School Auctions, Fundraising Auctions, Charity Auctioneer

Theme

Creative event names for your auction gala fundraiser

I love word play.  Thoughtful poems and good song lyrics beg for me to memorize them.  And when rhymes are tied to rhythm in a rap, remembering lyrics is even easier.But word play isn't just for music.I recall listening to Sam Horn (the speaker, not the baseball player) sharing a story about her book title, "Tongue Fu! How to Deflect, Disarm, and Defuse any Verbal Conflict."What a great name.Kung fu conjures ideas of self-defense, and Sam ingeniously used the same alliteration ... Read On >

Using “Alice in Wonderland” for a school auction theme

It's not uncommon for school auction themes to be inspired by children's books.Here's one example.This Wonderland auction was inspired by the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.  I worked this event earlier in the year.The committee put a lot of care into creating this experience.  Everywhere I turned I saw clever details that supported the theme.View the video to see how this auction committee re-imagined Wonderland for their own school fundraiser.Quick overview ... Read On >

Carnival auction themes from school fundraisers

An elementary school client asked for some game and design ideas.  She and her committee are considering a carnival-esque auction theme for their annual fundraiser next year.Imagine red and white stripes. Family entertainment. Festive games. Finger food. "Something to do for everyone," she concluded.Here are video clips I compiled over the last three years, each featuring a different school with a different theme, but yet all three auction themes have the vibe she ... Read On >

Havana Nights auction theme: Tacky or trendy?

Since 2014 when President Obama re-established relations with Cuba, the country has been a popular topic in my client meetings. And with the recent death of Fidel Castro, news about Cuba has been widely covered in the papers and on television.For this post, let's discuss Cuba through the lens of our focus on fundraising auctions.======================== Readers want to know if it's tacky to use Cuba as a theme.Here's a question I was asked last week via Facebook.  ("Like" me ... Read On >

[VIDEO] It was a 3-ring circus! This revamped school auction thought of everything

In April I worked a school fundraiser with a circus-theme.  It was elegant, not campy.  You'll see that via the video below.  This is a well-run auction, but as with every event, there are concerns during the planning stage.  Part of my time with each client is spent hammering out the details, especially as it relates to the fundraising components of the night. Videos like these don't show the pre-event concerns.  Concerns about flow. Concerns about layout.  Concerns about sound.  Concerns ... Read On >