Successful fundraising isn't just about having great auction items or asking people to donate
It's about making participation easy, engaging and memorable.
Whether you're organising a charity gala, school fundraiser, community event or virtual campaign, the way supporters interact with your fundraiser can have a significant impact on the amount you raise. Small improvements, like making donations more visible, simplifying navigation or encouraging guests to give one more time, can translate into thousands of dollars in additional revenue.
In this guide, you'll discover how to make the most of GalaBid's built-in fundraising tools to create a smoother, more engaging experience for your supporters—and maximise every fundraising opportunity.
You'll learn:
- How to keep guests engaged throughout your event with live Projector Displays
- Why a custom Homepage helps guide supporters to your most important fundraising activities
- How to turn unsuccessful auction bidders into donors with automated post-auction notifications
- Why digital Pledge Drives are one of the most effective ways to boost donations
- Practical examples of how each feature can be used at real fundraising events
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1. Projector Displays
One of the biggest challenges at any live fundraising event is maintaining momentum throughout the evening. Guests naturally become distracted between courses, speeches and fundraising activities, so it's important to keep your cause visible and your fundraising front of mind.
GalaBid's Projector Displays transform live fundraising into a shared experience by displaying real-time campaign information on screens around your venue. As donations come in and fundraising milestones are reached, guests can immediately see the collective impact they're making together, helping build excitement and encouraging further participation.
Projector Displays include a range of live fundraising tools, including:
- Target Donation Amount to show supporters the fundraising goal.
- Customisable Donations Thermometer that fills as donations are received.
- Event Countdown Timer to create urgency before your auction or appeal closes.
- Donation Notifications displaying each donor's name (if permitted) and donation amount in real time.
- Total Raised Tracker showing fundraising progress across your selected campaign activities.
- Honour Roll featuring a scrolling list of supporters throughout the event.
How it can help: During a Fund-a-Need appeal, guests watch the fundraising thermometer climb towards the night's target while new donations appear instantly on screen. Seeing the total rise often inspires others to contribute and help reach the goal.
2. Create an Effective Homepage
Every fundraising campaign has one or two actions you most want supporters to take. Perhaps it's making a donation, browsing your silent auction or purchasing raffle tickets. If guests have to search for those pages, there's always a chance they'll lose momentum before they get there.
A customised GalaBid Homepage acts as the central hub for your campaign, allowing you to guide supporters directly to your most important fundraising activities from the moment they register.
Using GalaBid's Branding tools, you can create personalised homepage widgets featuring your own images, colours and messaging. Each widget links directly to a fundraising activity, external webpage or donation page, helping supporters find what they're looking for with just one click.
Because every registered participant visits your homepage, it's the perfect place to highlight the activities you most want people to engage with.
How it can help: A school fundraiser could feature three large homepage buttons labelled Donate Now, Browse the Silent Auction and Buy Raffle Tickets, making it immediately clear how parents can support the event.
3. Promote Item Notifications
One of the biggest missed fundraising opportunities happens after the Silent Auction closes.
Guests who didn't win an item have already demonstrated they're willing to support your cause. Rather than ending their fundraising journey there, GalaBid helps you encourage those supporters to make a donation instead.
When your silent auction ends, GalaBid automatically sends winning bidders a notification congratulating them and directing them to pay their invoice.
At the same time, you can send a different message to unsuccessful bidders, thanking them for taking part and inviting them to continue supporting your cause by making a donation.
Using the Promote Item feature, you can:
- Link directly to a selected donation item.
- Personalise your message.
- Send notifications via SMS or email.
- Encourage additional giving without any manual follow-up.
How it can help: A guest narrowly misses out on winning an auction package. Moments later, they receive a personalised message thanking them for their support and inviting them to contribute $50 towards your fundraising appeal. It's a simple way to turn disappointed bidders into donors.
4. Host a Digital Pledge Drive
Sometimes the most successful fundraising activity isn't an auction at all - it's simply asking supporters to give.
A pledge drive (also known as a Fund-a-Need or donation appeal) gives every guest the opportunity to contribute at a level that's meaningful to them. Because there's no competition and no prize involved, it's one of the most inclusive fundraising activities you can run and often becomes one of the highest-earning moments of the evening.
With GalaBid, pledge drives can be hosted at in-person events, virtual fundraisers or hybrid campaigns.
Supporters can either:
- Make an instant online payment during the appeal.
- Submit a pledge to pay later.
All payments are processed through GalaBid's secure payment gateway, giving organisers and donors confidence that every transaction is handled safely.
How it can help: During a live fundraising appeal, your host invites guests to give at different donation levels. As each pledge is recorded, the fundraising thermometer updates in real time, creating excitement and encouraging others to join in until the campaign reaches its target.
Make Every Fundraising Opportunity Count
Successful fundraising isn't about asking people to give more, it's about making it easier and more engaging for them to support your cause.
Features like live Projector Displays, custom Homepages, post-auction donation prompts and digital Pledge Drives help remove friction, keep supporters engaged and create more opportunities for donations throughout your event.
Whether you're planning your first fundraiser or looking to improve an event you've run for years, small enhancements to the supporter experience can make a meaningful difference to your fundraising results.
To see these features in action, watch thevideo above and discover how GalaBid can help you create a more engaging fundraising experience.