I am often asked what is the best auction item to secure for an auction fundraiser. Easy answer: Tickets to The Oprah Winfrey Show In your auction, Oprah will outsell tickets to the Superbowl, a private helicopter charter to a Relaix and Chateaux property, and even the chance for a Presidential meet-and-greet. When Oprah tickets are up against any other item, it is -- to borrow a WWE term -- an Oprah SmackDown. As one auction guest told me, "Even if you aren't a huge fan of Oprah, she's so ... Read On >
Benefit Auctions Blog
Three license laws affecting benefit auctions
When I worked as an event planner for GE, I would have been mortified to inadvertently overlook a detail which could have shut down my event. With so many rules to follow from municipal, state, and federal bodies, it's difficult to stay on top of everything. As a benefit auctioneer Florida ... and in Virginia ... and in Kentucky ... and in New Hampshire .. and in some other states, I've learned that licensing varies greatly from location to location. Nonetheless, here are three more common ... Read On >
Proof of silent auction ideas that work: printer’s plate
A few months ago, I shared what a printer's plate is and how to get it. These plates make for nice silent auction items because they are unusual. At a recent event, I was walking the silent auction with my client before guests arrived. As we approached the plates pictured, she said, "We're really excited about these." "Wow," I said, "I wrote about how to get these donated a few months ago, but I don't often see them in auctions." "I know you wrote about it," she said, "That's how I got ... Read On >
On a personal note: Designing cards, plus-size modeling, and life’s pleasantries
Heads up: This is a personal blog post. Nothing about benefit auctions here. This past summer, Sue Painter, one of my Mastermind friends in Tennessee emailed me via Facebook: "My Sunday paper fell on the floor today and some of the ads fell out," she wrote, "When I leaned over to pick them up, YOU were smiling up at me from a Catherine's insert!" Even though she knew I was a plus-size model, she was excited to suddenly see someone in print whom she recognized. (For those of you just joining ... Read On >
A rather large fundraising gala in a small town by an (as of yet) unknown chef
I recently cleared my desk of papers and found this clipping my Mom mailed to me a few months ago. It was a nice event worth sharing. This wasn't an auction, but it was a fundraising gala. Read on... My trip to Kansas this summer coincided with a local fundraiser. It was a well-crafted event and a nice gesture on behalf of the young man who organized it. Adam Hoffines graduated from high school in 2006. He headed to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY and graduated in ... Read On >