A few years ago I ran a course called Easy First Auctions. It was designed to help groups launch an auction correctly to avoid volunteer burnout. I shared what really mattered, so Chairs didn't get overwhelmed with it all and never want to run an auction again. I could have honestly promoted it by writing, "Here are the elements your auction should include in the early years, so you don't get a divorce." Auctions put enormous stress on volunteer chairs. Though I've talked about this ... Read On >
Benefit Auctions Blog
Sustainable benefit auction ideas for plates and utensils
Happy Earth Day! If you like to be gentle with planet Earth, you might be thinking of ways to "green your gala." Adapting your plates and utensils is a good start. These items were for events that forewent a sit-down dinner and instead served heavy hors d'oeuvres. At a Girls Inc. benefit auction gala I worked a few months ago, the menu consisted of thick crab dips, cheeses, finger food, and the like. Showing off the food were these plates and utensils from Earth Friendly Maryland. My take ... Read On >
An easy silent auction item to procure: Wheel of Fortune
If you're searching for some silent auction item ideas, one near guarantee donation is Wheel of Fortune. The game show is exceedingly generous in their donations. I shared the show's donation information with a Miami, FL, client a few years ago. The nonprofit has received one or two fan packs for every auction since then. The package changes a bit every year, but the show often sends a kit like the one I've shown you in photograph. (What did it sell for? I don't recall. I know it sold ... Read On >
Are school auctions harder to organize in public schools? I think so.
In February I participated in a PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) expo in Chicago. Though I've participated in many trade shows when I worked at GE, I'd never participated in a trade show as part of my own company. I thought I'd give it a shot to see how it would go. The Chicago event is one of the largest PTO expos. Organizers mentioned that 600 or 700 people had registered. I was tucked in amidst a sea of traditional fundraising concepts: candy ... bags ... gift wrap ... etc. No surprise ... Read On >
How Daymond John’s sales team talked me out of buying his program
Heads up: This isn't a benefit auction post. You can jump to another section of the blog for that. I was just so disappointed in a presentation I attended today (March 2014) that I typed up this post to clear my head and to remind myself of what not to do when I'm giving a speak-to-sell presentation. A couple of months ago, I had lunch with my friend Suzanne. She had recently launched her own business and was commenting that she'd invested in a program from Daymond John Academy. She ... Read On >