In recent years, the prevailing advice I seem to catch online is that nonprofits should put more "experiences" into their auction line-up. Fundraising auction procurement angled towards "experiences" will presumably garner the big bucks. To be clear, we're not talking about experiences like a colonoscopy or dental work. It's more like a trip with a wine tasting. Or a hot air balloon ride. But here's my take: I don't believe that telling a committee member to "go get some experiences ... Read On >
Training / Education
FREE TRAINING: The Future of School Auctions
Register for the free discussion on The Future of School Auctions. Dates: June 16, 2021 and June 30, 2021 ==================== It’s a busy time for school advancement teams. You're overseeing graduations, wrapping up the Annual Fund campaign, and managing other end of school year activities. But soon, you'll be on vacation, and letting hybrid gala ideas percolate in your mind while sunbathing is a great idea. Tomorrow (and June 30) is the conversation. Register for ... Read On >
Virtual gala: Master or Disaster?
Last week I read an article about relationships. In it, the researchers labeled couples with behaviors that enabled them to stay together for the long term as "masters." Couples with behaviors that tore them apart were labeled as "disasters." I thought the alliteration was clever. Plus, the concept of being really good at something or really bad, can be applied to so many things. Are you a master at parallel parking? Or a disaster? Are you a master at baking cookies? Or a ... Read On >
2020 recap of free virtual gala training
Some great partners asked me to speak this past year and I've consolidated the list below. Though some of the earlier programs I gave on virtual galas might already be dated, there are often tidbits in the mix that make it worthwhile to hear anyway. If you're seeking some educational resources over the holiday downtime, you might enjoy one or all of these. Fired Up Fundraising with Gail Perry, April 2020: "Let's talk about virtual events" The Grow Report with Pamela Grow, May ... 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 >