Galas that run themselves
Plated dinners and fundraisers with every detail locked down.
Nonprofit galas bring together plated service, sponsor relationships, table assignments, committee sign-offs, and tight budgets that can't absorb surprises. We keep every moving part in one place so you can deliver an impeccable evening - and still have time to actually enjoy it.
Core workflows in one place
System, inquiry to payment
Spreadsheets required
Any device, anywhere
What makes gala catering complicated
Plated-service complexity
A plated gala dinner has multiple courses, selection options per course, per-head pricing, and service-style decisions that all interact. Building and pricing that out by hand in a spreadsheet is slow and error-prone - and the committee will ask to see it a different way.
Sponsors, tables, and committees
Nonprofit galas involve more stakeholders than a typical event - a development director, a board chair, multiple committee members, sponsors with specific table requests, and a venue coordinator. Keeping track of who said what and who's sitting where is a separate job.
Tight budgets and the need for transparency
Nonprofit boards operate under financial scrutiny. Your invoice needs to hold up to a finance committee review - every line item justified, every fee explained, no lump sums that invite questions. A vague "catering services" total doesn't pass the audit.
Plated-service & course planning
Build out a full plated-dinner proposal - courses, selections per course, per-head pricing, and service style - from your menu catalog. The totals calculate automatically so you can model different menu options without redoing the math.
Sponsor & table tracking
Log sponsor names, table assignments, and seat counts on the event record alongside the standard client and venue information. When the gala chair asks who's at table 12, you have the answer without leaving the app.
Transparent itemized billing
Nonprofit boards expect every line to be justified. Proposals break out each course, service charge, and tax line clearly so the finance committee can approve without requesting a detailed breakdown.
Committee-friendly proposals
Send a proposal link that any committee member can open and review - no login required for the client side. When the board chair needs to forward it to the executive director for approval, it's one link, not a multi-page PDF email attachment.
Final counts & seating management
Update final covers and table assignments directly on the event record as RSVPs come in. Your kitchen and service team see the same confirmed numbers - no reconciling two versions of a spreadsheet the morning of the gala.
Audit-ready documentation
Every accepted proposal and payment is recorded with a full activity log. When the board treasurer asks for documentation of the catering expense, you have a complete, timestamped paper trail - not a collection of email threads.
From brief to gala night
Receive the brief
Log the gala details - date, venue, expected covers, theme, and committee contact - as an event. Everything starts here.
Build the proposal
Assemble a plated-dinner proposal from your menu with course options, per-head pricing, and service charges. Send it to the committee as a clean, reviewable link.
Board sign-off
The committee reviews, requests any changes, and accepts. The numbers lock so everyone is working from the same document.
Final counts & gala night
Update table assignments and final covers, collect the balance, and execute a gala where every course and every seat is accounted for.
What changes for gala events
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Give the committee a proposal they can actually review and approve - itemized, shareable, no login required.
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Track tables and sponsors without spreadsheets - every assignment lives on the event record.
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Deliver itemized billing that survives a finance committee review - every line justified and documented.
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Know the exact final cover count before you arrive - updated in one place, visible to your whole team.
Nonprofit gala questions
Can the board see an itemized proposal they can actually approve?
Yes. The proposal breaks out every course, service charge, and tax line separately. Committee members can open the proposal link without creating an account - one link they can forward to however many reviewers need to see it.
Can I track sponsor tables and table assignments?
Yes. Sponsor names, table numbers, and seat counts can be recorded on the event record alongside the standard event details. When the development director asks about a specific sponsor's table, you have the answer without leaving the event.
Can multiple committee members review the proposal?
Yes. The proposal is a shareable link - anyone the committee chair forwards it to can open and review it. The acceptance and any revision history are recorded on the activity timeline so you always know what version was agreed upon.
How do deposits and final balances work for gala events?
You collect a deposit when the proposal is accepted and record the final balance payment after the event. Every payment is tracked against the event record, so the finance committee can see exactly what was paid and when without a separate invoice spreadsheet.
Ready to run catering the modern way?
Sign up free and send your first proposal this afternoon. No card, no setup, no contract.