A friend from Kansas and her husband flew out to visit me last month.And this is where the story begins.My house is undergoing a renovation so they stayed in a nearby hotel.When I popped into the Hilton Garden Inn the first morning of their visit, I saw this in the lobby.A silent auction!I'd seen this type of set-up at a hotel in Ohio last year, but didn't have time to investigate.I walked over to see how it worked. First, I glanced at what they were ... Read On >
Blog Post
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 >
Three times guests will try to pull a fast one on you, and what to say when it happens
At some point a guest at your gala will try to pull a fast one on you or me.I like to believe that the guest is being honest. After all, this is a fundraising auction; most people are filled with good will.But sometimes, stuff happens.Maybe they really didn't bid. They were just waving their bid paddle to get the attention of a friend across the room. Maybe they really did want to donate in the paddle raiser, but a column blocked them from view. Maybe they really did think ... Read On >
The archetypes of live auction bidders
Since starting my company over a decade ago, I've observed several types of bidders. In this post, I'm describing my live auction bidder archetypes.These are a tad tongue-in-cheek.Even so, I suspect you'll recognize some of your guests from among these descriptions.(I'll zero in on some archetypes in upcoming posts.)Remember that most guests at your gala are not going to participate in the live auction. Usually just 10% to 20% of your crowd is active in the live auction; the ... Read On >
Selling better sex and other awkward fundraising auction donations
These are real fundraising auction donations that have been sold by nonprofits.Vasectomy Vaginal tightening Various cosmetic surgery, cosmetic procedures, and diagnostics (e.g. injections, tummy tucks, impotence evaluation) Fertility treatment (IVF)I'm fairly certain that every donation received made the gala chair wince, followed by a "How am I going to sell this" moment.Though I have sold these types of donations in live auctions, they don't belong there. First, ... Read On >