In April I worked a school fundraiser with a circus-theme. It was elegant, not campy. You'll see that via the video below. This is a well-run auction, but as with every event, there are concerns during the planning stage. Part of my time with each client is spent hammering out the details, especially as it relates to the fundraising components of the night. Videos like these don't show the pre-event concerns. Concerns about flow. Concerns about layout. Concerns about sound. Concerns ... Read On >
Benefit Auctions Blog
[VIDEO] Raising money for Haiti by focusing on the Fund a Need
In May I worked with a dedicated group of fundraisers in Louisiana whose gala raises money to build homes for some of the poorest of the poor in Haiti. Each new home costs a mere $5000. The emphasis at this gala is on the Fund a Need. Though there is a live auction, it's only three or so items. Most of the focus is on the Fund a Need. I thought this group went above and beyond by building a shack onsite. It visually demonstrated to guests what many Haitian families use as a home. ... Read On >
What’s wrong with online silent auctions this spring?
Every year my spring season is filled with school auctions. Many of them run online auctions in conjunction with their live events, and the majority this year have complained of lower revenue with the online auction. So what's up? If you're running an online auction and looking for ways to avoid a downfall, here are a few thoughts I've gathered from conversations with my clients. Four tips for online auctions 1. Marketing your online auction is critical. One of my clients commented ... Read On >
Alternatives to the sit-down dinner gala
Maybe it's time for a change. You might feel like it's time to revamp your traditional sit-down dinner gala. Maybe you want a more informal, "social" vibe. Maybe the auction needs a layout shake-up. Maybe you've changed venues and -- Ugh, those tables! -- a sit-down dinner simply won't fit. Watch the video to see six options that will shake-up the layout, formality and overall vibe of your fundraising auction. Event Set-ups Modified sit-down dinner Theater Theater-inspired ... Read On >
How to use sealed bid in your silent auction
In February I was working with a new client who was sharing information about their live auction items from the prior year. The conversation went something like this: Me: So you sold a home irrigation system in the live auction last year? They: Yes. It's worth nearly $4000, so we put it in the live auction to get more money for it. We sold it for $1600. I think we had 3 bids. Me: We can find a better way to sell it. And we did find a better way. This year we sold that ... Read On >