It’s mid-August, which means the kids back in my home state of Kansas are back in school.  Here on the East coast, September seems to be the norm.

What does that mean for your school auction fundraiser committee?  Time to get busy!

If you’re a School Auction Chair charged with chairing your school’s winter or spring benefit auction, start your “to do” list.

Here are three activities to put on it.

Plan Auction Committee Introductions: If you’ve been recruiting for key auction committee positions through the summer, now is a great time to get everyone together to clarify roles and make introductions.  Remember that food is a great bonding tool.  Pour some libations, or at least break out M&Ms.

Actively Engage in Recruitment: Continue or start recruiting volunteers for various committees and roles not yet filled.  If your school has a ‘back to school’ night or other type of community-building activity, set up an auction information booth and talk to all the new parents.

Schedule Appointments: Schedule some meetings now with school administrators.  Their calendars will fill up quickly, so taking the time now to coordinate your schedule with theirs might save you later when getting face-to-face time will be more challenging.  You’ll likely have to touch base with the Development Director, Principal, Special Events Director (or whomever is appropriate for your school) a few times on key questions that arise.  Set up a few meetings as it might be easier to cancel one if it’s not needed versus trying to get on the calendar later.

Take charge, School Auction Chairs! This is your time to organize the troops and lay out the attack plans. Your season in the sun has just arrived.

© 2010 Red Apple Auctions Co.  All Rights Reserved.

P.S.  For additional school auction help, you’ll love my free gift listing the top 100 auction items briskly selling in fund raising auctions today.

1. Free conference calls

No Cost Conference

Your Auction Committee needs to touch base.  Regularly!  So use this free service to chat it up.   It has successfully managed my teleclasses when I have hundreds of people on the line, so I know it will work for your 5, 10, or 15 person committee.

One of the great capabilities is the control the moderator has.  When everyone starts speaking at the same time (which is easy to do on a conference call), you, as moderator, have the capability to mute everyone, using either your computer or your phone.  As each committee chair needs to give her status report, simply unmute her line, let her speak, and then allow questions one-by-one.

2. Free phone number

Google Voice

If you’re managing multiple vendors (caterer, venue, auctioneer, event manager), this service is great for ensuring you don’t play phone tag.  When someone dials your number, it rings ALL your phones (cell, work, home).

If that makes you feel a little too accessible, program the number to ring to a particular phone.  Perhaps a call from your procurement chair rings all three phones, but a call from the production company only rings your work and cell.

Or take it one step further.  Have messages go straight to voicemail on your computer, where they will then be transcribed for you.

3. Free direct-to-voicemail connection

SlyDial

Assume you need to leave the chatty Decorations Chair an an important message.  But you have no time to waste talking with her about her weekend plans with the family.

You can avoid talking with her — but still share the information she needs — by using this voice mail service.  After you listen to a short advertisement, the system will directly connect you to your Chair’s mobile voicemail.  She thinks she missed your call, but you know better.

With these three tools, staying in touch with your auction team has never been so convenient.

(c) 2010 Red Apple Auctions LLC

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