The majority of the school auctions my team works occur in the spring. As we approach Mother's Day, I start talking about "buying this jewelry for your wife" and "What a nice Mother's Day gift this item would be." Here's an activity that the Moms might enjoy. It could be advertised as a Mother's Day appreciation gift. Party sign-ups like this can be incorporated into the silent auction. Moms Night Out at the Movies Enjoy an evening out with the girls at the Avalon Theater. Join your friends ... Read On >
Blog Post
The OTHER thing to never say on stage at a benefit auction
Back in 2009, I penned an article that got quite a bit of traction on both my blog and social media outlets. It was called, “Never say this onstage at a fundraising auction.” (You might want to read that, if you haven't.) It’s time to revise. I now have TWO things to never say on stage. When I wrote the original article, I was doing so in the midst of an economic recession. Some of my clients were hell-bent on reminding their auction guests that the country was experiencing an economic ... Read On >
Silent auction entertainment that startles
One of my auctions this past weekend used this silent auction entertainment idea. As the idea is fresh in my mind, it’s a perfect time to give you some pointers on using this concept. They’re called living statues. Also called “human statues,” the idea is that a person stands “frozen” until he receives a donation or otherwise wants to startle a passer-by. At that point, he changes his position. Here’s why I like this form of entertainment ... and some tips on getting the most out of ... Read On >
Use lemon scent to boost charitable giving at your gala auction
Before the live auction begins at your next gala, consider running through the ballroom spritzing a lemon-scented air freshener. Worst case, ask the hotel housekeeping for a clean-smelling window cleaner and do the same thing. Some 2009 research proved that smelling citrus dramatically increases our charitable nature. The study found a big improvement in ethical behavior with just a few spritzes of citrus-scented Windex. Katie Liljenquist of Brigham Young University, Chen-Bo Zhong of The ... Read On >
Too good to be true? Playing it smart with unsolicited auction items.
When I first started my business, I prospected for business by cold calling. (Cold calling means reaching out to someone who doesn’t know you and to whom you have no connection.) At the time I was living in Miami, FL, so I Googled lists of area private schools and nonprofits. I’d visit each group’s Website, researching it to see if they held an auction. If they did, I’d call them to tell them about my services. I share this because if you’ve posted anything about your benefit auction on your ... Read On >