One of the more dreaded activities of holding an auction fundraiser is managing registration and checkout -- or, as I like to call it, "Guest Services." Even without auction software, Guest Services is not an impossible task for an auction committee to pull off, but it does require organization, speed, and -- most importantly -- an understanding of the entire process. There are dozens of tasks that must be managed between when the guest arrives at the gala and when they leave at night's ... Read On >
Registration & Check-out
Land acknowledgments in fundraising events
Call it coincidence, divine intervention or luck, but I'd bet that you've had a situation whereby you see or hear something, and suddenly it shows up somewhere else. Like when you consider buying a particular type of car, and suddenly that model is all you see on the highway. That serendipity is what led me to write about today's subject. ============================== Thanks to a cancelled flight that left me scrambling to get from one fundraiser to another late last month, I've ... Read On >
Does mobile bidding raise more money in your silent auction (and other questions)
I worked a fundraising gala this weekend in Martha's Vineyard, MA and the nonprofit used mobile bidding in its silent auction. Because it's on my mind, today I'm addressing three conversations that often arise about mobile bidding. ============================= 1. "Mobile bidding" isn't synonymous to "nonprofit auction software." I know, the jargon is confusing. Better to say that mobile bidding is a feature of some nonprofit auction software platforms. Referring to them as the ... Read On >
This auction bid card served many purposes: bid number, seating assignment, advertisement, and more
Here's a clever way to ensure guests keep their auction bid card as they mingle during the silent auction reception. One of my client's included key information on the back of each paddle. The guest's name Guest's table number Schematic diagram of the ballroom, with highlighting on the table at which the guest would be seated. (Notice that the guest's table is highlighted in yellow to make it easy for the guest to locate.) An introduction of the auctioneer Information about ... Read On >
Transforming a mundane auction checkout receipt into a mission-driven missive
There was a problem at one of my spring fundraising auctions. The event was new, designed to take the place of a more traditional fundraising dinner. For many years the dinner reliably drew 400- 500 guests. The hope was that this new event would attract a similarly sized crowd. It didn't. At first the planner dropped the guest count estimate to 300. Five days prior to the auction, the count wasn't yet 100. It didn't climb much higher than that. (Not all events are stellar out ... Read On >