Guides
For the people who run the dinner.
Written from the organizer’s side of the table: budgets, floor plans, seating protocol, and the fee arithmetic nobody shows you.
How to plan a fundraising gala, from first meeting to final payout
A practical checklist for volunteer committees planning a fundraising gala: budget, venue, tables and sponsors, ticket pricing, night-of logistics, and where the money goes.
How to sell tables, not just tickets
Galas are bought by the table — families, companies, and sponsors buy eight to twelve seats together. How to structure whole-table sales, seat minimums, VIP and sponsor tables.
The gala seating chart, without the week of agony
Who sits where at a gala: head table protocol, sponsors and VIPs, keeping families together, and why letting buyers pick their own tables eliminates most of the work.
Event ticketing fees explained: who charges what in 2026
Service fees, processing fees, percentages and flat rates — how event ticketing pricing actually works, with published 2026 rates compared on a $150 gala ticket.
Free tool: gala budget calculator
Guests, ticket price, costs, and sponsorships in — net for the cause and break-even ticket price out. No email wall.