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You are here: Home / Centerpieces / Auction centerpiece ideas for your next charity gala
Aug 15

Auction centerpiece ideas for your next charity gala

Sherry Truhlar 4 Comments

Seems to me that all gala planners seek auction centerpiece ideas and table decor tips.

Enjoy these three YouTube videos that will get you thinking about your gala’s tables.

Three tips for success with auction centerpieces

Benefit Auction Table Centerpieces: Should you sell them or give them away?

Benefit Auction Tip: Shrink those floral centerpieces

Every committee with whom I work spends time talking décor and centerpieces. I’d love to know what you’ve done with centerpieces. 

What was the most clever or creative change you made to your event’s centerpieces? Share below, please.

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Copyright © 2011 Red Apple Auctions Co. All Rights Reserved

About Sherry Truhlar

Fundraising auctioneer and educator, helping schools and nonprofits plan more profitable benefit auctions. A prolific writer for her own blog and other fundraising sites, she’s been covered in The Beacon-News, Town & Country Magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, Northern Virginia Magazine, Wiley's Special Events Galore!, AUCTIONEER, and other publications.

Reader Interactions

VIDEO: Fundraising auction ideas using vegetables
VIDEO: School auctions start planning this month. Get fired up!

Comments

  1. Sharon says

    October 21, 2013 at 10:50 PM

    We had an Italian Bistro setting for a dinner theater. The students were the cast members and also the waiters and waitresses. The centerpieces were herb gardens planted in large colorful tomato cans with their original labels, provided by two Italian restaurants in town. The herbs were donated by local nurseries, each can held three herbs. The table was sprinkled with decorative pasta. Some of the herb gardens are still in use a year and a half later!

    Reply
    • Sherry Truhlar says

      October 22, 2013 at 12:04 AM

      Sharon, I like that creativity. It was inexpensive, clever, and involved the students.

      Speaking of herbs, at a Greek Odyssey themed school auction this past spring, the centerpieces were rosemary shrubs in beautiful planters. My rosemary plant has been in my garden since April and has tripled in size! I brush my hand over it every time I turn on the garden hose. (Admittedly, I’m a gardener and tend to be partial to plants.)

      Reply
  2. Kirsten Bullock says

    August 16, 2011 at 2:08 PM

    They weren’t exactly centerpieces, but at each place setting we set up a picture of one of the students – along with what they wanted to be when they grew up – in an inexpensive frame. They were a hit :-).

    Reply
    • Sherry Truhlar says

      July 26, 2012 at 12:04 AM

      Kirsten, I like that, too.

      Reply

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Sherry, oh, Sherry! You were an invaluable asset to this year’s gala. With your assistance we were able to add so many new elements that truly made a difference in taking our event to another level. This year was the most successful yet! Everyone loved you and the amazing energy that you brought to the event. We look forward to having you again in 2018!

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Thank you so much for the outstanding job you did for us on April 1! I have received so much positive feedback from so many who attended. You even earned Sister Suzan’s (our Vice-Principal) seal of approval! Safe travels to all your many events and thank you for making our biggest fundraiser of the year our best ever!

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St. Joseph Academy Catholic High School (St. Augustine, FL)

Sherry is flexible and easy to work with. She gives honest feedback and advice throughout the planning and implementation process. Without a doubt, Sherry and Red Apple Auctions has helped take our annual fundraising event to the next level.

Beckie Middendorf, Development Director and Janet Gulla, Development Coordinator
St. Henry District High School (Erlanger, KY)

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Charly Ryan, Director of Institutional Advancement
The Academy of the Holy Cross (Kensington, MD)

I was very fortunate to have Red Apple on board for my first auction. Working with Sherry was invaluable. She provided guidance at every phase of planning, from procurement on forward – and she challenged us to make our event more ambitious and more successful at every stage. Thank you, Sherry!

Pete Goldlust, Director of Development
Oak Hill School (Eugene, OR)

If your auction needs to upgrade, call any auctioneer you find on Google. But if you want your auction to be impressive, meaningful, and profitable, you need to call Sherry.

Erin Banda
2016 NYUMBANI Board member

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