Fundraising Event Ideas That Raise More
What Twelve Years Of The War Child Winter Wassail Have Taught Us
Every December since 2014 we have designed and produced the War Child Winter Wassail with Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford. These are the fundraising event ideas we stand behind, because we have watched them work.
A gala exists for one reason. It has to raise money for the cause, and it has to raise a great deal more than it costs to put on. Everything below serves that sum.
The Wassail In Figures
Start With The Number You Need To Raise
Tell us the figure first. We plan every fundraising event backwards from it, and at the first meeting we will tell you honestly whether we think the event can carry its own cost.
The arithmetic is worth seeing. Plenty of charity events return around £30,000 net. A luxury gala for 300 guests aiming to raise £1.5 million usually needs an investment of £400,000 to £600,000, and returns something like £900,000 to £1.1 million or more to the charity. Thirty tables at £25,000 bring in £750,000 before the fundraising has even started, though selling thirty tables in today’s climate is a real challenge of its own.
To reach £3.5 to £5 million the model grows again: an investment of £750,000 to £1.25 million, tables at £25,000 to £50,000 and above, and a far stronger plan for major donors, sponsors and partners to offset the cost and carry the risk. The aim is to make the event worth more. Our charity and fundraising events page sets out the whole model.
Let The Cause Shape The Theme
A theme is there to carry the message. Guests love being part of a story, and a strong creative idea gives every activity something to hang from, but the cause must sit at the heart of the experience from the invitation onwards.
A Wassail is the coming together of friends, and every year we design to honour that. War Child work to protect, educate and stand up for the rights of children living through conflict, and the people in that hall are their closest friends and supporters. The design invites them in as family.
Choose A Venue Guests Want To Be In
The setting does half the selling. A remarkable place fills tables before anybody has read the invitation, so choose the best one the budget allows and let it work hard.
The Wassail has been built in some of the finest spaces in London. At Lindley Hall, the Royal Horticultural Society’s hall on Vincent Square, we washed the glass vault purple from wall to wall for a winter gala, and we are accredited there as production partner and as caterer. At LSO St Luke’s we ran foliage and candles down the curved staircase and laid long tables the length of Jerwood Hall, with the balcony seated above.
Make Arrival Feel Like A Welcome
Generosity starts at the front door. A guest who feels looked after from the first step gives more freely later on, so we pay particular attention to the experience from the moment people reach the venue.
Our concierge service runs the front of house at the Wassail. Comfort, exclusivity and the small details all have to work together, because a fundraiser has to stand out in a very crowded calendar.
Feed Your Guests At The Price Of The Ticket
Nobody should leave feeling short-changed. Serve a meal and drinks worthy of what people paid, and the goodwill comes back to you when the pledges begin.
For the Wassail we design the menu and our own caterers, The Events Meal, deliver it. What happens in the kitchen, through service and on every table is ours. A signature drink made for the occasion is a lovely touch, and drinks sponsors who join you lend the whole event credibility.
Put On A Show Worth Staying For
The Winter Wassail is no standard fundraising gala. It takes the form of a concert, and the production it needs is closer to a full show, which we deliver every year. Artists including Ellie Goulding, Gregory Porter, Paloma Faith, Sam Smith and Mumford & Sons have played it, and actors such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Emma Thompson and Daniel Craig have taken part.
Great entertainment keeps people in their seats and in the mood to give. Keep the serious content short and frequent, with film, sound and graphics that hold attention, because guests already know why they were invited.
Make The Pledge The Highlight
The money is raised in a few minutes, so build everything towards them. An auction succeeds on the quality of its lots, on bidding that is simple to do, and on a compere who inspires the crowd to dig deep.
Every penny has to be handled professionally and transparently, and guests love to watch the total rise. Give them the space to give in their own way, and they will surprise you.
I crossed out my donation twice to add more money.
A guest at the 2025 War Child Winter Wassail
Give It Nine To Twelve Months
For a gala of any scale, nine to twelve months gives the best result. The time goes into the guest list, the asks and the experience, which all need developing. We have worked to far shorter notice, and we will tell you plainly how that affects the total.
Work As One Team With The Charity
We join your philanthropy team as an extension of it. We value the relationships you bring as much as the worlds we create, and for War Child we open our little black book on a pro bono and at-cost basis. Be Frugal is one of our principles, and our design departments are there to help a charity budget go further.
The full story of our work with War Child is in the War Child case study. Send us the cause, the date and the figure you need to raise, through our enquiry form, and we will tell you honestly what we think is possible.
Next in the JournalWhat Is An Immersive Experience?
