Back in 2009, I penned an article that got quite a bit of traction on both my blog and social media outlets. It was called, “The one thing to never say on stage at a benefit auction.” (You might want to read that, if you haven't.) It’s time to revise. I now have TWO things you should never say on stage. When I wrote that article, I was referring to the recession. Some of my clients were hell-bent on reminding their auction guests that the USA was experiencing an economic downturn. They felt ... Read On >
Administration
5 ways to keep your benefit auction’s sex appeal
February is synonymous with Valentine's Day, so this month I've committed to writing every blog post with a tie-in to love, romance, sex and even lust. We've covered auctioneer one-night stands, training your auction volunteers to flirt in the silent auction, and showing the love to your guests. Today, it's about sex appeal. (You know, keeping your benefit auction fresh and attractive.) +++++ Has your gala auction lost its sex appeal? Earlier this month I talked with a long-time auction ... Read On >
Five Steps to a Great Fundraising Auction
Yesterday I was delighted to again talk with Renee McGivern from Nonprofit Spark. Renee is a nonprofit consultant based in the Minneapolis area. One of her outreach ventures is a helpful little WebTalkRadio program called Nonprofit Spark. She consistently churns out great content, miraculously managing to find someone interesting to interview each week (wow!). I've not heard all the shows, but it seems every guest has a different type of expertise. It's amazing how many people she's found to ... 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 >
Spring auctions suck. Have a winter benefit auction instead.
My company has four auctions booked for Saturday, March 2, 2013. Last Friday, yet another school called asking if I had any auctioneers available on that date. "We thought we had one," she shared, "but apparently we don't. And here it is November and I'm calling for a March auction ..." Her voice trailed off. Yeah, she knew she was in trouble. By my count of bookings and schools I've already declined, that is 9 Washington D.C.-area schools that *I* know of competing for donations for March ... Read On >