Your Fundraising Gala Should Raise More Money. We Make Sure It Does.

San Diego & Nashville event planner. Nonprofit gala specialist. Author of Fundraising Fuel.

Stephanie Rose Events was built around one belief: a fundraising gala that doesn’t raise money is just a party. And we love parties. But they don’t fund your programs. We specialize in nonprofit fundraising galas, auctions, and signature events that are strategically built to hit your revenue goals and beautifully produced down to the very last centerpiece. With more than 20 years of experience and nearly $6 million raised for the organizations we’ve served, we know exactly what it takes to create a night that moves donors and raises money.

We work closely with Executive Directors, Development Directors, and Board leadership, and honestly, one of our favorite things about this job is watching the stress leave the room when a team realizes they don’t have to figure it all out themselves. From venue selection and vendor management to program flow and donor experience strategy, we handle every detail with intention so your team can stay focused on the mission while we obsess over the room.

Our approach is grounded in proven strategy, not guesswork, and we wrote the book on it. Literally. Fundraising Fuel: How to Plan, Execute, and Maximize Impact on Your Next Nonprofit Event is the field guide for nonprofit gala planning, and it’s the same methodology we bring to every single client. Whether you’re planning your organization’s first gala or you’ve been at this for years and know it’s time to stop leaving money on the table, we show up with the same obsessive attention to detail and the same genuine enthusiasm. Every time. No exceptions.

We’re based in Nashville and San Diego and work with organizations nationwide. And if you’ve spent any time wishing you had a partner who’s as invested in your mission as you are, someone who actually loses sleep over your seating chart, well, hi. We think we should talk.

Stephanie Rose Events by the numbers...

Years in Business

Happy Clients

Guest Experiences

Raised for Charity

$ 0

Working with us is easy

Book a Free Strategy Call

We start by getting to know your organization, your goals, and your gala history. No pressure, just a real conversation about what it would take to make your event your best one yet.

We Build Your Roadmap

From sponsorship strategy and vendor selection to program flow and budget management, we handle every detail so your team can stay focused on your mission.

Watch Your Event Deliver

The room comes to life, your donors are moved, and the revenue reflects every decision we made along the way. This is what a well-planned gala looks like, and after 20 years, we promise you, it still gives us chills.

“Kristin Watkins and the Stephanie Rose Events team were exceptional partners in planning and executing our fundraising gala. Their expertise, organization, and donor-focused approach helped us exceed our fundraising goals while creating a seamless, memorable experience for our guests.”

Emily M, Executive Director

Hi, I’m Kristin, founder of Stephanie Rose Events, Certified Meeting Professional, and genuinely the person who still gets emotional when a gala comes together exactly the way it was supposed to. Before I built this business, I founded and ran the Christopher J. Collins Foundation, where I learned something I’ve never forgotten: a well-executed fundraising event doesn’t just raise money. It changes things. It moves people. It makes them want to give more, do more, and come back next year. That experience is baked into everything I do.

I’ve been doing this for more than 20 years, and I’ve helped raise nearly $6 million for nonprofits across the country. I’m also the author of Fundraising Fuel, the field guide for nonprofit gala planning that development professionals keep dog-eared on their desks. I’m based in Nashville with deep roots in San Diego, and I work with organizations nationwide who want their events to be as strategic as they are stunning. If that sounds like you, let’s get to work.