Build Better Fundraisers
Gala Toolbox is a practical resource hub for nonprofit staff and board members who plan fundraising events—often without extra time, extra staff, or room for mistakes.
Instead of reinventing timelines, guessing at strategy, or living in last-minute spreadsheets, you get proven tools built from real fundraising experience.
We help you plan smarter, reduce stress, and run a stronger event—so you can raise more money without burning out your team or second-guessing every decision.
One Tool at a Time
Built for the people who get handed “the gala” on top of their actual job.
Why Gala Toolbox Exists
Fundraising events are often planned by capable, committed people who are stretched thin—and still expected to pull off something polished, profitable, and flawless.
Too often, that means:
Rebuilding timelines from scratch
Guessing at auction and event strategy
Living in spreadsheets that no one else understands
Hoping nothing important falls through the cracks
Nonprofits shouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel to run a great fundraising event.
Gala Toolbox was built to replace guesswork, frantic Google searches, and last-minute spreadsheet chaos with proven systems you can trust.
We’ve spent years creating the checklists, templates, scripts, timelines, and systems that actually make galas work. Instead of making you create everything from scratch, we’ve put it all in one place—so you can save time, reduce stress, and raise more money.
Start with the Right Tools
A step-by-step planning framework for nonprofit fundraising events—designed to replace guesswork with clarity and give you a clear path from idea to opening night.
Every successful fundraising event starts with a solid foundation.
The Event Planning Blueprint is your high-level, step-by-step guide to designing a gala that’s intentional, organized, and built to raise money—not just look good.
This Blueprint walks you through the structure of a strong fundraising event: defining your goals, understanding where the money actually comes from, assembling the right team, lining up vendors, planning revenue moments, and mapping the entire timeline from 12 months out to post-event follow-up.
Whether you’re planning your first gala or trying to improve one that already exists, this Blueprint helps you zoom out, see the whole picture, and plan with purpose—before you dive into spreadsheets and logistics.
It’s not a checklist of tasks.
It’s a framework for making smarter decisions at every stage of planning.
What’s Included
A clear fundraising-first planning framework
Guidance on revenue streams, roles, and event structure
A full Blueprint to Opening Night timeline
Strategic prompts to define goals, audience, and outcomes
Links to supporting tools available in the Toolbox
Who It’s For
Nonprofit staff who were handed “the gala” on top of their actual job
Board members helping lead or support fundraising events
Organizations planning a gala, auction, or major fundraising event
Teams who want clarity before committing time and money
What This Helps You Do
Stop guessing what matters most
Plan with intention instead of panic
Understand how events actually raise money
Build a solid foundation for stronger fundraising results
FREE!
Everything you need to plan, execute, and run a high-performing fundraising event—templates, trackers, trainings, and real-world examples included.
The Blueprint shows you what to build.
The Gala Toolbox gives you everything you need to actually build it.
This complete package combines the Event Planning Blueprint with a robust collection of ready-to-use templates, spreadsheets, videos, training slides, and examples—built from real fundraising events and refined over years in the field.
Instead of starting from scratch or cobbling together systems that may or may not work, you get proven tools that support every part of your event: planning, procurement, sponsorships, auctions, paddle raises, promotion, and post-event follow-up.
This is for nonprofits who want to do it themselves—but do it better, faster, and with more confidence.
No fluff. No theory.
Just practical tools that help your event run smoother and raise more money.
What’s Included
Everything in the Event Planning Blueprint, plus:
Templates & Trackers
Goal Setting / Do the Math worksheet
Event Analysis Spreadsheet
Run of Show templates
Auction Procurement Tracker
Sponsorship Tracker
Auction Donation Forms
Clerking Sheets
Paddle Raise tracking sheets
Bid Paddle templates
Trainings & Best Practices
Welcome / Intro Video
PowerPoint Best Practices
Paddle Raise PowerPoint Template
Bid Paddle Best Practices
Auction Rules & Regulations
Real-World Support
Links to all tools directly inside the Blueprint
Built for Google Sheets, Excel, Canva, and PowerPoint
Designed to be shared with staff, board, and volunteers
(Plus previews of tools and resources coming soon—sponsorship systems, board playbooks, procurement guides, and more.)
Who It’s For
Nonprofits running galas, auctions, or major fundraising events
Teams without the budget for consultants—but who still want best practices
Event planners who want systems, not stress
Organizations ready to raise more money with fewer last-minute scrambles
What This Helps You Do
Save dozens of planning hours
Delegate clearly and confidently
Avoid common (and costly) mistakes
Strengthen your auction and paddle raise
Run an event that supports year-round fundraising
Built for Real Nonprofits.
Built to Be Used.
We know the question comes up: Why isn’t it free?
Because real time, experience, and expertise went into building this—and because the goal is to save you time and energy.
You’re not just buying files. You’re buying back:
Time you’d otherwise spend creating documents from scratch
Confidence that you’re not missing something critical
Systems that help your event perform—not just look good
We’ve both worked in nonprofit roles where professional development budgets didn’t exist, consultants weren’t an option, and you had to figure things out as you went.
Not every organization can afford outside help—but every organization still deserves access to best practices.
Gala Toolbox is for do-it-yourself nonprofits who want to do it better.
Meet the Experts
Created by people who’ve been in the room
Bobby D. Ehlert
America's Favorite Auctioneer
Meet Bobby D., America's favorite Auctioneer, known for his expertise in nonprofit fundraising and beyond. With over two decades of experience, he excels at creating excitement and energy from the boardroom to the ballroom.
More than just an auctioneer, he's also an emcee, fundraising event consultant, professional speaker, performance coach, and podcast host.Bobby D. is dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations nationwide fund their missions and grow their communities.
He advocates for Event Professionals by serving on the boards of ILEA and the Long Island Association of Fundraising Professionals. In 2014, he founded Call To Auction Inc., driven by his passion to improve nonprofit events. In 2015 he won the World Auctioneer Championship.
In 2018, he and his wife co-founded Inspire Hearts Fundraising, the only Special Appeal Paddle Raise focused fundraising firm in the nation, and co-host the popular Gala-focused podcast "Heart of the Gala." Among fundraising auctioneers, Bobby D. stands out as the most experienced and knowledgeable.
Event Planner & Fundraising Systems Expert
Beth Sandefur
Beth Sandefur is an event planner and fundraising consultant who specializes in nonprofit fundraising auctions. Since founding her firm in 2012, she has had a hand in 489 fundraising events, including more than 100 virtual fundraisers in 2020–2021, and has led numerous educational workshops and webinars.
With a background in development and hands-on experience in theatrical production, Beth combines stagecraft, strategy, and systems thinking to build events that actually raise money. Her clients are primarily based in Northern California, and she has produced events across the country including Idaho, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, Tennessee, Illinois, New York, Texas, DC, and Arizona. To date, she has helped these organizations raise more than $377 million for charity.
Beth speaks regularly at fundraising conferences and has been featured on multiple podcasts. She is known for her direct style, practical systems, and deep belief that great events are built on process—not panic. She loves process, lives in spreadsheets, and helps organizations integrate their gala into year-round donor strategy through auction data analysis and smart sponsorship planning. She’s happiest behind the scenes, spreadsheet open, making magic happen without needing the spotlight.
You don’t need glitter cannons.
You do need a solid strategy & the right tools.
Gala Toolbox helps nonprofit teams plan smarter, feel more confident, and raise more money—without losing their minds in the process.