Auction sign up parties can be for a specific group of people (as this one is targeted men) or not. This party could just as easily be for us females, but it was aimed at the guys. Participants got to join the owner of a local Spirits company as he led a participatory 'tour' through a flight of his company's products and cocktails. He discussed the milling, mashing, fermenting, distilling, filtration, and aging process for vodka, gin, whiskey, and bourbon. Gourmet appetizers were included (to ... Read On >
Blog Post
Can you cancel the silent auction for a Fund a Need auction instead?
I was speaking in Topeka, KS, about two weeks ago. I mentioned that some participants might want to eliminate their silent auctions and instead offer a well-orchestrated Fund a Need auction. I wasn't kidding. Well-orchestrated Fund a Needs surpass the silent auction revenue at a number of my clients' galas. ++++++++++++++++++++ (CAVEAT: It needs to be the right type of Fund a Need, well-orchestrated, and aggressively marketed. Learn all you need to know with my uber-popular DVD, Fabulous ... Read On >
One tip in hiring a benefit auctioneer, and the critical descriptions you’ve shared about past auctioneers
My company's 34th onsite auction of 2013 was earlier this month in Michigan. The client was a spirited nonprofit that competes aggressively in their town, as over 20 other organizations in their area offer similar services. As you might imagine, it's heavy competition for clients and donations. Trying to "differentiate" is important. After the auction, the Executive Director told me that about half of his Board approached him to inquire about the new employee — meaning me. Because I was so ... Read On >
Should you really give that guy a microphone? (Or “How to lose your corporate job.”)
One of my projects in my last year of working at GE was planning the annual senior management meeting. That’s when all of the senior team convened in an upscale hotel and spent 3 or 4-days in executive-level strategy and training sessions. Although we had internal speakers, we also hired outside facilitators and motivational speakers. The vetting process was aggressive. I spent hours selecting contractors, watching their promo videos, reading articles, studying websites, and calling ... Read On >
Where smart Auction Chairs spend their money
Established auction committees tend to write lots of checks. A budget for fundraising gala will vary by group (for instance, you might have access to a free venue; others might negotiate discounted printing), but when we look at the budgets of committees coast-to-coast, we see common expenses. And it’s not uncommon to see costs shape up like the chart on the right. So do you think that if you write the biggest check to the caterer or the venue or the band (pick a category), they are ... Read On >