Planning an event for a charitable cause is a great way to bring people together while raising money or awareness for something that matters. Whether you are planning the event for a local community project, medical research, or a national organisation, a well-organised charity event can make a real difference, not just to a specific community, but to our society as a whole.

If you are planning a charity event and want to create the most impact, look no further! In this guide, we will break down the steps to help you plan your event, from start to finish. Before we dive in, let’s have a look at the various types of charity events, to help you identify the format that will suit your event the best.

Types of Charity Events

The type of event you choose can make a big difference to how people respond and the impact it creates. Some events are formal and suited to larger budgets, while others are easy to organise and work well in local settings. The key is to choose something that fits your audience, goals and resources.

Here are some popular charity event types to consider:

Gala Dinners or Fundraising Balls

These are formal events often held in hotels, banquet halls or function spaces. They usually include a meal, entertainment and multiple speeches. You can choose to offer tickets to the guests for a suitable ticket price, based on the seating arrangement, or ask them to pledge donations during the evening through raffles, auctions or pledges.

Sponsored Walks, Runs or Rides

These allow individuals to raise money through sponsorship while taking part in an activity, such as a marathon or bike ride across the town. They’re often easy to organise, help raise awareness for a cause and bring people together for a shared goal.

Community Fairs or Fun Days

These types of events include games, food, music, and local stalls. They tend to attract the largest crowd, usually families, and are often organised in parks or community halls.

Charity Auctions

Charity auctions primarily rely on auctioning off assets or prized items to raise money for a noteworthy cause. The guests are invited to place bids in an open and transparent manner, to encourage the highest bids and raise the most amount of funds. These types of events can be organised in person, as a live event, or online through a digital platform, as a virtual event.

Online Fundraising Events

Online fundraising events, such as virtual quizzes or raffles, are a great, budget-friendly option, if you want to raise funds without hiring a venue and involve people who can’t attend in person.

Music Nights or Concerts

Needless to say, music concerts can be one of the best ways to help raise funds and public awareness for a cause, at the same time. Ticket sales, bar profits or donations collected during the event can help raise financial support for the cause, while the posters and other memorabilia help get the word out and make the most impact in the long run. These are great, if you are targeting youth or music-loving audiences.

Game Nights

Held in pubs, community clubs or halls, game nights bring people of a community together and encourage friendly competition. These types of events are easy to organise and require minimal equipment.

Sports Tournaments or Matches

Football, cricket, or other team sports can be used to raise money through entry fees or ticket sales for spectators. The amount of funds you can raise will depend upon the location of the venue, the popularity of the sport and the scale of the competition.

How to Organise a Charity Event

Step 1: Define Your Purpose and Goals

Before you do anything else, it helps to be clear about why you’re holding the event. Ask yourself what you want to achieve. Are you trying to raise a specific amount of money? Do you want to increase awareness about a cause? Maybe it’s about bringing people together and building community support. All of these are valid aims, but the more focused you are, the easier it becomes to plan.

Write down your main goals in simple terms. For example:

• Raise £25,000 through ticket sales, donations, and auctions to fund a new community shelter.
• Recruit 100 new volunteers to support upcoming projects and ongoing operations, or help spread awareness about the charity’s work.
• Sell 500 tickets to a music concert in advance to hire bands and performers, while donating the rest to a known cause.
• Raise £5,000 for a local children’s hospice.
• Secure at least 5 new corporate sponsors to support future campaigns.

Step 2: Know Your Target Audience

Think about your target audience. Are they young adults, parents with children, working professionals, older audiences, business owners or a mix? Once you have a clearer picture of your target audience, you can shape the event to suit their interests and preferences.

For example:

• If your supporters are mostly young adults, a music night or game night could be a great option.
• If they are families, a daytime fair with food stalls and games might be more suitable.
• If your aim is to reach business owners or professionals for sponsorships, a gala dinner event could work well.

Knowing your audience also helps when it comes to pricing, promotion and even the tone you use in your messaging. The better you tailor your event to the people who are most likely to support it, the more successful it is likely to be.

Step 3: Set a Realistic Budget

One of the most important aspects of planning any event is finalising the budget. Even if the aim is to raise money, you will need some budget to organise the event, especially on things like:

• Hiring a venue
• Food and drinks
• Equipment (tables, chairs, speakers, etc.)
• Decorations and signage
• Licences and insurance
• Entertainment or guest speakers
• Marketing material
• Printing costs (tickets, flyers, banners)

Once you have a rough figure, see where you can reduce costs through donations or sponsorships. Local businesses may be happy to give products or services for free in return for promotion. Hiring volunteers might also help you save some money on staffing.

Make sure to include a bit of a buffer for unexpected expenses. It’s better to overestimate the budget slightly than run out of it halfway through.

Step 4: Choose the Right Event Format and Venue

The type of event you are planning will help decide on the kind of venue you need, so carefully consider the event format first. Will it be a hybrid event or only in person? Is it going to be formal or informal? Will it run during the day or in the evening? How many people have shown interest in attending the event, so far?

Based on the nature of your event, your target audience, your budget and the estimated number of guests, you can decide on which type of venue suits your event the best. Here are some of the options you could choose from:

• A local hall or community centre
• A school or college auditorium
• A company’s conference room
• A public park or green space
• A private garden or home
• An online event through a video platform

Make sure the venue is easy to reach and has any facilities you might need, such as toilets, wheelchair access, WiFi or parking space. Consider the time of year too, since outdoor spaces are great in summer, but may not be ideal in colder or wetter months.

If you’re planning a larger event, check whether you’ll need any special licences or permissions. It’s also worth confirming what services the venue provides, such as dining arrangements or AV setup, and what you will need to arrange yourself.

Step 5: Assemble the Right Team

Even a small event can feel like a lot to handle, especially if you’re doing it alone. Getting the right people involved can make a big difference to how smoothly everything runs and, eventually, the success of the event.

Consider the key areas you may need help with:

• Overall event planning and coordination
• Setting up the venue
• Managing the budget
• Running activities on the day
• Looking after guests
• Promotions and marketing

You don’t always need a huge team, but it does help to match people’s skills to the right roles. Someone who’s well-organised might be perfect for logistics, while someone who’s friendly and outgoing could be good at handling guests or social media. Just make sure everyone knows what they’re responsible for, and check in regularly, so that nothing important gets missed.

Step 6: Get Sponsors and Partners On Board

Sponsorships and partnerships can ease the financial pressure and also help raise awareness about your event. Many local businesses are happy to support charitable efforts, when it highlights their positive role in the welfare of the community.

Start by identifying businesses or organisations that align with your cause or are based nearby. Approach them with a clear idea of what you are looking for. In return, offer them something of value, such as:

• Their logo on your event materials
• A mention in your social media posts
• A thank-you speech or shout-out during the event
• A chance to include their leaflets in guest bags

Step 7: Promote the Event Effectively

Promoting the event to the right audience segment can make all the difference when it comes to getting people to attend your event. Start the promotional campaigns early and keep spreading the word right up until the day of the event itself.

Here are some ways to promote your event:

• Create a clear, eye-catching poster or digital flyer
• Share updates on social media, including behind-the-scenes content
• Ask friends, supporters, and local groups to spread the word
• Contact your local newspaper, magazine or community radio
• Put up posters in shops, schools, cafés and community centres
• Run a digital ad campaign
• Send an email invite to your contacts or mailing list

Make sure all your messages include the key details: the cause, the date, the time, the location and how people can attend or participate. If people need to book tickets or register, make the process as easy and smooth as possible.

Step 8: Manage Logistics and On-the-Day Planning

When the big day arrives, you want everything to go perfectly. The best way to ensure that is to prepare well in advance and review the plan with your team.

Make a checklist that includes:

• Arrival times for volunteers and staff
• Setup instructions for tables, signs and equipment
• A full schedule of what’s happening and when
• Names and contact numbers for key people
• Emergency procedures and first aid arrangements
• A point person for each main area of the event

Assign someone to welcome guests and answer their questions. It also helps to have a few volunteers to deal with unexpected issues and make sure everything runs smoothly. Make sure food and drink suppliers, entertainers, and speakers know their timings.

If your event is outdoors, have a plan just in case the weather turns bad unexpectedly. Even something as simple as a few pop-up gazebos or a backup indoor space can save the day.

Final Thoughts

After the event, thank everyone involved with a quick message and share key highlights from the event, like photos or the total funds raised. Let people know how their support will be used, and ask for feedback to help improve future events.

If you are planning a charity event and want it to be professionally organised, Purple Patch is here to help. We have delivered memorable event experiences for clients across the UK and have a team of event planners that can support you at every stage, from planning and logistics to creative design and execution.

Whether you’re organising a fundraising gala, charity dinner, auction, game night, or virtual fundraiser, we have the experience and expertise to make it happen. To learn more about how we can help, get in touch with us today!