Event budget and break-even

Put in the ticket price, the costs and what the extras might bring. See the profit, how many tickets cover the costs, and what happens on a bad night.

The numbers to start with are our estimates for a modest 100-guest school or club dinner: $75 tickets, $45 a head for the meal, a raffle and a small silent auction. We found no published NZ dinner budgets to copy, so replace every one with your own quotes. For scale, a school quiz night commonly raises $2,000 to $5,000 (RaiseFunds). For ideas to pair with a dinner, see the restaurant fundraising dinner and quiz night pages.

The event

Event name (prints on the sheet)

Tickets

Ticket price

Expected guests

Worst-case turnout

What share of the expected crowd turns up on a bad night (rain, a clash, a slow week of sales).

The venue deal

Cost per guest

Meal, per-cover venue charge or anything else you pay for each person.

How the venue charges

Per guest who comesA guaranteed minimum

Fixed costs

Paid whatever happens.

Venue hire

Estimate: a club room or school hall for the night.

Licences and permits

A venue with its own bar licence normally covers the bar.

Food (a set amount, not per guest)

Prizes you pay for

Speaker, quizmaster or entertainment

Estimate: a koha. Many speak free for a cause.

Printing, decorations, card fees, other

Estimate.

Extras on the night

Your best guess at the expected crowd. They rise and fall with how many come.

Raffle on the night

Estimate: about $10 a guest, with donated prizes.

Silent auction

Estimate: 10 to 15 donated lots. We found no NZ benchmark.

Live auction

Left at $0. A live auction needs a full seated room and keen bidders.

Bar profit and other extras

Per guest or a guaranteed minimum?

The same night under both deals. A guaranteed minimum looks the same when the room is full, and very different when it isn’t.

Your plan under each venue deal
Same plan	Per guest	Minimum of 100
Break-even tickets	27	71
Profit if 100 come	$4,200	$4,200
Profit if 40 come	$1,200	−$1,500
If nobody comes	−$800	−$5,300

If the venue wants a minimum, ask for a lower one, a date to release unsold seats, or a sponsor to underwrite the venue bill.

How the crowd changes it

40 guests 40%$1,200
60 guests 60%$2,200
80 guests 80%$3,200
100 guests 100%$4,200
120 guests 120%$5,200

Budget spreadsheet (.xlsx)Works in Excel and Google Sheets, formulas included

Event budget

Tickets and the venue
Ticket price	$75
Expected guests	100
Cost per guest	$45
Venue deal	Per guest
Worst-case turnout	40%

The result
Ticket income	$7,500
Extras	$2,000
Costs	−$5,300
Profit if 100 come	$4,200
Break-even tickets	27
Worst case: 40 come	$1,200
If nobody comes	−$800

Fixed costs (paid whatever happens)
Venue hire	$300
Licences and permits	$0
Food (a set amount, not per guest)	$0
Prizes you pay for	$0
Speaker, quizmaster or entertainment	$200
Printing, decorations, card fees, other	$300
Total	$800

Extras on the night (at the expected crowd)
Raffle on the night	$1,000
Silent auction	$1,000
Live auction	$0
Bar profit and other extras	$0
Total	$2,000

How the crowd changes it
Guests	Per guest	Minimum of 100
40 (40%)	$1,200	−$1,500
60 (60%)	$2,200	$400
80 (80%)	$3,200	$2,300
100 (100%)	$4,200	$4,200
120 (120%)	$5,200	$5,200

Break-even counts ticket money only; the extras are profit on top and only arrive if people come. Replace every estimate with your own quotes. From the free fundraising guide by For Goods Sake.

More free tools

* General fundraising information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Money figures are examples and estimates, not promises. Check current official requirements before you commit. About this guide