HOW UNCF’S 2026 MAYOR’S MASKED BALL REACHED A $1M FUNDRAISING GOAL

Event Planning, Fundraising & Sponsorship, Planner Pro-Tips

Can an event help your organization reach a seven-figure fundraising goal? Absolutely.

This year, UNCF reached its $1 million fundraising goal at the 2026 Mayor’s Masked Ball, and we were honored to support the execution of this milestone event. Here are a few of the elements that helped make it successful:

Vision-aligned leadership

A strong, committed leadership team helped move the vision forward. Committee chairs who believed in the mission and had the relationships to rally support played a major role in building momentum around the event.

Honorees that inspired attendance

Recognizing impactful leaders in the community helped create excitement, increase visibility, and give guests another meaningful reason to attend and support.

Thoughtful execution

Execution is often what determines whether a great idea becomes a great experience. From sponsor support to guest experience to day-of logistics, ensuring every touchpoint felt organized, responsive, and polished helped strengthen both trust and participation.

Intentional fundraising moments

A dynamic silent and live auction created additional opportunities for guests to engage and give throughout the evening—helping to sustain energy and support beyond the main program.

We were honored to execute this event for the fifth year in a row, and this year was especially meaningful because we had the opportunity to help our client reach a major milestone while creating an experience that felt joyful, connected, and mission-centered.

When strategy, leadership, and guest experience are aligned, events can do more than gather people—they can drive real results.

By EGYPT GRAHAM

FOUNDER & CEO OF PLANNING 2 PERFECTION

From side hustle to full time entrepreneurship, it’s safe to say that Egypt knows a few things about the wonderful world of event planning and building a business brick by brick. Follow along as she shares her pro tips and tricks, along with insightful stories and advice from her network on how to level up!

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