Last Saturday I worked a school auction in the Washington National Cathedral. The dress code was "Cathedral Dress." Though I've been to the Cathedral many times, I've worn everything from shorts (as a tourist) to a dress (for an organ concert). I wasn't exactly sure what was appropriate to this event, so I asked. I learned that it could be cocktail, but nothing too flashy or bright. Sort of a “business cocktail.” Dress codes are important; you want everyone to be comfortable, and most ... Read On >
Decor
Auction item displays benefit from photo books like this
Here's a quick tip on how to improve your auction item displays when you're offering a trip in either the silent or live auction. Use a photo book in your display. "Photo book" is the name I give to books (and I use the term "books" loosely) which feature photos of the inside of the property, outside of the property, and activities to do in the area. Think of it as a handmade version of a traditional coffee table picture book. Sometimes these books are a few pieces of paper stapled ... Read On >
Five best free stock photography sites for live & silent auction displays
Last week I wrote about being busted by the photo police for illegally using a photograph on my website. A portion of that blog was devoted to sharing sites whereby auction planners could secure free stock photography for live and silent auction displays. To make it easier to find the sites, I've re-posted the list below. =============================== Here are my 5 best free stock photography sites for gala auction planners. This is where you can secure legal images to use in your ... Read On >
Busted! Be wary of images used in fundraising auction displays
In the summer of 2015, the nonprofit division of Venable law published "Busted: Nonprofits Will Have to Pay the Photography Piper." The article itself is short and worth reading, but here's the synopsis. For many years, nonprofits have pulled images from the internet and used them in their publications or websites. Until recently, software didn't exist to make it easy for photographers and their agents to track down these copyrighted images. Now the software exists, and nonprofits are ... Read On >
Havana Nights auction theme: Tacky or trendy?
Since 2014 when President Obama re-established relations with Cuba, the country has been a popular topic in my client meetings. And with the recent death of Fidel Castro, news about Cuba has been widely covered in the papers and on television. For this post, let's discuss Cuba through the lens of our focus on fundraising auctions. ======================== Readers want to know if it's tacky to use Cuba as a theme. Here's a question I was asked last week via Facebook. ("Like" me ... Read On >