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Pricing tickets for your event doesn't have to be a guessing game. Yet, many new nonprofit leaders worry about setting ticket prices too high or too low.
You're already wearing twelve different hats—volunteer coordinator, marketing manager, budget tracker—and now you have to become a pricing strategist too. The last thing you want is to price tickets so high that nobody shows up, or so low that you're scrambling to cover costs at 2 AM the night before your event.
In this fundraising event ticket pricing strategies guide, we offer a pricing calculator that works for nonprofits of all sizes, plus practical formulas, real strategies, and tools that help fill seats and fund your cause.
Fundraiser Ticket Price Calculator
Ready to price your event perfectly? Use our free event ticket price calculator to find out exactly how to price your tickets.
Formula: (Total event costs + fundraising target) - (Confirmed sponsorships and donations) = Required funding from ticket sales
1. Set your fundraising goal
You didn't get into nonprofit work to become a numbers person. But here you are, staring at a spreadsheet at 11 PM, wondering how much money you actually need to raise without scaring everyone away.
Your fundraising goal isn't just "raise money"—it's the difference between keeping your programs running and sending that dreaded "we're cutting services" email.
Start with what's keeping you up at night: the $8,000 gap in your school supply budget? The emergency fund sitting at zero? Pick one specific need and make it real. "Raise $8,000 to provide school supplies for 200 children" beats "raise money for education" every time.
Set a realistic primary goal with a stretch target, as it allows you to adjust pricing or add premium options if early sales exceed expectations.
Stop guessing what people can afford and start thinking about who's actually going to show up. Are you attracting major donors who expect champagne and silent auctions, or busy parents who just want to support the school without breaking the bank?
A $150 gala ticket feels reasonable when people expect a three-course meal. That same $150 for a casual community fundraiser? You'll get crickets.
The good news: you probably know your people better than you think. If most of your supporters are working parents juggling soccer practice and grocery budgets, price accordingly. If you're courting corporate sponsors, don't undersell your impact.
3. Determine the total cost of the event
Here's the part that keeps you up at night: all those hidden costs you didn't think about until it's too late. You know the feeling—you budget for the obvious stuff, then realize you forgot about insurance, or that the 'free' venue charges $200 for cleanup.
To avoid this, calculate your total event investment by separating direct and indirect expenses:
First, calculate your total event investment by separating direct expenses (costs directly tied to the event experience) and indirect expenses (behind the scenes costs):
How The Dearborn Educational Foundation Saved Over $2,000 in Event Costs
Between their golf tournament, Mardi Gras celebration, Green Tie Dinner, and Spring Bazaar, Dearborn used PayPal to raise funds for these major events—managing everything from ticket sales to raffle systems. But the platform charged monstrous fees.
Since using Zeffy for their events, the foundation has raised $56,231 and saved $2,812 in fees—money that has gone directly back to supporting students and teachers instead of being absorbed by processing costs.
"We are able to give 100% of funds raised back out as well as cut back on administrative duties. Zeffy has helped with using Excel to keep track of registrations for events and allows less data entry into QuickBooks." —Chastity Townsend, Executive Director
With tools like Eventbrite, a $100 gala ticket would cost 3% + $0.99 per ticket, meaning your nonprofit loses ~$4 per ticket. At 250 tickets, that’s ~$1,000—your AV budget.
With Zeffy, $100 = $100 to your mission.
4. Estimate the number of attendees
Look at your past events to guess how many people will attend. If you're new, check what similar groups get for their events.
For example, if 150 people came to your event last year, plan for about the same number this year.
Getting this number right is important. If you guess too low, your ticket prices might be too high, and fewer people will come. If you guess too high, your ticket prices might be too low, and you'll lose money.
5. Include sponsorships and in-kind donations
Before you panic about ticket prices, remember: you don't have to fund everything through admissions. Every dollar from sponsors means lower ticket prices and less stress about filling seats.
Calculate the total value clearly. If you secured $3,000 in cash sponsorship plus $2,000 worth of donated catering and venue, that's $5,000 less you need from ticket sales. This adjustment helps you set realistic prices without scaring people away.
Pro tip: Don't wait until the last minute to ask. Reach out to sponsors 6-8 weeks before ticket sales start. When you know what support you have, you can price tickets confidently instead of crossing your fingers and hoping for the best.
6. Calculate the total funding requirement
Your total funding need is all the money your event must make to pay for costs and help your cause. This calculation guides your entire pricing strategy.
The formula:
(Total event costs + fundraising target) - (Confirmed sponsorships and donations) = Required funding from ticket sales
Example calculation:
Event costs: $4,450
Fundraising target: $8,000
Confirmed sponsorships: $2,000
Required from tickets: $10,450
If you expect 100 attendees, your average ticket price needs to be $104.50. This baseline helps you decide whether to set uniform pricing or create tiered options.
Yes, $104.50 per ticket might feel steep when you're used to charging $25 for everything. But remember: you're not just selling a ticket—you're selling impact.
Pro tip:
Add 10-15% to your calculation for unexpected costs or lower-than-expected attendance. This buffer prevents your event from becoming a financial loss if projections fall short.
Once you know how much revenue needs to come from ticket sales, it's time to calculate the price of the tickets.
Base ticket price = Total revenue/estimated number of attendees
For instance, if your revenue is $19,000 and you expect 150 attendees to show up, then the ticket price would be $126.
Pro tip: Consider rounding this up slightly to allow for unexpected costs or to offer tiered pricing options like VIP access or early bird discounts.
Average Ticket Price Benchmarks
Setting the right ticket price can feel like a guessing game—especially if you're planning your first event or worried about turning people away. But you're not alone. Many small nonprofit leaders struggle with pricing, often defaulting to "cheap" just to fill seats.
The truth? You can charge more than you think—especially if you communicate the impact of every ticket.
Here's a breakdown of realistic price ranges, based on thousands of events and nonprofits across the United States—all sourced by Zeffy:
Tired of the pricing panic? These strategies help you sleep better at night while still hitting your goals.
1. Early bird discounts
Stop frantically texting your board members three days before the event asking them to "invite everyone they know." Early bird pricing gets people to commit when they're excited, not when they're busy. Plus, early sales mean you can actually plan instead of panic.
1. Choose a deadline: Pick a date at least 2–4 weeks before your event. Example: “Early bird ends September 1!”
2. Set a discounted price: Offer $5–$20 off regular ticket pricing—enough to motivate buyers, but not too steep to hurt your overall revenue.
3. Make it clear in your promo:Promote the early bird deadline on your website, emails, social posts, and event page. Example: Tickets: $25 early bird / $35 after Sept. 1
The Chaban Ukrainian Dance Group offered early bird tickets with clear dates and labels. Zeffy lets you add early bird discounts to your ticket page easily. This clear approach shows people they're getting a special deal for a short time, which helps them decide to buy quickly.
2. Tiered pricing for accessibility
One ticket price fits nobody. Tiered pricing lets more people attend while helping you meet your fundraising goals—and it makes crowd management way easier.
Offer 2-3 options: general admission for budget-conscious supporters, VIP tickets with perks for people who want to splurge, and maybe a "supporter" level that's basically a donation with a ticket attached.
This isn't about excluding people—it's about meeting everyone where they are financially.
The New Glarus Chamber of Commerce uses tiered pricing to include everyone at their Beer, Bacon & Cheese Festival. They sell regular wristbands and cheaper non-drinking wristbands, so people who don't drink alcohol can still come for half price. This approach makes the event more inclusive while maintaining revenue.
3. Sponsorship-based free tickets
Turn local businesses into partners instead of burning out by begging for individual donations. Create 2-3 realistic sponsorship tiers ($100, $500, $1,000) with clear benefits like logo placement and social media shout-outs.
When you lock in sponsors early, you can afford to price tickets lower, which means more people show up, which makes sponsors happier—and less stress for your already overwhelmed team. Everyone wins.
The Associated Roofing Contractors of Oregon & SWW created different sponsorship levels for their fundraiser. This lets big and small businesses join in. They had everything from expensive Title Sponsors to cheaper Hole Sponsors, each with different benefits.
Implementation tip: Ask for sponsors 6-8 weeks before you start selling tickets. When you know you have sponsors, you can sell tickets for less money, which makes more people want to come.
4. Group, family, or student discounts
Make it easier for families to attend without requiring a second mortgage. Group discounts also help you fill seats faster—when one person commits, they bring friends.
Offer "family packs" or "bring a friend" pricing. Students get discounts because they're broke, but they're also your future major donors if you treat them well now.
Stop agonizing over the "perfect" price that works for everyone. Spoiler alert: it doesn't exist.
Set a suggested range and trust people to be fair. Most will pay the full amount, some will pay less, and a few will pay more because they believe in your cause. It's not perfect, but it's better than excluding people or undervaluing your work.
For example, the Theater Company of Lafayette launched a Pay What You Can - Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike campaign. By offering a flexible donation scale, nonprofits can attract a broader audience.
Pro tip: To implement it effectively, clearly communicate the payment options and how each contribution directly supports your nonprofit’s mission.
6. Discounted add-on packages
Boost your per-person revenue without making the base ticket price look scary to budget-conscious supporters who are already stretching to attend.
Sell extras like meals, parking, or merchandise at a small discount when people buy them with tickets. Example: "$35 ticket + $15 dinner" instead of "$40 dinner separately." People feel smart for getting a deal, and you hit your revenue goals without the guilt.
Shady Pines Radio sells camping passes and parking spots with their festival tickets. They also let people buy meals for performers, which helps the artists and makes the event more special.
7. Limited-time flash sales
Perfect for when ticket sales are slower than expected and you're starting to panic about empty seats—but you don't want to look desperate on social media.
Keep them short (24-48 hours) and promote heavily. "Next 24 hours only: $10 off all tickets!" Creates urgency without broadcasting that you're worried about turnout.
8. Flexible payment plans
For expensive tickets ($100+), eliminate the sticker shock that makes people close their browsers immediately, especially if your event falls right after back-to-school expenses or holiday spending.
Let people split payments into 2-3 installments. Only offer this if you can track payments reliably—chasing down partial payments at 11 PM because your volunteer coordinator quit isn't worth the stress.
Split payments: Divide the ticket cost into 2-3 payments with set deadlines.
Monthly plans: Allow 3-6 monthly payments before the event.
Deposit option: Take 50% upfront, remainder due closer to the event date.
9. Psychological pricing
It might sound like a marketing trick, but psychological pricing is a proven tactic that even nonprofits can benefit from. The idea is simple: prices that look lower feel easier to say yes to, even when the difference is small:
$99 sounds better than $100
$24.95 feels more affordable than $25
Round down to boost perceived value—even if it's just a few cents
This subtle shift can increase conversions, especially for first-time donors or casual event-goers. Just make sure your pricing still aligns with your mission and audience.
How to price tickets for a fundraising dinner
Fundraising dinners can be high-impact—but getting the price right is critical to cover costs and raise money. Here’s how to calculate your fundraising dinner pricing:
Total Event Cost: Includes food, venue, rentals, décor, permits, tech, marketing, etc.
Fundraising Goal: How much you want to net from the event after expenses.
Expected Paid Attendees: Be realistic and don’t include volunteers, speakers, etc.
✅ Example:
Total Event Cost = $5,000
Fundraising Goal = $10,000
Expected Paid Attendees = 100
Ticket Price = ($5,000 + $10,000) ÷ 100 = $150
If $150 feels too steep for your audience, don’t lower your price too fast—look for sponsorships, peer-to-peer fundraising, raffles, or auctions to fill the gap.
Ticketing pricing: 3 common mistakes to avoid
Pricing your event tickets isn’t just about covering costs, it’s about building trust, meeting expectations, and maximizing impact. And yet, many small nonprofits fall into the same traps when setting prices.
Here are the most common (and costly) mistakes to avoid:
❌ Underpricing to “be affordable”
It's tempting to keep prices low because you're terrified of the email that says 'This is too expensive for our family.' But underpricing doesn't just hurt your budget—it tells people your cause isn't worth much.
Low prices can:
Undervalue your event in the eyes of supporters
Leave no room for fundraising
Signal that your event isn’t worth much
Instead, offer a range of pricing tiers (early bird, “pay what you can,” or VIP) so you’re accessible without limiting revenue.
❌ Forgetting about fees
If you’re using a platform that charges 3–5% in processing or platform fees, you’re either:
Eating the cost yourself (ouch), or
Passing it on to your supporters (also not great)
This creates a trust issue—nobody likes surprise fees at checkout.
With Zeffy, you never lose a cut of your ticket revenue to fees. That means $100 ticket = $100 to your mission. Every 3% fee avoided could be another scholarship, meal, or service delivered.
“Cost savings was the primary driver.” — Prescott Dean (Event Ops Director)
Strategic ticket pricing takes practice, but the fundamentals are straightforward. Calculate your costs, set clear goals, and price for both accessibility and sustainability.
Most importantly, price with confidence. When you understand your numbers and communicate value clearly, supporters are more likely to invest in your mission.
The platform you choose matters, too. Look for ticketing tools that don't eat into your fundraising through hidden fees or complicated pricing structures. Zeffy's 100% free ticketing and registration platform removes any additional fees, streamlining the process so nonprofits can maximize every dollar raised while ensuring a seamless experience for everyone..
FAQs on nonprofit event pricing strategies
First, write down your venue costs, event expenses, and fundraising goal. Then figure out your break-even point by dividing your total costs by your lowest ticket price. This shows you how many tickets you need to sell to make money.
Think about what your audience can afford and how many people came to past events. A good way to set prices is: 60% cheap tickets, 30% medium-priced tickets, and 10% expensive tickets.
Indirect costs include staff time, marketing, insurance, managing volunteers, and follow-up work. Don't forget technology costs like fundrasing event software, payment fees, and communication tools. These hidden costs can be 15-25% of your total budget.
With Zeffy's 100% free fundraising and ticketing platform, you can avoid a significant part of your indirect costs and keep all the funds you raise through your event.
A healthy ROI for nonprofit events typically ranges from 2:1 to 4:1 (for every dollar spent, you raise $2-4). However, consider both financial and non-financial returns like new donor acquisition, volunteer engagement, and increased awareness. First-time events might aim for 1.5:1, while established annual events should target 3:1 or higher.
For fancy galas, start with venue and food costs per person. Add 40-60% more for your fundraising goal. Then create VIP tickets for special experiences. Think about what people can afford - businesses might pay $200+ while community members prefer $75-150.
Look for people who attend related events, follow relevant Facebook groups, or subscribe to aligned newsletters.These aren’t just potential donors—they’re your future advocates.
Look for people who attend related events, follow relevant Facebook groups, or subscribe to aligned newsletters.These aren’t just potential donors—they’re your future advocates.
