Event Fundraising in 2026: Events Are Back & What the Data Tells Us

Events are back! According to data from 2025, 51% of nonprofits that held in-person or hybrid events met fundraising goals. Among nonprofits that held no events, only 9% hit their financial targets.

When we wrote about events last year, the story was still about recovery. This year, we’ve moved from luring people back to events and donors desiring face-to-face connections. Donors are voting with their feet and showing up for events. Per the Chronicle of Philanthropy, 44% of the nonprofit leaders they polled said that their donors attended in-person events.

‍While hybrid events continue to hold value, especially for geographic reach, people are voting with their feet. Donors are tired of virtual formats and want to show up, hear stories, meet other supporters, and see what your organization is doing in person.

If you are building your annual event strategy around digital-only formats, you are missing a lot of fundraising potential. Just in time for the spring fundraising event season to start, here’s what the research shows.

Peer-to-Peer Events Recover

‍It’s been a rough few years for walks, ride events, and team fundraising. It looks like the trends are changing. Last year, the top 30 peer-to-peer fundraising events reported that they raised $1.17 billion, an increase of 3.4% from 2024. Participation also increased by 3.6% to over 2.5 million individuals. While we have yet to return to 2019 levels, the rate of growth is promising. These numbers suggest growth is stabilizing and sustainable compared to the boom-and-bust cycle of the first few years after the pandemic.

What does this mean for organizations? This stabilization indicates that it’s safe to invest in participation experience, team recruitment, software upgrades, and post-event conversion activities.

What Galas Are Looking Like Now

‍Traditional galas are getting a makeover. Across the nonprofit sector, event planners are moving towards immersive experiences such as art installations, live storytelling, and interactive elements that connect attendees to the mission rather than just putting them in front of a podium or a boring dinner. Galas in 2026 are also trying gamifying by giving live fundraising leaderboards, donation-based raffles, and table-versus-table giving challenges while real-time donation displays drive engagement on the floor.

Events are also prioritizing sustainability with eco-friendly décor, locally sourced catering, and digital-first communications in place of printed materials.

Technology offers more flexible giving options with QR codes, mobile payment options, and on-the-spot recurring giving pledges. These reduce hesitation at the moment a donor is most motivated to give. Remember: the easier the path, the higher the conversion.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently reported that smaller, curated events are preferred for their major donors. By being selective with their audience and program, they can raise more. Shorter is better with a 90-minute preference.

Corporate sponsorships also reflect a shift in event fundraising. New flexible sponsorship packages allow organizations more leeway to partner and be involved. Often, outreach and connections come through a board member having an existing relationship rather than cold approaches.

While the gala is a bulwark of nonprofit fundraising and philanthropy, a few key changes can make it much more successful for your organization.

Your Event Data Is an Asset. Use It.

Event data is a treasure trove, but fundraisers rarely use it or attempt to capture it. Guest lists, auction behavior, table host relationships, ticket purchase timing, and email engagement in the weeks following an event all tell a story about donor interest and capacity. Every data point generated by your event holds valuable insight. When nonprofits capture and use that information, they can increase retention, drive larger gifts, and build long-term relationships with new attendees.

How do you do this? With a CRM like Julep, you track every detail in the event planning process, from ticket sales to meal preferences to how guests are connected to table hosts. These small details add up over time and help you convert these event attendees into long-term donors.

Remember the key to reducing donor churn is to get that second donation. Being able to follow up and recount that your donor was the guest of one of your board members goes a long way towards earning that second gift. When you fail to log this information, these guests become one-time only. While donations increased last year, we are losing donors. Events are a key opportunity to increase your donor base and convert first-time attendees by logging these tidbits of information.

Where to Focus the Rest of 2026

‍The data indicates in-person events and hybrid events are back to stay and perform better than online-only ones. Peer-to-peer fundraising is stabilizing, and gala events are getting a makeover to make them more local, sustainable, and tech-focused. Most importantly, organizations that can capture critical data at every point in the event planning process are able to build durable relationships with these key stakeholders.

If you are planning your fall calendar now, Julep's Event Fundraising Checklist is a good place to start, and the event data post on our blog walks through exactly what to capture and how to use it after the room clears out.

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