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Set up the appeal

On the Appeal page, create the appeal, then set its goal, the giving levels, a match, whether names show on the screen, and whether guests can pledge from their tickets.

GalaOwner · Admin · Manager
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The appeal is the moment in the evening when you ask the room to give: a level is called, paddles go up, and the total climbs on a screen. Set it up on the Appeal page ahead of time, then run it from a phone on the night.

Create the appeal

  1. 1
    In the event, open Fundraising → Appeal.
  2. 2
    Click Set up the appeal. Ovante creates it with a usual set of giving levels, ready to change.

The page now shows the totals (Raised, Gifts, Matched and the Status), the tools for the night under On the night, the Pledges list, and Setup.

Set it up

In Setup:

  1. 1
    Goal: click Set goal, type the amount in the Appeal goal dialog, and confirm. The screen shows progress toward it.
  2. 2
    Levels: the amounts you'll call, highest first. Edit any amount, click Add level for another, or remove one. They're sorted when you save.
  3. 3
    Match: if someone is matching gifts, fill in Matched by, Matches up to and Match per dollar (2 means every $1 given is matched with $2). Leave it empty when no one is matching.
  4. 4
    Pledges from tickets: Off, Review first or Straight on, and an optional Largest pledge from a ticket. See Let guests pledge from their ticket.
  5. 5
    Show names on the screen: on, new gifts show the donor's name; off, they show as Anonymous. You can hide any single name from the console either way.
  6. 6
    Click Save changes.

The screen's look

The live screen takes your event page's colors, title font and background effect. There's nothing separate to design.

Get ready for the night

  • Assign paddle numbers and print paddle cards. See Paddle numbers.
  • Open the screen link on the venue's laptop. See Run the live screen.
  • Hand Open paddle entry to the people recording paddles, and Open console to whoever runs the appeal.

Good to know

  • The appeal's goal is separate from the goal on the Donations page, which the Overview's Raised card uses.
  • Changing the levels during the appeal is fine. If the level on the screen is removed, the screen shows no level until you pick one.
  • Once Gala closes, the setup is read only, and an appeal can't be created.
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Updated Oct 25, 2026

Related

The appeal consoleRun the appeal from a phone or tablet: start, pause and close it, call each level, switch what the screen shows, look after each gift, and approve pledges from tickets.Run the live screenOpen the appeal's screen link on the venue's laptop. It shows the total, the level, the match and the latest names live. The link is the key, so share it only with whoever runs the screen.Let guests pledge from their ticketGuests can pledge from their own ticket page during the appeal. Choose Off, Review first or Straight on, and a cap. Nothing is charged; a pledge is a promise.Paddle numbersGive every guest a paddle number in one step, by table or by name. Numbers print on badges, place cards, escort cards and paddle cards, and paddle entry looks guests up by them.
NextRun the live screen