Said It Here

Ideas to make an annual event memorable

Adding a new big or little wow factor is what keeps an annual event from just being a pain. Without new flair beyond the usual auctions and 50/50 raffles, attendees leave wanting to go straight home to Netflix. Incorporating an extra, standout activity maximizes the experience so guests leave talking about it and already wanting to come back next year.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    Selling hole-in-one insurance for a car or extravagant vacation package.
  2. 2
    Hosting a helicopter ball drop where participants buy numbered golf balls.
  3. 3
    Pairing threesomes with a fourth player who has benefited directly from the charity.
  4. 4
    Adding an associated dinner with a lower ticket price for non-golfers to attend and participate in auctions.

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/nonprofit2 people · October 2026

“As much as a pain as events are, we do hold an annual event at our org, a BBQ. What I’m reaching out to ask is what you, gentle people, have done at your event to make them memorable?”source ↗

“So that as people leave, they are talking about it. Already wanting to go next year. Versus, walk out, get in car and they’re just wanting to get home and turn on Netflix.”source ↗

“What little extra thing, or big thing, makes the attendees wake up and go wow!”source ↗

4WDToyotaOwner · r/nonprofit · 5 upvotes

“We need to add some flair to our decades-old golf event that’s our biggest fundraiser.”source ↗

Technical_Pudding_03 · r/nonprofit · 2 upvotes

“We’re at a pretty prestigious golf course on the east coast so I really need to try to maximize this event some more. We used to host an auction and a 5050. Need another thing to have at our event.”source ↗

Technical_Pudding_03 · r/nonprofit · 1 upvotes

Where this came up

r/nonprofitengagementevent planningfundraisingnonprofitnonprofits

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