It's been about one month since COVID-19 checked into the gala scene and prompted a wave of cancellations and reschedules. In that short period of time, the ingenuity of our industry has been on full display. Virtual gala fundraisers are mutating more rapidly than the virus! In five weeks, virtual auction events have pivoted twice. 1. First they shifted from in-person galas to livestreams. Gala chairs hosted these high-tech, scaled-down events in traditional auction venues ... Read On >
Online Auction
Free webinar: Online “virtual gala” options and what’s best for you
More likely than not, you're reading this from the comfort of your own home. We are, as my friend Amy said, on forced sabbatical. It's not our ideal sabbatical, but here we are. During this imposed break, I've been following the journey of those I know who are ill, educating myself on virtual gala options, and working on other projects. ========================== Short on time? Click to register for my complimentary webinar. Date: Friday, March 27, 2020 at 1 PM Eastern Title: ... Read On >
Video marketing auction items to support your online school auction
To support two school auction clients whose galas were cancelled due to COVID-19, I shot videos that they could use as teasers for specific items being sold in an online auction. The goal was to get participants interested in bidding on these items. How did my school auction clients use these videos? They sent the video link in an email blast to their community. They posted and shared the video on Facebook. They added the video to the item description in the software online. It ... Read On >
Are fundraising online auctions going away? Probably not ….
In the auction industry, there are a few of us -- maybe 4 -- who consistently contribute to a blog. One writer is Mike Brandly in Ohio. Mike is primarily a commercial auctioneer who mostly pens about auction law. Many of his interesting articles aren't directly applicable to my narrow career niche, but he recently published a post I felt appropriate to share. A few days ago he wrote, "Are online auctions going away? Probably ..." He ponders the future of online auctions for commercial ... Read On >
When to use “Submit your best bid” for item donations that can’t be sold at the fundraising auction
Earlier this month I wrote about how nonprofits can sell item donations that arrive after the fundraising auction, or arrive before the event, but have a date restriction preventing the item from being sold at the auction itself. Typically these are donations for a sporting event, concert, or festival. If you run enough auctions, this situation is likely to happen to you. There are a few approaches for converting these donations into of these tickets to the highest bidder. For example, ... Read On >