Occasionally I'll visit with a nonprofit seeking to hire both a virtual auctioneer and invest in some new auction software. Which hire should happen first: Should they lock in the fundraising auctioneer they want to hire? Or sign a contract for the auction software? There's no question in my mind -- LOCK IN THE VIRTUAL AUCTIONEER! There are some solid reasons as to why I suggest this approach, and I talk about them in today's blog post video. Watch it below. P.S. ... Read On >
Virtual auction event
“Pivoting” your gala is out. “Planning” is in.
The buzz phrase in March, April, May and June 2020 was “pivot to a virtual event.” Pivoting made sense when your in-person event was already organized (or nearly so). It meant that Gala Chairs had to rapidly transition their events to be online. But the days of "pivoting" an event are over. In-person galas aren't happening for many months. COVID-19 is running rampant. The expectations are that it will linger well into 2021. Instead, I encourage you to plan a virtual gala. Start from ... Read On >
The nonprofit winners and losers of COVID-19
On June 4 The Chronicle of Philanthropy published Michael Theis' article, "Trust in Nonprofits Rises as Confidence in Government Covid Response Slides." Two of the survey results shared are of interest to those working with auction gala fundraisers. 1. Donors are beginning to grow weary of appeal requests. In two different recent discussions with nonprofit fundraisers Gail Perry and Pamela Grow, I advocated that summer - June, July, or August - is a great time for virtual auction ... Read On >
Virtual gala fundraiser: Understanding attendance
On Friday, I conducted my third webinar-styled virtual gala fundraiser. This one was hosted on a beefed-up "Zoomzilla" platform. From a fundraising perspective, the program included a live auction with active bidding and a fund a need / special appeal. During the 2-hour show, guests played games, watched mission-driven videos, and socialized in break-out rooms. Guests saw all other guests in small windows on their screen. Some held signs and props in front of their camera for others ... Read On >
Goodbye 2020 in-person fundraising gala. Hello virtual gala fundraiser.
Over the last two months, thousands of spring gala chairs collectively sighed relief when they finally – FINALLY – found a new autumn date that worked for their chosen venue, caterer, auctioneer, and band. “We’ve postponed,” they told donors, “so we can gather together in person this fall.” This is painful to type, but I don’t think your autumn event is going to happen. Or if it does, it will be a washed out version of past years. (I hope I’m wrong.) I don't know your unique ... Read On >