Mailed and printed invitations are the best way to encourage attendance at your annual gala. Design, wording, and font are all crucial features that can mean thousands of dollars raised. Including sponsor names, event themes, and descriptions can also help you increase event attendance. Read more for tips and samples to help you create a gala invitation of your own.
Fundraising galas have always been a go-to option for nonprofits. These events can raise thousands of dollars for even the smallest organizations. They are also an excellent way to form relationships with local media, corporate sponsors, and major donors. These community partnerships can significantly benefit a nonprofit in the long run.
A fundraising gala invitation should include several features and be used to entice and excite donors about the upcoming event. This article will address what you must have in your next fundraising gala invitation and best practices to ensure your gala’s success.
Galas are sophisticated parties that let people dress up, and enjoy an evening of food, dancing, and more. Nonprofit fundraising galas are no different, with the intention varying from spreading awareness to acquiring donors to raising funds for a program. Today’s nonprofit galas can range from high-end Met Gala-type events to an online fundraiser where your guests order food and dress up in their own homes. Tickets to galas depend on the type of event you choose to hold and can cost several hundred dollars.
These events can raise thousands of dollars for nonprofits regardless of their size. Galas often include live or silent auctions, raffles, etc. to bring in new donors to your organization, thus sharing your organization’s mission and purpose. Your gala will have a better chance of meeting your fundraising goals if you can find ways to share why attendees should give.
That is where a highly efficient and conversion-optimized event ticketing tool like Donorbox Events helps! You can easily set up a fully customizable event page and ticketing form with unlimited ticket tiers for your gala event. Organizations like the one below have utilized Donorbox Events to raise over $200,000 just with online ticket sales.
Your fundraising gala invitation is one of the first things people see about your event. The importance of this marketing piece cannot be overstated. The design will be the first decision you make when creating the invite. You can include location images or design styles like Art Deco or Confetti. Once you have finalized the design of your invitation, you must include the following details:
The more information you share on your invite, the fewer people will call your office to ask questions. But remember don’t make it look wordy, lest people lose interest altogether.
Wording on a gala invite can entice donors and increase attendance at your event. The following wording ideas can be used to remind people of an anniversary or particular date, promote an event sponsor, or encourage supporters to be part of your fundraising.
We all need reminders now and then. If your nonprofit has held a gala for several years, you probably have at least a few donors who look forward to it. Adding a reminder to your invitation gala is an excellent option for a long-running gala or one that takes place around the holidays.
Sponsorships are a vital part of any gala, and one of the best ways to appreciate a company for sponsoring your event is by adding their name to the invitation. This form of advertisement is subtle and obvious and can be the right enticement to draw in larger businesses and more attendees.
One of the best parts of going to a gala is the chance to dress up and feel like a VIP. This wording can make your donors feel special and remind them the event will be the talk of the town.
The wording on this gala invitation gives it a personal feel and lets your donors invite their friends and family and fundraise for your organization.
Pro tip: With an invitation like this, you’d also want them to set up their own fundraising pages online and share them with their network before and during the event. Donorbox lets you create peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns and invite your supporters and volunteers to fundraise for you. Imagine a page where your supporters add their own pictures and words about your event to raise additional funds, the way this fundraiser did for Capitol Creative Alliance.
Set Up Peer-to-Peer Fundraising for Your Event
If your organization has reached a monumental date or achievement, a gala is a perfect time to celebrate. State the accomplishment or anniversary clearly on your invitation and entice more donors to celebrate your achievements.
Your nonprofit’s mission is the primary reason people give. This is especially true for gala attendees. By including your mission in the invitation, you remind donors of the why and will likely see an increase in attendance.
We’ve prepared a downloadable fundraising gala invitation sample for you as a reference, download it, and edit it here.
The wording is essential, but you should leverage several other things to increase attendance. The following suggestions have helped nonprofits raise more money and saved them time and effort to connect with donors.
Gala tickets generally cost at least one hundred dollars. If you expect people to pay that amount for a ticket, it is best to treat them as VIPs and show how expensive the gala will be with a top-end design. If you have a volunteer with a design background, you are one of the lucky ones. You can use platforms like Canva for free invitation design templates.
Most nonprofits will need to purchase designs or connect with local designers to create a quality invitation. You can find affordable freelancers using websites like Fiverr or Upwork.
If you’ve planned your gala invite well, your event committee may have already found a few exciting items for your gala’s live or silent auctions before sending out the invitations. Including details and pictures of these items can be an excellent way to entice your donors.
Nonprofits should create an online donation page to sell tickets, share auction details, and boost excitement for the event. The below page by Casner Christian Academy is a great example of the same.
A gala may be your organization’s primary fundraising event, so it is best to connect with and send reminders to your donor base several times. When holding a gala, it is best to send Save the Date cards, invitations, and several emails and social media reminders before the day of the event.
Remember to add your event page link so that people can easily buy tickets to your gala fundraiser. Donorbox Events provides you with a free QR code with each event so you can add it to your marketing pieces to help people easily scan and buy tickets! You can even customize the QR code to change the link, format, and size before downloading it. See how it works –
Once your organization has finalized the date and location for your upcoming gala, it is best to send out a Save the Date. These cards do not need to be much but should create a theme for the event and encourage donors to mark the date on their calendars. You should send out invitations 7 to 8 weeks before your event.
Pro tip: Any details not included on your mailed invitations can be added to your website, so you do not have to wait until you have everything finalized before sending out your invites.
It is best to include a self-addressed stamped envelope with your invite so people can efficiently respond and purchase tickets. You should also sell tickets online (as done in the example below) and include your organization’s website on the back of your invitation and stamped envelope. Donors will appreciate you adding different ways to support the organization.
Gala invitations are an excellent way to share event themes, details, and sponsorships. With the right design and wording, you can encourage your supporters and their friends and family to attend the event and learn more about your organization.
During your gala, you will have ample opportunity to raise funds and share your organization’s story. Try Donorbox Events to sell online tickets for your gala fundraiser. It is equipped with modern, effective, and easy-to-use tools to make your event a success!
Learn more about the Donorbox online fundraising solution and its advanced features to help with all your fundraising needs.
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Kristine Ensor is a freelance writer with over a decade of experience working with local and international nonprofits. As a nonprofit professional she has specialized in fundraising, marketing, event planning, volunteer management, and board development.
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Kristine Ensor