This question surfaces once or twice a year. Volunteers working on school auctions seem to ask me the most often. A parent tasked with getting donations for the school gala becomes concerned about whether she should be including the school's PTA tax ID number on the school auction donation letter and other relevant forms. It's easy to understand her concern. We've been warned about putting our birth date on Facebook and cautioned against using our social security number as a computer ... Read On >
Blog Post
Become a charity auction rock star with these just-released procurement tools
With the new year brings a return to routines. I'm attending many committee meetings and watching volunteers working hard on spring auctions. The questions I'm asked most center around charity auction procurement. And no wonder! It's one of those make-or-break areas of an auction gala. If you don’t nail it – if you can’t get the right items -- your guests won’t be bidding and you won’t be raising money. Some of the more frequent questions committees have are: Who likes to donate? Which ... Read On >
The charity auction ideas YOU (Auction Chairs) researched in 2011
Year-end recaps are great ways to get up to speed on the best information that auction chairs were learning last year. And if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I'm a numbers person. I like to measure results and make decisions based on numbers. There’s nothing like seeing the answer in data and going for it. So this week, I'm giving you the most popular blog posts of last year. Consider it your insider’s guide as to what was hot when it comes to charity auction ideas, as ... Read On >
Charity Auction Trends 2012: We’re still talking technology and always talking food
I’m predicting three trends for 2012 charity auctions. Two of them involve execution. No, nothing that harsh. I’m talking about the other kind of execution, when we're getting stuff done. We’ve heard a lot in the past couple years about trends in technology, but I think 2012 is the first time we are going to see some of these ideas in action. First – for better or worse - mobile bidding will become more widely adopted in the silent auction. Vendors have been touting electronic bidding ... Read On >
VIDEO: Silence doesn’t sell! Q&A on sound systems for charity benefit auctions
Charity benefit auctions are unique in that the sound system required is different than what is needed for a band, singer, or a typical speaker. Learn all the specifics -- what, when, where, why and how -- in this great Q&A. I cover a lot of information about the type of system you need for your next gala. Watch the video below. https://youtu.be/TxEEJ8rs60E?feature=shared ... Read On >