The gala planning checklist
What to do and when, from six months out to the morning after.
Six months out
Set your goal first, then work backward to the budget. Pick a date that avoids other local fundraisers, and book the venue. Recruit a small committee, and give each person one clear job: sponsors, auction items, table captains or the program.
Four months out
Open sponsorship and start collecting auction items. Build your event page and ticket types so early supporters have somewhere to go. Decide whether you will have a live auction, a silent auction, or both.
Eight weeks out
Send invitations, and ask table captains to fill their tables. Confirm your auctioneer, emcee and audiovisual needs. Write the run of show, and time the program to the minute.
Two weeks out
Finish seating, confirm meal choices and print bid sheets and name tags. Test check-in and mobile bidding on the venue's Wi-Fi, not your office's. Send guests the parking details and a link to preview the auction.
On the night
Assign one person to the door and one to payments. Keep the program short, and tell one real story of the people you serve. Put the live total on a screen so the room can see it climb.
The morning after
Thank guests within 48 hours, while the evening is still fresh. Send receipts, follow up with first-time attendees, and write down what you would change while you still remember it.
Missionly's Events app is built around this work.
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