Planning a Fall Fundraiser? 5 Things You Should Do Right Now

Pumpkins. Turkeys. Leaves changing color. Giving Tuesday. That all seems pretty far away right now, doesn’t it?

But…fall is the biggest season for nonprofit fundraisers, and last-minute planning won’t help your chances of success or your stress level. You can start now and get the basic structure of your event set, leaving you plenty of time to nail down the details and optimize the elements that will make your event a smashing success.

Here’s a quick list of five things you can do right now to set your fall fundraiser up for success. (And don’t worry – by “right now,” we mean over the summer months!)

1. Lock in Your Goals and Your Audience

Before you even consider whether it’s an auction or a bake sale, know why you’re planning the event. Set goals.

We’d recommend that you set a hierarchy of goals. It can look like this:

• Set fundraising goals. This can be a percentage increase from last year or a dollar amount.
• Set registration and attendance goals.
• Set new donor acquisition goals.
• Set volunteer goals.

Then, define your primary audience. Is it major donors? All donors? New monthly donors?

Once you have your goals and audience established, share the info with your board and/or stakeholders. Having everyone aligned on these foundational elements prevents miscommunication later.

2. Choose the Best Format

There is no end to the types of events you can hold. The type of event will influence everything from the technology you need to the catering bill, so there’s a lot to think about.

Consider your community. Would they support an in-person event? One newer nonprofit chose to do movie nights on the lawn this summer…what a great indicator of community support! Consider how smaller events have been attended to see if you could bring people to a larger affair.

If your donor base is spread across the U.S., consider how efficiently your average donor utilizes technology. Very efficient? Do a virtual auction. Not so efficient? What about a peer-to-peer campaign?

Stumped and don’t know what kind of event? Start with this excellent and comprehensive guide to nonprofit events for ideas. Then, poll a focus group of donors or use a survey in your CRM. Getting direct feedback can help you choose the format and tone.

3. Start lining up Vendors, Tech, and Talent

Got your eye on that great event space in town? Book it now. Venues fill up fast, especially in the fall when galas, weddings, and fundraisers all compete for prime dates. The same urgency applies to caterers, photographers, A/V companies, and even sponsors or volunteer crews.

If you need a permit, insurance, or security, those timelines can sneak up on you, too.

Don’t forget the technology that will make your fundraiser run smoothly behind the scenes. Whether you're using a CRM for ticketing and guest management, a peer-to-peer platform for participant fundraising, or mobile tools for check-in and auction bidding, make sure your systems are integrated and tested well before launch.

• Schedule a test run of your tech tools with internal staff and a few volunteers.
• Ask your CRM or event platform vendor for a walkthrough of features you’ll be using—registration forms, donor tracking, automations, or leaderboard reporting.
• Review past issues: Did the check-in go smoothly last year? Were mobile giving links easy to access? Now’s the time to refine those workflows. Don’t wait until it’s two days before the event.

Aligning all these critical elements on a single date requires coordination across departments and partners. Get started now and you’ll avoid scramble-mode later. And you’ll increase your chances of delivering a smooth, professional experience that keeps donors coming back.

4. Craft a Good Story

Think of your fall event as more than a fundraiser; consider it a platform to tell a story. A shining example of this is St. Jude’s radiothons, in which they partner with a media company, such as iHeartMedia, to share patient stories to raise awareness and support. Someone driving to work is suddenly drawn into the story, and tapping into emotions is the most effective way to raise funds.

You can build a narrative, regardless of what your mission is. What impact do you want to have? Who or what will benefit? What is it about your mission that will create an emotional response from donors?

Start jotting down your thoughts. These thoughts can evolve into a story that’s repeated in emails, on social media, and through appeals that carry your campaigns from the fall to December 31 at midnight.

5. Build a Timeline

Last thing. Build a timeline, but build it backwards.

You’ve established your date, so consider when things will be released:

• Save-the-date notes or posts
• Invitations
• Early-bird pricing or promos
• Social media campaigns
• Recruiting volunteers
• General announcements via email, text, and your website

Think of all the ways you’ll promote your campaign, and map them out. You can even plan to leverage automation and schedule emails and social posts well in advance.

Don’t sleep on social media. You can embed micro-campaigns in a larger campaign, such as having a 24-hour push with a thermometer that you’re using to generate excitement and giving.

Don’t Wait for the Leaves to Fall!

The most successful fall fundraisers don’t start in October; they start in July. By taking action now, you give yourself the gift of time: time to secure the best partners, to create authentic donor experiences, and to build an event that feels thoughtful rather than rushed.

Start small if you need to. Maybe it’s just confirming your goals and blocking off potential dates. But each step you take now will pay off in the form of stronger donor engagement, smoother execution, and better results when it really counts.

A little planning now will ensure your fall fundraiser is the biggest win of the year!