On the heels of my post "Where to cut costs in your benefit auction," here is a post on where to invest. Whether you are a volunteer Gala Chair or a paid Special Events Manager, you want your charity auction to be a financial success. Let's look at some smart investments. 1. Invest your time upfront in placing volunteers into appropriate roles where they can shine. Not all volunteers are created equal. To ensure fewer headaches later, make an effort early in the process to get to know your ... Read On >
Five places to cut costs in your auction fundraiser. (Spend money wisely to make money.)
How many times have we heard that adage that you must spend money to make money? SuccessfulMeetings.com posted an article last week, "Business Travel Study: Companies That Spend More, Make More." The study was funded by the National Business Travel Association and found that for every $1 spent on business travel, over $15 could be earned. The report examined ten years of data, and cautioned that under-spending on travel during a recession could cause companies to lose out on profit. "Find ... Read On >
Outlandish marketing for your benefit auction? Not really.
Earlier in September I was in New York for business. New York City has a lot of street hawkers, and this guy was selling purses. He was dressed as Superman. Carried a purse over each arm. Held up a big sign indicating the price. Wore a big smile and "danced a little jig" to music blaring from his portable CD player. While he oversaw the "in your face" marketing, his two buddies sold purses. Is this idea crazy for your benefit auction? Heck no! It's fun! This past spring, one of my ... Read On >
“Funding Edge” covers managing volunteers. (Red Apple has an article!)
If you are searching for content around the theme of volunteers (managing volunteers ... how many to use at your fundraising auction ... where to find them), check out the latest issue of the quarterly newsletter, The Funding Edge, which is published by the auction software company Auctionpay. The fall issue has several articles devoted to the subject of volunteers, and the lead article is written by ... me! My article is "Four Tips to Keeping Your Volunteers Engaged." Dig in, as I'm sure ... Read On >
Auctioneers are Rare; Female Auctioneers are Rarer
I'm behind in my reading, so it was only recently I read the June 2009 AUCTIONEERS magazine and an article called "A Rare Occupation." It talks about how auctioneers are few and far between. Author Robert Doyle did some research on the InfoUSA Website to compare the numbers of full-time auctioneers in the United States to other professions. The statistics were interesting: Auctioneers: 10,034 Funeral Directors: 23,648 Painters: 43,178 Plumbers: 60,767 Real Estate Agents: ... Read On >