing in reliable tech with good audio/video quality, chat capabilities, gamification features etc. help your event run smoothly 
• Crafting visually appealing and memorable content attracts audiences and encourages people to share your event
• Offering early bird discounts, investing in paid ads, and securing sponsorships help you promote your event more effectively
• Having backup plans to handle technical glitches let you weather potentially disastrous event problems 

Advanced Strategies for Optimizing Your Virtual Event Plan

New technologies like AI, growing trends like gamification, and more interactive event formats like hybridization can really level up your virtual events -- allowing you to manage larger gatherings and attract more generous donors. Here are some advanced strategies you can look into as your virtual event planning gets more ambitious.

AI for attendee matching

Connecting the optimal audience members to the right virtual events is the foundation of managing a successful fundraiser. AI tools with "matchmaking" features help you build better events by targeting the right donors and tailoring your event to their needs. The AI platform's algorithms can process the data on your supporters -- identifying the most high-valued donors and and providing suggestions for the type of activities that will appeal to them the most, such as a networking event or a webinar with a speaker they enjoy. 

You can then promote these activities when contacting your high-value donors, increasing your chances of securing their attendance and gaining their support.

Implementing additional gamified elements

Event planners have been incorporating elements like leaderboards and team-based challenges in their fundraisers to introduce an element of competition into their fundraisers and increase engagement. Virtual events have additional gamification options, including virtual scavenger hunts and even escape rooms which have become quite popular.

One virtual strategy you can also implement is offering digital badges for audience members/contestants who have made significant achievements. For instance, you can offer a "Quiz Master" virtual badge (and prize) to the winners of your trivia games, recognize donors who have made significant contributions, or even show appreciation to volunteers and staff members who played important roles in managing your gala. 

Offering hybrid galas

Virtual events are great for attracting attendees who are too far away to attend in person, but a lot of people are developing "screen fatigue" and would like to attend more events in person.

Enter the hybrid event -- a mix of the traditional in-person event and new virtual event that provides you with the best of both worlds. Local supporters can attend your event in person and mingle with other donors face-to-face in a smaller event venue. Simultaneously, virtual attendees can interact with the in-person crowd through video chats and participate in activities like auctions, trivia contests, and even concerts in real-time via livestreaming.

Hybrid events do come with their share of challenges and additional expenses. While generally less expensive than an in-person gala, you do need to invest in a physical event venue and staff (albeit it a smaller one since most of your attendees will be online). You also need tech support staff to work in tandem with your in-person staff to make sure both sets of audiences can enjoy the event simultaneously. PayBee can connect you to resources that can support you and our platform has handled many successful hybrid fundraisers.

Increased personalization

One strategy that never goes out of style in event planning is personalization. Audiences love it when you show you recognize their needs and go the extra step to accommodate them. This appreciation can be shown through their donations, as well as their favorable reviews of your fundraisers.

You can show personalization in small and large ways. Use your event platform's guest management system to collect important information on your attendees, such as any dietary restrictions (if you're planning on serving or delivering food for virtual attendees) and time zones to assess when your guests will log on based on their location and how to make your virtual event easier to attend (you don't want to schedule it when most of your guests would rather be sleeping).

Collecting information on your guests' personal interests, reaction to your event activities, and format preferences (pre-recorded, livestreaming, webinars etc.) can also help you tailor your future events to their preferences. Remember -- every virtual event isn't just a chance to raise more revenue but a chance to understand your supporters better so you can make your fundraisers more appealing to them and keep leveling up your interactions.

Interested in elevating your game further? Download Event Marketer's engagement toolkit and read their website to see how other businesses are connecting with their base to create a more memorable brand experience through better storytelling and interactive sessions.

Basic vs. Advanced Strategies

Feature             Basic                                     Advanced

Engagement     Polls, Q&A sessions             AI-driven attendee matching, advanced gamification elements (scavenger hunts, badges)   

Personalization  Personalized email invites  Tailored dining experiences, virtual events optimized for time zones etc.

Online gala        Virtual event                         Hybrid gala combining virtual and in-person event elements

Emerging Trends in Virtual Event Technology for 2025

How can you keep your virtual events on the cutting edge? Check Cvent's 2025 virtual event trends report and look into incorporating some of these emerging technologies into your upcoming virtual galas and fundraisers. 

VR provides more immersive sessions

Live streaming and video chats may help online audiences experience events happening half a world away, but if you really want to immerse your attendees, then virtual reality (VR) may be a better option.

Where many virtual events require people to view events through their laptop screens or mobile devices, VR headsets transport audiences into 3D virtual worlds, or "metaverse venues," where they can see, hear, and sometimes even smell a simulated environment alongside other attendees. 

This provides several exciting options. For instance, you could let audience members go on a virtual tour of your facilities, letting them see what your organization does. You might even let them tour planned buildings that their donations will help create, allowing donors to see the impact of their contributions. VR can also be used to for virtual museum or gallery tours, which can be useful for nonprofit museum programs. You can even make your virtual workshops more hands-on by letting participants handle virtual replicas of items in a simulated environment, making your training sessions more novel and memorable.

AI chatbots give guests real-time support

If your event staff is stretched thin, AI chatbots -- or their next generation counterparts AI Agents -- can provide your guests with 24/7 support. Chatbots can be programmed to answer frequently asked questions, help attendees navigate your website, and even share real-time updates and success stories associated with your NPO. AI Agents can even plan and execute tasks autonomously (unlike chatbots that follow a predefined script) making them useful for automating RSVPs, sending reminders, and performing data entry.

Chatbots and AI Agents can also help streamline the donation process by automating Q&A and integrating with your payment systems. This help extends to event registration and volunteer signups, which improves event mangement efficiency while sparing your staff the burden of repetitive tasks.

Caption options improve inclusivity

Virtual events already help people who may not be able to attend galas due to travel restrictions, distance, or physical disability. You can make your online events even more accessible by providing a caption option for your live streaming videos and pre-recorded content. This allows those with hearing difficulties or non-native English speakers to understand your content better and interact with other guests. Since virtual events can be international, this can be a huge benefit for your fundraisers.

Data security measures provide guests with reassurance

Data privacy and security continue to be important topics going into 2025 and beyond. Nonprofits need to keep up with new federal and state regulations that may affect how NPOs gather and handle guest personal information. This can include everything from gaining consent before soliciting on a charity's behalf or providing donation receipts. You'll also want to provide clear privacy policies that communicate how you use guest data.  

Keep updating your security measures. Password-protected event portals and strong encryption measures continue to keep attendee financial information safe and private as your guests donate. And new trends in facial recognition can help streamline event security.

Top 5 Trends to Watch

• Metaverse venues
• AI Agents
• Facial recognition
• Multilingual real-time captioning
• Virtual impact tours

Challenges in Executing a Virtual Event Plan and Solutions

We've touched on the importance of having backup plans when forming your virtual strategy. Building a clear understanding of the challenges you can encounter in a virtual fundraiser -- and the solutions available to you -- is key to proactively dealing with potential issues before they become problems.

For instance, some virtual events can suffer from low attendance, especially if your usual fundraising audience isn't used to virtual galas -- or if other NPOs are competing for their attention. You can manage this by providing multiple early teasers of your event in your social media and email promotions while also offering incentives to register early (like early bird discounts), allowing your to secure your audience.

Tech failure is another very common issue and can pop up in everything from live streaming problems to faulty internet connections. Make sure to create redundant systems for every single aspect of your virtual event. This includes having backup Wi-Fi connections, alternate hardware, and even pre-recorded content that can replace your live broadcasts if an emergency prevents your gala. 

While users are becoming increasingly comfortable with online technology and virtual events, people are also experiencing virtual fatigue from all the Zoom meetings, livestream broadcasts, and other online activities they're required to do in their work and professional lives. Offering short, engaging sessions in your webinars can help maintain audience interest. You should also look into offering hybrid events that provide an option of attending in-person or virtually.

Keep in mind that online communities are constantly evolving, and you'll want to demonstrate your EEAT (experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness) when dealing with them. Spend time on social media channels where your target donors meet. Interact with your audience and post genuinely helpful information that provides tips and insights they want. And when it comes time to promote your virtual fundraiser, be honest and upfront about what you're doing. Being transparent about your intentions helps foster more trust -- which improves your marketing efforts.

Common Challenges and Fixes

1. Bandwidth issues: Pre-test guides
2. Low attendance: Early bird discounts and eye-catching teasers
3. Tech failure: Backup hardware and software and a tech support staff
4. Virtual fatigue: Short invigorating online sessions and in-person attendance options
5. Maintaining engagement: Interactive polls and breakout rooms

Success Stories: Case Studies in Effective Online Event Planning

Many nonprofits have enjoyed great success with their virtual events. Here are just a few case studies of organizations that met their goals through careful planning.

Zapier's first online conference exceeded attendance by 422%

Nonprofit success stories aren't the only places NPOs can learn to improve their strategies. Software company Zapier launched its first virtual conference "ZapConnect" in 2021 with the goal of increasing registration beyond their typical webinar attendance rates. Surprisingly, even with their relatively high expectations, their metrics showed registration exceeded the goals set for their conference by 25.8%. Meanwhile, if compared to their usual webinar attendance, registration increased by an even more astonishing 422%.

Zapier attributes some of this success to making their registration process user-friendly. Zapier used Hubspot as their CRM of record, allowing Zapier to use Hubspot for strategic campaign outreach. Registration could also be accepted through Zapier's own website in real-time, allowing registration to stream seamlessly into the event system. Beyond this, Zapier offered attendees networking opportunities, Q&As, and downloadable materials through software company Accelevants, giving more incentive to attend the event. Accelevant also provided tech support that could answer questions within seconds and offered stand-by assistance for potential issues.

Robust virtual platform and plan helped create 40% increase in attendance 

In 2021, health concerns and a desire to look into alternative conferences led the not-for-profit membership corporation The Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) to re-imagine their traditional in-person annual conference by offering a completely virtual gathering. Initially, the group considered both a hybrid and virtual conference, but after weighing the potential opportunities, proceeded with a completely virtual conference. 

Goals included making their virtual conference an interactive event that went beyond usual Zoom meetings. The organization had production company Vario design a robust platform and worked with them to assemble keynote speakers, write scripts, create an engaging agenda, and pre-record certain sessions. They also secured sponsors and launched a social media/email marketing campaign, making sure to address the diverse needs of their registrants.

All this careful planning resulted in an attendance of 1213 guests for the 2021 virtual conference (higher than the usual 736 attendees at their traditional in-person conference in 2020). 

Nonprofit LiNK exceeds fundraising goals through online fundraiser

In 2020, Liberty in North Korea, an international NGO working to liberate North Korean refugees and empower North Koreans to be change makers, decided to shift their fundraising efforts to virtual event platforms in response to the pandemic. This proved difficult, as the group was not accustomed to managing online fundraisers, but the group was able to do a lot of troubleshooting during dress rehearsals where they spotted kinks that needed to be worked out, allowing the actual fundraiser to run smoother.

LiNK also benefited from a social media coordinator determined to get their virtual gala noticed by as many people online as possible. This led to the event recording being recommended on YouTube and appearing before an international audience that included Singapore, Brazil, Australia, South Korea, Canada, and the U.S. Not only did this help LiNK educate wider audiences about their mission, they were able to exceed their initial fundraising goal of $800,000 to $1.06 million.  

Dive into more triumphs by checking out our Case Studies hub.

Takeaways from Top Cases

• Data-driven tweaks help events run smoother
• Rehearsals are vital to spotting potential mishaps
• Wide social media reach helps connect with more supporters and raise more revenue
• Careful research and planning makes your fundraiser more engaging than Zoom events 

Better Than Zoom: How Careful Planning Builds Successful Online Fundraisers

Building a solid fundraising event strategy -- and regularly refining it with the latest trends in virtual event technology -- allows nonprofits to unlock their fundraising potential and raise more revenue while expanding their support network. As digital technology helps connect people from across the globe, NPOs don't have to rely on just local sponsors and supporters to fund their programs. Virtual events allow you to educate multiple online communities about your mission -- and provide ways for them to contribute to your cause.

That said, the very idea of a virtual gala is changing. While the pandemic forced people to rely on online fundraisers to keep nonprofits going, post-pandemic, screen fatigue is causing many people to shy away from attending too many virtual events. Although AI and VR technology continue to influence the way we experience the virtual world, people are also growing more comfortable with hybrid events that allow them to reconnect with people on a face-to-face level alongside other virtual attendees.

To maximize your own fundraising potential, audit your next fundraiser. Are your guests comfortable placing reservations with your current ticketing pages? Could your attendance be improved by promoting your event earlier via social media posts or by offering early bird discounts? Are you taking advantage of live streaming options to provide online guests with better entertainment and educational opportunities? If not, do you see any ways you could make your current fundraisers more affordable and easier to manage by hosting a virtual or hybrid event?

To get a better idea of how your future fundraisers might look, sign up for a free demo of PayBee's online fundraising platform. Our software tools have helped many nonprofits host profitable virtual and hybrid events. We provide excellent technical support and offer a network of experts who can help you in everything from gala planning to managing an auction to selecting the best hardware and software for your fundraiser. Learn more by signing up for a free demo and discussing the possibilities of our platform with our team of experts!  

Immediate Action Items

1. Set goals today
2. Audit your fundraiser
3. Research virtual technology options and trends
4. Participate in online demos to match the right tech to your needs

FAQs

From common strategy queries to promotion tips, here are some of the most frequently asked questions about developing an effective virtual event strategy.

How do you promote a virtual event effectively?

When promoting your virtual event, take advantage of your email mailing list and social media feeds to promote your gala to your existing audiences. Create content designed to appeal to targeted segments of your audience -- for instance, highlighting a respected speaker in your social media posts can attract younger demographics interested in professional development. Alternatively, posting photos of the best items in your upcoming silent auction can create buzz among potential bidders and encourage participation.

However, it's also important to expand your marketing efforts beyond your current support network and reach out to other professionals and philanthropists interested in funding your efforts. You can do this by asking your speakers, sponsors, and other business partners to promote your event on their own social networks. Since your values and interests overlap, there's a good chance that their audiences would be interested in your event. Expand further by asking volunteers and staff to inform their friends and family of your event. Again, this can help you tap into entire new audiences. 

How do you manage different time zones in global virtual gatherings?

One of the most important things you can do to manage multiple time zones is to communicate the proper time for your event in each of your promotional emails  Use tools like Google Calendar, Zoom, or World Time Buddy to automatically adjust meeting times to each attendee's time zone and discover the most mutually convenient times for all your guests and staff. 

You can host key events, like live auctions, at different times to accommodate guest schedules -- or offer activities like silent auctions that can run for multiple days, letting everyone participate at their most convenient times. Talks and speeches can also be given at multiple times -- however you should also record a lot of your activities and make them on-demand viewing so everyone can see your content.

How can you increase engagement in online galas?

One of the most important ways to increase engagement at an online fundraiser is to tailor it to your specific audience's needs. Research past successful virtual events to learn which activities sparked the most engagement and which segments of your audience responded best to certain themes. If you can build your virtual event around the interests of your most high-value donors, you can attract, manage, and engage with them easier.

Make your event interactive. This can mean multiple Q&A sessions, live chats, or networking sessions. Integrating gamification by offering trivia games, virtual challenges, online scavenger hunts and more can keep your guests active and engaged.  

What are some common mistakes you can make when planning an online event?

Not setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals (SMART goals) prevents you from clearly communicating your event's purpose to your teams, creating confusion and inefficiency. Using an online fundraising platform with inadequate or hard-to-use digital tools and software makes building and managing your virtual event difficult.

Not promoting your event early enough or through sufficient media channels also keeps potential attendees from discovering your event, hurting attendance. And even if your actual event performs well, not following up with your donors, thanking them for their support, or discussing how you can improve your virtual fundraising can hurt future events. 

To prevent these mistakes, build a solid event plan with clear KPIs early on. Assign tasks to experienced team members and focus on keeping communication channels open instead of doing everything yourself. Look at new ways to reach out to potential supporters and build good working relationships with donors, community members, volunteers, staff, and local businesses to make your ongoing fundraising easier.

How do hybrid galas fit into an online event strategy?

Hybrid galas are the next stage in virtual events. By combining aspects of traditional in-person galas with modern digital technology, NPOs can build events that appeal to both online and in-person audiences. While these galas come with their own technical challenges and frequently require multiple teams working in tandem to make sure both sets of audience experience the same event seamlessly, the cost-savings benefits and ability to sustain strong relationships with multiple generations of donors makes hybrid fundraising an important trend to follow.