UPDATE: The telecourse mentioned has passed, but the content below is still valid. To keep abreast of future calls, subscribe to Benefit Auction Ideas. ++++++ This Thursday I'll be hosting the second call of my free 6-week benefit auction technology teleseries. Each week I'm covering a new tool that will help you improve your gala. This week, we'll learn about online auction software. I'll be interviewing a representative from a company that only sells software that to run online ... Read On >
How to accelerate your benefit auction checkout line
UPDATE: The telecourse mentioned is over, but the content is still valid. To learn a simple manual auction checkout process, get auction checkout training here. Keep abreast of future calls by subscribing to Benefit Auction Ideas. ++++++ As I write this, I just returned from a benefit auction. The gala was the non-profit's first and it earned an "A." But one area we'll be perfecting before next year's event is the registration and auction checkout process. Checkout is a timely ... Read On >
Explosions can boost bidding at charity auctions
I don't always open my Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) e-newsletter each month. This time, I couldn't click fast enough. The subject line was "Watch the demolition of an old power plant." If you're looking for some unique benefit auction item ideas, that's one! Imagine, the chance to watch -- live -- the destruction of the plant in a nearby (but protected) area. Maybe even the chance to walk around the grounds with FPL execs after the big blow-up. If FPL was a sponsor at any ... Read On >
Insurance for gala auction items and more
Last month, a 2010 Harley-Davidson Sportster motorcycle was stolen. The bike was painted pink and signed by a number of country music stars, such as Dolly Parton, Tim McGraw, and Taylor Swift. Here's the kicker: It had been donated to be sold in a benefit auction to benefit the Lexington affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The bike had been stored inside a trailer secured by chains in the organization's parking lot. When employees returned to the office after the weekend, they ... Read On >
Happy Birthday to us – and a FREE Technology Teleclass for you
Red Apple Auctions turns five today. (It's a quiet celebration, as I'm out of town speaking in San Antonio, TX .) I still remember driving down to City Hall and completing the paperwork to "birth" my business. I'd decided it was time to get serious about my hobby. I brainstormed possible names (filling a whole page with ideas), did some research, let it sit with me to get an internal read on what felt right, and opted for "Red Apple Auctions." As clients referred us and as others found us ... Read On >