This is a good post to share with your other Gala Chairs who are seeking to invest or change their auction software, but don't know all the players.==============================It's been five years since I published a list of silent auction software vendors.Or rather, it was a list of mobile bidding software vendors. Back then, mobile bidding had been growing in popularity. Sharing a list of companies selling the tool seemed like a good idea.I struggled with what to name the ... Read On >
Benefit Auctions Blog
Who else loves getting jam-packed gift bags? (This French school’s gift bag was oh-la-la.)
Today I'm sharing a video. You'll get to see the contents of a gift bag from one of my school auctions.But first, let me provide some background on this event.Fundraising auctions -- or at least the kind I blog about on this site -- are a fairly "American" thing -- or so I've been told by those who have attended galas in Europe.One woman who noticed these differences worked for a mobile bidding vendor. She told me that eventually she wanted to return home to London and become a ... Read On >
This auction bid card served many purposes: bid number, seating assignment, advertisement, and more
Here's a clever way to ensure guests keep their auction bid card as they mingle during the silent auction reception.One of my client's included key information on the back of each paddle.The guest's name Guest's table number Schematic diagram of the ballroom, with highlighting on the table at which the guest would be seated. (Notice that the guest's table is highlighted in yellow to make it easy for the guest to locate.) An introduction of the auctioneer Information about ... Read On >
Using the auction bid paddle as a sponsorship opportunity
Some nonprofits will print a guest's bid number on both sides of an auction bid paddle. The benefit of this approach is that regardless of which side of the paddle is shown to the auctioneer, the bid number is viewed.Another idea is to sell the space on the back of the bid paddle.The back of the bid paddle can be combined with other benefits and offered to a single sponsor at a high commitment level, or it can be sold as a standalone benefit to a company underwriting a specific ... Read On >
Creative event names for your auction gala fundraiser
I love word play. Thoughtful poems and good song lyrics beg for me to memorize them. And when rhymes are tied to rhythm in a rap, remembering lyrics is even easier.But word play isn't just for music.I recall listening to Sam Horn (the speaker, not the baseball player) sharing a story about her book title, "Tongue Fu! How to Deflect, Disarm, and Defuse any Verbal Conflict."What a great name.Kung fu conjures ideas of self-defense, and Sam ingeniously used the same alliteration ... Read On >