My brother, Scott, is celebrating his birthday today! He's showing some mini-food from the Minibar.

HEY READERS:  THIS IS A PERSONAL BLOG POST; NOTHING RELATED TO CHARITY AUCTIONS.

But the good news is that you can read about helpful benefit auction ideas here or here …

… or the best idea is to sign-up on the right to receive a F*R*E*E Auction Item Guide and e-zine. (You’ll love it … everyone does.)

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Fish at an Ethiopian restaurant, before we devoured it.

Once a year, my brother Scott makes the trek from Iowa to D.C. to attend a work conference.  It’s always in May.  It’s always held in the city.  And it always means he and I get some enjoy some cool sibling time in the city at a fun restaurant.

Self-portrait of us via the mirror. We're dining at the cool Minibar. 2 seatings per night. 6 people per seating. 32 courses. 30 days advance reservations required.

Today is my brother’s birthday.  Like many people with December birthdays, I think he’s gotten the shaft when it comes to gifts and birthday parties.

So today (with his permission), I thought I’d plaster his face on the blog and wish him a public “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

Scott and I share the same vocal patterns, same gestures, and generally sound similar.  Our laugh is similar.  Our sense of humor is similar.  If someone spends time around us, it becomes clear we were raised in the same family.

Ethiopian platter of food was sooo good.

One of Scott’s college friends lived with me in D.C. during an internship.  “It’s so weird to talk with you, Sherry,” he would say, “I feel like I’m talking to the female version of Scott.  Or Scott …. in drag.”

Anyhow, for a visual element on this blog, I decided to share some of the dinner photos from the last two years.

Enjoy your day, Scott!  And I hope the next year is filled with more laughter, love, and personal accomplishments.

A gorgeous printer's plate from an uplifting day in history for Cal Ripken and his fans made a great silent auction item at this benefit in Annapolis, MD.

A few months ago, I shared what a printer’s plate is and how to get it. 

These plates make for nice silent auction items because they are unusual.

At a recent benefit auction, I was walking the silent auction with my client before guests arrived.  As we approached these plates (see photos), she said, “We’re really excited about these.”

“Wow!,” I said, “I wrote about how to get these donated a few months ago, but I don’t often see them in auctions.”

“I know you wrote about it,” she said, “That’s how I got the idea.”

Turns out, this ambitious auction chair read every one of my blog posts and subscribed to my FREE e-zine (you can sign-up on the right) to prepare for her auction. 

When she read my blog post about printer’s plates, she asked one of her auction team members to follow-up with a local newspaper.

The newspaper sent this group — wow! — two beautiful historical plates with copies of the front page framed.

She was so excited to have them in the auction.  And now I was excited, too.  I couldn’t believe how nice these were.

The newspaper donated two sports-related printer's plates.

These plates were different than what I’d seen donated from The Wall Street Journal.  These were clearly more contemporary-looking.  They were printed on a slick surface that seemed to be a plastic but almost looked like a metal.

Final numbers are still out, but early results indicate that the auction-related activities raised twice as much as in year’s past. They also hit a new attendance record.

(Let’s not forget that at the time of this writing, we’re still in a recession.)

Friends, making money at a benefit auction is simply a matter of using a proven system.  Sign-up for my e-zine on the right where I share more info, twice a month.

Copyright (c) 2009 Red Apple Auctions LLC

The President of the Parent's Association Committee donned the costume.

Not so long ago (like two weeks ago) I blogged about how dressing up to promote your charity auction could rank as one of those top auction ideas.

Now, I have proof.

That’s right. I have honest-to-goodness photographs proving that some of my fabulous school auction clients are doing just that.

…Having fun.

…Promoting their school’s auction.

…By dressing up.

Voici.  Take a look at these shots… 

Here’s someone clearly in a playful mood promoting the school auction.  No doubt, he’s bringing smiles to others as they pulled up to drop off their kid for a day of school.

I'm not a raffle-type of gal, but if this mime met me at the school while I was dropping off my child, I would suck it up and buy the $50 raffle ticket.

I love that he took the time to create a simple costume and – most importantly – took an hour out of his day to “work” the drop-off area in front of the school to promote the auction fundraiser and specifically the raffle.

As parents pulled up to the school to drop off their children, they were greeted by this mime.  And because he’s a mime and can’t talk, it’s hard for him to be annoying. 

Who is the man behind the face paint?  He was the chairperson of the Parents Association Committee. He decided to dress up in the spirit of the Moulin Rouge benefit auction theme to bring awareness of the fundraiser to the parents.

(You know, just in case they missed the letters, emails, Facebook updates, Tweets, phone calls, flyers, and table which was set-up at the parent-teacher meetings last week.)

Could you say no to him?

It worked!  His gimmick was the buzz among the parents.

(c) 2009 Red Apple Auctions LLC

Visitors to the Rotary Club of Baltimore are treated to an enthusiastic chorus.

On Tuesday, September 29, 2009 I visited the Rotary Club of Baltimore to talk about ways to improve the return-on-investment for benefit auctions by procuring and selecting the proper items.  I’ve been documenting some of my Rotary talks, which you can read here and here.

The Club meets in the beautiful Belvedere Hotel (A misnomer: The Belvedere was converted to condominiums in 1991).  I’m a sucker for old buildings, so hands down, this is the most glamorous venue of any Rotary meeting I’ve attended.

Rotarian Howard is given a surprise birthday gift - a bit tongue in cheek - from a fellow Rotarian.

Rotarian President Mary Anne had told me that the Club had been growing, and – sure enough – I saw some photos of new members in one of the Club’s meaty weekly newsletters.

I was initially caught off guard when the Club started to sing the national anthem and it was sung …. uh, so well.  The Star-Spangled Banner isn’t an easy song for the average person to sing, yet this Club belted it out beautifully.  Shortly thereafter, I understood why.  When we guests (three total) were announced to the club, a chorus rapidly assembled (see photo) and greeted us with an official “Welcome to our Club” song sung in 4-part harmony.  Whoa!

It seems Rotarians are never short on humor.  Rotarian Howard was presented a T-shirt from a fellow member who found the “perfect” T-shirt for him while vacationing in North Carolina.  The shirt said something like, “Masquerading as a normal person day after day is exhausting.”  The members laughed; Howard responded, “First, I’m flattered that you think I still wear a size large.  Second, don’t forget that revenge is a dish best served cold.”  Watch out…

A Rotarian visiting from Turkey exchanges banners and gifts with Rotarian President Mary Anne.

Rotary is an international organization with 1.2 million members and 33,000 clubs worldwide.  Today, a Rotarian from Turkey visited the Club and brought the customary banner (each club has its own banner) and a gift of Turkish Delight candy.

When the business of the Club was finished, I spoke about how I became an auctioneer and shared the best items to procure for strong auction returns.

One woman approached me after the talk and said she’s going to research auction schools.  “I like careers that don’t have a lot of women in them,” she said.  I love that pioneer spirit!

P.S.:  More photos from the Club meeting can be found on our Facebook Fan site.

(c) 2009 Red Apple Auctions LLC

Sherry Truhlar speaking at a spring event. (Or maybe working as a sign language interpreter.)

If you’re seeking quality benefit auction ideas and fundraising auction information, this is one of those no-brainer events to attend.

For those of you living in the Washington, D.C. / Baltimore corridor, I invite you to meet me in Millersville, MD (near Annapolis) on Tuesday, October 6 from 10 AM – 2:30 PM, where I’ll be speaking.  As I type this, I believe we have 5 spots left.

In a hurry?  Register here.

I am passionate about improving auction ROI (return on investment), so I’ll be speaking on the best ways I’ve seen to max out your returns.

I’m presenting in conjunction with Auctionpay, an auction software company.  But the seminar is not a full-blown sales pitch.  It’s about sharing best practices.

I am so confident in this presentation that I’m giving you my 100% money-back guarantee.

If you attend this event and feel you just heard a 3-hour sales pitch for software, I will pay your registration fee myself.

Here’s what participants have written on their survey forms after attending this talk:

“Sherry was excellent…she spoke well and definitely knew her stuff.” (production company in Florida)

“The presenter was very versed in the auction process and demonstrated excellent experience in execution.” (Director of Special Events in Pennsylvania)

“Just wanted to thank you for the incredibly helpful information you gave at the Auctionpay seminar this morning. It far exceeded my expectations and I left feeling better equipped and excited about our next event.” (Development Director in Oklahoma)

“The seminar was full of good knowledge and helpful tips for conducting an auction. Great ideas that will make our auction more successful” (Fundraising Chair in Georgia)

(Ready to register?  Click here .)

As I thought about why you might want to attend, I immediately came up with six reasons:

1. It’s content-rich. One of my clients will be attending their 3rd seminar to get more content.  It’s that good.
2. You’ll walk away with ready-to-implement ideas.
3. Get your unique questions answered.
4. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t using auction software (or if you are using a different vendor), the tips you’ll learn convey across your auctions.
5. It’s therapeutic. You begin to realize your share challenges with others. Like cheap group therapy.
6. Last seminar at this price. This is the last time you’ll be able to hear this much content and get lunch for $20.  Lots of other companies charge $80 to $300 for this same level of content.

Here are a more comments from others:

“I walked out of the seminar with many new ideas and lots of excitement!” (Development Administrator in Washington)

” Excellent resource for anyone preparing to conduct a benefit auction!” (Auction Coordinator in Washington)

“… a very focused presentation that went directly to the fundraising and its procedures and problems.”
(Board member in Delaware)

I would truly enjoy meeting you in person.  Here’s our chance!

If you live in the area, you owe it to your charity to attend this event … and please be sure to introduce yourself.

One more time. Register here.

Sherry Truhlar stands with comedians Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood from Whose Line Is It Anyway.

Are you planning on holding an auction fundraiser with headline entertainment?  If so, pay heed to your scheduling.  The order of events can affect the amount you raise.  Let me give you an example.

For the past two days, I’ve been representing the National Auctioneers Association (NAA) at ASAE’s Springtime Expo in Washington, D.C. (ASAE is the membership association for association staff members.)

NAA is a member of ASAE. ASAE has decided to incorporate a benefit auction into two events in 2009.  My function was to attend as a representative of NAA, conduct the auction, and talk with attendees about benefit auctions in general.

The one-day event begins with a brunch on Thursday.  It’s the kickoff to the large tradeshow in the afternoon.  The headline entertainment was Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood from the TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway?

During the lunch, all of the attendees and exhibitors (3000-4000 people) gathered in one of the halls of the Washington Convention Center to be formally welcomed, watch promotional videos, learn about some new ASAE initiatives, and be entertained. The comedians did an excellent job of improv comedy with the crowd. Once their performance was complete, the crowd poured into the trade show.

When the trade show closed at 4:30 PM, guests could either leave or move into a cocktail reception. Those who stayed (maybe 500) went into a smaller room to socialize, drink, and eat.  Sectioned off in a corner of that room on a small stage was the benefit auction.  Although the auction was well-received by the ~30 people who attended, the participation (and dollars raised) could have been far greater if we’d held the benefit auction during the lunch.

Here’s the lesson for you:

If you are holding a benefit auction at a gala where you also have headline entertainment performing, you will better serve your fundraising mission if you schedule the auction immediately prior to the headline entertainment.

• The crowd won’t leave until the headliner performs.
• You’ll have the most people in the room.
• Your sound system is already set up to accommodate the performer and could easily accommodate the benefit auction.
• You can be tallying your auction results and preparing for check-out while guests listen to the headliner.

It’s oh-so-simple, and it will make such a difference in your benefit auction’s bottom line.

P.S.  I had no idea how tall these guys were!

P.P.S.  For other useful ideas related to maximizing your charity auction revenue, get Benefit Auction Ideas delivered straight to your email inbox.  It’s stuffed with juicy auction tips, and it’s FREE!

© 2009 Red Apple Auctions LLC.  All Rights Reserved.

I thought her question was insightful on several counts.

First, I was impressed! She is a young, hip Development Director. The younger generation has manners!

Second, etiquette never goes out of style. Good manners can build your auction’s reputation for the long haul so it’s important to pay attention to these areas.

Third, this question brings us back to the human aspects of running an event. Auctions have so many “moving parts” to oversee (food & beverage, decorations, invitations, set-up, item collection, security, seating charts … ), that we can quickly forget that auctions all start with individual donors.

Think about it — fundraising auctions wouldn’t exist without donors.

The donors — not the buyers — are the people who stepped forward first to support the organization. Before the invitations were sent out … before any guest decided on what dress to wear to the gala … before anyone set up the decorations for the night .. before any of that happened, a donor stepped forward to help.

Donors start the auction process by giving a gift. That gift is given with the expectation that the non-profit will sell it to the best of their ability, thereby raising money to further the cause. What a generous gift!  Hurrah for donors!

I believe you can’t thank donors enough. In another blog report, I’ll list the ways I’ve seen donors thanked. But for the down-and-dirty “correct” way (if there is such a thing), here’s what I typically see.

Usually the donor is first thanked with a quick thank you when the item is received. They are thanked again with a letter (mailed … on letterhead) after the auction is over.

Let’s dive a bit deeper.

Part 1:
The first thank you is commonly sent via email.

Now the reality is that even though you send a thank you via email, you’ll usually also have some additional contact with the donor because often the donor forms are not completed to the degree you need.

For instance, how often have you had to contact a donor to get more information on the vacation home they offered? (I.E. “Hi Jim! Thanks for the donation of your beach house. Question for you … On the form, you said that home has 4 bedrooms. But are 2 of the bedrooms filled with bunk beds, or are there actually 4 master bedrooms in this house?”)  Even small donations often require follow-up.

Part 2:
When the auction is over, a more formal thank you (mailed .. on letterhead) is sent.

If the item sold well, I would include the sale price in the letter.

Write something like, “Your $2000 case of wine sold for $2500!” Oooooo … wouldn’t that make a donor feel good!  When you have shown that you are taking care of your donor’s merchandise and selling it so well, that encourages the donor to trust you with bigger donations the following year. Woo whee!

If the donation sold for an average price, I suggest writing something more generic, such as, “Your donation helped NON PROFIT XYZ surpass our goal / meet our fundraising goal / was an increase over last year / etc.”  It’s important to share your success with the donors.

I would also encourage you to hand-write a brief comment or sentence on the letter.

It might be: “The necklace was stunning!” or “Glad you were able to attend the event.” or “Your donation was especially nice this year.” Something personal, but sincere.

P.S.  If you liked this post, you’ll love our ezine! Click here for the free Benefit Auction Ideas ezine.