Event Planning for Non-Profit Organizations

Nonprofit events are crucial for the success of nonprofit organizations, for a variety of reasons.

Nonprofits need to impact their local community. They generally have a goal, and seek to make a difference in the community by pursuing a greater purpose or mission that’ll help people in need.

Some nonprofits help at-risk children. Some help homeless people. Some help new parents, or people who’ve recently been diagnosed with an illness, etc.

All over the country, there are nonprofit organizations doing great work to help people who have fallen on hard times.

But since they are ‘not for profit’, as the name suggests, they don’t necessarily generate a revenue stream.

This means that they need to find a way to raise funds through other means.

Running an organization isn’t cheap. And even charity organizations have running costs.

Hence, why nonprofit events and event planning for a nonprofit organization is so crucial.

Through events, charity organizations can raise the funds they need to continue helping their local community.

In this guide, you’re going to learn not only why events are important to non-profit organizations, but also how to plan events to be maximally successful.

Let’s break it down and get into it.

Nonprofit Organizations Rely On Successful Events To Cover Large Portions Of Their Budget

Nonprofit events and special events for nonprofit organizations are crucial for raising funds.

Through enjoyable events, people have an avenue to contribute their time, money, and energy charitably to help their favorite nonprofit organization.

But event planning for a nonprofit organization is still a lot of work.

So let’s break this down even further, to talk about the specifics of event planning and how it can best be achieved for your favorite local nonprofit organization.

5 Event Ideas For Nonprofits

Nonprofit events can be planned in a variety of fashions.

Of course, the most important place to start is to make a plan for what type of event you want to organize, and to then set yourself to the task of making specific arrangements to set that plan into motion.

Event planning for a nonprofit organization, including local nonprofit events, isn’t rocket science. But it will require that you at least have a vision and a plan in mind for how to get started and see it through.

1. Live Auction

Of all of the different nonprofit events that you could choose from, the live auction fundraiser is one of the best.

And if you’re event planning for a nonprofit organization and interested in learning how to plan an auction fundraiser (or how to organize a charity auction)… well, here’s what you need to know.

First off, you need to get people to donate things.

What type of auction do you want to have?

Do you want to host a charity car auction? A charity art auction?

There are all kinds of ways to do this.

But basically, you get people to donate things to sell, and then sell them at auction for a profit.

For some art auction fundraiser ideas, check out this post on artbusiness.com.

Are donations to charity auctions tax deductible?

According to the IRS, donors who purchase items at a charity auction may claim a charitable contribution deduction for the excess of the purchase price paid for an item over its fair market value.

How to plan a charity auction

If you’ve been Googling ‘charity auctions near me’ because you’re trying to figure out all of the most important steps to not just plan the event, but also because you’re wondering how to get donations for silent auction fundraisers, you’ll probably want to check out this resource from Nolo.com.

What is a silent auction fundraiser?

A silent auction fundraiser is an auction even where items are displayed for attendees to assess, bid on, and purchase.

There’s no auctioneer at these types of events, however. Instead, participants place bids anonymously, on a bid sheet.

2. Banquet Dinner

Not all nonprofit events have to include auctions.

If you’re event planning for a nonprofit organization and want to throw an event that’s a bit more formal or elegant, then you could arrange a banquet dinner or ‘gala.’

The premise for this one is simple.

You sell admission and/or a delicious, specially-prepared dinner for a certain amount of money.

Of course, the ideal way to make this fundraising idea profitable is to get the money and/or the location donated.

But when planned properly, a banquet dinner can be an excellent nonprofit event.

3. Live Concert

Nonprofit events can also be fun and trendy.

For example: If you’re event planning for a nonprofit organization and want to throw an event that a wide variety of people will enjoy, then you may want to consider throwing a live concert.

For best results, get the musical acts to donate their time in exchange for not only the opportunity to do a good deed, but also for the opportunity to sell merchandise.

It’s a win/win for everyone.

4. Marathon

Nonprofit events that involve sports and fitness also tend to be really popular.

If you’re event planning for a nonprofit organization and want to put together something for the local health and wellness community, why not opt for a marathon?

Mobile Bathroom Trailer Arrangements

VIP To Go can even help you out with this, as we have mobile bathroom trailers and portable restroom trailers for rent. We can also help you out if you’ve been typing searches like ‘portable shower rental near me’ into your internet browser, as we have world-class shower trailers that you can keep on-site for use during and after the event.

Our trailers come equipped with a freshwater supply, a tank to hold waste, and can even be delivered with a generator. This way, you don’t even need a water hookup or even electricity for world-class, luxury sanitary bathrooms on-site.

Our bathroom trailers are also fancy.

They contain multiple stalls, they flush, they have sinks with running water, and they’re even equipped with air conditioning and heating.

If you’re going to be hosting an event where you’ll have a lot more people in attendance than restroom facilities could sustain, a restroom trailer is an awesome option for making sure that there are plenty of amenities for everyone.

Plus, our trailers are so nice that they actually look and perform just like luxurious public restrooms.

No bad smell, no mess, etc.

Do you have any more questions? Check out our FAQs page to learn the answers to all of the most frequently asked questions customers ask about our products.

5. Sports Tournament

Sports tournaments can also be awesome events for nonprofit organizations.

Consider throwing a basketball, volleyball, or golf tournament.

Locals will love getting the chance to compete with one another.

Plus, you can raise money based on entry fees, and you can even get some trophies made for the winners.

4 Tips For How To Keep The Budget To A Minimum

When planning nonprofit events, it’s important to keep costs low.

Remember, if you spend all of your raised money, the event won’t be a success. Therefore, it’s crucial that you save as much as you can, so that more of your earnings can go toward your organization’s mission.

1. Get Food Donations From Local Restaurants

Food donations for nonprofit events can really help to offset the costs of the event itself.

This is especially true if you’re doing something like a banquet, a gala, a dinner, etc.

2. Use Free Event Registration Software For Nonprofits

Semrush actually makes some pretty awesome free event registration software that nonprofits can use to help them with registration for their business.

This can help you to eliminate the costs associated with buying event registration software, which is actually a really important part of the process.

3. Get Corporate Sponsors

Getting corporate sponsors is another way to cover the costs associated with hosting a nonprofit event.

For example: You can get a company to print sports team T-shirts, and get their logo printed on the back for advertising.

4. Utilize Volunteer Help

Getting volunteers to help with your nonprofit event can bring in a huge boost of labor power without costing you anything.

Plus, if your nonprofit is working toward a special cause or purpose, people will probably want to help.

For best results, put the word out on social media. The more effort you put into spreading the word, the more people will want to sign up and get in on the buzz.

In Conclusion

There you have it.

5 event ideas for nonprofits, as well as 4 tips for how to keep budgets to a minimum.

All that’s left now is to get to work.

Just remember—VIP To Go is here for all of your mobile restroom trailer needs.

We also carry bunk suite trailers and ADA trailers.

If you have any questions about any of our products, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

We would love to make your nonprofit event a massive success.