When it comes to getting people to attend your event, the tactics run wild. You might have tried to "steal" guests via the cold-invitation approach. One of my clients poured through the benefit auction catalogs of nearby charities, made note that so-and-so supported THAT event, and then sent them an invitation to their own gala. It was effective. Remarkably, the nonprofit's highest silent auction spender that year came from sending the woman a "blind" invitation. I seem to recall she even ... Read On >
Invitation
VIDEO: School auctions take note of this ticket price increase – 750%!
A big debate among the school auctions with whom I work centers on the ticket price. The committee often feels that by keeping a low ticket price, they'll be more inclusive and raise more money. And every benefit auctioneer I know will tell you otherwise. Yet this persistent inaccurate belief exists. At this Boston foundation, they decided to charge a ticket price after years of offering a free event. It was a resounding success. Watch the video below. ... Read On >
Splurge or save? Benefit auction ideas for printing
With many groups trying to cut expenses, it's worth taking a look at how to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to printing. Printed auction materials tend to consume a large part of a budget, so here are some benefit auction ideas on to splurge and when to save. Auction Invitation: WORTH IT, depending on ticket price The formal printed invitation has not yet been made obsolete by the "evite," and many guests will expect to receive their copy in the mail (especially if you have a ... Read On >
Time to kill the printed benefit auction invitation?
Heather Mansfield of DIOSA Communications recently conducted eleven surveys using the Twitter application TwtPoll. She posted the results online, calling it "11 TwtPoll Results Nonprofits Can Use to Plan 2010 Communications Strategies." One of the questions -- well really, one of the responses -- caught my eye. For ease of reading, I've posted the entire question and the responses below. 4) ATTN Donors: Do you prefer to give $$$ to your favorite organizations via: ... Read On >