Last month I worked as a wine auctioneer for a benefit auction in Oak Brook, IL.It was my second wine auction in 2017. The other event was for a nonprofit in Texas. In this post, I'm featuring both of them. If you're running a wine auction or considering launching one in your community, take a look at how these two fundraisers are structured. Both of these are successful events in their markets. Let's look at highlights from each event.Vintage AmarilloEarlier this year, the ... Read On >
Benefit Auctions Blog
Growing a public school auction
Here's an example of a public school auction that has made small changes every year to improve.Headwaters Foundation raises money for the rural Rappahannock County, VA public school system, which services fewer than 1000 students. At one time, it was one of the poorest counties in Virginia. It might still be.The county is located about 90 miles west of Washington, D.C. To arrive at the venue, you'll wind around the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, passing a combination of roadside ... Read On >
Breaking the rules: This Martha’s Vineyard auction succeeds by doing things differently.
Two weeks ago I worked with a nonprofit in Massachusetts which has a fairly unique benefit auction model.Though they share some of the same overarching goals as many of my clients (e.g. fundraising, donor stewardship, community awareness, etc.), the event has a long history of doing some things differently.Here are a few elements that make this charity auction unusual.It's a low ticket price -- $25 per person Guests dress casually; some wore shorts. It's an afternoon affair. ... Read On >
Why change an auction venue? (This hospital foundation moves annually.)
My most recent auction was in upstate New York, working with Adirondack Health Foundation.I've worked with this creative development staff for three years, and I'm impressed that they've held their fundraising gala in a new location every year.In today's post I'm going to share a few reasons as to why you might want to consider changing your auction venue. But first I think you'd enjoy seeing a video recap of the hospital's gala, "The Black & White Bow Tie Gala." Here it ... Read On >
Kendra Scott: An easy jewelry donation for many nonprofits
If a Kendra Scott jewelry store is in your area, call the community / charity relations contact in your local store. For the last two years, my clients have received generous donations from the retailer via its "Kendra Gives Back" program.Frankly, I haven't seen this kind of generosity since Keurig hit the market several years ago.Do you remember that? Not so long ago, every auction I worked had at least one Keurig coffee system in its silent auction. It was often accompanied by a ... Read On >