Planning a successful fundraising event takes more than great logistics—you have to get supporters in the door. Driving registrations and building excitement starts with a strong marketing plan. And the earlier you begin, the better your results!

If your event includes an auction or raffle, early promotion is even more important. According to the 2025 State of Nonprofit Auctions Report, 89% of nonprofits begin promoting their auction at least 61 days in advance, plenty of time to spark interest and build anticipation. 

No matter when your next event is, following these essential steps will help you create an effective nonprofit event marketing plan that boosts attendance. 

1. Reflect on and research your target audience 

The first step in building your marketing plan is understanding your target audience. The needs and interests of this group should guide your decision-making throughout the entire event planning process, including marketing. 

Determine who you want to reach with this event, then use your existing data and industry research to find out what will motivate them to attend. Analyze current donor data to understand their: 

• Demographics
• Engagement histories
• Favorite types of events 
• Giving capacity
• Communication preferences 

With this information in hand, you’ll be able to take an audience-first approach to marketing. 

Rather than sending the same message to your entire donor base, tailor your outreach to highlight what matters most to different segments and deliver it through the channels they’re most likely to engage with. For example, if your data shows that past donors prefer formal, in-person events, then you might send a personalized direct mail invitation that includes impact stories and group photos to appeal to their interests.

This is also the stage to layer in prospect research, identifying potential high-value attendees who could significantly impact your event’s success. Targeting them with tailored outreach ensures your efforts are both strategic and impactful. 

2. Choose several marketing channels 

The channels you choose to market your event on should align with your target audience’s preferences and the type of event you’re hosting.

For example, if you’re hosting a 5K walk/run peer-to-peer fundraiser, you might combine an email campaign with social media and text messaging. While you send updates and reminders via direct channels, participants can share event details on social media through your peer-to-peer platform. AI tools can even help you determine how to convert donors into fundraisers to expand your reach a step further by using predictive analysis tools. 

The secret to maximizing your engagement is using multiple marketing channels to consistently create more opportunities for supporters to find and connect with your cause. If you’re using an online fundraising platform to host an event site, that will serve as your central marketing hub that houses all event details. Link back to this site within all your cross-channel marketing messages.

3. Time outreach to align with your event timeline 

The key to boosting attendance is to start marketing early. However, the timing of your marketing plan may vary depending on your event type and goals. 

If you’re hosting a nonprofit auction, your marketing timeline may kick off around 3 months before your event, with ticket sales opening shortly after. Use this time to promote registrations, and as you get closer to the event, leverage your event software’s features to encourage early engagement. For example, with the OneCause Fundraising Platform, you can offer a live auction preview to increase interest and open your silent auction a few days early to drive extra revenue.

Regardless of your event type, breaking down your communication into stages helps you stay organized and ensures supporters always have the most relevant information. Here are a few common messages and posts for each time frame: 

• Initial event marketing: Send invitation emails, post social media announcements, and begin including your event site link in all communications.  

• Lead-up: Build excitement with countdown emails, reminders to register, and fun social posts to keep your event top of mind for supporters. 

• Day/week of the event: Focus on details and preparing guests to attend your event. Send last-minute reminders or instructions. For example, you could share details about how to use browse, bid, and donate early with your mobile bidding software.  

• Post-event: Thank attendees for joining and use tools like Dataro to identify first-time guests and new supporters with high giving potential to strengthen your donor base. 

From this timeline, build out a more detailed communications calendar with specific outreach activities. For an auction, this might include a save-the-date email three months out, followed by bi-weekly emails featuring auction items or sponsor spotlights, and daily reminders during the final week that early bidding or a live auction preview is available to join.  

4. Leverage AI insights for personalization 

From the beginning of the planning process to post-event follow-up, always keep your messages focused on your target audience. Artificial intelligence can help you do this more efficiently by quickly analyzing large amounts of supporter data to identify donor insights and deliver meaningful messages that speak to their interests.

For example, you might: 

• Use AI-powered tools to segment donors based on giving frequency or gift amount. 

• Personalize email subject lines and content to reflect donors’ interests. 

• Automatically analyze engagement data to determine which messages resonate with supporters the most. 

• Predict when donors are most likely to open or click in an email to find optimal send times.  

AI can save you time creating a marketing plan, but remember that it’s not a replacement for a human connection. Your marketing messages will continue to need a human touch with your organization’s voice to reflect your mission and build authentic relationships.

Putting Your Event Marketing Plan into Action 

Once your event marketing plan is complete, it’s time to put it into action! As you begin rolling out your marketing plan, keep track of what’s working and what’s not, and stay responsive to your audience’s behavior to make any necessary adjustments along the way. The more intentional and audience-focused your marketing approach, the stronger results you’ll see.