7 Ways to Grow Sustainable Giving at Your Next Event

Last week, I was talking with a senior leader at a nonprofit about their upcoming fundraising gala.

At one point, he paused… and kind of nervously laughed.

I know just what he was thinking and feeling. How are we going to make this better than last year? Will people show up? Will we hit our goal? 

The pressure.
The expectations.
The quiet question every team asks but rarely says out loud:

Is this even worth it?

💡 What if your next fundraising event didn’t just raise money for one night… but built generosity that lasts for years?

That’s the shift more organizations are starting to explore—and it’s exactly what we unpacked in a recent episode of the Sustainable Giving Podcast with Kirk Walden.

And it’s been on my mind even more this week.

I’m currently at a small gathering of leaders, stepping outside the day-to-day, creating space to think, reflect, and imagine what’s next for our sector.

And one thing keeps coming up:

We don’t need more events.
We need better-designed moments that lead to lasting impact.

The good news – events can be one of the most powerful tools you have to grow sustainable giving – but only if they’re designed with that outcome in mind.

Too often, events are optimized for a single night of revenue…
instead of being architected to spark an ongoing relationship.

So if you’re planning an event this year – whether it’s a gala, a dinner, or something more intimate – here are 7 ways to turn that moment into lasting impact:

7 Ways to Grow Sustainable Giving at Your Next Event 

1. Incorporate recurring giving into your event.
The simplest and most important thing is actually to include it in your event. And don’t make recurring giving a sideshow – “Hey, if you maybe are interested in joining our monthly giving program, please consider stopping by the table in the back on the way out.” 

No.

Be bold, and make recurring giving a core part of your event experience. Every event is different, and I’m not suggesting that recurring giving should be the only or even primary ask. If you are hosting an auction, for example, the vast majority of your effort should focus on raising auction funds. However, find creative ways and moments to encourage people to make an ongoing impact through recurring giving.

2. Recognize that events don’t always have to be galas or golf tournaments.
Some of the most impactful events are living room gatherings – as Dr. Sanjay Bindra shared on Season 1 of the Sustainable Giving Podcast - receptions at homes are the primary fundraising strategy for his charity, the GOSUMEC Foundation. 

We work with multiple charities that host open houses to bring people to see their work and incorporate recurring giving into those events. We also have clients who have hosted dinners at board members' homes or a local restaurant.

I love a good auction or banquet, but recognize that there are many different ways to gather people around your cause, including:

✅ Galas/Banquets/Auctions
✅ Golf Tournaments
✅ Living Room Gatherings
✅ Hosted Dinners
✅ Open Houses
✅ Tours
✅ Weekend Experiences

3.  Architect the emotional flow of the event. 
Every event has a flow, and it’s crucial to design it to guide people on an emotional journey. Like a great movie, we love the feeling of being taken on a powerful journey. 

For your event, consider where the energy will be in the room at different points in time. How can you arrange things so that the most powerful moment aligns with your request?

4. Make recurring giving visible.
So often, generosity is invisible. But at an event, surrounded by others who care about the cause, we have the opportunity to help people see the broader community of generosity around them. 

Find ways to make the act of recurring giving visible. We had one client who used differently colored signs to hold up with their paddles at the auction. Another created a display on the wall behind the speaker at the open house, inviting people to add their (paper) “brick” to the wall. Still another created a moment where people would come forward with their commitment, and if they chose to give monthly, they would use a different-colored envelope. 

5. Prime the audience.
To the point above, recurring giving is a bigger commitment than a one-time gift, so you don’t want the first time they hear about it to be when you make the ask. Find ways to “prime” attendees, directly or indirectly. 

Depending on the event, you can prime attendees well before the event itself, in how you position the event, and in the pre-event communications. But just as often, it’s fine to do so throughout the event itself - that could be as simple as a few mentions earlier in the event – “In a little bit, we’re going to have an opportunity to make a lasting impact in the lives of the kids we serve, but next…”

You might also make it visible, as per #4 above, so people become aware of it before the ask. The principle here is to give people the time and space they need to go on the emotional journey of considering whether to commit.

6. Incentivize conversion.
Donating to a charity on a recurring basis is a significant decision. Given everything we’ve discussed so far, donors will be considering whether to commit. In that moment, there are several ways to spur them into action – consider:

✅ A matching challenge – before the event, ask a donor or donors to consider a matching gift to double or triple the first gift of any new recurring donors at the event. 

✅ A raffle or drawing – depending on the event, consider either an exclusive raffle for a prize like a nice basket (or an item from HGA Fundraising, which specializes in securing auction and raffle items). Depending on the number of donors you anticipate, the raffle entries could be exclusive to new recurring donors (or all recurring donors), or they could be open to single-gift donors, with recurring donors receiving 12 entries for every single donation’s one entry. 

✅ A premium thank you gift – this could be a thank you for new recurring donors, and can range widely, from swag (water bottles, apparel, etc.) to something even from the auction – a trinket made by someone in the program as a reminder of your ongoing impact, or a centerpiece from the event… the list is endless.

Incentives by themselves don’t cause donors to give, but when a donor is considering a regular giving commitment, incentives can provide that last little bit of momentum a donor needs to act.

7. Have a follow-up plan in advance.
Before the event itself, ask: How will you follow up? Who on your team is going to do what? How will you thank donors (e.g., a call, a handwritten note, an email)? Who will be following up with whom, and what’s the next step, if any?

For example, depending on your strategy, you might invite some donors to a personal tour, or schedule a lunch or a visit to the donor. Sometimes events are more focused on vision casting, and follow-ups need to be set up to deepen the relationship once the donor has given, or to follow up, answer questions, and make the ask if they have not.

💡 Takeaway: Events are fertile ground for inspiring individuals to make a lasting impact through recurring giving. Wherever people gather, incorporate sustainable giving, architect the emotional flow, make it visible, prime the audience, incentivize conversion, and have a follow-up plan in place.

Want to go deeper?

But knowing this – and actually building it into your strategy – are two very different things.

It’s one thing to read about these ideas. 

It’s another to step away from the day-to-day, get in the room with other leaders, and design what this actually looks like for your organization.

So I wanted to share something we just announced:

We’ve opened registration for our next Sustainable Giving Workshop. September 30 through October 2, we’ll gather just outside Seattle at the beautiful Hotel Murano for 2.5 days of connection, insights, and inspiration.

This experience is designed for leaders who are tired of jumping from tactic to tactic – and are ready to build a clear, focused path to sustainable growth.

Over two and a half days, we’ll help you:

• Clarify your sustainable giving strategy
• Identify your highest-leverage opportunities for growth
• Build a roadmap you can actually execute
• And think differently about how moments – like events – fit into a larger system of generosity

If you’ve been asking, “How do we actually do this?” – this is the room.
Right now, registration is $400 off.

👉 Save your spot at the Sustainable Giving Workshop

Until next week… Surf’s Up! 🌊

  - Dave