Last week I published a video about five popular gifts to give guests at a benefit auction. Here's another guest gift idea. This idea didn't make the video, but it's also not as popular or common. However it was quite popular at this Brazilian auction. The theme was "Meet Me in Rio." Carnival masks of various colors were given to guests as a gift. They placed one mask per salad plate. A secondary benefit: the masks served as decor, sprucing up the gala tables. I recently posted the ... Read On >
Benefit Auctions Blog
[VIDEO] 5 popular items for charity auction gift bags
If you've got a hankering to hand out gifts to your guests, you might be stumped on what to give. Sometimes a sponsor dictates what will be given, but other times the ball is in your court. I prefer gifts which are unique and mission-specific in some way. And for sponsor-dictated gifts, I'd hope that the item is useful or memorable; ideally something that drives business to the sponsor. I can't say that all the items in today's video fit that criteria, but these are popular ... Read On >
An alternative to the silent auction
Last week I received an email. A benefit auction volunteer was reaching out. Her charity-of-choice raises money for schools in overseas countries. They have a smaller auction (~120-150 guests) managed in a walk-around food station-styled event. She wrote: We have begun discussions about next spring fundraiser. We have found that the silent auction route has not given us much in return for all the work it takes. We want to keep the live auction, but are looking for an alternative to the ... Read On >
Use bid stickers on paper silent auction bid sheets vs handwriting
If you've been struggling to read your bidders' handwriting as you look at each silent auction bid sheet, today's video tip will solve your pain. This is an option for you if you're running a silent auction using a single bid sheet. If you're running a traditional manual checkout process that relies on NCR / triplicate bid sheets, this isn't practical. Nor is it relevant if you're using mobile bidding. That's one of the trickier aspects of giving advice on the auction checkout process. ... Read On >
Silent auction jewelry display ideas to add to your supply kit
I've written before about creatively displaying jewelry in your silent auction displays. That post showed some unusual ways to showcase your jewels. This suggestion is more straightforward. Use jewelry stands. Stands ... props ... displays ... whatever you want to call them. When you find jewelry displays on sale, it's not a bad idea to invest in more than one. These become part of your permanent supply kit. Consider this story. Shortly after I graduated from college, I flew to visit a ... Read On >