Cocktails are hot! As I travel to different cities, I invariably read an article on the train or plane about some local cocktail bar, or a local bartender who has created a fabulous new cocktail, or the types of music to play at a cocktail party. Why not incorporate a cocktail element into your benefit auction procurement plan? Is there a trendy bartender in your town? Maybe a good hangout that everyone heads to on Friday night after work? At one benefit earlier this year, I sold a clever ... Read On >
FREE teleclass: How to negotiate your charity auction venue contract
UPDATE: This class has passed. To keep abreast of future calls, subscribe to Benefit Auction Ideas. ++++++ I wish someone had offered this class when I was a full-time event planner. Many nonprofits and some schools hold their charity auctions at outside venues ... most of which will require the group to sign a contract. But if you don't regularly work with contracts, they can be overwhelming. Not every organization can afford to have an attorney on staff to negotiate those written tomes, ... Read On >
Silent auction item idea: photo garage doors
These garage doors are impressive. Someone sent the link to me a couple of weeks ago. I'd recommend putting something like this into an online auction or use it as a silent auction item. Honestly, I'm not sure how likely you are to get a donation -- it's a German-based company. If you're a German international school or have a fluent German speaker amidst your ranks, you might have better luck! The garage photo covers are less than $300 and they have many styles. (Check out their website. ... Read On >
Speaking to Rotary Club of Fairfax about an auction fundraiser
Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Rotary Club of Fairfax. With 93 members, this is one of the largest clubs in northern Virginia, although attendance was a down today due to the timing of my visit. (Note to self: Schedule speaking appointments during the school year to avoid vacation season.) As near as I can tell, Rotary is one of the most under-marketed organizations in the world. They do a tremendous amount of good work globally, but they are so busy eradicating ... Read On >
Charity auction idea: LAST Day to get Saturday Night Live tickets
If you are looking for a good charity auction idea, here's one that helps with procurement. Each year during the month of August, Saturday Night Live allows people to enter into a drawing for free tickets for the upcoming season. Here's text from the site (which still states 2007-2008 season): To enter the Saturday Night Live ticket lottery for the upcoming 2007-2008 season, send an email in the month of August only to snltickets@nbcuni.com. Please include all contact information and do not ... Read On >