Last month I worked as a wine auctioneer for a benefit auction in Oak Brook, IL. It was my second wine auction in 2017. The other event was for a nonprofit in Texas. In this post, I'm featuring both of them. If you're running a wine auction or considering launching one in your community, take a look at how these two fundraisers are structured. Both of these are successful events in their markets. Let's look at highlights from each event. Vintage Amarillo Earlier this year, the ... Read On >
Pre-event activities
How to organize a charity auction: Part 2 (Auction Chair tools)
[This is the second part of a two-part blog. Read "How to organize a charity auction, part 1" here.] As mentioned in Part 1, I thought about writing on this topic a few months ago and decided, "Nope. I need to save this topic until January." The reason being is that January is the month that many stores -- Home Depot, Walmart, Kmart, Target, Staples, The Container Store (the annual Elfa® sale) -- advertise one particular theme. Getting organized! This is THE month that many stores promote ... Read On >
How to organize a charity auction: Part 1 (the supplies)
[This is the first part of a two-part blog. Read "How to organize a charity auction, part 2" here.] I thought about writing on this topic a few months ago and decided, "Nope. I need to save this topic until January." Want to know why? Because January is the month that many stores -- Home Depot, Walmart, Kmart, Target, Staples, The Container Store (the annual Elfa® sale) -- advertise one particular theme. Getting organized! This is THE month that stores promote organization. I suppose a ... Read On >
VIDEO: School auctions take note of this ticket price increase – 750%!
A big debate among the school auctions with whom I work centers on the ticket price. The committee often feels that by keeping a low ticket price, they'll be more inclusive and raise more money. And every benefit auctioneer I know will tell you otherwise. Yet this persistent inaccurate belief exists. At this Boston foundation, they decided to charge a ticket price after years of offering a free event. It was a resounding success. Watch the video below. ... Read On >
PODCAST: How many live auction items should I sell?
It's a common question from clients. They want to know how many auction items they should sell in their live auction. "Do you think 12 is too many?" they'll ask.I contemplate these questions in the same way I'd think about prunes: "Will three get the job done? ... Is eight too many?" ;)In this podcast, learn the factors that go into determining how many auction items you should have you in your gala. You'll be able to figure out the perfect number for your gala.Listen to the podcast below. ... Read On >