What Does a Month-by-Month Spring Gala Procurement Calendar Look Like?

For a spring gala, auction procurement starts in early fall, not after the holidays. Counting back from an April gala: set up the committee, paperwork and wish list in September, send the longest-lead requests in October and November, send the main wave in January, and spend February and March following up, packaging items and writing the catalog. May belongs to thank-yous and next year's list.

The reason to start so early is the calendar itself. Across more than 25,000 fundraising events in our own records over fifteen years, March, April and May are the busiest months for fundraisers, and December is one of the quietest. A spring gala competes with the most other events for the same donor programs, and its natural asking window runs straight through the holiday season. Our guide to how far in advance to request donations sets out lead times by donor type and a backward plan from event day. This page lays those rules over the months so a committee can see the whole season at once.

The season at a glance

This calendar assumes an April gala. If yours is in March or May, slide every row by a month and read the note at the end.

September: set up before you ask

• Divide the ask list. Decide who on the committee owns which companies, so no company hears from two volunteers.
• Pull last year's results. Who said yes, who said no, and which items drew the most bidding. A company that gave last year is the warmest name on your list; see how to get a company to donate again next year.
• Put the paperwork in one folder. Your IRS determination letter, a W-9, letterhead and a one-paragraph event description. Many programs ask for some of these with the request, and some will not review a request without them. Our rundown of what companies require before they donate covers the usual list.
• Start one tracking sheet. Company, date sent, contact, stated lead time, answer. The donation request tracker is built for exactly this.

October: sort by lead time and start with the longest

Sort the ask list by each program's stated lead time, longest first, and send the top of the list now. A few programs in our directory show how far apart those windows sit:

• Delta Air Lines asks for requests at least 90 days before your event.
• Great Wolf Lodge recommends asking at least three months ahead.
• LEGOLAND Florida Resort takes applications 60 days to six months ahead, from Central Florida nonprofits serving children ages 2 to 12.
• The Philadelphia Eagles accept requests only between six months and four weeks before your event.

The Eagles show something a deadline list misses: a window can have a front edge as well as a back one. A request sent before a program opens can be as unworkable as one sent after it closes, so record each program's earliest date next to its latest.

November: send the high-value requests

Stays, travel and premium experiences carry the most approval layers, so send them before the holidays and leave time to replace a no. Some hotels in our directory state how fast they answer: The Breakers Palm Beach asks for requests at least six weeks ahead and says it reviews them within two weeks of receipt, and Mandarin Oriental, New York says it reviews every request within two weeks and emails you either way. For more options, see hotels and resorts that donate stays.

December: finish sending, and check annual limits

Aim to have the high-value list out before the holiday weeks. December is also when annual limits start to matter. Several programs cap requests per calendar year: Universal Orlando allows one request per organization per calendar year, and the New Orleans Pelicans fill one request per calendar year. If you already used a program on a fall event, read its page for how it counts the year before you assume a spring request is eligible again.

January: the main wave

For an April gala, January is roughly ten to twelve weeks out, which is where most moderate asks belong: pro team memorabilia, admission passes, restaurant cards and retail items. Team windows in our directory cluster at six to ten weeks. The Boston Red Sox ask for at least eight weeks, and the Pelicans for at least ten, so a January send leaves room for one follow-up. Our lists of companies that donate silent auction items and pro sports teams that donate are the place to build this wave.

February: follow up and fill the gaps

• Follow up once on anything unanswered after a couple of weeks. The donation follow-up email templates keep it short.
• Compare commitments with the wish list and fill gaps with shorter-window asks. Watch the last workable date for each: Total Wine & More asks for at least eight weeks' notice for its auction item or private wine class for 20, so for a late-April gala its request belongs in the mail by late February.
• Confirm pickup or shipping for every yes you have.

March: close procurement and build the catalog

• Set a close date for new asks. After it, ask only for items a local manager can approve on the spot, such as gift cards.
• Package and describe. Group single items into packages, write each description, and check expiration dates and blackout terms on every certificate and stay.
• Log every item as it arrives: donor, item, terms and condition. Gift cards get their own record in the donated gift card log.
• Run the silent auction procurement checklist so nothing reaches gala night without a description or a bid sheet.

April: gala night

Keep one person responsible for the item log on the night, record every winner, and note which items drew the most bidding. That note is the first page of next September's plan. If you are still choosing a format, see what type of auction is right for your event.

May: thank, record and restart

Thank every company within days. Our guide to how to thank a company for a donation covers what to say. Record the outcome of every request, including the ones that went unanswered, and work through the post-event donation wrap-up checklist. Then file this year's list where next year's committee will find it in September.

If your gala is in March or May

Slide every row by one month, with one caution. For a March gala, the main wave lands in December, so send it in the first part of the month rather than in the holiday weeks. For a May gala, the main wave lands in February and the long-lead asks in November, which keeps the whole send schedule clear of the holidays.