When I started working with this group in 2010, the organization was moving away from a sit-down dinner. Goodbye traditional gala. Hello something new. The "something new" has changed at each event. For instance, each venue is different. Quality entertainment is hired (I'm part of this). Unique staging and props are used. The event is well-run, from registration to flow to checkout. Generally speaking, this is what I'd call a high production value event. It's classy. There is an ... Read On >
VIDEO: Chairing a school auction? Your marriage may suffer.
Last year I ran a course called Easy First Auctions. It was designed to help nonprofits launch an auction correctly so they avoid volunteer burnout. I could have just as honestly promoted it by writing, "Here are the elements your auction should include in the early years, so you don't get a divorce." (Intrigued? The DVD of that class is available here.) Auctions put enormous stress on school volunteer chairs. Though I've talked about this extensively in my Profitable Auction Blueprint™ ... Read On >
Sustainable benefit auction ideas for plates and utensils
Happy Earth Day! If you like to be gentle with planet Earth, you might be thinking of ways to "green your gala." Adapting your plates and utensils is a good start. These items were for events that forewent a sit-down dinner and instead served heavy hors d'oeuvres. At a Girls Inc. benefit auction gala I worked a few months ago, the menu consisted of thick crab dips, cheeses, finger food, and the like. Showing off the food were these plates and utensils from Earth Friendly Maryland. My take ... Read On >
An easy silent auction item to procure: Wheel of Fortune
If you're searching for some silent auction item ideas, one near guarantee donation is Wheel of Fortune. The game show is exceedingly generous in their donations. I shared the show's donation information with a Miami, FL, client a few years ago. The nonprofit has received one or two fan packs for every auction since then. The package changes a bit every year, but the show often sends a kit like the one I've shown you in photograph. (What did it sell for? I don't recall. I know it sold ... Read On >
Are school auctions harder to organize in public schools? I think so.
In February I participated in a PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) expo in Chicago. Though I've participated in many trade shows when I worked at GE, I'd never participated in a trade show as part of my own company. I thought I'd give it a shot to see how it would go. The Chicago event is one of the largest PTO expos. Organizers mentioned that 600 or 700 people had registered. I was tucked in amidst a sea of traditional fundraising concepts: candy ... bags ... gift wrap ... etc. No surprise ... Read On >