I should clarify that I don’t think “sticky-note marketing” is a *real* marketing term. I use it to refer to the practice of putting notes onto silent auction items to remind guests of why they should buy it. It’s similar to putting a sticky-note on a document; you’re calling attention to it. In this case, you’re reminding guests of one possible use of the item.

“A great item for Dad!” exclaims a blue note.

“Here’s your Mother’s Day gift!” proclaims a pink card.

If you’ve got a silent auction this weekend, be mindful that Valentine’s Day is next week.

One of our school auctions this past Saturday used attractive pink and red hearts to showcase jewelry items. There was no overt mention of Valentine’s Day, but the hint didn’t go unnoticed.

It’s simple, effective, and fetching marketing in your silent auction.  It works!

© 2012 Red Apple Auctions Co.  All rights reserved.

P.S.  Though this blog post covers a marketing tip, most of my readers begin their silent auction journey in procurement.  Get a free tool to get started:  Auction Item Guide™ “What Sold Like Heaven in 2011.”

Cigars sell.

You might not like smoking.  You might like pipes but not cigars.  You might smoke cigarettes, but hate cigar smoke.

It matters not.

Unless you’re the big spender procuring and buying ALL of the items at your nonprofit auction, check any righteous attitude you hold and do what’s best for the cause — procure some cigar-themed goodies to raise cash for your charity.

The February 2012 issue of Cigar Aficionado (which landed on my doorstep last weekend for no apparent reason) lists the best cigars of the year.  Maybe your local cigar shop will donate a few?

The issue also reviews what is presumably the largest cigar celebration in the world, The Big Smokes.  The Big Smokes are held in Las Vegas in late October and New York City in late November.  It might be worthwhile to send an email to the organizers to see if you can get two complementary admissions to either event.  Build a package around it.

And what about accoutrements?  Humidors, cutters, a subscription to the magazine … all of those sell at auctions.  (The above photo is from one of my auctions last fall.  The humidor was the first item to receive a bid in the silent auction.)

See what you can procure and watch how quickly it disappears from the silent auction table.

©2012 Red Apple Auctions Co.  All rights reserved.

P.S. If you’re seeking other item ideas for your nonprofit silent auction, claim your free copy of “What Sold Like Heaven in 2011.“  It’s hot off the press!

A parent seeking donations for their school’s charity auction becomes concerned about whether she should be including the school PTA’s tax ID number on the auction donation letters, forms, and so forth.

It’s easy to understand the concern.

We’ve been warned about putting our birth date on Facebook, cautioned against using our social security number as a computer password, and shake our heads when we recall that our social security number used to be used as our driver’s license number.  Stories of identity theft fuel our fear.

But this tax ID number is readily available in the public domain.  And as you’ll have greater success in your procurement efforts if you include the number on your letters, you’ll want to find it.

Perhaps the easiest way to locate the number is to go online.  Here’s how I have helped my clients find their 501(c)(3) number.

1. Visit www.Guidestar.org and log-in.  You’ll need to create an account (it’s free) if you don’t have one. You can look up some information without an account, but you’ll need it for this task.

2.  Enter the name of the charity you want to find.  The easy-to-use screen will help you narrow down your search.

3.  Click on the organization you seek.  The page will load with a number of publicly filed forms.  Click on “Forms 990s and Docs” tab.  The 990 forms are in PDF format.

4. Open the most recent 990 PDF and find the entry underneath “Employer Identification Number.”  (I’ve always seen it in the upper right side of the first page.)  Voila!  That’s the the tax ID number which defines your organization as a 501(c)(3).

I’ve also been told that you can look it up on the IRS site.  That makes sense to me, but as I’ve always been able to find what I needed on Guidestar, I haven’t fooled around with the IRS site.

If you’ve found another easy way to locate the tax ID number for your charity auction donation letters or forms, please share it below.

© 2012 Red Apple Auctions Co.  All Rights Reserved.

P.S.  Get educated and fully inspired in your charity auction procurement with this 60-minute .mp3 tutorial to accompany the free “What Sold Like Heaven in 2011″ auction item guide.

And if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I’m a numbers person. I like to measure results and make decisions based on numbers.  There’s nothing like seeing the answer in data and going for it.

So this week, I’m giving you the most popular blog posts of last year.  Consider it your insider’s guide to what was hot among charity auction and silent auction planners. The list spans from the nitty-gritty of silent auctions to the fun and fabulous.

BLOG POSTS

• Silent auctions: The good, the bad, and the ugly
• New silent auction ideas for displaying your jewelry
• Come to your senses to sell silent auction donations
• Looking ahead to 2011: Trends in Benefit Auctions – technically, this is a 2010 blog post but only for 4 days and auction chairs were definitely thinking 2011 with it
• New silent auction ideas could include a flip book
• Three ways to pamper the 40+ crowd at your silent auction
• Silent auction tips: Consider entertainment, stimulation & staging
• Which Is Better: An Auction Underwriter or Auction Sponsor?

VIDEO POSTS

One principle of learning that hasn’t changed since grade school is that some people learn by reading and some people learn by hearing or seeing.  For those in that second group, here are a few popular videos auction planners were tapping into.

Happy viewing…

• VIDEO: Encouraging youth to attend your benefit gala
• VIDEO: Are You Boring Your Charity Auction Guests by Only Talking About Your Mission?
• VIDEO: A dirty little secret about growing your benefit auction gala
• VIDEO: How to accelerate your benefit auction check-out line

Hope you find a nugget or two in last year’s popular blog posts and videos.  You could be the hit of your next  auction planning meeting, whether it’s just a silent auction or a full gala.
P.S.  If you really want to knock the socks off your committee, dig into the auction item guide and be the hit of the procurement conversation.  Sign up for the F*R*E*E charity auction item guide at www.redappleauctions.com
© 2012 Red Apple Auctions.  All rights reserved.