There was a problem at one of my spring fundraising auctions.The event was new, designed to take the place of a more traditional fundraising dinner. For many years the dinner reliably drew 400- 500 guests. The hope was that this new event would attract a similarly sized crowd.It didn't.At first the planner dropped the guest count estimate to 300. Five days prior to the auction, the count wasn't yet 100.It didn't climb much higher than that.(Not all events are stellar out ... Read On >
Administration
The 10 Latest Fundraising Auction Trends
Last week I presented at Gail Perry's (of Fired Up Fundraising) events course.My topic was "Latest Fundraising Auction Success Trends: What in-the-know Auction Planners are Buzzing About Now."I commented on 10 trends in the fundraising auction industry, providing stories, context, and additional resources so participants could do a deeper dive on subjects of interest to them.Though I'm not going to provide commentary and resources in this blog post (you had to be in the course to get ... Read On >
An auction organizational chart for your fundraiser
If you run a web search on "why volunteers quit," you'll find a string of articles, research, and posts listing common reasons volunteers leave.One of the top complaints is a lack of organization from the person in charge of the volunteers.(For a fundraising auction, we'd typically call this person the Auction Chair or Gala Chair.)Years ago I recall a committee member complaining to me about the Auction Chair. "She doesn't have her sh*t together," the woman confided. Because the ... Read On >
Classy example of sharing an auction dress code
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 >
Is it a “LIVE” auction, LIVE auction, or Live Auction?
My bilingual and multi-lingual friends are quick to point out that English isn't the easiest language to learn.Here's one example of how language oddities can confuse even the best auction planners.==================== Back in 2012, I received this email from a Chicago hospital foundation team member. When I refer to a “LIVE” auction in printed materials, I always put “LIVE” in quotes so that it is not misread as LIVE – the verb for to exist. My supervisor does not like the quotes ... Read On >