Four years ago, Norah Jones performed before a sellout crowd at the Blaisdell Arena.

But with today's weak economy and seats going for $100 to $500, concert organizers for the Grammy Award-winning singer were facing a tough time filling the much smaller Sheraton Waikiki ballroom.

Yesterday, the Hawai'i Writers Conference canceled its Friday gala fundraiser featuring Jones' concert due to sluggish ticket sales.

Purchases will be refunded and the remainder of the conference — one of the largest and best-known gatherings for aspiring writers and literary professionals — will go on as planned.

John Tullius, who founded the conference in 1993, said going ahead with the concert would have been disastrous.

"If we did go forward, we would be looking at a devastating loss that would have shut us down," said Tullius. "The economy has changed everything."

According to Tullius, a number of well-known writers conferences around the country, including the 37-year-old Santa Barbara Writers Conference, went on hiatus this year due to the economic downturn.

Tullius said attendance at this year's conference is about 1,000, which is down from a peak of about 2,000 in 2006.

"The last two years have been devastating, but we're still standing," he said.

Concert promoter Tom Moffatt said Jones' last concert at the 6,500-seat Blaisdell Arena in April 2005 was sold out. The Sheraton Waikiki ballroom seats about 2,500.

Moffatt said he doubts whether the cancellation indicates a downturn in the local concert business. He said tickets for Jones' 2005 concert were in the $65 range, or well below the $100 to $500 prices for the Sheraton event.

He added that concerts this year by America, Journey and Sheryl Crow were sold out.

The cancellation does point to financial challenges faced by the local nonprofit sector. With the global economic downturn, nonprofit museums and art organizations have seen a huge drop in the incomes from investment in their endowments, forcing them to reduce expenses or seek additional donations.

While no other major nonprofit has canceled its gala fundraiser so far, several are looking to streamline events.

The Honolulu Academy of Art conducts two gala fundraisers each year: Kama'aina Christmas in December and the Starlight Ball in June.

Instead of spending money for glitzy table favors and special lighting, the academy said it is looking at bringing in better-known entertainers to boost attendance.

"(This) will bring in more people and make it cost less," said museum spokeswoman Lesa Griffith.

Diamond Head Theatre still needs to sell eight tables for its annual gala fundraiser in October but managing director Deena Dray said she's happy with efforts so far given the weak economy.

The fundraiser — The Honolulu Advertiser 'Ilima Awards — generates about 12 percent of the organization's annual operating costs.

"Everyone who is in the events business and is doing fundraising recognizes that it is a unique time and everybody's ability to donate may be different than it has been in the past," Dray said.