Events & community 35 questions 2 pages About 12 min to fill in

Community Event Proposal Form Template

Turn "someone should run a…" into proposals you can actually decide on, with dates, space, volunteers and costs set out.

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Community event proposal
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Use this template Every question, option and rule can be changed in the designer.

What is the community event proposal form template?

Libraries, neighbourhood associations, community centres and clubs are full of people with good ideas for events. The hard part for the committee is that most ideas arrive as a hallway conversation. This proposal form gives them a shape. It asks what would happen, why it would be good for the community, who it's for and how many might come, and whether the person has run something similar before.

The second page turns the idea into logistics: three date options, the time of day that suits, the space and equipment needed, and how many volunteers are needed compared with how many the proposer already has. If they're asking for money, a budget breakdown appears with lines for space, supplies, food, performers, publicity and other costs, a total request and other income. Proposals that don't need funding skip it.

Each proposal is filed as a PDF in your FileIt vault, so the committee can read them side by side before the next meeting.

Best for
Libraries, neighbourhood and residents' associations, community centres, clubs and faith communities
Filled in by
Residents, members, volunteers and partner groups
Time to complete
About 10 minutes
Includes
Idea and purpose, audience, expected size, format, three dates, space and equipment, volunteers, partners, budget breakdown, supporting files

Who uses a community event proposal form?

  • A library inviting patrons to propose talks, workshops and clubs
  • A neighbourhood association's small grants for street events
  • A community centre planning its next season of programs
  • A tenants' association collecting ideas for the courtyard
  • A church or temple welcoming ideas from members

Questions on this community event proposal form

35 questions over 2 pages · includes file upload, conditional questions, multiple pages.

1 Your idea

  • Your name*
  • Email*
  • Phone
  • You are…* A resident or member · A volunteer or staff member · Representing a local group or partner
  • Group or organisation* asked only when it applies
  • Working title for the event*
  • What's the idea?*
  • Why would it be good for the community?*
  • Who is it for?* Families with young children · Teens · Adults · Older adults · Newcomers to the area · Everyone
  • How many people do you expect?
  • Format* A one-off event · A series · A yearly tradition
  • Cost to attend* Free · Suggested donation · Ticketed
  • Have you organised anything like this before?

2 Dates, space & budget

  • First-choice date*
  • Second choice
  • Third choice
  • How long would it run?
  • Best time of day Weekday daytime · Weekday evening · Weekend daytime · Weekend evening
  • Space needed* Meeting room · Large hall · Outdoor space · Kitchen · Off-site — I have a venue in mind
  • Where?* asked only when it applies
  • Equipment Tables and chairs · Projector and screen · Sound system and microphone · Wi-Fi · Kitchen use · Signs and banners
  • Volunteers needed on the day
  • Volunteers you already have
  • Partners, sponsors or local businesses involved
  • Are you asking us for funding?*
  • Room or space hire asked only when it applies
  • Supplies and materials asked only when it applies
  • Food and drink asked only when it applies
  • Performers, speakers or instructors asked only when it applies
  • Publicity and printing asked only when it applies
  • Other costs asked only when it applies
  • Total amount requested* asked only when it applies
  • Other income or support asked only when it applies
  • Would you lead the event on the day?*
  • Anything that helps explain it

The community event proposal form, page by page

1 Your idea

The proposer gives their name, email and phone and chooses "You are…": a resident or member, a volunteer or staff member, or representing a local group (which asks for the group's name). They give a working title, then answer "What's the idea?" and "Why would it be good for the community?". "Who is it for?" covers families, teens, adults, older adults, newcomers or everyone. They estimate numbers, pick a format — one-off, series or yearly tradition — and the cost to attend, and say whether they've organised anything like this before.

2 Dates, space & budget

Three dates give the committee room to schedule, with how long it would run and the best time of day. "Space needed" offers a meeting room, large hall, outdoor space, kitchen or an off-site venue (which asks where). An equipment checklist, "Volunteers needed on the day" and "Volunteers you already have" show what the proposal really needs. After partners and sponsors, "Are you asking us for funding?" — yes opens a budget breakdown of six cost lines, "Total amount requested" and other income or support. The page ends with whether they'd lead the event and up to three supporting files.

Make the template yours

  • Change the space options to your own rooms
  • Add your funding limit and decision dates to the cover text
  • Rename the budget lines to match your grant categories
  • Change the currency on the budget fields if you're outside the US
  • Add committee members to the notification list

Tips for a better community event proposal form

  • Compare volunteers needed with volunteers already lined up — it's the best predictor of whether an event happens
  • Check the three dates against your calendar before the meeting, not during it
  • Reply to every proposer, even with a no; it keeps ideas coming
  • Export the Responses table to CSV for a simple agenda of proposals to discuss
  • Invite the proposer to the meeting when their idea is discussed

Every response becomes a PDF in your vault

Each proposal is saved as a PDF in the vault folder you choose, with any files the proposer added attached. You get an email when one arrives, and the proposer gets a copy if you've left that on.

The Responses table shows every proposal with search across answers, and exports to CSV so the committee can sort by date, audience or amount requested.

  1. Start from this template. It opens in the FileIt Forms designer — change any question, add pages, set the rules for when questions appear.
  2. Share it. Turn on a public link, or send it to people by email, each with their own link. They don’t need a FileIt account.
  3. Get the answers as PDFs. Each response is saved as a PDF in the vault folder you choose, with uploaded files attached — and listed in a Responses table you can export to CSV.
Use the community event proposal template — it’s free

Community event proposal form: frequently asked questions

Is this community event proposal template free?

Yes. It's in the Forms app on every FileIt account, including the free plan.

Does the form add up the budget?

No. Proposers enter each cost line and the total themselves; check the figures when you review.

Do proposers need a FileIt account?

No. Share the link in your newsletter or on a poster and anyone can submit.

Can I accept proposals only at certain times of year?

Yes. Set a close date, and reopen the form for your next round.

Can people attach a flyer or photos?

Yes. The last question takes up to three files, including PDFs, images, Word and Excel documents.

Use this template — free