A few years ago I worked with an American Heart Association chapter located in a less populated area. Because of their size and budget differences, they approached their gala differently than the larger chapter I worked with in Washington, D.C. To conserve money on design and printing, they collaborated with two other regional AHA chapters. All three used the same gala theme each year in their respective locations. The marketing materials, forms, and even some decorative pieces of the ... Read On >
catalog
School benefit auction catalog need some bling? Try a ring.
Here's a change for your charity auction catalog: Forego the traditional binding and opt for a ring. One of my client's - a school benefit auction committee - tried an experiment with its catalog. Instead of opting for the common binding, which is often staples or a plastic spiral binder, the committee decided to use a ring. The thinking was that the catalog would be easier to carry. A guest could loop the ring around his finger and still hold a beverage of choice while milling through ... Read On >
VIDEO: Should you print auction item values in your catalog?
Committees often debate as to whether it's a good idea to reveal the auction item values in a catalog. Some people fear it might suppress bidding. In this video, learn what I've been taught is the correct approach. Watch the video below. ... Read On >
Should you print auction item values in your catalog?
Tax season is upon us. I just saw a television ad from a tax preparation company. They confidently stated their tax professionals would be able to find deductions overlooked by your previous tax preparer. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? If you’ve ever talked with more than one tax expert, you probably noticed that each one has a different interpretation of what you can and cannot do, legally. Sometimes what is legal in tax law seems to depend on who you talk to. I share this because as ... Read On >
Live items should be on an auction schedule
If you're searching for some fundraising auction ideas that have an impact on the live auction, this is a simple but good one. Sometimes auction catalogs are misplaced before the live auction begins. Other times a catalog isn't printed. Some groups print a catalog, but forget to include the live auction items. Other groups can't include their live auction items into a catalog because the items weren't yet confirmed by the printing deadline. Whatever the reason, guests should have ... Read On >