Meet Steve Haskamp. He's an honest-to-goodness, full-time artist. (He's the creative sort with cool ideas you should add to your benefit auction donations wish list.) If you visit his blog, you'll view his designs which are used on greeting cards at Target, Trader Joe's, children's clothing, books, prints, tote bags, magazines, housewares, and a ton of other stuff. I met Steve through his partner, Dale, who is good friend of mine from college. Steve has one of those jobs I find interesting. ... Read On >
Procurement
How to Successfully Sell a Puppy in Your Auction Fundraiser
I love dogs and I live in one of the United States' friendliest dog towns (Alexandria, VA). There are lots of dog lovers in this part of the world, and I usually sell one or two donated puppies each year as part of a live auction fundraiser. Selling a puppy in a live auction is certainly memorable and profitable. Here in Washington, D.C., the puppy can bring $2000 to $5000 per sale. Most bidders respond to the animal positively and are eager to pet the little guy while inquiring about its age, ... Read On >
Benefit auction item ideas follow-up: Heavy equipment academy
BRRMM. BRRRRRRMMMM. I couldn't resist taking a photo of the Heavy Equipment Training Academy as I was driving through Washington, D.C. yesterday Recent blog readers might be wondering what I'm referring to. A few weeks ago, I covered some benefit auction item ideas. I suggested that one possible item could be a bulldozer training lesson. What a fun item for men and adventurous women! Here's the blog post. It could be a nice fit for a school auction, in particular. During my drive, I ... Read On >
Charity auction ideas from the unlikely source of fashion designer Henri Bendel
The September/October issue of Arrive magazine from Amtrak has an article called Fashion's Makeover (page 34) by Michele Meyer. The article is about how the fashion industry has changed in light of the economic slump. Meyer proposes that to survive in this new climate, apparel designers and merchants must rely on instinct, innovation, exclusivity, and the Internet. Sounds like there's some advice in here that charity auction committees would also be smart to follow. Let's dig deeper. In the ... Read On >
Fundraising auction ideas for vegetables
Say what? Ideas ... for vegetables? A group asked me about vegetables recently, so I thought others might have a need, too. It's not that crazy of an idea. I already broached the topic (sort of) this past summer in my post Four Ways to Sell Farm-to-Table Donations. Here are some fundraising auction ideas for those not-so-lowly, rich-in-antioxidants vegetables. Centerpieces Colorful veggies in a clear vase. See the photos for ideas. GraphicsIf you're hosting an event that focuses on the ... Read On >