The National Auctioneers Association recently sent a survey to fundraising auctioneers, asking them about "tough situations that might arise during a benefit auction." They listed possible situations that may occur. I've posted them below and expanded on the suggestions. I don't pretend to have seen it all, but I have seen a lot since becoming a fundraising auctioneer. And if you have experienced a minor set-back or even a catastrophe at your fundraiser, you're not alone. This post may ... Read On >
Benefit Auctions Blog
Land acknowledgments in fundraising events
Call it coincidence, divine intervention or luck, but I'd bet that you've had a situation whereby you see or hear something, and suddenly it shows up somewhere else. For instance, you consider buying a particular type of car, and suddenly that model is all you see on the highway. That serendipity is what led me to write about today's subject. ============================== Thanks to a cancelled flight that left me scrambling to get from one fundraiser to another late last month, I've ... Read On >
Does mobile bidding raise more money in your silent auction (and other questions)
I worked a fundraising gala this weekend in Martha's Vineyard, MA and the nonprofit used mobile bidding in its silent auction. Because it's on my mind, today I'm addressing three conversations that often arise about mobile bidding. ============================= 1. "Mobile bidding" isn't synonymous to "nonprofit auction software." I know, the jargon is confusing. Better to say that mobile bidding is a feature of some nonprofit auction software platforms. Referring to them as the ... Read On >
The Seating Meeting: Developing an auction seating chart
"We should talk in the morning," one Auction Chair told me, "I'll be tied up with the seating meeting all afternoon." Ah, the seating meeting. It's one of the most dreaded of auction committee meetings. =============================== What is the seating meeting? It's when the Gala Co-chairs (or a small sub-section of the gala committee) convene to determine the auction seating chart. =============================== Why is a seating meeting important? Where a guest sits ... Read On >
It’s a shoe-in for a great raffle prize
At a benefit auction this spring, a man approached me at the dessert buffet. He'd noticed I'd switched from my flats into heels before I started the program on stage. "You've gotten taller," he said, checking out my shoes. "Nice! What size shoe do you wear?" I bristled. ======================== Before I carry on with this story, I should share another story from 20 years ago. When I moved to D.C., one of my part-time jobs was working as a fragrance model in department ... Read On >