Meet Suzanne Tate, the newest member of Stellar’s team of fantastic fundraising auctioneers. Suzanne and her husband, David, launched their winery TATE Wine in Napa in 2011. Since then, Suzanne has participated in many fundraising auctions as a vintner. In this video, she shares how her expertise can uniquely benefit a non-profit organization, and how she ended up onstage doing an auction for the very first time.
Dancing in the Dark
We are always trying to strike a fine balance between “super fun party” and “successful fundraiser.” It is important that attendees to your fundraising auction have a good time and want to come back, but it’s also important that we raise enough money. No single element of an event symbolizes this struggle better than the dance floor.
The dance floor represents the good time to be had once the auction is over. The dance floor promises lively entertainment. The dance floor also takes up all of the most valuable real estate in a fundraising auction, pushing bidders further away from the stage. Furthermore, we often see a lot of energy and budget put into the dance floor and DJ/band, only to for the dance floor to be empty.
Putting a riser on the dance floor brings your auctioneer that much closer to your crowd, making it easier to see bids and engage bidders.
If you are considering hiring a DJ or a band and building a dance floor into your floor plan, there are some simple steps you can take to make sure it is helping (and not hindering) your cause. The most important thing is to know the culture of your event and lean into that. If you have a wild and partying group of school parents on a Saturday night, odds are they will appreciate the opportunity to dance and party after the auction. But if your event is on a weeknight, features a long program, or your crowd is on the mellower side, you might be wasting time, money, and potential.
Once you have made the decision to have a dance floor at your event, be sure to evaluate the space in advance from the auctioneer’s perspective. During the planning phase, go to your venue, stand on the stage, and have someone hold a paddle up in the very back of the room. If you are having a hard time seeing them, so will your auctioneer.
One solution is to bring the auctioneer closer to your crowd. You can do this by adding a runway to your stage, which provides your band with a fun performance space as well. Or you can have a riser (4’x8’ or larger) set in the middle of your dance floor for your auctioneer. The riser can be removed as soon as the auction is over, freeing up the dance floor for the party to come. Be sure to let your AV team know if you are planning to set a riser on the dance floor, so they can adjust sound and lighting if necessary.
Whatever you choose to do, always be collecting data. If a bunch of attendees complain about no music/dancing after the auction one year, add it next time. If you hire music, build a dance floor and only 11 people are dancing – maybe your party isn’t a dance party. Remember what works, and learn from what doesn’t.
Location, Location, Location
Blog: Location, Location, Location
Where you hold your fundraising auction is a foundational aspect of your event. Everything from the look and feel of the space, to the catering options and the amenities available help set the tone and expectation for your event.
When an organization announces their event will be held in the ballroom of the Ritz Carlton or the Four Seasons, for example, it immediately communicates a level of expectation. In the San Francisco Bay Area, most events used to be held in hotel ballrooms. But as more and more event spaces outside of hotels have opened, many fundraising auctions have made the leap to a new location.
If you are thinking about moving your event to a new location, do so with intention. Don’t move for the sake of doing something different – even if change is the culture of your event. Event crowds can only handle three major changes in a single event, and changing location is a MAJOR change.
Weigh the costs and benefits of moving carefully. Tour the potential new space, talk to other organizations that have done an event there. Does the space offer all of the same facilities as your previous location? What are the catering options: do you have to use their preferred caterer, or can you bring in your own?
Some event spaces don’t have a built-in kitchen, or permanent bathrooms. Is your caterer equipped to create their own onsite kitchen? Will your crowd mind using portable restrooms? How will the facilities, or lack thereof, impact the timing of your evening?
Location can make an event incredibly memorable, especially if it ties to the mission of your organization. For example, Save the Redwoods League held their San Francisco event in a redwood grove in Golden Gate park. The setting and ambiance resonated with the mission of the organization, reminding patrons of why they were there, every step of the way.
Whenever you decide to change location, remember it represents an opportunity and challenge at the same time. Maximize opportunity for freshness, but do not forget to address the potential challenges, such as:
- Is there parking?
- Is there space for registration/check-out?
- What happens if it rains?
- Is it the proper size for your crowd? If the room is much larger than your crowd size, how will the room feel?
- How will the location impact timing for my crowd?
o If your crowd is notorious for being fashionably late, doing your event on a boat, that has a fixed itinerary, might not work.
- Are there adequate utilities? Will you need to rent a generator for power?
- Will your payment processing platform function with the existing internet connectivity?
- Restrooms! Are there adequate bathrooms? If not, can you get fancy portable restrooms?
And while a location can be memorable, ultimately the location should not be the most memorable aspect of your event. We, as humans, form long-term memories when there is an emotion tied to a moment in time. When planned and implemented properly, the feeling people had when you engaged them with your mission and empowered them to make a difference in the world should be the most memorable aspect of your event.
The Top 10-ish Most Exciting Auction Lots of 2024
Marking a second straight year of 100% in-person galas, 2024 was a fun year for fundraising auctions. Trips continued to be successful, and dining and entertainment remained the most popular category across fundraising auctions. The most exciting trips transcended “retail” and included unique experiences, offered access to popular members of the community, or both. In this year’s top 10 list, I’ve included an example that covers both of those bases. More than a few dining and entertainment lots made the list as well.
Buy-in parties remain popular and profitable, and this year’s top 10 includes just one shining example. I have always been a huge proponent of the “instant gratification introductory lot,” as well as the collection of restaurants for a “year of dining.” This year, two organizations took both of those ideas to new levels.
The top trend of 2024 was the success of organization-related or organization-specific auction lots. Many organizations created extremely exciting and successful auction lots by utilizing opportunities or relationships from within. These organization-specific lots achieved multiple goals: they effectively communicated the message of the organization, gave donors the opportunity to remain engaged with the organization through redemption of the auction lot, and often were extremely profitable. Organization-specific lots provide a great example when creating your own lots. Not every organization can get a private plane donated for a trip to New Orleans, but most organizations have an experience in-house that could be utilized in their fundraising auction (contact me to brainstorm!).
As always, this list utilizes my arbitrary definition of what makes for an exciting auction lot. “Exciting” is about a lot’s uniqueness, creativity, and the buzz the lot generated at the event. Sale price is a factor, but more important is the number of people who bid on a particular lot.
Our first example took the concept of the “introductory, instant gratification lot” and expanded it. I am a champion of low-cost/highly desirable warm-up auction lots to engage the crowd and build momentum. If you have a DJ or band, including them as part of the opener is an easy ask:
Bubbles, Beats and Sweets
Once again, we are going to kick off this auction in style, with a party at your table, and your shot to start the dance party off with the perfect song! Start with some instant gratification: a bottle of sparkling wine chilled and ready to be served to your table as soon as you are ready. Paired with it is a selection of chocolates from Jesus Chavez and Linda Sanchez’s Casa De Chocolates, where they blend the essence of Mesoamerican chocolate traditions with modern, creative flavor pairings.
As if that weren’t enough fun, DJ Sami of the Heart of Gold DJs is here to rock the party. Sami’s been with Heart of Gold for a decade and they are going to let you pick the first song of their set!
How will you kick off the evening? So. Much. Pressure.
Opening Bid: $250 Value: $500
A Year of Michelin Star Dining
Experience the pinnacle of culinary excellence with our exclusive live auction item: a year of Michelin-starred dining in the Bay Area. Indulge in the finest epicurean experiences with dinner for two at 12 prestigious restaurants, each adorned with coveted Michelin stars.
Your journey begins at Acquerello, where Italian elegance meets innovative flavors in a two-star setting. From there, venture to Angler for sustainable seafood and wood-fired delights. Gary Danko awaits, promising culinary mastery and impeccable service in an esteemed Michelin-starred atmosphere.
Continue your culinary adventure at Lazy Bear, where two-star communal dining meets avant-garde cuisine. Madcap invites you to savor inventive dishes in a setting that celebrates culinary artistry in Marin County. At Mister Jiu’s, modern Chinese cuisine takes center stage, offering a fusion of bold flavors and innovative creations.
Nari beckons with inventive Thai dishes, while San Ho Won showcases the art of Korean barbecue. SingleThread transports you to the bountiful fields of Sonoma County with a three-star farm-to-table tasting menu. Sorrel celebrates Northern California cuisine with rustic elegance and modern flair.
State Bird Provisions invites you to enjoy small plates bursting with flavor in a lively setting. Conclude your culinary odyssey at The Village Pub, where classic American fare meets contemporary sophistication in lush Woodside.
Bid for a chance to embark on this extraordinary culinary journey, where each meal promises to tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving more. Don't miss out on the opportunity to indulge in a year of Michelin-starred dining excellence in the Bay Area.
Opening Bid: $6,000 Value: $7,500
[“A Year of Fine Dining” or “Date Night for a Year” is always a popular auction lot and a great way to utilize restaurant gift certificates that would otherwise be spread out across the silent auction. This organization took that idea to a new level and gave their board an easy way to contribute to the auction.]
Animated Star of the Screen
Is the allure of the big screen and Hollywood lights calling your name? Capture your moment of entertainment fame and be a small part of an important animated film based on the novel “Tangles.” The movie tells the story of a daughter coming home to her oddball family to care for her mother living with Alzheimer’s disease.
The winning bidder will be able to see their likeness transformed into a captivating animated character in a movie produced by Monarch Media. The film is currently in production and the talented team of artists and character designers are prepared to capture every nuance of your likeness for the viewing audience to enjoy. Your “avatar” will be as unique and vibrant as you are. And the piece de resistance is that your name will be listed in the movie credits and on IMDb!
Opening Bid: $2,000
[This lot was sold at an Alzheimer’s Association event, offering an incredibly unique opportunity that also tied directly to the mission of the organization.]
Honorary Little Wishes Coordinator for a Day!
You will step inside the hospital with us and be a Little Wishes Coordinator for a day at LPCH-Stanford. As our special guest, you will lead activities in the hospital playroom located on the oncology floor, accompanied by Child Life Specialists showing you how our little patients escape into the Land of Play.
Opening Bid: $500
Final Sale Price: $12,000
[During the cocktail hour at this event, I chatted with the donor who purchased this lot the year before. They said it was a phenomenal experience, one of their most memorable moments of the year. They loved it so much, that they were one of the high bidders again, purchasing the lot two years in a row.]
An Evening with LANDO and Friends, “Part Deux”!
You are invited to join us for the “part feux” of an incredible and memorable evening of wine, food, and music. If you heard about how fantastic this evening was this past April, you know you don’t want to miss our second act. This unique lot is a culmination of Sam Lando’s friendships. Each participating winery is good friends with Sam Lando, and coincidentally, they produce some of the best wines in their categories (Cabernets, Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Rhone varieties).
So let’s set the stage…
You and your guest will arrive at Back Forty’s tasting room decked out for a party. First, the crew will enjoy an extensive tasting with our fabulous featured winery partners. After the tasting, you will certainly be looking for some delicious food and Lando and friends will deliver! Our winemakers (and their wines) will join the guests for a seated meal where local chefs will delight the winning bidders with a wine country-inspired menu.
You may say, “All that is missing is some live music”, and we’ll say that we’ve got you more than covered! To cap off this fabulous evening, three songwriters will take to the stage while you are enjoying dinner and copious amounts of awesome wine for an intimate acoustic set.. This is going to be one for the ages!
Bid high for this incredible experience that will wow your senses!!
35 Couples: $3,000/Couple!
[This buy-in lot highlights the power of buy-ins: offering bidders a unique experience worthy of sharing with a large group, at a price that is well below the average of the auction, without sacrificing the total amount raised by this auction lot (35 x $3,000 = $105,000).]
Rock & Hammer Rarities: Pinot Noir Lot
With five NBA championship victories as Head Coach of the San Antonio Spurs and the most wins by an NBA coach ever, Gregg Popovich knows that putting in the daily work is essential to long-term success.
That’s the story behind Rock & Hammer Pinot Noir, the wine created by Coach Popovich and Rex Hill Winery, one of the pioneers of Oregon Pinot. Growing Pinot Noir is exceptionally difficult. Making wine from this fastidious grape requires intense dedication. A lover and collector of fine wine, Coach Popovich has worked with the Rex Hill Winery since 2005 to fashion the very best expression that Oregon can produce.
With this lot, you’ll receive every vintage produced by Rock & Hammer, beginning with their very first from 2005. These wines have never been available commercially, having been offered solely as part of Coach Popovich’s charitable endeavors. To our knowledge, a complete collection of these wines has never been offered — until now. In fact, this lot is so rare that it warranted a scoop on ESPN.com from sportswriter Baxter Holmes.
Includes:
• Rock & Hammer Pinot Noir: 2005-2017, 2019 (several signed by Gregg Popovich)
• Four seats to a San Antonio Spurs game from Coach Popovich’s allocation, on a mutually agreed date.
Donor: Gregg Popovich and Mike & Nancy T
[The uniqueness of this lot, coupled with the celebrity of Gregg Popovich resulted in coverage for this lot by ESPN sportswriter Baxter Holmes before the event took place.]
Opening Bid: $12,000 Value: $24,000
First Call to Kids Camp
Get first dibs for your kids this High Desert Museum Kids Camp season! Secure exclusive early access to registration for the 2024/25 Kids Camp series and get a coveted sneak peek of the Winter 2024, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025 camp dates and themes a full week before they’re released to the public. The High Desert Museum offers a unique, immersive learning environment where your kiddos can engage in hands-on discovery and exploration, making these camps highly sought after and quickly filled due to their exceptional, enriching experiences.
Don’t miss this chance to ensure your child’s spot in these popular programs, offering unforgettable educational adventures at one of the region’s most cherished institutions. Does not include camp fees, cannot exceed three spots simultaneously, and must be in one household.
Opening Bid: $500 Value: $2,000
[Another great example of a very organization-specific lot, this package did not include the actual classes. It was only for the ability to be first in line, and any parent who has ever tried to sign their kids up for camp knows how challenging getting into camp can be.]
Six Bottles of 1989 in Honor of the 35th Anniversary of vinNEBRASKA and 40th of Stephen Center
From the wine cellar of vinNEBRASKA Board president Mark G comes a commemorative half-case of fine wine from ’89. Celebrating 40 years of the Stephen Center and 35 years of Vin Nebraska, you get six bottles of red that have held up well:
· ’89 ZD Wines Napa Vally Pinot
· ’89 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet
· ’89 Peju Napa Valley Cabernet
· ’89 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet
· ’89 Chante Cigale Chateauneuf-du-Pape
· ’89 Rioja Vega Crianza
All housed in a custom made vinNEBRASKA wine box made by a local artisan so you can display these bottles proudly!
Opening Bid: $250 Value: $500
[Milestones make for good auction lots, and this well-aged collection of wine from the year this wine auction was founded proves it doesn’t have to be a huge lot to be exciting.]
Bloom & Brunch: Flower Arranging Class
Twelve people enjoy the opportunity to learn the fine art of arranging flowers with our very own auction chair, Meredith J. Make your way to Amber J.’s house, where you’ll be welcomed on to her lovely deck with a mimosa. Then Meredith will give you a hands-on demonstration of the fine art of crafting bouquets.
From flower finding to color matching and stem trimming, Meredith will teach you all the ins and outs of creating colorful bouquets. For an example of her handiwork, look no further than your centerpiece tonight: Meredith created and donated all of them!
After learning how to create fantastic floral arrangements, you’ll enjoy brunch prepared with fresh eggs from Amber Jo’s “surviving chickens” – it’s a long story, we don’t have time for it now – and paired with more fun and bubbly!
Opening Bid: $1,200 Value: $2,200
[The auction chair also created all of the centerpieces for this gala. This auction lot was a double-whammy: it emphasized her popularity as auction chair, and it exemplified her abilities as a florist. Once the lot was over, we then gave away all of the floral centerpieces on each table.]
Southern Sky Ease to the Big Easy for Frank and Pardis Gras!
Come fly with Southern Sky to New Orleans where old spirits fly! Feasting, sipping, snacking and more – with jazz, historic sights, so much to adore!
It’s the trip you’ve always dreamed of but never imagined would ever even be a possibility… much less come true! Four (4) of you are headed to New Orleans for 3 deliciously action-packed days (and 2 colorful nights). Best part? You’ll be doing all of this in the company of Birmingham’s favorite hosts: Pardis and Frank Stitt!
Friday: You’ll fly conveniently and comfortably on a Cessna Citation XLS private jet courtesy of Southern Sky Aviation. A quick stop at the Four Seasons to drop bags, then off to lunch at the legendary Galatoire’s, a Stitt favorite! At Galatoire’s, where lunch is grand, a second line rolls through, brass band in hand!
After lunch you’ll make your way to the Bywater for an afternoon with Patrick Dunne, renowned culinary historian and antiques dealer. At his shoppe, Lucullus, you’ll have exclusive access to his expertly-curated collection of 19th century silverware and French crystal glasses. But what good is crystal without Champagne and a good story or two?
Dunne will captivate you with his tales of wit and wonder, sharing the fascinating histories behind the treasures you explore while you sip and shop. (Bring an empty bag: leaving empty-handed is hazardous!) You’ll build quite the appetite, too…
So it’s off to dinner at Herbsaint to enjoy Donald Link’s refined Southern flavors with a French twist. A James Beard winner, Link’s dishes strike the perfect balance of comfort and creativity – just what you’ll need to recharge. And since no day in NOLA is complete without a nightcap, wrap up with a drink or two at Cane & Able.
Saturday: Sleep in! Enjoy a leisurely morning along the river, stroll through the sleepy quarter, or indulge in one of the spa services offered at the Four Seasons.
Lunch at Peche, an upbeat, artsy, upscale lunch spot before indulging in an afternoon of culture, wine and live music at Bacchanal, NOLA’s most beloved and lively backyard party. Laissez les bon temps rouler right on into dinner at N7, one of Bon Appetit’s “Best New Restaurants of 2016.”
After dinner, you’ll head to Tipitina’s or Preservation Hall. The night is still young; let the jazz cast its call!
Sunday: Those Stitt’s just won’t quit. It’s off to brunch at Brennen’s! Fill up on Eggs Hussarde and Bananas Foster before your guided walking tour of the historic Garden District.
With feasting, music, and stories to share, this New Orleans trip is beyond compare.
Opening Bid: $25,000
[This lot has it all: access, relationship, travel. The Stitts are some of the most popular restauranteurs in Birmingham, and the opportunity to go to New Orleans with them was all kinds of exciting.]
Lindsay and Michael Tusk: Quince Come in Your Home
Indulge in a culinary masterpiece as Chef Michael Tusk brings the refined elegance of Three-Star Michelin cuisine from Quince to your home. With a lifelong passion for the culinary arts, Chef Tusk offers you an unparalleled dining experience, showcasing exceptional ingredients at their purest in the comfort of your own home.
Prepare for an extraordinary evening as Chef Tusk weaves together contemporary flavors with hand-selected, exceptional ingredients, creating a personalized menu tailored exclusively for your party of eight. Every dish is a testament to Chef Tusk's dedication to sourcing locally and seasonally, with ingredients carefully curated from Quince's network of Northern California purveyors, including their own farm.
To complement this culinary journey, Lindsay and Michael will personally curate a selection of wines from their cellar, perfectly paired with each course, enhancing the flavors and ensuring an unforgettable dining experience for you and your guests.
Mutually agreed upon date.
Value: $2,000, Private Chef Experience — Priceless
[Dining and entertainment is always a popular category, and having two well-known chefs come to your house for a gourmet, wine-paired feast is the pinnacle of this type of auction lot. But if you can’t get Michelin-starred, well-known chefs, lean into the people to whom you do have access: your committee, your board, or popular members of your auction community.]
Full Orthodontic Treatment from Image Orthodontics
From Dr. Yan Kalika and Image Orthodontics: our 45th Season Corporate Sponsor, comes the ultimate auction lot: a winning smile! Dr. Yan will give you or your loved one the perfect smile.
And we’re not trying to say that you don’t already have a beautiful smile, or that you haven’t passed on great looking teeth to your kids. We’re just saying Dr. Yan is that good. Whether you’ve been meaning to touch up some long-forgotten needs, or your child is having some growing pains of the mouth, Dr. Yan will lend new meaning to “winning smile” with this full orthodontic treatment! Everything you need from start to finish (but you’ll still have to brush and floss yourself).
Opening Bid: $2,000 Value: $6,500
[This final example is here to underscore how important it is to know your community and offer auction lots that are enticing to them. The San Francisco Girls Chorus auction is supported primarily by parents of middle-school-aged children: a prime demographic for orthodontia. This lot was the most bid on, most exciting lot of the auction, with three sets of parents going back and forth to get a tax write-off on their kid’s braces.]
The Value of Underbid Reporting
Underbid recording is one of the most valuable tools available to anyone planning a fundraising auction. The process of recording every bid in a fundraising auction, underbid recording gives you a wealth of valuable data and information.
The most immediate benefit of underbid recording is the most obvious: it tells you who came in second on every auction lot. There are many situations where this data point is extremely valuable, but the most useful is when your winning bidder decides not to honor their bid. If this happens in the moment, immediately after the auctioneer says sold, it is usually possible to go back to the second place bidder and secure their bid.
But if the winning bidder decides not to honor their bid later in the evening, or even days later, we usually have few positive options. Having a list of second (and third, and fourth) place bidders makes this situation much more navigable.
Tracking every bid in a fundraising auction provides you with extremely valuable data and insights.
Knowing who came in second is also very valuable when a donor tells us after the fact that they would be willing to donate and sell a second version of their auction lot. We’ve had many donors come up to us well after their lot sold and offer a second one – and without underbid recording we are forced to re-open the lot, or attempt to sell the lot another way.
We often base our opinion of an auction lot on how much it sold for, believing that the higher the sale price, the more popular the lot. At one auction, underbid recording revealed that the highest selling lot only had two extremely motivated bidders. Another lot, that sold for less, had the most active bidders of any lot of the auction. Which would you say was more popular?
Underbid recording also gives insight into your attendees’ behavior in a way that can help shape your event. One organization we work with was initially upset with a board member who sponsored a table for $10,000 but made no purchases in the live auction. They were considering moving the board member’s table from the front of the room to the very back. The underbid report revealed that while this board member did not purchase auction items, their participation in the auction had an extremely positive impact. The board member was an active bidder on multiple auction items, driving the price on each up and helping generate over $10,000 in revenue by participating in the auction. Their table stayed near the front following year.
Underbid reports also give you the ability to track bids by table, to see which table hosts bring the most active guests (or which sponsors need to recalibrate their invitation list), to find correlations between bidder behavior in the live auction and donor behavior in the fund-a-need, and more.
Capturing every bid in an auction is not an easy task. Whenever possible, get a professional to do it. An experienced pro like Beth Sandefur will be able to capture the majority of each lot’s initial bids, all of the final bids, and provide a detailed breakdown of the data post-event. Expectations for a volunteer are more focused on making sure we have the last three or four bidders. However you opt to do it, underbid recording is an incredibly valuable tool that you should be utilizing as part of your fundraising strategy.
Jonathan Moscone Keeps it Real for PRC
Stellar Fundraising auctioneer Jonathan Moscone recently served as emcee and fundraiser for PRC’s Mighty Real fundraiser, helping to exceed the event goals while keeping the crowd engaged and entertained.
Held at The Pearl in San Francisco, more than 200 attendees helped raise over $200,000 to support PRC’s life-changing services! Watch below to see Jonathan motivate the crowd to bid in PRC’s live auction on trips to Portugal and Puerto Vallarta, a year of dining at some of San Francisco’s finest restaurants, and a framed and signed Golden State Warriors championship poster.
Jonathan is currently available to help your non-profit organization achieve its fundraising goals. Contact Stellar Fundraising auctions: 415-682-4224, Info@stellarsf.com
Decor: Dream or Nightmare?
Décor is an important part of most fundraising events and has the potential to have a major impact on how much money you raise. Décor can transform a venue into a different place, transport attendees to a new world, and help tell the tale of your mission. Décor can also be a hinderance, actively work against your fundraising, and run roughshod on your budget.
We have seen some incredible décor over the years. For example, every February, the Boys and Girls Club of Sonoma Valley transforms their gymnasium into a spectacular setting for a high-end gala, utilizing a combination of drape and lighting. Looking at photos of the event, you would never guess it was in a gym. But you never have to look too far to remember where you are, and why you are there.
The Sweetheart Gala always takes place in the Boys and Girls Club’s gym, but it doesn’t feel that way.
Save the Redwoods League consistently does an amazing job of utilizing décor to communicate their mission at their galas. Whether it is in a tent on Union Square or a boxy warehouse space in the Presidio, they always manage to create a mood that feels connected to the forest, through lights, visuals, and use of live plants and trees.
Décor doesn’t have to be over-the-top to serve a valuable purpose. We’ve seen many events utilize retractable banner stands to communicate their mission and message and empower attendees to get in the frame of mind of supporting the cause.
The one place we’ve seen décor go most awry is at the tables, specifically, in the center of them. Centerpieces have the potential to become a massive hindrance for us as auctioneers. Tall centerpieces can make it hard to see bidders, and actively hinder our ability to do our jobs. It can not be overstated: Tall centerpieces make it harder for us to see the crowd and for the crowd to see us onstage. It creates a sense of separation in the room – in a bad way.
These centerpieces were so tall, Greg opted to do the auction from the floor instead of the stage.
We won’t play at being arbiters of taste, but we will say that when planning your décor, do it with intention. If the goal is to create an atmosphere of giving, how can the décor help serve that purpose? If the theme is important to your crowd, how can you meet their expectations while staying true to the fundraising?
Lighting is a cost-effective method of transforming a space, and lighting can also be used to change mood during an event. Remote-controlled, battery-powered LED lights can change color with the click of a button and be synchronized to do so throughout the room at the same time. Changing the color of the lights washing the stage between speakers can make for dramatic entrances and exits, and help to focus the crowd’s attention.
Be creative. Utilize modern technology. Make your event memorable and profitable. The one thing you should not do is create centerpieces that block sightlines. Seriously.
Back to School
Summer is ending, the fall season is kicking into high gear, and whether or not you have kids it always feels like it’s time to get back to school. September, October, and November events are in the final days of their planning, and spring events only have a few months to ramp up before the holidays are upon us.
As we shake the sand out of our beach towels and put down the trashy page-turners, here are some keys for getting back in the classroom.
Know Your Crowd
Whatever your crowd’s tendencies, you need to acknowledge them and work with them, not against them. School events tend to have some of the hardest-partying crowds in the world of fundraising auctions. Parents of young children don’t get to spend a lot of time hanging out without their kids, so they treat their gala like a once-a-year chance to really cut loose. But they aren’t the only crowds that like to party hard, and we’ve seen plenty of other examples across organization types.
If your crowd leans in to having a good time, keep your program short, entertaining, and impactful. Create auction lots that celebrate and leverage your crowd’s tendencies. And be extremely strategic in the run of show and timing of your event as a whole. A heavy drinking crowd does not do well with a late-running auction.
Offer Something for Everybody
Auctions, by definition, are not egalitarian, but we can make them feel that way by offering auction lots, games, or even night-of experiences for everyone in the room. On our podcast, Michelle Holman of Greater Giving discussed a buy-in party for kids that had a price of $40 / kid and has underwriters to ensure that every kid in the grade got to attend. Other options include inexpensive or even free games, auction bingo, and the like.
Where Appropriate, Utilize Buy-In Lots
Buy-in parties, also known as sign-ups or count-me-ins, are an integral part of the fundraising auction world. They succeed at most every type of fundraising auction we do, but especially schools where there is built-in community. Buy-ins can be sold in the live or silent auctions, and run the gamut from fun and silly to incredibly sophisticated and gourmet. [Click here for some ideas on creative buy-in lots.]
You can have multiple buy-in parties in a single auction, as long as they offer a variety of experiences and target a variety of your crowd. In a school event, for example, it is advisable to have some buy-ins for the parents, and some for the students; to have some that are hard-partying, and others that are more mellow or even educational.
Create a Sense of Tradition
Audiences like having something familiar to look forward to every year. Whether it is a particular auction lot, experience, or even auctioneer! Foster traditions at your event and encourage your crowd to embrace them.
Red Alert! What to do in an Event Emergency
When something goes wrong at your fundraising event (and something always goes wrong) it is best to have a plan in place and be prepared to respond decisively. Most mishaps at galas are minor, and require a small response. But if a true emergency does occur, it is best to be prepared. In a life-or-death situation, every second counts.
Designate a Single Point Person
Make sure one person on your event team is the go-to person in the event of an emergency. Tell volunteers and other staff to let this person know if there is an emergency. Have this person in a visible, accessible place throughout the event so they can be found if need be.
Have a Plan in Place
Equip your Emergency Response Person with a plan, and make sure they have the tools to carry it out. Make sure they have the direct line for local emergency response professionals readily at hand, and that they have adequate cell phone coverage to make the call. It doesn’t have to be a complicated plan, and can be as simple as: “If someone is choking on their food, call 911 immediately.”
If you are doing your event in a hotel ballroom or professional event space, find out who their emergency response team is and how to reach them. For example, the Palace Hotel in downtown San Francisco has a medical response team on duty 24/7, and respond immediately to emergencies in their ballroom – but only if someone lets them know.
Do Not Panic
Stay calm, keep your crowd calm, freaking out will only make the situation worse.
Act Quickly
Do not hope the situation will resolve itself and do not worry about the optics of what this will look like for your event or organization. If it is a life-or-death situation, every second counts. It is better to over-respond decisively than to fatally under-respond.
Give People Suffering an Emergency Some Space
If someone is experiencing an emergency at your event, do your best to give them space and privacy. Call as little attention as necessary to the emergency. Direct the audience’s attention elsewhere, and encourage the crowd to focus away from the emergency.
Be Prepared to Adapt
Depending on the severity of the emergency, you may have to radically change the course of your event. Engage your crowd honestly, and with respect, and they will help you achieve the most positive outcome possible.
Making a Quantum Leap
One of the greatest joys in our world is seeing a fundraising auction make the leap to a new level of success. As charity auctioneers and fundraising event consultants, we have been part of many success stories, seeing auctions double or even triple their revenue in a single year.
How do these auctions achieve such success?
Have a vision for where you want to take your crowd
They start with a vision of where they want to take their event. From there, they develop very specific goals and formulate strategies for achieving them.
“Raise more money in the fund-a-need” is a goal that most events would love to achieve, but alone it lacks direction. Starting with a vision of “engage our crowd on a deeper emotional level so they feel more connected to our mission” leads towards the goal of raising more in the fund-a-need.
Be willing to take risks. We’re not advocating risk for the sake of risk, but you are never going to make a quantum leap by embracing the status quo. It can be a large risk, like changing venues, or a smaller risk, like changing the flow of your program or embracing a new theme for your event. Any risk you take should be in service Identify a way to achieve your goal.
Embrace change and get your audience to buy-in to it by communicating with your crowd in advance to manage their expectations. Engage directly with key supporters to get them to commit to your vision, then reach out to your larger audience with their support. Fundraising is a conversation that takes place year-round, and your closest supporters should always feel like they have a stake in your event.
Train the crowd to embrace this new status quo and establish The Way for subsequent events. Momentum in a fundraising auction is a fascinating thing, and crowds have a way of remembering how an event was the year before. Highlight your successes in post-event communication, and carry that momentum forward to next year.
Finally, believe that you can grow. Your faith and optimism will inspire your committee, your board and ultimately your crowd to help you make your own quantum leap.
