Occasionally I'll visit with a nonprofit seeking to hire both a virtual auctioneer and invest in some new auction software. Which hire should happen first: Should they lock in the fundraising auctioneer they want to hire? Or sign a contract for the auction software? There's no question in my mind -- LOCK IN THE VIRTUAL AUCTIONEER! There are some solid reasons as to why I suggest this approach, and I talk about them in today's blog post video. Watch it below. P.S. ... Read On >
Technology
How a small nonprofit converted to a virtual gala in 8 days
I've heard from some auction planners who feel they need several weeks to ramp up to a virtual gala. Not necessarily. One small nonprofit managed to pivot to virtual in 8 days by investing in my Virtual Gala Fundraiser in a Box program. They signed on Thursday. We had a meeting on Friday, before the long Memorial Day weekend. Bam! The following Saturday, they held their first virtual gala. Isn't that impressive? At the virtual gala, they had their largest attendance ... Read On >
Virtual Gala Fundraiser – WHY are you having your auction?
Whether you're considering hosting a virtual gala fundraiser or a traditional in-person auction event, the most important question you must ask yourself is this: WHY are we holding this event? Do you have a purpose? Objectives? Goals? Is it to pay tribute to a big donor? Enlarge your community base? Celebrate a success? Hard core fundraising? Do you have 6 goals, which typically means you do none well? In short, you need to get clear on WHY you are bothering to ... Read On >
Virtual Gala Fundraiser – Your plan for the next 6 months
COVID-19 abruptly shut down the fundraising galas of schools and nonprofits this spring. Is a virtual gala fundraiser your only option? Online we can read reports that show conservative scientific models impacting society for months. Others offer more hopeful predictions of what could happen. And some wonder if we re-open society too soon, the consequences could be severe, possibly leading to yet another shutdown again this fall. The only certainty is that it's all a big unknown. ... Read On >
Your virtual auction event is already changing
It's been about one month since COVID-19 checked into the gala scene and prompted a wave of cancellations and reschedules. In that short period of time, the ingenuity of our industry has been on full display. Virtual gala fundraisers are mutating more rapidly than the virus! In five weeks, virtual auction events have pivoted twice. 1. First they shifted from in-person galas to livestreams. Gala chairs hosted these high-tech, scaled-down events in traditional auction venues ... Read On >