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 >
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Two pieces of advice for planning a fundraising auction
It's January -- a time of new beginnings. Many volunteers will start working on their 2017 fundraising auctions in earnest.I offer two pieces of advice, based on my own experiences.==========================Last October I worked with my team to launch V.4 of my website -- the fourth version in 11 years. The website launch went smoothly, in large part because I was working with a great technical team whom I've worked with for a few years.My joy was short-lived. Though the ... Read On >
Auction Flu: An epidemic among Gala Auction Chairs
I'm keeping it real in this post.My tradition has been to share gala auction tips in my articles, but there is an entire sub-section of posts I could write focusing on the cultural and sociological elements of fundraising auctions -- articles that would go beyond the mechanics of "how to run a gala auction."Articles about why Auction Chairs run an auction (E.G. Though many are compassionate people who want to help their chosen cause, some have an underlying desire to demonstrate how ... Read On >
Alternatives to the sit-down dinner gala
Maybe it's time for a change. You might feel like it's time to revamp your traditional sit-down dinner gala. Maybe you want a more informal, "social" vibe. Maybe the auction needs a layout shake-up. Maybe you've changed venues and -- Ugh, those tables! -- a sit-down dinner simply won't fit.Watch the video to see six options that will shake-up the layout, formality and overall vibe of your fundraising auction.Event Set-upsModified sit-down dinnerTheaterTheater-inspiredTheater-inspired for ... Read On >
Is your live auction “average?” (2015 by the numbers)
Two weeks ago while interviewing Lori Jacobwith about storytelling (Awesome call, by the way. Use all of her tips in planning your next Fund a Need), I asked her if there was a "right" number of stories to include in a fundraising event. Lori had a solid answer -- five. She explained what each story should do and who should tell it. (You can get details in our free call.) I commented that I often get a similar question -- "How many items should we sell in our live auction?" or "What's the ... Read On >