Event management software for your fundraiser / gala.
A gala or benefit where the timing of the ask, the auction and the program drives results.
- A starting run of show for a fundraiser / gala, 7 cues from doors to close
- A 8-step planning checklist grouped by workstream, with owners and timing
- Guests and RSVPs, a budget tracker and vendor management on the same event
- Live day-of mode so the whole crew follows one run of show
80–500 guests · starts 5:30 PM · runs 3h 20m
- 5:30 PMArrivals & silent auction openssetup · Volunteers1h
- 6:30 PMWelcome reception & drinksbreak · Host30m
- 7:00 PMSeating & opening remarkssegment · MC15m
- 7:15 PMDinner servedmeal · Catering45m
- 8:00 PMMission moment / storyspeaker · Beneficiary15m
- 8:15 PMLive auction & paddle raisesegment · Auctioneer20m
- 8:35 PMThank you & closesegment · Exec director15m
A fundraiser lives or dies on sequencing, not decor. The night moves from arrivals and a silent auction, through a reception, dinner and a mission moment, into the live auction and paddle raise, and the order of those last three matters more than almost anything else on the night. The ask lands best right after the mission moment, once guests have eaten, had a drink and heard a real story, not before. Get that sequence wrong, run the mission moment too early or let dinner service drag, and the paddle raise happens to a room that has not been emotionally set up for it, which shows directly in the total raised. The planning timeline reflects this: the fundraising goal and budget get set months out, sponsors and table captains are recruited early to seed the room with committed donors, and auction items are secured with real lead time. A good gala feels warm and unhurried to guests while the program underneath is timed almost to the minute.
A fundraiser / gala that starts on time.
Event70 seeds a 7-cue run of show for a fundraiser / gala. Edit the times, owners and content, and the show clock keeps everything aligned on the day.
- 5:30 PMArrivals & silent auction openssetup · Volunteers1h
- 6:30 PMWelcome reception & drinksbreak · Host30m
- 7:00 PMSeating & opening remarkssegment · MC15m
- 7:15 PMDinner servedmeal · Catering45m
- 8:00 PMMission moment / storyspeaker · Beneficiary15m
- 8:15 PMLive auction & paddle raisesegment · Auctioneer20m
- 8:35 PMThank you & closesegment · Exec director15m
8 steps, grouped by workstream.
Every task has a category and timing, so you always know what to lock next in the weeks before the doors open.
- Set fundraising goal and budgetFinance12w before
- Book venue, caterer and auctioneerLogistics10w before
- Recruit sponsors and table captainsDevelopment8w before
- Secure auction items and donationsDevelopment6w before
- Open invitations and ticketingGuests6w before
- Plan the program and paddle raiseProgram3w before
- Confirm AV and run of showProduction1w before
- Brief volunteers and check-in flowOn-siteevent week
Frequently asked questions
When should we start planning a gala or fundraiser?
Around twelve weeks out is a sensible starting point for setting the fundraising goal, booking the venue, caterer and auctioneer, and beginning to recruit sponsors and table captains. Larger galas with a live auction and significant sponsor asks often benefit from starting even earlier, since securing auction items and top-tier sponsors takes real lead time.
Where should the ask go in the program?
Right after the mission moment or story, while the emotional impact is still fresh, and before the live auction or paddle raise. Placing it too early, before guests have eaten or settled in, or too late, after the energy has shifted toward socializing, tends to blunt its effect regardless of how strong the story itself was.
How long should the live auction and paddle raise take?
Fifteen to twenty-five minutes is a reasonable range for most galas, long enough for an experienced auctioneer to build energy without losing the room. Running much longer risks fatigue setting in before the thank-you close, which is why keeping a tight, rehearsed transition out of dinner and into the auction matters.
Plan your fundraiser / gala in Event70.
Start free with this run of show and checklist already in place.