Over the next few months, many of you will be working fast and furiously to produce fundraising galas and events that maintain the same cache on less financial resources.

Here are 6 ideas :

1. If appropriate, add a festive touch to your event and identify a theme. You can incorporate the theme in all areas of your event: evites and invitations, food and beverages, decor, entertainment and other event collateral. Check out evites great ideas for event themes.

2. Create auction items that match your mission. This year, the Robin Hood Foundation’s auction included opportunities to feed hungry families, enrollment of underprivled children in charter schools and training for new parents caring for newborns

3. Tap into the prominent members of your community. Honor a local leader who cares about your mission, and will help your organization fundraise by contributing his or her contact list. Also consider inviting the movers and shakers in your community to serve as a Host Committee. Your Host Committee should agree to let your organization use their name on event collateral, and invite their friends, family and colleagues.

4. Save on the extras. A New York theatre saved thousands of dollars by simply ditching centerpieces in favor of rose petals on the tables. I’ve seen a few organizations save thousands of dollars by sharing the cost of décor, flower arrangements, candles, and sound equipment after discovering they were both having events at the same venue a few hours apart

5. Give more people the opportunity to attend your event. This year, ticket costs may not fit into the budget of some of your event supporters. Lowered event expenses give your organization room to consider lowered ticket prices. The Museum of Modern Art used this strategy and increased their recent event attendance from 500 to 1000 supporters.

6. Host a non event. Over the last year, many organizations have canceled their events due to the loss of sponsorship and support. Instead of missing an opportunity to fundraise, consider hosting a non event that you can call: Don’t Save the Date, Save (whatever your funding appeal is). The Make Believe foundation, a organization that offers theatre performances for hospitalized children, recently hosted a “Make Believe Gala”, inviting contributors to make a donation and stay home. The event raised $ 95,000!

My recent blog post, How to Cut Cost At your Next Fundraising Event gives you a few more ideas.