Floral gala centerpieces are the norm at most of our auctions, but are other ways of decorating your table. Check out this NON-floral, balloon centerpiece I saw in St. Louis, MO last week at the Missouri Meetings & Events Expo. The "Boot Camp" theme of the Expo wasn't lost on the company that brought this balloon bouquet. American Carnival Mart decked out their booth in full Boot Camp motif, so this "floral" arrangement is on the green-and-black side. As you can see, the balloons ... Read On >
PODCAST: Who should you invite to your auction: men or women?
A new study has been released that compares the giving patterns of men versus women. Based on the data, should you start changing your invitation list? Find out in this podcast. Listen to the podcast below. ... Read On >
Men versus women: Who makes the BEST guest at benefit auctions?
An interesting report was released a few months ago examining male and female giving patterns. I was eager to read it, hoping it might point to some new ideas in who should be on the guest lists for our benefit auctions. Here's the background. In October 2010, The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University released its first report called "Women Give 2010." It reported differences in giving to charity between male and female single-headed households across income levels. (Remember, this ... Read On >
Do your guests care whether you’ve hired a professional benefit auctioneer?
After one of my weekend auctions, my team and I fielded a number of compliments about our professionalism. It reminded me of a story. Back in 2005, I worked with a national client who held a fundraiser in Washington, D.C. They had three items to sell in a live auction. Although they often held live auctions, it was the first time they'd hired a professional benefit auctioneer to oversee it. The timing was bad for me as I was flying back from some work in Germany. With weather and travel ... Read On >
Not a headline I like to read: Auction fundraiser attendance falls
Last week across the newswire, I read an article about an Idaho athletic booster auction fundraiser that was small in size, but not by design: Blackfoot Broncos Annual Fundraiser Attendance Falls. The school's Booster Club, located in Blackfoot, ID (population ~11,000) was raising money for athletic programs. The booster auction usually brings in several thousand dollars. The Booster Club President suggests that the economy is to blame for the lower attendance and fewer donations, but a ... Read On >