Harris' marketing campaign's prime donors have dozens of personal VIP occasions this week. Right here's the schedule

U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks to reporters outside the Primanti Bros. Restaurant and Bar during a stop on a bus campaign tour in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, August 18, 2024.

Angela Weiss | AFP |

CHICAGO — Major donors to Harris' campaign will attend several VIP events and enjoy exclusive perks at the Democratic National Convention this week, including private brunches, evening cocktail parties and a tour of Wrigley Field, according to a schedule obtained by CNBC.

The lavish events, which take place between speeches by the convention's keynote speakers, are available to the biggest donors to the Harris Victory Fund, a joint Democratic fundraising committee that can accept donations well above traditional campaign limits (about $900,000 per donor).

VIP week begins Monday night with a welcome reception at Morgan's on Fulton, a massive venue where donors are brought from hotels like the Ritz Carlton and the Four Seasons.

Donor parties have always been a staple of every presidential nominating convention. They are a crucial opportunity for the campaign to showcase itself publicly and build goodwill among the people who contribute millions of dollars to fund the campaign.

But this week's events for Democratic VIP donors in the Windy City appear to be even more festive than in years past.

U.S. President Joe Biden appears onstage during a walkabout at the United Center ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024.

Craig Hudson | Reuters

One reason is pent-up energy. The last time either party held a nominating convention in person was in 2016, so donors and the campaign fundraising professionals who host them are excited to meet this week. But there's more to it than that.

President Joe Biden's difficult decision to drop out of the race in July and the domino effect it triggered, which led to Democrats celebrating the election defeats of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in Chicago this week, are a kind of political fairytale for major donors.

On Tuesday morning, they will meet for the first of several brunches this week. The event will be held at the beautiful Chicago History Museum and is billed as the “Path to Victory Brunch and Briefing.”

An exclusive tour of Wrigley Field, the famous home of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, will take place Wednesday. There, donors can enjoy “batting practice, tours, food vendors and more,” according to the schedule from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. CT.

Before Harris' acceptance speech for her nomination on Thursday evening, donors will be invited to a reception at The Exchange, a historic four-star restaurant.

But this luxury treatment is just one part of a broader donor acquisition strategy that has helped Harris raise record-breaking donations, both large and small.

Just weeks after Biden endorsed her last month, Harris' fundraising juggernaut had already overtaken that of her opponent, former Republican President Donald Trump.

Harris' political operation raked in $310 million in July, much of it after Biden dropped out on the 21st of the month. This helped them start August with $377 million in cash.

The Trump team, on the other hand, raised only $138.7 million in July, less than half of Harris's earnings. After surpassing Biden's fundraising in June, the Trump team had some cash reserves that helped improve its profit margin.

Yet the company opened this month with just $327 million, $50 million less than Harris.