Using popular movie titles in your silent auction item descriptions is one way to grab some eyeballs. I saw that trick used this past weekend at a gala. Julie & Julia was released in August. I liked the movie. It's generally received positive reviews. This charity capitalized on the vibe and good feelings of the movie by writing "Julie & Julia, Part 1" in the silent auction header description of a French cooking class. In the Washington, D.C. area, L'Academie de Cuisine is a ... Read On >
Part 2: Ah HA! About those outlandish auction ideas? I’ve got photos.
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 concepts ... especially when it comes to school 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. They are having fun, hamming it up, promoting their school auction ... by dressing up. Voici. Take a look at these shots. Here's someone clearly in a ... Read On >
Speaking to Rotary Club of Baltimore about benefit auction ideas
On Tuesday, September 29, 2009 I visited the Rotary Club of Baltimore to talk about benefit auction ideas. 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 Hotel was converted to condominiums in 1991 and is no longer a hotel.) I'm a sucker for old buildings, so this quickly ranked as the most glamorous venue of any Rotary meeting I've attended. Rotarian President Mary Anne had told me ... Read On >
Only a few spots left: Maximizing your Benefit Auction: Making Everything Count in a Fragile Economy
UPDATE: This class has passed. To keep abreast of future talks, subscribe to Benefit Auction Ideas. ++++++ If you're seeking quality benefit auction ideas, 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. We have limited space at this venue. As I type this, we have about 5 spots left. In a ... Read On >
Bad economy? Focus on these four areas to save the auction
In my 20+ years as an auctioneer, I've witnessed a few economic disruptions that made Development teams nervous. If the economy seems to be going into a tailspin the same year you're in charge of an auction fundraising gala, read this and focus your efforts on these four areas. 1. Invest your time upfront in placing volunteers into appropriate roles where they can shine. Not all volunteers are created equal. To ensure fewer headaches later, make an effort early in the process to get to know ... Read On >