If you’re in the Nonprofit space you’ve probably seen it a thousand times. The event flyer is flawless. The theme is poignant. The small chops and jollof rice are ready, the Hall is rented, and the guests are arriving in troops. There’s laughter, networking, and heartfelt speeches and the event is, by all social metrics, a huge success.

Then Monday morning comes. The venue and vendors need to be paid. You do quick calculations and tally the donations against the costs of the event itself. Ghegeun, the accounts are in the red. The promised pledges have not began to come in and who knows when they’ll come in. You’re left with a gallery of pictures for Instagram and a sinking feeling: Was it all for nothing?

This isn’t a unique Nigerian story; it’s a continental sigh of frustration. Across Africa, NGOs are locked in a constant struggle to mobilise resources, making fundraising one of our most persistent challenges. And in the search for solutions, the fundraising event has become the go to tactic. But when the music fades and the plates are cleared, why is there so often a deafening silence where the donations should be?

Let’s cut the small chops and talk about the real meat of the issue.

The Illusion of Attendance vs. The Reality of Commitment

The thing is a full seat does not equivate a full purse. We often mistake a good turnout for fundraising success. In reality, many attendees see a fundraising event as just that, an event. A social gathering, a networking opportunity, a chance to be seen supporting a cause. The donation is an optional entry fee, not the primary objective. Even as a volunteer myself I felt it was just a time to unwind and you know socialize.

A Vendor’s Perspective:

“I’ve worked with dozens of NGOs. The ones that succeed are the ones who budget for the event separately. They see the event cost as a marketing and stewardship expense, not something that will be covered by the donations at the event. The ones that fail are the ones who hope the day’s proceeds will cover my invoice. That’s a very dangerous gamble.”

Another quick maths. If you spend ₦500,000 to host 100 people, each guest needs to donate ₦5,000 just for you to break even before a single kobo goes to your actual program. How many of those 100 people are truly prepared to give that?

The Purchasing Power Issue and Number Games

This is the core of the issue. The average well meaning young Nigerian, even ones with good jobs, are battling inflation, rising costs, you know, the whole “Balablu” economy. Asking them for a ₦50,000 donation at an event is a huge ask, how much gan is minimum wage again. So they give what they can: ₦5,000, ₦2,000, sometimes even ₦500.

This is not a reflection of their belief in your cause; it’s a reflection of their reality. To raise significant funds from a live audience, you need a massive number of people, or you need to attract the few for whom ₦50,000 is a minor expense. Most events achieve neither, stuck between a moderate attendance with minimal donations, saving cost or massive attendance with potentially larger donations and spending more.

An Attendee’s POV:

“I love supporting my friends’ causes. I go to show solidarity. But honestly, after budgeting for transport or fuel, and maybe buying a ticket, my donation might be small. I assume the big companies and ‘big men’ in the room will cover the large sums. It seems that’s what everyone assumes.”

Is It Only for Influencers and Celebrities?

This is where people have it wrong, it’s not only for them, but compared to you and me they have a colossal advantage: a huge social audience and that immense trust capital. When a celebrity hosts a fundraiser, their followers aren’t just donating to a cause; they are investing in a relationship with the celebrity. The celebrity’s brand is the collateral, (think Davido’s 250M fundraising on his birthday in 2021). They can bypass that initial credibility hurdle that small NGOs spend years building.

For the rest of us, credibility isn’t given; it’s painstakingly earned. It’s built through:

• Well documented past programs showcasing tangible impact, not just emotional appeals.
• A visible professional brand, you know the usual, an active Instagram page, a functional website, matching t-shirts, proper legal documentation. All these signal competence and longevity.
• A charismatic and connected leader, a CEO who can interact with anyone and possesses social grace is not a bonus; he/she is a critical asset. They doesn’t just meet people, they meets the right people—those with both the heart and the financial capacity to give.

So, Do Fundraising Events Ever Work? Here are some Crazy Ideas.

Yes, but only when they are reimagined. That old model of “come, eat, listen, and give” is broken. The event shouldn’t be the ask; it should be the platform for the ask, which began months prior.

The Golden Rule (They said I should Emphasize this twice!): Start fundraising super early before the program date. The event is the climax, not the starting line.

Here are some “crazy” ideas to break the cycle:

The Noevent Fundraiser: Save every penny you would have spent on venue and small chops. Pour it into a powerful, documentary video of your past work. Launch a 30 day digital campaign targeting corporates and high networth individuals directly, using the video as your centerpiece. The ROI will almost certainly be higher.

The Transparency tank: Host a live stream where you present your budget for the upcoming program line by line. Invite potential donors to adopt a line item. “Who will fund the ₦300,000 for learning materials for 100 girls?” This turns abstract donation into tangible sponsorship.

Skill based Auction: Instead of asking for cash, auction off the skills of your board members and membrs. “Lunch with a CEO,” “A strategic PR consultation from a top exec,” “A weekend coding bootcamp from a tech lead.” This provides direct value to the bidder and often unlocks larger sums than straight donations.

A Challenge Grant Model: Long before any event, secure a large donor to pledge a significant amount as a challenge grant. Then, your event’s goal is not to raise the full amount, but to unlock that large grant by hitting a smaller, more achievable target from the audience. This will create an urgency within the team and a sense of collective achievement.

Volunteer production house: Founders please stop just using volunteers for logistics. Just like the skill based auction, mobilize their professional skills to create value. Organize your writers, editors, and designers to produce and sell an anthology of stories related to your cause. Have your skilled marketers offer affordable social media audits to small businesses.

In Conclusion: Your 7 Point Checklist

From experience, if your fundraiser fails, one of these seven elements was likely missing:

1. Extremely Early Start: Begin cultivation and asking months in advance.
2. Extremely Early Start: This comes twice because it is way too important
3. Targeting the Right People: Purposefully engaging those with financial capacity, not just good intentions.
4. Leveraging Past Success: Using documented impact as your strongest testimony.
5. A Charismatic Lead: A fundraiser with the social grace to build genuine relationships.
6. A Relatable Cause: A mission that resonates deeply on a human level.
7. Iron Clad Discipline: The consistency to keep driving even when results are slow.

The work you do is too important to be funded by leftover small chops money. It’s time to change the menu.

Special thanks to the Reddit experts that gave me invaluable knowledge in writing this piece.