One marketing and sales strategy is known as Buyer's Choice. It can be a good tool to use in fundraising auctions. Typically this concept is something a Gala Chair should have heard of, but need not fully understand. The reason being, it's up to the auctioneer to recognize when 2 or more items should be sold in this manner. It’s not up to the volunteer Gala Chair (or Development Director); it's the responsibility of the auctioneer to know and suggest this. Here's a few bullet points to ... Read On >
marketing
What to call your special appeal (Fund a Need vs. Raise the paddle, etc.)
One way to confuse volunteers (and your guests) is to use different names for the same activities. You call it a bucket raffle. They call it a tricky tray. You call it a Last Man Standing. They call it Popcorn. You call it a silent auction. They call it an online auction. Tip: Now that many silent auctions are using mobile bidding (that is, they are now "online,"), I'm seeing a shift to calling them 'online silent auctions.' One auction activity with dozens of names is the ... Read On >
Do’s and Don’ts of live auction slideshows
Oftentimes the slideshow for the live auction is handed off to a volunteer to create at the last minute. Other times, a staff member is asked to pull one together. Send this video to them. You'll see examples of what you should NOT model, as well as an example of one you could for your fundraiser. https://youtu.be/pVgE8NDhK3Y ... Read On >
6 steps to writing a story to share during the paddle raise
At a conference I attended this past summer, consultant Lori Jacobwith gave a presentation on storytelling. She shared a framework for creating a story. Storytelling is a powerful way to educate and connect guests to your cause, regardless of your event's style. In some cases -- and certainly during the events of which I'm a part – the complete story is often revealed immediately prior to me asking guests to make a contribution during a paddle raise / fund a need. When you host events ... Read On >
The big push at the end — the email campaign in the final hours
I've talked about the tricky matter of determining guest count at a virtual live gala. And I've also covered three tips for boosting virtual gala attendance. Today I zero in on one suggestion relevant for boosting attendance at your virtual gala -- email marketing. This isn't the year to go light on emails. The day and time of your virtual gala is more easily forgotten than your in-person gala. That's why it's important to remind guests multiple times of when your event is ... Read On >