Your guests already want to feel good about where their money goes. Here's how to make giving back a built-in part of your event, without adding work to your plate.
Whether you run a food festival, a comedy night, a family entertainment center, or a youth soccer season, chances are a local nonprofit is doing work your community cares about. Partnering with one can deepen your connection with guests, give your event's marketing a story worth telling, and make a real difference.
The good news is that it doesn't take a gala budget. Here are nine ways to start, from a five-minute setup to a full partnership.
How to read the ratings:
⏱️ = effort to set up (one is quick and easy, five is a real project)
💛 = impact for your charity partner (one is a nice gesture, five is a big difference)
Start at Checkout
1. Add a Donation to the Cart
⏱️ Effort
💛💛💛 Impact
This is the easiest place to begin. By the time guests reach checkout, they're already in a buying mindset. Passage lets you add a donation popup right into the checkout process, with suggested amounts or a custom amount of the guest's choosing. Name the charity, say what the money does ("$5 feeds a family for a day"), and keep the ask to a single click.
2. Offer a Pay-What-You-Can Ticket
⏱️ Effort
💛💛 Impact
Set a minimum price to cover your costs, then let guests choose how much more to give. It works well as one ticket option alongside your standard tiers, and it also makes your event more accessible.
3. Attach a Cause Add-On
⏱️⏱️ Effort
💛💛 Impact
Sell a wristband, sticker, or program for a few dollars, with the full amount going to your partner. It's a low-pressure way to give guests something to take home, and it pairs well with your other checkout upsells.
Build Giving into the Event Itself
4. Donate a Set Amount from Every Ticket
⏱️⏱️ Effort
💛💛💛💛 Impact
"$2 from every ticket goes to [Charity Name]" is easy to explain and easy to promote. Be specific about the amount (more on why below).
5. Host a Giving Hour or Giving Night
⏱️⏱️⏱️ Effort
💛💛💛💛 Impact
Pick one hour or one night when all proceeds from tickets, food, or games go to the charity, and promote it ahead of time. It creates urgency and gives you a reason to post about it.
6. Run a Donation Drive at the Door
⏱️⏱️⏱️ Effort
💛💛💛 Impact
Canned goods, coats, toys, pet supplies: whatever your partner needs most. Offering a discount or raffle entry to guests who bring a donation boosts participation.
7. Add a Tap-to-Give Station
⏱️⏱️ Effort
💛💛 Impact
A cashless donation jar near the entrance or registration table lets guests give by tapping a card. Cash is less common every year, so this catches guests who would have given if they'd had a way to.
8. Add a Virtual Tip Jar for Livestreams
⏱️ Effort
💛💛 Impact
If you stream your event, guests can give in two clicks using payment details already on file.
Give Your Partner More Than a Check
9. Share Your Stage and Your Audience
⏱️⏱️⏱️ Effort
💛💛💛💛💛 Impact
Offer your nonprofit partner a table at the event, a two-minute moment at the mic, and a mention in your email newsletter, and ask them to promote the event to their own supporters. The value of your audience often exceeds the value of any single donation. It's also how partnerships last beyond one event.
Make It Trustworthy
Guests give more freely when they trust the ask. A few habits go a long way:
- Choose a partner that fits: A pet-friendly brewery fest and an animal shelter are a natural match. Check that the organization is a registered charity (the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search is a quick way to confirm) and talk to them about what they'd actually value.
- Get it in writing: A short agreement covering the dollar amount or percentage, the dates, any cap, and when payment will be made protects both sides.
- Be specific in your promotion: "A portion of proceeds" sounds generous but can cause problems. In New Jersey, for example, ads must state the dollar amount or percentage per unit going to the charity, and vague language isn't enough. The BBB Wise Giving Alliance also recommends disclosing the share of the purchase price that benefits the charity, how long the campaign lasts, and any maximum or minimum amounts. Rules vary by state, so check yours or ask your nonprofit partner, who will likely know them well.
- Close the loop: After the event, tell guests what they helped accomplish: "You raised $3,420 for [Charity]!" Post it and email it. Guests who see results are far more likely to give again.
Where to Start
You don't need to do all nine. Pick one from each category: a checkout donation, one in-event activity, and one way to spotlight your partner. Then build from there.
Ready to add a donation to your checkout? Create your free event on Passage. Or schedule a call with one of our event experts - we'll set it all up for you!
