Photography seems to be a part of every event I work. The photographer might be professional or amateur, paid or volunteer. The photography itself takes many approaches: Photobooths with guest props Flip Books Frames Boothomatics Backdrops Portrait Photography Similar but different -- changing the traditional photo donations found in the silent auction A recent gala had a venue that spread guests between two floors and a balcony. To ensure all knew that a ... Read On >
Blog Post
Do you have to print the value of an auction item?
The rules around listing fair market values Here's a common fundraising auction question: "Is it OK to put the fair market value of an auction item on the receipt, instead of listing it on the bid sheet, auction catalog or display?" Some people believe (mistakenly, in my mind) that guests will pay more for an item if they don't know the value of it. The IRS regulation explains that for a donation above the fair market value to be considered a gift, the winning bidder must be told the ... Read On >
Red Apple Auctions’ blog makes Feedspot’s Top 25 Auction Blogs list
In April during the busiest part of my spring travel season, I received an email from Feedspot. "I would like to personally congratulate you," the email began, "Your blog at Red Apple Auctions has been selected by our panelists as one of the Top 25 Auction Blogs on the web." Woohoo! The Red Apple Auctions blog landed at #15 on the best auction bloggers list. It's nice to be recognized for something that takes some time to produce. When I looked at their list, I noticed that most ... Read On >
I think “hotel silent auctions” are scammy — what do you think?
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 >
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 >