When selecting an emcee, you’ll want to be sure the individual is upbeat, entertaining and has a strong presence.

As a fundraising auctioneer, I like to have these folks help me during the live auction by describing the items before I sell them. This tag-team approach helps break up the voices and can prove to be more entertaining for the guests.

Don’t Let Catering Sabotage Your Special Appeal

One very critical element to your fundraising is the Special Appeal, also called Fund-a-Need, Fund-the-Future or Paddle Raise among other names. This activity provides an opportunity for your guests/donors to give in support of your cause without purchasing anything.

When planning for this portion of the evening I caution you not to overlook an important element, the coordination of food service and other activities that can disrupt and effect the giving. From the time the message is being delivered until that last donor has given, it is very important to not have plates being picked up or food and drinks served. This causes a disconnect from your guests and breaks the emotional connection that you have strived so hard to create. As a result, fewer funds are raised. To prevent this, simply have your stage manager or a designated member of your team work with the catering manager to ensure food service is halted during this activity. This small effort has a surprisingly positive effect on the resulting revenue from the Special Appeal.

Make every minute a revenue generating minute!

The American thought process is if some is good then a lot is better, right? Let’s put this into a silent auction context. The more silent auction packages you have the better, right? Not so fast….

Social media strategy for nonprofits can be overwhelming. We all know it is a tool that can help promote fundraising events, but nailing down a truly effective social media strategy that delivers results - butts in seats - can be a challenge! We hope this guide helps you simplify and plan out a solid social media strategy to make sure your next event is SOLD OUT!

For fundraisers, Black Friday is also a reminder that the end of the year is drawing near!

As the year draws to a close, fundraisers are presented with a unique opportunity to capitalize on the spirit of generosity that tends to permeate the holiday season.

Will the volunteers at your charity auction represent you well and be useful to your guests? Find out more about how you can make the most of your auction volunteers!

Learn 6 ways to create excitement for your live auction before and during the event!

Does this situation sound familiar? You are a non-profit with the most amazing volunteers who have years of experience hosting your auction. They have it down pat and they don’t see any value whatsoever in getting help and advice from a professional benefit auctioneer. So, you’ve heard this one before, right?

As a nonprofit, what thought are you giving to branding at your events?

Most nonprofits have a few signs around with their event logo on it. And maybe they do a good job with branding on the PowerPoint used during the evening. But are you carrying it all the way through?

Don’t let well-intentioned speeches suck the fun out of your fundraising event and cost you money raised. Read this point to learn more about best practices for speeches at your next fundraising event!

Many of the nonprofits I work with feel a local celebrity is an asset when conducting their fundraising event.  While celebrities can help garner attendance by curious attendees, these celebrities need to be utilized in the best way possible to maximize fundraising for the nonprofit.  Let’s explore a few of the ways they can help…

There are a lot of great consignment companies available to nonprofits. While I am an advocate of consignment items, I caution charities to be careful when using them.

A nonprofit’s board of directors consists of a variety of personalities and proficiencies. While all board members enjoy rolling up their sleeves and using their resources in support of a mission they are passionate about, some will excel at certain tasks more than others. You’ll have board members who will bring charisma and charm into the mix while others will be number crunchers and systems-minded.

We have in our fundraising arsenal an extra-revenue-generating game called “Best of Live.” During the silent auction, chances are sold to guests for $100 each. A winner is drawn prior to the live auction and that person is allowed to choose any item from the live auction line-up before the live auction begins. This is a hugely successful activity that many times brings in much more revenue than the item chosen would have sold for during the live auction.

Volunteers want to be involved with your nonprofit because they believe in your cause and look for personal satisfaction in helping others. To the nonprofit, these volunteers play a huge role in filling labor needs to conduct events and/or helping with the day-to-day operations at your organization. Ensuring that your current group of volunteers is satisfied will increase your retention rate. Here are four ways to keep your volunteers:

In the fundraising event world, most of us have seen the “Wine Pull” or “Wall of Wine”. This revenue-generating activity is conducted during the cocktail hour and while the silent auction is happening.

I was recently at a charity event where they had a “Scotch Wall”.

So, you’ve decided to incorporate a live auction into your fundraising event. Or maybe you are making a change from your current auctioneer. Let’s explore what type of auctioneer you should be looking for.

There is a method to seek additional revenue that can raise money without a non-profit asking for the first item to be donated. I’m speaking of the Special Appeal, Fund A Need, Paddle Raise, Stand Pp for Kids, etc. It has many names and can be customized by the non-profit.

There are, of course, the usual and customary sponsorships at platinum, gold and silver levels for your event. And traditional table sponsorships are also most likely in your lineup. But let’s think outside of the box a bit today…