How to budget a fundraising event

How to budget a fundraising event: cost list, safety margin, ticket price and break-even, with a worked example and clearly labelled rules of thumb.

To budget a fundraising event, list every cost, add a safety margin, set the ticket price and donation targets from that total, and calculate your break-even number of guests before you commit. A common rule of thumb says an event should bring in clearly more than it costs, with many organisations aiming for costs of well under half of the gross income, but that ratio varies widely by type of event. Treat it as a check, not a law.

What costs belong in an event budget?

Count on these nine cost lines.

Venue: hire, deposit, cleaning, extra opening hours.
Food and drink: catering per head, drinks, service.
Programme: artists, speakers, sound and light, hosts.
Materials: printing, signage, decoration, name badges.
Insurance and permits: event insurance, municipal permits, copyright fees for music where they apply.
Promotion: design, printing, advertising, photography.
Payment and ticket fees: the service fee of your ticketing and payment provider.
Thank-yous: gifts for sponsors and volunteers, a closing drink.
Contingency: a reserve for what you forgot.

How big should the safety margin be?

A common rule of thumb is a reserve of 10 to 15 percent of the total costs. This is a practical guideline, not a verified standard. The larger the event and the more it depends on weather or suppliers, the bigger the reserve should be.

How do you set the ticket price?

Work from the cost per guest. Divide your fixed and variable costs by the number of guests you realistically expect, not the number you hope for. Then decide how much you want each ticket to contribute to the cause.

Worked example with invented numbers, for illustration only: suppose a benefit dinner has total costs of €6,000 including reserve and you expect 80 guests. Cost per guest is €75. If you want each ticket to raise a further €25 for the cause, the ticket price is €100. Break-even is then 60 guests (€6,000 divided by €100), so any guest beyond 60 adds to your result. If only 50 guests come, you lose €1,000 before donations and sponsors.

Which income lines should you plan?

Tickets: price times a cautious number of guests.
Sponsors: only count signed or confirmed amounts.
Donations on the day: estimate low, as a share of guests who give.
Extra gifts at checkout: optional, so plan little.
Raffle, bar or stall: subtract the cost of prizes and stock.
Supporter fundraising: money raised on participants' own pages, which is hard to predict for a first edition.

Create three scenarios: cautious, expected and good. Decide beforehand at which point you stop spending or cancel.

What is cost-to-raise, and which rules of thumb exist?

Cost-to-raise is what you spend to raise one euro. Special events are usually among the more expensive ways to fundraise, because they need venue, food and staff, while a simple online appeal costs far less per euro raised.

Ratios that circulate in the sector are rules of thumb, not guarantees; we cannot point to one single verified source for them. Use them only as a cross-check against your own budget. Your own number, calculated after the event, is the one that matters for next year.

How can you keep costs down?

Five concrete ways to keep costs down.

Ask for in-kind support: a venue, food, printing or sound from local businesses, in exchange for a mention.
Use volunteers for tasks, and check what insurance already covers them. The Flemish government offers a free volunteer insurance for informal associations and non-profits without paid staff, up to 1,000 hours a year and registered at least 24 hours in advance.
Sell online to avoid printing, cash handling and paper lists.
Reuse the same communication channels you already have, such as your newsletter.
Be honest with guests about the cost share. Transparency about how much of the ticket covers costs builds trust.

How do you track the budget in practice?

Keep one sheet with budget, actual and difference per line, updated weekly in the last month. In WeGlow, the event page shows your ticket sales and live totals, so the income side is always up to date; you still track costs yourself.

After the event, compare actual with budget and note what to change.

WeGlow Mail is free up to 250 contacts and included up to 2,500 contacts with the Pro plan (from €40 per month excl. VAT; check the current prices in your dashboard), which keeps your promotion and thank-you mails cheap.

Ticket sales carry a service fee that the buyer can choose to cover; check the current terms before you fix your price.

What percentage of the income should costs be?

There is no single right answer. Many organisations aim well under half of the gross income, especially for a first edition. Compare with your own history, calculate the real figure after the event and keep it for next time.

Should I include volunteer time in the budget?

You can note it as an in-kind line for your own insight, for example to show how much help the event received. It is still not a cash cost, so leave it out of your break-even and of the cost per guest.

What if costs run over while you prepare?

Use the reserve of 10 to 15 percent first, then cut optional extras and ask suppliers for an alternative. Never cut anything that affects safety. Meanwhile, recalculate your break-even number and ticket price so you can adjust in time.

Can Glowie build my budget?

Glowie drafts event pages that you review and confirm. The budget itself you build and own, for example in one sheet with budget, actual and difference per line. WeGlow does show your ticket sales and live totals.

Sources

Checked on 2 October 2026.

WeGlow page on events and ticketing: tickets, live totals and event pages
WeGlow features overview: donation pages, events and CRM
Flemish government: free volunteer insurance: free insurance for volunteers