Designing Your Gala for Success
Oakwood School (VA) 2023 Gala
It was about this time last year that Oakwood School (VA) called me and asked LeadTeam Partners to plan and execute their first-ever Gala to celebrate the completion of their new academic wing and gym.
They had an unexpected departure in development leadership and needed immediate assistance. In three months, we had to organize the committee, hire all vendors, design the sponsorship program, create all the marketing collateral and content, and solicit the community for donations.
We exceeded the school’s financial goal by focusing on three core areas in this order: (1) Raise the Paddle, (2) Sponsorship, (3) Live/Silent Auction.
Here is the breakdown of gross revenue ($135,000+).
Raise the Paddle: 38%
Sponsorship: 21%
Silent Auction: 15%
Live Auction: 13%
Tickets: 8%
Underwriting: 5%
Key Areas
Raise the Paddle: We proactively focused on securing a lead gift to kick off the night, along with gifts of $1,000 or more. We shared a high-quality, mission-focused video during the event to encourage the assembled guests (and those at home) to support the cause.
Sponsorship: We initially focused on current school vendors and parents/alum parents who owned businesses. Sponsorship benefits were less about tickets to the event and more about helping underwrite faculty tickets. There were also the traditional perks related to visibility, like ads, logos, etc.
Silent Auction: Rather than building a large silent auction, we focused on opportunities with faculty experiences or excursions and items of value in dining, travel, and unique experiences.
Live Auction: While not our first choice, we did offer a consignment travel opportunity to provide a little punch to the event because we couldn’t find an internal donation for a VIP travel experience. The other eight lots featured sporting events, school-related opportunities, travel, and more.
Tickets: Our ticket pricing approach could’ve been more aggressive, but we wanted to limit any hurdles to join us. We also incentivized the faculty to come, which was a massive win for the event, especially on the night. Lots of good vibes! (See the faculty photo below)
Underwriting: Parents were happy to help underwrite faculty Gala tickets so that we could prioritize their attendance. We also had a few businesses opt for underwriting as the starting $1,000 sponsorship was too large for their small business.
Now, the success of a Gala/Auction is about more than gross revenue because of the numerous expenses associated with hosting these events. Being thoughtful about where and how you spend your money is essential.
I always start with the school’s mission, culture, and community expectations. And what are the primary goals: fundraising, community-building, or both? Usually, it’s both, with a heavier emphasis on fundraising.
Hosting Your First Gala
One of the challenges of hosting your first Gala is that you don’t have a history of revenue and expenses. Thus, minimizing your expenses is best until you have an event revenue/expense baseline.
To assist you, here are some vendor ranges from the Oakwood Gala. Each market will differ, and the time of the year also matters. These costs were for a late March event in Northern Virginia.
Vendor Cost Ranges:
Caterer: $6,000–$20,000
Lighting: $6,000–$8,500
Sound, Video, and Draping: $10,000–$12,000
Auctioneer: $4,500–$6,000
Videography: $4,000–$6,500
Auction Software and Day Off Support: $4,000–$5,000
Bartender: $3,750–$5,000
Rentals: Tables/Chairs/Linens: $2,500 - $4,000
Decorations & Photo Booth: $2,000 - $7,000
DJ: $900 - $1,500
Printing: $750 - $1,500
As a former Assistant Head of School for Advancement, previous Gala expenses went from $55,000 to $89,000 over five years. The cost increase was directly linked to switching hotel venues from the Hilton in McLean to the Marriott in Falls Church, better food/drink, and more attendees (50+ more). The gross revenue also went from $198,000 to $290,000 during that same period.
Main Expenses
Professional Auctioneer: This is a non-negotiable for me. Over the years, I’ve witnessed the power of a professional auctioneer, knowing it translates to more money raised.
Sound, Audio, Lighting, and Drapes: One of the challenges of hosting an event in a gym is making it feel like you aren’t in a gym. Choosing good lighting, sound, and draping makes the environment feel special and elevates the experience. Hotels aren’t inexpensive either, so if your school can accommodate the event, you’ll probably be better off hosting it on campus, but factor in the loss of gym time for your students (and AD) when deciding. That is always an unexpected cost.
Caterer and Bar: Food is also an essential expense. A sit-down dinner is usually less expensive than stations because the caterer has a better understanding of food consumption. At Oakwood, we went with a buffet that fit the school’s culture (and budget). The food and drink were solid but not over the top.
Video: Hiring a videographer to help deliver a knockout punch during the Raise the Paddle is always a staple of my fundraising strategy.
At other events I’ve hosted, increased expenses have been directly tied to a few main drivers: the venue, food and beverage quality, and use of specialty vendors.
Whatever you do, don’t scrimp on the auctioneer.
Join us on February 7 at the Small School Leaders Conference, and we’ll share more about how to make your next event even better!
