Last Saturday I worked a school auction in the Washington National Cathedral. The dress code was "Cathedral Dress." Though I've been to the Cathedral many times, I've worn everything from shorts (as a tourist) to a dress (for an organ concert). I wasn't exactly sure what was appropriate to this event, so I asked. I learned that it could be cocktail, but nothing too flashy or bright. Sort of a “business cocktail.” Dress codes are important; you want everyone to be comfortable, and most ... Read On >
Benefit Auctions Blog
Best time to close the silent auction? Before the live auction begins.
Human psychology factors into fundraising auctions in many ways. The fear of loss propels a bidder to bid. Smart pricing strategies in a raffle influence how many tickets will be sold. Properly structured silent auction bid sheets generate 10% to 30% higher sales. Well-written auction donation request letters secure more "yes" responses than "no" responses. Using a proper method to properly close a silent auction generates higher sales on the most popular items. (E.G. Create an ... Read On >
Tips for associations running annual conference auctions
This spring I'm on the road working with three association clients holding fundraising auctions at their annual conference. Two associations are comprised of individual members (one in the insurance industry; the other in disaster recovery). The third client is an association for hospice organizations to join. Conference auctions are a different breed. They certainly aren't similar to school auctions, and they really aren't like standard nonprofit auctions, either. Let's dive deeper ... Read On >
When to use “Submit your best bid” for item donations that can’t be sold at the fundraising auction
Earlier this month I wrote about how nonprofits can sell item donations that arrive after the fundraising auction, or arrive before the event, but have a date restriction preventing the item from being sold at the auction itself. Typically these are donations for a sporting event, concert, or festival. If you run enough auctions, this situation is likely to happen to you. There are a few approaches for converting these donations into of these tickets to the highest bidder. For example, ... Read On >
One of the best auction donations from authors – writing your name in a book
In past posts I've written about the importance of securing the best auction donation from an author. Perhaps the most thorough post was from 2012, "Careful! Donations from book authors could be your next live *or* silent auction item." For instance, signed books are OK, but they are common. We tend to sell a collection of signed books in a silent auction. But if you secure something more juicy, we sell it in the live auction for thousands of dollars more. One of the several examples ... Read On >