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 ... Read On >
Pre-event activities
Benefit auction item ideas: stock the bar | stock the cellar
The upcoming holiday season has me thinking about seasonal get-togethers. Here's a benefit auction item idea fitting to the season. I heard of an older couple who opted to forego the traditional gifts at their wedding. If any guest wanted to give a gift, the couple suggested bringing a bottle of wine so they could "stock the cellar." (I like this idea. I've got enough "stuff" for my house, but the cellar can always be filled.) Similarly, some bridal showers (co-ed) are "stock the bar" ... Read On >
Part 2: Ah HA! About those outlandish auction ideas? I’ve got photos.
Not so long ago (like two weeks ago) I blogged about how dressing up to promote your charity auction could rank as one of those top concepts ... especially when it comes to school auction ideas. Now, I have proof. That's right. I have honest-to-goodness photographs proving that some of my fabulous school auction clients are doing just that. They are having fun, hamming it up, promoting their school auction ... by dressing up. Voici. Take a look at these shots. Here's someone clearly in a ... Read On >
FREE teleclass: How to negotiate your charity auction venue contract
UPDATE: This class has passed. To keep abreast of future calls, subscribe to Benefit Auction Ideas. ++++++ I wish someone had offered this class when I was a full-time event planner. Many nonprofits and some schools hold their charity auctions at outside venues ... most of which will require the group to sign a contract. But if you don't regularly work with contracts, they can be overwhelming. Not every organization can afford to have an attorney on staff to negotiate those written tomes, ... Read On >