Events

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Host An Event

Galas

An opening night! A costume ball! A black tie breakfast? Sure, why not? Galas can be wonderful events to show off talent, eat or dance the night away, or just have a great reason to enjoy coming together. The event can be almost anything your mind can dream up and you charge an admission (or sell tickets) to raise funds.

Ideas for a Gala

arts and craft show, black tie dinner, award dinner, block party, boat cruise, concert, dance, fashion show, food fair, garden tour, gala premiere, theme dinner, talent show, celebrity luncheon, dress rehearsal performance

What is Great About a Gala?

  • It can be combined with other fundraising efforts, e.g., auction, merchandise sales.
  • It provides high profile publicity, especially if event or someone involved is well known.
  • Participants come together, which can create a sense of community working towards a goal.
  • It's glamorous.

What Can Be Challenging About Organizing a Gala?

  • The event requires advertising and publicity to sell tickets.
  • You must sell a lot of tickets to raise money.
  • It may involve a lot of detailed logistics, including: permits, licenses, security, insurance, etc.
  • Costs to run the event can be high; therefore a minimum number of participants are needed to make the event worthwhile.
  • Tax receipting issues can be complicated. Talk to your development coordinator about the specifics of this.

How Long Does It Take to Organize a Gala?

  • Typically six months
  • Large dinners and performances require longer
  • Booking of large venues or performances may need to be done one year or more in advance

Planning Considerations to make it a Great Gala

  • Many committee members/volunteers are required to plan and run event.
  • You need a large committed group of people dedicated to ticket sales (a rule of thumb to use is that one person typically sells 10 tickets)
  • Pay special attention to venue logistics, e.g., parking, coat check, security, washrooms, wheelchair accessibility, food/drinks, etc.
  • Do your research and choose a gala that is unique and does not duplicate other events that are happening.
  • Choose the date carefully to not conflict with other events, holidays, etc.
  • Match the type and cost of the event to those you want to attend your event.
  • Consider additional ways to donate money at the event, e.g. draws, purchases, donation boxes, etc.
  • If you are serving food, you need to consider dietary restrictions, allergies, safe food preparation, storage and handling.
  • Balance costs of event and people hours with potential amounts being raised.
  • Is this event appropriate for children/families? Appropriateness of event should be made clear in advance as well as any expectations for children under a certain age not attending.
  • Beware of additional venue costs - labour feeds for load in/strike, technical charges, etc.