How to Run a Small Virtual Fundraising Event That Actually Raises Money
Big galas have their place. But smaller, more intimate online events — done well — can be impressively lucrative, easier to produce, and far more cost-effective per dollar raised.
We call them Parties with a Purpose--PWAP. Some organizations know them as Parlor Gatherings. The format is the same: 25 to 35 invited guests, one or two passionate co-hosts, and a tightly scripted program built to emotionally move people and raise money. Our average PWAP raises $25,000. Some have raised as much as $250,000. The return range depends entirely on the giving capacity of the people the co-hosts invite.
The PWAP belongs in your annual fundraising calendar — not as a replacement for your gala, but as a complement to it, and as a way to reach new donors your gala never will. It’s also a way to expand your fundraising reach by meeting new first time donors.
Why the PWAP Works
A PWAP is not a webinar. It is not a Zoom town hall. It is a social event with a fundraising purpose, structured around the network of your cohosts.
That is the key word: network. Each PWAP brings in a fresh audience of people connected to the co-hosts — their friends, family, colleagues, and peers — most of whom have never given to your organization. The cohost relationship is what gets those people in the room. The program is what moves them to give.
Because the cohosts invite their own circle of people, the event does not feel like a cold pitch. It feels like a gathering hosted by someone the guest trusts. That social warmth is the mechanism. The fundraising follows from it.
PWAP events work because they are cost-effective, they deepen donor engagement, and they bring in new donors that your existing channels cannot reach. They also cost far less than a gala.. Done in person at a co-host's home or office, costs run $1,000 — no venue fees, minimal catering.
Building the Guest List
The co-hosts set the guest list with guidance from you. This is not the place for a broad invitation — it is the place to be selective. The right people in the room matter more than the number of people.
Wealth-screen the list beforehand so you can communicate a meaningful range of suggested gift amounts during the program. Wealth-screening is done by a Prospect Researcher. Before the event, have a private conversation with the co-hosts about their own giving. Co-host gifts — ideally offered as challenge gifts — set the tone for everyone else.
The nonprofit can suggest a few additional guests, but the list should primarily reflect the cohosts' relationships. That connection is what makes the event work.
Running the Virtual Event
For virtual PWAPs, Zoom or Microsoft Teams are the platforms of choice — reliable, familiar, and accessible to guests of all technical comfort levels. For mobile giving during and after the event, the current leading platforms include Zeffy (free for nonprofits), Donorbox, Qgiv, OneCause, and Bloomerang — all of which offer text-to-give and mobile-donation functionality. Network for Good also supports this. Mobile giving has grown significantly: donations via mobile increased 205% from 2023 to 2024, which means your guests are already comfortable giving from their phones.
Before the event, send each attendee a small gift basket with refreshments and snacks. It is a gesture that signals welcome and sets the event apart from a standard meeting.
Each attendee should receive a welcome packet — via email for virtual events — that includes a pledge card or text-to-give link, a Facts 101 sheet about your organization, and brief bios on the cohosts and the person giving testimony. Keep it clean and simple.
The Program
This is primarily a fundraising event. The program should be emotionally charged, informative, inspiring, and brief. At a virtual event, 30 to 45 minutes is the outer limit. At an in-person gathering, allow 60 to 90 minutes.
Recruit someone directly served by your organization to give a personal testimonial. This is the most important element of the program. Testimonials must be practiced in advance — unrehearsed ones lose their impact. A rehearsed testimonial lands with weight.
At the moment of the ask, the cohosts should explain the impact of specific giving levels: what a day in the life of your nonprofit costs, what various programs cost, what your overall budget is, and where the PWAP gift fits within it. The text-to-give link or pledge card is presented at this moment and collected before anyone leaves. Guests must be encouraged to give now, not later.
Admittedly, I have heard good reasons for waiting. One donor told me she could give a more significant gift if she first checked her donor-advised fund. Another said he wanted to verify his company's matching gift policy. Those conversations are worth having — they often produce larger gifts. But for most guests, acting in the moment matters.
Sample PWAP Flow
Setup and welcome (2–5 min): Guests arrive or log on. Staff handle sign-in and share the welcome packet. Nametags or online identifiers are assigned.
Cohost welcome (2–5 min): The host states why the group is gathered and why they personally care about the organization. The welcome packet contents are walked through. The cohost introduces the testimonial speaker.
Client testimonial (5–10 min): One or two people served by your organization share their story. Rehearsed and specific. This is the emotional center of the event.
Q&A (5 min): Brief, welcomed, answered concisely.
The ask (5–10 min): Pledge cards are distributed and collected, or the text-to-give link is shared. The fundraising goal and giving range are stated clearly. The cohosts make the ask themselves — this must also be practiced.
Closing (5 min): Hosts collect any outstanding pledges and thank guests.
Day-after follow-up: A thank-you email goes out the next morning with the giving link included.
A Note on the Cohosts
The cohost structure is deliberate. Two cohosts are better than one — they share the social and logistical load, and their combined networks expand the guest list. More than two can dilute accountability.
The cohosts should be passionate enough about your mission to say so personally — not to read a script, but to speak from their own experience. That authenticity is the event's foundation. Everything else supports it.
A full description of the PWAP model can be found in Chapter Six of Laurence's The Nonprofit Fundraising Solution.
What has your experience been running small fundraising events — virtual or in person? Share your thoughts in the comments section of the website.
