Live pledges & fund-a-need
The segment that quietly out-earns the lots
A structured live pledge, run well, is consistently the highest-earning part of a charity gala. Most planners do not know this. I build the emotional connection, then run the room.
- No lots to source
- Gift Aid on every eligible pledge
- Runs from guests’ phones
- £30,600added by a live pledge at Jigsaw Trust, on top of a £27,000 auction.
- £20,000nearly, from the live pledge alone at OCU Foundation’s gala.
- €78,000from one guest, in one pledge, at the Sheba Medical Center gala.
- +25%Gift Aid on every eligible pledge, worked out automatically.
Why it works
Why a pledge drive works
A live pledge, sometimes called fund-a-need or a paddle raise, asks the room to give directly to the cause at set levels. There are no lots to source and no items to fulfil, so almost everything raised goes straight to the charity.
The skill is in the build: connecting the room to the cause, setting the right opening level, and reading exactly when to move. Done well, it lifts a good night into a great one.
“Kevin’s key suggestion, the live pledge alone, brought in nearly £20,000.” — Gabriel Dos Santos, OCU Foundation
Five minutes on what a live pledge is, why it out-earns the lots, and how I run one.
The method
How I run a live pledge
The pledge is where I change gear. The live auction is loud and cheeky; the pledge comes from the heart. It is never sombre, though. It is not a funeral, and the excitement builds with every hand that goes up.
We set the levels before the night
We agree the tiers together, based on who will be in the room and what the charity needs to fund. The first level is a headline gift that only a few guests can reach, and the levels step down until every table has a way in.
The room gets a reason to give
Nobody gives to a cause they have not been connected to. A short speech, a film or a story from someone the charity has helped does that job, and I make sure the room is quiet and listening before it starts. Whoever holds the room holds the total.
I open at the top and read the room on the way down
The first hands at the headline level set the tone for everyone who follows, so I take my time there. Then it is a matter of reading the room and knowing exactly when to move down a level, so the momentum never stalls.
Saying yes is easy
Guests can pledge from their phones through the auction and pledge software that is included when you book me, and the running total climbs on the gala screen for the whole room to see.
- £1,000The headline gift. A few hands, taken slowly, set the tone.
- £500The level the room has been waiting for.
- £250Momentum. This is usually where the hands come in waves.
- £100Every table has a way in, and it is read out just as loud.
Illustrative levels. We set yours together, for your room.
See it in action
Live pledges in full flow
Real rooms, filmed on the night. Each group is one event, in the order it happened, so you can watch a pledge open at the top and work its way down. Tap any clip to play it here.
Sheba Medical Center gala, Yacht Club de Monaco
Four asks, each tied to one thing the money buys: a year of trauma therapy, an incubator, a hospital dog, an iPad at a bedside.
World Child Cancer gala, The Hurlingham Club
Opened at £1,000 with two hands straight up, and finished with “even if it is £50, put your hand up”.
Parkinson’s UK charity golf day
A room of golfers at lunchtime, in four parts. Six hands and £600 in under a minute, and even the DJ gave.
CRY UK gala
A £2,000 tier, then a £500 challenge, then past the £25,000 target, then a last £250 level so nobody was left out.
More nights
Different causes, same shape: a clear ask, a level everyone can reach, and hands that come in waves.
Gift Aid
Why Gift Aid makes the pledge so powerful
A pledge is a gift, not a purchase, so a UK taxpayer’s pledge can qualify for Gift Aid. A £500 pledge becomes £625 for the cause, and none of it is spent on an item or a supplier’s commission. The software works the Gift Aid out automatically as the pledges come in.
I never promise a figure, because every room is different. But I have seen what a pledge can do. The Jigsaw Trust expected around £14,000 from their live auction. The auction made £27,000, and a live pledge they had not even planned for added £30,600 on top. That was their team and their guests. My part was making sure the room had the chance to give.
For a UK taxpayer who gets nothing in return. The software collects the declaration as they pledge.
On the night
Hands up, in real rooms
After the pledge
What charities say the morning after
After a live pledge
Kevin has been brilliant yet again. He did a live pledge for us this year and helped us raise loads of money. He’s been so helpful to our charity in raising money and awareness.
Temwa
He really hyped it up and got more money out of the auction. He did a live pledge and it worked really well, getting people in the room to give money for the project. It went brilliantly.Jo HookTemwa
Over The Wall Camp
We hired Kevin to do a live auction and a live pledge at our 2025 gala and he was absolutely fantastic. He brought real life to the room and raised a ton of money.Sarah SummersOver The Wall Camp
CRY UK
We bust all our targets. The art auctioned off way above the prices we’d hoped for, and the pledges went way past our target, and everyone really enjoyed it.Vivek GovilCRY UK (Child Rights and You)
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Ask me directly. I have run hundreds of these and will tell you honestly whether a pledge suits your room.
Ask KevinWhat is a live pledge or fund-a-need?
A live pledge, also called fund-a-need or a paddle raise, asks the room to give directly to the cause at set levels rather than bidding on items. Because there are no lots to source or fulfil, almost everything raised goes straight to the charity.
Does a pledge raise more than a live auction?
Very often, yes. A well-structured pledge frequently out-earns the lot-based auction at a charity gala, because it removes the item and asks purely for generosity. Most planners are surprised by this.
When in the evening should the pledge run?
Usually after dinner, and often straight after the live auction when the room is warm and engaged. I plan the timing with you so the pledge lands at the strongest moment.
Can guests claim Gift Aid on a live pledge?
Often, yes. A pledge is a donation rather than a purchase, so if the guest is a UK taxpayer and gets nothing in return, it can qualify for Gift Aid, which adds 25% to what the charity receives. The software included when you book me works the Gift Aid out as guests pledge.
How do we set the pledge levels?
We agree them together before the night, based on who is in the room and what the charity needs to fund. Start with a headline level only a few guests can reach, then step down to one every table can join.
Let’s talk
Tell me about your event
A free initial consultation to talk through your goals, your room and your target. Available for events across the UK, Europe and the US.