An annual gala event can be one of the most important fundraising events of the year for nonprofits. These events are a significant investment with a lot of moving parts. When it comes to the first item on your to-do list—your gala invitation design—there are do’s and don’ts that you and your graphic design company should employ to make the most out of this opportunity.
DO Design a Consistent Look-and-Feel
Your gala invitation design is just one piece of the gala event puzzle. The design should be applied to all event materials including your website, email, and social media imagery, as well as venue signage and sponsorship materials. While the gala invitation design needs to be tied to your organization’s visual identity, the gala event should be approached as a branding endeavor.
DON’T Skimp on Design
Being cognizant of your budget is paramount, but you don’t want to be penny-wise and pound-foolish. You want the inherent costs of producing a gala event to pay off. If the gala invitation design and event branding are not inspiring and compelling, people may overlook your event. In considering the cost of a venue, the food, entertainment, staff logistics and more, you should place similar importance in your budget for the design and printing of the invitation as well as other marketing materials.
DO Send a Save-the-Date
Your save-the-date includes the gala event branding and will usually be the first thing your audience will see. This precursor to your invitation will set the tone for the event and can be incorporated into your preliminary graphic design efforts. When you are working with your graphic design company to create the gala invitation design, have them start with the save-the-date. Printed save-the-dates are nice but an electronic version can be sent via email or on social media to help reduce printing and mailing costs. We’ve seen fundraisers who share a basic, unbranded save-the-date because the final branding is not yet complete or approved. We recommend having your visual identity in place before you send out your save-the-dates.
DON’T Use a Bland Outer Envelope
Just like other forms of direct mail, your priority is to get a recipient to open the envelope. If the envelope is not eye-catching, your gala invitation may get tossed. We have seen organizations just print an address on the outside of a basic, uninspiring white envelope only to get no reaction. To prevent this scenario, we recommend several things:
- Use interesting paper
- Utilize a different size
- Print with multiple colors
- Apply nice postage stamps
- View our blog specifically about outer envelope design
DO Think About Unique Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsorships are the lifeblood of gala events, and you need to team up with your major sponsors to make sure they are well-represented at your gala. Sponsors can purchase tables, host special portions of the event—i.e., the cocktail hour or the afterparty, or organize their own separate welcome or reception area. Venue signage is great for acknowledging sponsors as is mentioning them throughout the evening. Gala journal ads can be big money makers but you should consider the amount of time and effort it takes your staff, graphic designer, and printer to produce them. Many of the journal ads have become digital and are projected on screens or on large monitors, reducing the cost and time of a printed journal. Make sure the ad space covers your expenses tied to journals. Offering sponsorship opportunities that are of interest to your invitation recipient can produce great opportunities, so make sure you understand your list and what would interest them.
DON’T Send the Invitation Too Late
It sounds simple enough, but build some extra time into your schedule so your beautiful gala invitation design arrives on schedule. Delayed board approvals, unconfirmed honorees, or specialty paper orders are common unforeseen delays. Don’t let that impact the attendance at your gala event. The invitation should be sent eight weeks prior to your event, up to 10 weeks if you did not send a save-the-date or if the event is in the early fall.
DO Utilize an Interesting Format
When a recipient receives your gala invitation, you want them to say, “Wow! Look at what XYZ organization is doing” as they share the invitation with their family and friends. Talk with your graphic designer (and printer) and express your interest in an eye-catching design. Folding the invitation a different way, incorporating your inserts creatively, or using a special die-cut can really make your invitation memorable. Your main consideration is to make sure your invitation fits in a standard-size envelope and/or it fits within postal specifications. Otherwise, you can incur additional postage.
DON’T Use Flimsy Paper
You want to capture significant funds from your constituents so don’t use flimsy paper for your invitation. For standard 5×7 invitations, you’ll want to use at least a 100-pound cover or 12-point cover stock. Going with less will increase the likelihood that the invitation will become damaged during mailing and make your invitation appear cheap. For example, your inserts and response envelope are usually inserted into the center of the invitation and can actually damage it. When your invitation package is processed through all of the postage sorting and delivery machinery, it will wind up bending your invitation and making it look like it was mishandled.
DO Use Appropriate Finishing Techniques
Many gala invitation designs use standard printing techniques. We recommend allocating some budgetary dollars toward special finishing techniques such as die-cuts, foil stamping, soft touch coating, metallic ink, embossing, spot varnish and much more. These techniques help your gala invitation design stand out and spark excitement. We apply the special finishing techniques strategically, in a way that takes the invitation design to the next level. These techniques do add printing costs to the invitation as well as some extra prep time, so it’s something to factor into your budgeting.
Most of All…DON’T Hesitate to Contact Trillion
Trillion has been creating award-winning gala invitation designs and event branding for nonprofit organizations for many years. We have helped organizations raise many millions of dollars from individuals, sponsors, and businesses and we would love to do the same for you! Contact us for help with your gala invitation or call us at 908.219.4703. We will help you make it an event to remember.
