Are Your Events Serving Your Fundraising—or Draining It?
“It is important to ask yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing and what purpose it serves in the big picture.”
Every nonprofit I work with has at least one event they feel… complicated about.
It’s beloved.
It’s tradition.
It’s exhausting.
It’s “important.”
And quietly? It might be draining your fundraising.
This is not an anti-event post. Although they are not my personal favorite, events can build visibility, deepen relationships, and create meaningful moments for donors.
But here’s the real question:
Are your events serving your fundraising strategy — or quietly running it?
If we’re serious about making fundraising easier before we make it bigger, we have to look at events honestly.
The Hidden Cost of “Successful” Events
An event can look successful on the surface:
Tickets sold out
Room full
Applause
Social media buzz
Board members proud
But here’s what I ask clients:
How much staff time did this require?
What got delayed or dropped because of it?
How many new donors gave again within 12 months?
Did this event strengthen major gift relationships?
Did it move your strategy forward — or just maintain momentum?
Did you raise more money than last year?
If the answer is “we don’t know,” that’s your first signal.
Not knowing is expensive.
Events Are Not Just Revenue Lines — They’re Capacity Decisions
When you run an event, you’re not just deciding to raise money.
You’re deciding to:
Redirect staff focus
Increase stress load
Compress timelines
Divert attention from donor follow-up
Ask your board to show up
Every event consumes organizational energy.
The question is whether the return justifies that consumption.
A Simple Event ROI Reality Check
Before you automatically rebook next year’s venue, ask:
1. Financial ROI
What was the true net revenue? (After all expenses — including staff time.)
What was the cost to raise a dollar?
How does that compare to your appeal campaigns or major gifts?
2. Relationship ROI
Did this event generate meaningful follow-up conversations?
Did new attendees convert into recurring or upgraded donors?
Did your top donors feel seen and valued?
3. Strategic ROI
Did this event align with your top fundraising priorities?
Or did it crowd out major gift cultivation?
If you paused this event for one year, what would improve?
If you can’t clearly answer these questions, your event is likely operating on tradition, not strategy.
The Emotional Attachment Trap
Here’s the harder part.
Events often survive because:
“We’ve always done it this way.”
A board member loves it.
It’s visible.
It feels productive.
It’s easier to sell tickets than to make major gift asks.
Volume feels safer than vulnerability.
But ticket sales are not the same as fundraising depth.
And if your team is overwhelmed, burned out, or behind on follow-up — your event calendar may be part of the reason.
When Events DO Make Sense
Events are powerful when they:
Serve as a cultivation step in a larger donor journey
Support major gift strategy
Strengthen board engagement meaningfully
Create new relationship entry points with a clear follow-up plan
Generate net revenue that truly moves the needle
The key phrase there is: clear follow-up plan.
Without one, events are just expensive parties.
Final Thought
Your events should serve your fundraising strategy.
Not consume it.
Not distract from it.
Not exhaust the people responsible for it.
You are allowed to evaluate your sacred cows.
You are allowed to prioritize sustainability over spectacle.
And you are allowed to choose fundraising that builds momentum — not just moments.
