I was speaking in Topeka, KS, about two weeks ago. I mentioned that some participants might want to eliminate their silent auctions and instead offer a well-orchestrated Fund a Need auction. I wasn't kidding. Well-orchestrated Fund a Needs surpass the silent auction revenue at a number of my clients' galas. ++++++++++++++++++++ (CAVEAT: It needs to be the right type of Fund a Need, well-orchestrated, and aggressively marketed. Learn all you need to know with my uber-popular DVD, Fabulous ... Read On >
Blog Post
Complaints about your auctioneers
PART I Over the years clients have shared some frank remarks about their past benefit auctioneers. "When he said, "'Give some money so they don't have to sleep in a railroad car,' it just felt like he wasn't honoring our youths' experiences." "I honestly don't think he took the time to understand what we do. He kept talking about kids, but we help more adults than children." "He's one of these good ole boys. I can't say he fits in with our crowd." "Our group is loud, and she ... Read On >
Who gets to use your microphone?
One of my projects in my last year of working at GE was planning the annual senior management meeting. That’s when all of the senior team convene in an upscale hotel and spend 3 or 4-days in executive-level strategy and training sessions. Although we had internal speakers, we also hired outside facilitators and motivational speakers. The vetting process was aggressive. I spent hours selecting contractors, watching their promo videos, reading articles, studying websites, and calling ... Read On >
Gala budgeting: Where smart Auction Chairs spend money
Budgets for fundraising galas vary dramatically by organization. Whereas you might have access to a free venue and a donated meal, other groups must pay for those expenses. Nonetheless, if we look at the budgets of gala committees across the country, we see some common expenses. The second chart to the right shows how those expenses often rank. The largest checks are often written to the venue and the caterer. (In the case of a hotel venue, the venue and caterer are typically the ... Read On >
Auction decoration ideas: Elegant (yes, elegant) balloons
I don't like to write about auction decoration ideas. If it doesn't make you money, I'm less inclined to spend time educating you on it. And rarely do auction decorations make you money. But many of the volunteers on your benefit auction committees LOVE talking about decor, don't they? They get excited planning the colors ... considering the centerpieces ... thinking of ways to incorporate fun elements. It pains me that your budget for the decor may grow out of control. (It's so much ... Read On >