What are some of the common pitfalls and mistakes to avoid when planning a fundraising event?

Recruit a small invitation committee of good connectors who love your mission and understand the kind of people you want at the event. Work with them to design the event and, perhaps, bring in a special guest that your audience would love to hear from.

Determine if you are going to do an ask at the event or if it just a vision awareness purpose. The key SMART goals are attendees and giving goals.

However, keep it simple if possible. The big budget events are typically not worth it in the long run. Especially for smaller orgs with limited resources, the big events are not sustainable.

In addition to a budget, organization leaders (and their teams) must honestly determine if they can afford to pour money into building this event until funds from table and ticket sales begin to arrive.

Your event's marketing plan must be a part of your early conversations and incorporated into your event timeline. Many leaders overlook this or rush to include this as a last approach. This is an important item for your budget.

Make sure to personalize the event for your audience with both large and small details-- they make a difference. By tailoring the event experience, organizers can create a more meaningful and memorable interaction, fostering a sense of belonging and connection among participants. Personalization allows attendees to feel valued, acknowledged, and understood, which in turn enhances their overall satisfaction and engagement. Moreover, personalized events can better align with attendees' expectations, ensuring that the content, activities, and networking opportunities are relevant and resonate with their specific interests and goals. What is going to make YOUR event, and their experience at it, stick out in their minds?

Plan for an event on which your revenue lines depend early in your fiscal year. If you've spent the "projected" revenue from a fundraising event during the year and the event itself doesn't happen until the last quarter, you leave yourself inadequate time to recover, should the event not meet its goals.

Don't leave out the people who benefit from the charity. Find ways to have them invite donors, tell their stories and participate in event. Put a scholarship recipient, a zoo keeper, a museum curator, whatever it is, at each table. Put the creator at the silent auction table behind their items for sale. Expand the planning committee beyond your usual board and funding committee.

Assign at least one individual (depending on the size of the event) whose sole role is designated go-fer on the day of, because you can always expect the unexpected.