Fundraising Event Planning Brainstorm

Voices For Seniors is a family-led 501(c)(4) advocacy organization fighting for nursing home reform and accountability in New York State. We have some individual donors but have never hosted a fundraising event before. We would like to brainstorm what a first fundraising event could look like for a small, all-volunteer organization — including event format options that fit our capacity and budget, realistic goals for a first-time event, and how to use the event to grow our donor base and community engagement. We are looking for honest, practical guidance on what is achievable for an organization our size, and what pitfalls to avoid as first-time event planners.