If you're tiring of traditional benefit auction themes, one option is to bypass the obvious choices and go with a color. For instance, emerald. I'm talking about PANTONE® 17-5641 TCS Emerald: the official color of 2013. (You say you didn't know there was an official color? I didn't either, until 2011.) Pantone describes the color as "“Lively. Radiant. Lush… A color of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony." Two other words they used to evoke imagery ... Read On >
Silent auction tips for November and December? Stick a bow on it.
One of the natural advantages of hosting a silent auction in the late fall (think October through December) is its proximity to December. December is the monster month when it comes to gift giving. Many of us are thinking about buying gifts for people we care about or considering buying small gifts to have on hand for "emergencies." (Nothing like quickly throwing a gift into a festive bag when you need a last-minute item. When friends invite you for dinner, or that random office party or ... Read On >
The best gifts for volunteers chairing an auction are … flowers?!?
A few years ago I conducted a study among my clients. I asked a portion of my Auction Chairs how many hours she spent planning her auction. I wasn’t interested in the total hours of the committee. I only wanted to know her hours. In the final count, a mix of schools and nonprofits submitted their totals. The survey also had a smattering of large and small galas. After compiling the results, the results revealed that the average time spent was a shocking 1,000 hours. In the “real world” that ... Read On >
Auction sound systems are a must-have during your live auction; visuals aren’t … usually
When budgets are tight, a common question posed by clients is what audio-visual (A/V) equipment is essential for their live auction. "What can we live without?” they’ll query. Here's my opinion: A good auction sound system is a must-have for your live auction. A large screen projecting visuals of the live auction items as the auctioneer sells them is a nice-to-have. Audio is critical for a charity auction. Guests won't bid unless they can understand the numbers being called by the ... Read On >
Engage your school auction committee using videos you post on Pinterest
I recently wrote about 8 ways you can use Pinterest photos to get parents excited about your upcoming school auction. Here's another step in how to use Pinterest, the social photo pinboard, with your school auction committee. First, let's start with some “Pinteresting” facts compiled by comSCORE and reported in various media outlets, like Wall Street Journal. 68% of Pinterest users are women 50% of Pinterest users have children Almost 50% of users are 25 to 44 years old Overall, the ... Read On >