I've made my share of embarrassing gaffs onstage at fundraising galas. Most of them were my own fault. Other times, I felt like any awkwardness could have been avoided, had the nonprofit been upfront with me about internal issues. Life isn't a bowl of cherries. Bad situations happen. Even nonprofits with great missions and stellar achievement records can find themselves in a situation that is uncomfortable, at best. Financial mismanagement. Leadership debacles. Internal strife. ... Read On >
Benefit Auctions Blog
Three memorable ways to thank auction donors
Though I have talked before about the need to thank auction donors, I don't recall ever sharing these three tools, which make the "thank" pretty darn memorable. Video resources Text tools Phone ideas This video was shot, edited, and uploaded at the airport, so the sound isn't ideal but the content is solid. https://youtu.be/hYG2PyT0Y5g ... Read On >
Using QR codes in your auction catalog
During the pandemic, restaurants taught many of us how to use our smartphone camera to access a menu, using a QR code. That idea is now popping up in auction catalogs, too. QR codes posted around your gala venue can direct guests to registration pages, online auctions, or donation pages. QR codes are also now appearing in auction catalogs. In today’s vlog, you'll see how two nonprofits incorporated QR codes into their auction catalogs. https://youtu.be/AAeXXijjS3w ... Read On >
Comparing 3 association auction catalogs for ideas
Browsing through auction catalogs is a solid way to get fresh ideas for your own gala -- and it's a lot cheaper than flying across the country to attend an event. In this video, I dissect three auction catalogs from different associations. Each gala was held at the annual conference of the association. Members of the association attended the gala and could participate in the auction. You'll hear examples of how each association altered its items to match the budget and interest of ... Read On >
What to call your special appeal (Fund a Need vs. Raise the paddle, etc.)
One way to confuse volunteers (and your guests) is to use different names for the same activities. You call it a bucket raffle. They call it a tricky tray. You call it a Last Man Standing. They call it Popcorn. You call it a silent auction. They call it an online auction. Tip: Now that many silent auctions are using mobile bidding (that is, they are now "online,"), I'm seeing a shift to calling them 'online silent auctions.' One auction activity with dozens of names is the ... Read On >