Tavolina

Free tool

The gala budget calculator.

Six numbers in, two answers out: what the night nets for the cause, and the ticket price where you break even. No email wall, nothing leaves your browser.

Your event
The night, added up
Ticket revenue (200 × $100.00)
$20,000.00
Sponsorships
$5,000.00
Other revenue
$0.00
Venue + catering (200 × $65.00)
−$13,000.00
Fixed costs
−$6,000.00
Ticketing (Tavolina, $1 flat per paid ticket)
−$200.00
Net for the cause
$5,800.00
Break-even ticket price
$71.00

Card processing (~2.9% + 30¢ per ticket, Stripe’s standard US rate) is not shown because most community events pass it to the buyer on top of the ticket price, so the organizer still nets face value. If you absorb fees instead, subtract roughly 3% of ticket revenue from the net.

Planning the rest of the night? Start with how to plan a fundraising gala and how ticketing fees actually work.

Questions, answered

How much does it cost to put on a gala?
The dominant cost is venue and catering per guest — commonly $40–$120 per head with service and tax for community events — plus fixed costs (decor, AV, entertainment) that typically run a few thousand dollars. A 200-guest gala often costs $15,000–$30,000 to produce before sponsorships offset it.
What should gala tickets cost?
Work backward from the budget: the ticket must cover per-guest cost with margin for the cause, after sponsorships. The calculator's break-even line shows the floor; community galas commonly price between $75 and $250 a seat.
How do sponsorships change the math?
Sponsor tables and packages offset fixed costs before a single public ticket sells — for many community galas they cover a third to half of revenue, which is why sponsor packages should be designed before public sales open.

Budget works? Sell the tables.

A dollar a ticket, your own Stripe account, and buyers who pick their own tables on your real floor plan.

Start your event