Dear Readers, For July - September, this blog will go silent as my team works to build a new website and implement other behind-the-scenes changes. If you're seeking benefit auction help, search through the 550 blog posts dating back to 2009. There's plenty of content to explore and thousands of ideas to incorporate into your next auction fundraiser. (As a side, if you subscribe to Benefit Auction Ideas, that publication will still arrive on schedule. The next issue is July 5.) We'll ... Read On >
Sherry's Life
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 >
How to easily build your own website on WordPress
Note: This post isn't benefit auction-related. Sometimes I share other content. If you need auction help, search the blog for 500+ auction-related posts.============Today I want to share information about a course and teacher I love.If you're a small business owner, a nonprofit in need of a website, or an eternal student, read on.Back in 2009 I enrolled in an online course for non-techies called the Website Creation Workshop. I wanted to learn how to build my own website. I'd become so ... Read On >
[VIDEO] A “haul” from a recent fundraising auction
I have some cool clients. A few nonprofits have worked with me for several years. More commonly, an individual has taken me with them as they've job hopped to different nonprofits. For me it's always been more about the people than about the specific cause. Some auctioneers are keen to support a particular charity because of the work that organization does. For me, I may or may not be particularly interested in a nonprofit's cause on a personal level. But I am always keen to work ... Read On >
Where does a wine auctioneer learn about champagne?
Welcome to wine week! Every post this week ties to alcohol. Here’s the post explaining it. Where does a fundraising wine auctioneer go to learn about champagne? Drinking it often is a good start. But to more fully appreciate the bubbly, this past Monday (June 1, 2015) I headed to class. This just wasn't any class. I went to the Champagne Master Workshop & Tutored Tasting organized by the French Wine Society. Peter Liem, one of the world's experts on champagne, led the course. ... Read On >