The Virtual Gala Pivot

The CDC recommendations released on Sunday, March 15th effectively cancel all in-person fundraising auctions until mid-May. For the many galas who were holding out hope that the social distancing efforts recently implemented would be lifted in time for your event, this recommendation feels like the final straw in a crazy, unprecedented series of events.

But it doesn’t mean that you can’t still engage your supporters and raise much needed funds. Now is the time to pivot to a Virtual Gala. A Virtual Gala can maximize everything that you and your team have worked so hard to build: the auction lots your committee has solicited, the messaging your team has worked to hone, the focus and attention of your supporters, and the goodwill for your cause.

A Virtual Gala might not be for every crowd, event, or organization, but we have always been advocates for honest and engaging fundraising. If your organization needs the funds from your gala immediately and cannot postpone until next year or roll the dice on when social distancing recommendations will be removed, you can achieve solid results online. We have already seen multiple events across the Pacific Northwest hold successful Virtual Galas, in some instances surpassing the goals they had set for their in-person gala.

A Virtual Gala enables you to utilize the reality of the moment to engage your supporters, tell them your story, and enable them to support you. A Virtual Gala will never replace the sense of community and camaraderie created by an in-person event, but it will help you raise enough money to make your cancellation less painful, and keep your organization top of mind with your supporters. It will also provide your supporters with a way to feel competent again, to feel like they are making a difference in the face of uncertainty.

There are two approaches to a Virtual Gala: live, and pre-recorded. In a Live Virtual Gala you put on an extremely scaled-down version of your gala in an event setting like a live-stream ready event space, your school’s theater, a hotel conference room, or your offices and simulcast it to your supporters. You have your program, speakers, testimonial, live auction, and fund-a-need happen real-time, online. Guests at home participate on two screens: one (hopefully large) screen to view the livestream, and a smartphone to bid and make pledges. Two schools in Portland had Live Virtual Galas this past Saturday night, including the Caitlin Gabel School.  

A Pre-recorded Virtual Gala is similar, but instead of happening in real-time, the speeches, testimonial, fund-a-need pitch, etc. are all pre-recorded and uploaded to YouTube or some other video on demand site. Upaya, in Seattle, was forced to have a Pre-recorded Virtual Gala and was able to exceed their original live-event goals with it. Their blog post offers excellent insight into the ways a Virtual Gala can make the most of the moment and rally your crowd to your cause.

We are working with numerous clients to implement both live and pre-recorded Virtual Gala solutions. We have secured a set-price of under $4,000 from an event space that is livestream ready with multiple cameras, a professional sound system, video switcher, and high-bandwidth internet.

If your gala was scheduled to happen between now and June 1st, let’s chat about ways we can make the most of the current situation and help you raise some needed funds. We are ready to do whatever it takes to work with you to find successful fundraising solutions. If that means wearing a tux to your offices to record video introductions for auction lots, we’ll be there; just let us know the color scheme, so we don’t clash.

Tips for Holding an Event During the Coronavirus Outbreak

March 2020 is an incredibly challenging time for fundraising auctions, especially in cities or counties where the government is calling for social distancing (i.e., no non-essential large gatherings or social events). There is a lot on the line for every organization that puts on a fundraising auction, and the decision to hold or cancel an event in the midst of a public health crisis is not an easy one to make.

Organizations are faced with a daunting decision, and many are deciding to proceed with their fundraising auction. If you are choosing to proceed with your fundraising event, there are some simple steps you can take to help make your guests feel comfortable, help your event succeed, and (more importantly) also help prevent the spread of any infectious disease – but especially Covid19.

1) Encourage guests who are sick to stay home. Screen for obviously sick guests at the door and send home anyone who is showing visible signs of sickness. It seems obvious to state this, and while we haven’t had issues in the past with people who were sick with the flu showing up to events and spreading their germs, it is still worth communicating to your crowd.

2) Support guests who choose to stay home and offer them alternative methods of supporting you, either via proxy bidding or some online participation tool like GoTo Meeting. Whether they are sick or worried about getting sick, the decision to stay at home is theirs to make. You should make sure that decision doesn’t preclude them from supporting you and your cause.

3) Provide clear messaging to your crowd about your decision to hold the event. It is always a good idea to reach out to key bidders and attendees in advance of your event to make sure they are committed to attending and supporting the auction. A high level of pre-event communication is even more crucial now. You have done a risk/benefit analysis and arrived at this decision conscientiously, now bring your crowd into the loop. What are your needs and how would cancelling or postponing your event negatively impact your organization? What won’t happen if you don’t hold the event?

The Pure-alien is here to help keep your hands clean.

4) Once guests arrive, do everything you can to make them feel safe. Provide at least one hand sanitizer station at registration, preferably more around the event as a whole. We’ve seen events with a small bottle on every table – which may have been overkill, but it was appreciated by guests. If you are having a difficult time locating hand sanitizer, you can always make your own.

5) If you are having a silent auction, offer everyone their own, brand-new pen at check-in. This will make attendees feel more comfortable and at ease. It will also reduce the amount of hand sanitizer your crowd uses.

6) Reevaluate your auction items based on the reality of the present moment. Check in with donors or providers to see if they can extend expiration dates to two or even three years, instead of the standard one-year expiration; especially for trips, large-scale events, parties and sporting events. Consider pulling trips to impacted areas and cruises out of your auction. In fact, don’t consider it, do it. Trips to Italy and Princess Cruises are not going to do you any good if you keep them in your live auction.

7) Encourage guests to embrace zero-contact methods of greeting; eliminate handshakes and hugs. Embrace fist-bumps or come up with your own greeting if possible (the “Vines and Vision Toe-Tap”) and have greeters demonstrate it on the way in. Normalize the new normal. People probably want to get away from the fear, uncertainty, and doubt that is inundating us these days, but we still need to encourage safe behavior.

8) Work with your caterer and venue staff to adjust the layout of your room if you are suddenly expecting a smaller crowd. Subtle changes in ballroom configuration or usage of pipe and drape can make a room feel intimate.  

9) Work with your caterer or banquet manager to evaluate and adjust your food plan if necessary. Now might be a bad time for an un-staffed buffet or “family style” service. Some creative collaborating with your food services team should be able to find a solution that makes everyone comfortable.

10) Finally, thank your guests and appreciate their presence! You don’t need to overwhelm them with how thrilled you are that they braved the outside world and came to your event, but gratitude for everyone’s desire to congregate and support you is always a good thing.

Need Help at Your Event? One Brick Volunteers are Standing By...

If you need volunteers for your next fundraising event, One Brick is there for you. One Brick is a non-profit “community of volunteers that support other local nonprofits by creating a friendly and social atmosphere around volunteering.”

In short: they are an on-demand army of volunteers waiting to help with your next fundraising event. One Brick has chapters in the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, New York, Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, and Washington D.C.

They accept applications for volunteers a minimum of six to eight weeks in advance of your event, and their volunteers will only work two- to four-hour shifts. They also only volunteer for weeknight or weekend events. If your organization is new to them, they’ll want to get to know you before sending a team to your event. See their guidelines below for more detailed information.

If you are in San Francisco, you can request help via an email containing the below “Information We’ll Require”. To find the One Brick chapter nearest you, visit their website: https://onebrick.org/request-help

Following are their guidelines for engagement:

ONE BRICK GENERAL GUIDELINES

·         We typically work 2-4 hour shifts. If your event is longer than this, do consider breaking out the volunteer responsibilities into shifts. One Brick can then take responsibility for bringing volunteers to one of the shifts. (Rarely will we be able to arrange to cover multiple shifts.)
·         While we are there to volunteer, we do try to incorporate a social element, enabling volunteers to chat with one another while working together. Activities that are conducive to this are preferred.
·         One Brick will provide an event manager at every event to help mobilize the volunteers and keep things running smoothly. A representative from your organization must be present at all times as well.

TIMING
·         One Brick requires a minimum of 6-8 weeks notice to consider requests for volunteer support. We are sometimes able to accommodate requests with less lead time if we do not have any conflicting events during the time you need and we can secure an Event Manager and Coordinator to oversee your event.
·         As One Brick is completely volunteer-run, we generally limit our events to weeknights and weekends.
·         Please also understand it may sometimes take a few days to respond to your request, as we pass information across our team to determine if we will be able to coordinate coverage for your event.

INFORMATION WE'LL REQUIRE
·         If we have not worked with your organization in the past, a short bio on your organization and its mission.
·         A short description of what we will be doing during the project and how this benefits the overall effort.
·         If it has been an ongoing project, please provide a little history about the project itself.
·         How many volunteers you will need.
·         Dates and times you will need volunteers.
·         A clear meeting place.
·         Special instructions such as parking or clothing to wear, etc.
·         Directions to the site.
·         Contact name, telephone and email of the person we will interface with at the site.
·         Anything else of note that you would like volunteers to be aware of.

SETTING UP AN EVENT
If you have a project is within our guidelines please send us an email containing the above "Information We'll Require."

HELP SPREAD THE WORD...
Once we've set up an event for you, we'd appreciate your help spreading the word about One Brick. Please list/thank us in your newsletter, email outreach, or event website.

How to Knock Your Next Fundraising Auction Out of the Park

I was recently contacted by Anthony Wilson, founder of Groupfinity, about participating in his podcast series. Groupfinity is a new resource for volunteers and volunteer organizations, committed to providing support and tools for success.

Anthony contacted me because he had served on a number of fundraising auction committees, but had never worked with a professional fundraising auctioneer and consultant before. He had a lot of questions about best practices, and once we got rolling our conversation was, as you can imagine, extensive. I ended up providing him with enough material for two podcasts. We covered myriad topics, from how many volunteers it takes to make an auction successful, to the goals of fundraising auctions, to how to leverage your board to make your next fundraising auction successful.

In short, it was a distillation of my entire philosophy down to an hour of podcast. You can find the entire podcast here, and the timestamps below outline the entire podcast.

[2:48] How many people do you have who are committed to volunteer to make the auction successful
[3:08] For an auction to be successful you have to have a couple of key components taken care of
[3:52] Get people you know have capacity and are prepared to support your event/organization
[4:12] Every event is made by 15 bidders
[4:42] You need people who have connections to invite your supporters
[5:02] The goals of a fundraising auction is three fold 1 Raise money 2 Tell your story 3 Engage new supporters
[6:47] For an event chair, you’ll spend 700 hours over 9 months
[7:39] If you’re looking for someone to chair your fundraising auction, find the busiest person you know
[9:58] In putting together a fundraising auction, it has to be FUN and it has to be FUNdraising
[10:28] Don’t throw a big party and then hit them over the head with an auction when they get there
[15:14] Fund a Need
[16:02] Keys to making your Fund a Need successful
[19:15] 7 Keys to a Fund a Need
[20:35] Fundraising is conversation with your community
[21:00] Talk to your donors to see what they’re interested in supporting
[22:20] We need somebody to get the ball rolling
[23:33] An auction breaks into 3 groups of people
[25:38] Your board needs to do 3 things to make the auction successful
[27:58] What item can I count on you to help bid up?
[28:39] Peer pressure drives donations
[28:56] Fundraising auctions are a place for people to make donations in a public setting

The Top 10 Most Exciting Auction Lots of 2019

The list of this year’s most exciting auction lots includes a combination of tried and true access lots, high-end buy-ins, and one incredibly unique organization-centric art piece. Much like years past, “exciting” is a purely arbitrary assignation focused on each lot’s uniqueness, creativity, and the buzz generated at the event.

Sale price weighs into the decision, but only in comparison to how other items sold at that same event. The capacity of crowds varies and comparing maximum sale price between different organizations’ events is an unhealthy and unrealistic exercise. Where I do mention price, I use it within the context of the event in which that lot was placed as a manner of highlighting how exciting that lot was.

The goal is to inspire you to create your own stellar lots, so I can include them in my next best-of list! So here are my most exciting fundraising auction lots of 2019, presented in no particular order.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Experience

Your two VIP passes will give you full access to the annual Conversations with Exceptional Women conference featuring Nobel Laureates, astronauts, best-selling authors, media personalities, and the featured 2020 speaker, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg! The notorious RBG will be in conversation with her daughter and granddaughter. Three generations of change makers!

Your VIP passes will give you access to an intimate dinner with Justice Ginsburg. Accommodations in a grand deluxe room will be provided for three nights at the Limelight Hotel in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Sun Valley is a picturesque ski resort city in Idaho, which became a nationally known destination with the arrival of Ernest Hemingway in the 1930s. Since then, Sun Valley has been a seasonal home for luminaries, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Demi Moore, and many others.

Pack Your Suitcase to See the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field

The Packers have been sold out since 1960 and there is currently a 30-year waiting list to get season tickets. But now you and three of your friends or family will have front row seats to see a Packers game AND get coveted (and priceless!) Field Passes for pre-game festivities, including a photo op with Aaron Rodgers.

Make it a three-day adventure with two nights of lodging for four at a fine hotel in Green Bay’s Stadium District, nearby Lambeau Field. Cap off your Green Bay Packer excursion with dinner for four at Aaron Rodger’s favorite restaurant, Chives.

[Editor’s note: This was sold at a San Francisco charity event and was wildly successful by any measure.]

The Ultimate Disneyland Experience

Host an extraordinary dinner party in the heart of Disneyland Park, at a private residence once envisioned by Walt and Lillian Disney as a secluded family retreat and a luxurious oasis to host celebrities and dignitaries. Hailed by Modern Luxury Orange County as an “exquisite adventure of flavor, texture, and artful presentation punctuated by fresh and high-quality ingredients,” you won’t want to miss the true magic of 21 Royal.

You and your guests will be treated like royalty at this one-of-a kind Disneyland Resort experience that was described by the Robb Report, a luxury-lifestyle magazine, as “an evening spent in an incomparable setting” and an experience where storytelling and attention to detail are “elevated to their highest level.”

Your experience includes:
• Private party for up to 12 guests at 21 Royal
• A VIP escort to the site of the evening’s festivities
• Multi-course seasonal menu created by a culinary team of Disneyland Resort signature chefs paired with wines by an expert sommelier
• Park admission for all 12 guests is included on the day of the 21 Royal Experience
• Multi -night stay at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa

Fly, My Pretties, Fly!

Let Cal and Irving take your group of four people for a fly-fishing excursion! Select from one of Cal and Irving’s bucket list of places to fly-fish in the U.S.

• Enjoy 2 - 3 days of guided fly-fishing, cuisine and lodge accommodations
• Destinations include “fabled waters” like the Fall River in California, the Big Hole, Beaverhead and Missouri Rivers in Montana
• Experienced local guides will take you to some of the best fishing in the area
• All experience levels are welcome (no prior experience necessary!) and all fly-fishing gear provided

Restrictions: Number of days fishing dependent upon location selected. Transportation not included. Valid from May to November 2020 on a mutually agreed upon date, subject to availability.

[Editor’s note: this lot has been the most popular lot at this auction five years running. It has sold twice every year and raised over $300,000 in that time. Cal is the CEO of the organization, and his celebrity makes this lot perennially popular – I included it to exemplify how a longstanding lot, that doubles every year no less, can still be exciting.]

A Little Night Music with Cyrille Pannier

Hosted by [Organization] Board members Jennifer & Chris with The San Francisco Four Seasons Chef Cyrille Pannier, this is an evening you won't want to miss! Leave your digital world behind as you join this only-in-San Francisco-style salon held at Jennifer & Chris’ San Francisco home.

You’ll enjoy cocktails in the downstairs speakeasy, followed by a private live performance by San Francisco Opera Adler Fellows.

Your magical night continues with a magnificent dinner by Chef Cyrille, and perfectly paired wines of course! A celebration of beautiful music, fabulous food & libations, and excellent company, this will be an unforgettable night!

[This was sold as a buy-in lot for eight couples. The opening bid was $500 per couple, and it sold for over $1,200 per couple.]

Dorothy G’s Surgical Tape Art

We have a surprise for you this evening from Dr. Dorothy G: Yale University Hospital pediatric anesthesiologist! Dorothy has been a volunteer with ReSurge for over 20 years and been on 36 Resurge trips. Dr. Gaal uses surgical tape to make playful creations that keep kids distracted and at ease. She has made hundreds of these artistic creations over the years, and tonight she made this one especially for you.

It’s a celebration of 50 years of Resurge and a representation of hope for what is to come. It has the Stanford logo, in honor of ReSurge founder Dr. Don Laub; a dove, because we all want world peace; the tree of life; an eternal knot; ohm and more!

[This was meant to act as a warm-up opening lot. The opening bid was $100 and the final sale price was over $5,000. It did so well that the next lot was challenged by the buzz in the room.]

Whiskey Business

Mark Twain said, “Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.” We agree. Bolster your home bar or host a tasting for friends – 16 bottles of whiskey can be yours tonight. Raise your paddle for many nights of whiskey to come!

Package includes :
• The Glenlivet 18-year Old Single Malt Scotch Whiskey
• Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon
• Oban 14-year Old Single Malt Scotch Whiskey
• Woodford Reserve Single Barrel Whiskey
• Bookers Whiskey
• Two bottles of Macallan 12
• Pendleton 1910 Rye
• Four Roses Bourbon Whiskey
• Johnnie Walker Black Label
• R&R Canadian Whiskey
• Jack Daniels Gentleman’s Jack
• Basil Hayden Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Lock, Stock and Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey
• Noah's Mill Whiskey
• George T. Stagg Bourbon Whiskey

[This variation on the “Instant Wine Cellar” sparked a lot of interests and is a good reminder that variety is valuable.]

Live From New York: It’s Saturday Night in the Big Apple!

Whether you are seeking laughs from an original political satire with Alec Baldwin, a little Kate McKinnon, or the Weekend Update, experiencing the live taping of Saturday Night Live is sure to deliver!

You and your guest will have house tickets to a taping of SNL for the Spring 2020 season. Plus, if available, you will have the chance to go behind the scenes for a meet and greet with the cast and crew.

While in New York, experience the Big Apple like a local with dinner for two at Nobu Fifty Seven in Manhattan, which showcases the signature new-style Japanese cuisine of legendary chef Nobu Matsuhisa in a chic Midtown setting. Stroll the city and visit the Lotte New York Palace Hotel for cocktails and appetizers in the Gold Room, which invites guests to experience the glamour and opulence of the Gilded Age in a space that transports them back in time.

Your stay in New York includes accommodations for three nights in a centrally located 4-star property, and airfare is included courtesy of American Airlines, the Official Airline of our auction.

James Beard Nominees with Williams Selyem Wines Buy-In

Mark your calendar for Sunday, March 1, 2020. This is a must-eat buy-in dinner prepared by top-notch, preeminent chefs in San Francisco. If you tried to count on your hands all the major awards their work has been nominated for, you would run out fingers before you even got started.

To complete each course Jeff Mangahas, Vice President of Winemaking for William Selyem Winery,  will collaborate with your chefs and hand-select each and every wine including coveted wines from their library selection.  A perfect night out with friends, this once-in-a-lifetime evening is one that you will not soon forget.

Participating chefs include:
David Barzelay of Lazy Bear
Stuart Brioza of State Bird Provisions
Val Cantu of Californios
Ravi Kapur of Liholiho Yacht Club
Pam Mazolla of Prospect
Thomas McNaughton of flour+water & Central Kitchen
Nancy Oakes of Boulevard
Gayle Pirie & John Clark of Foreign Cinema
Charles Phan of The Slanted Door
Staffan Terje of Perbacco

Preset Date | 40 Couples |$5,000 per couple | All food and wine costs are included

Get Satisfaction with the Rolling Stones for Six

Wild horses couldn’t keep you away! Six people enjoy section C141 row 13 seats for the Rolling Stones “No Filter” tour at Levi’s Stadium. You’ll have a limousine to and from the concert with a champagne picnic to enjoy en-route or at the stadium.

Bonus Lot Idea: The Centerpiece Auction

Editor: The Centerpiece Auction was popular fifteen years ago but fell out of favor in ‘08/’09. Searching for additional revenue enhancers last year, we dug the Centerpiece Auction out of the vault, with wild success.

The Centerpiece Auction is dependent on two factors: 1) You want to sell your centerpieces, and 2) You have a single prize that you can offer to the person who spends more on their centerpiece than anyone else in the room.

At some point during the auction the auctioneer announces that it is time for the Centerpiece Auction. One person at each table stands up and auctions their centerpiece to their table.  Each table has a method for recording the results of the sale, like a small piece of paper and a pen or pencil, and staff or volunteers scoop up the results as soon as each table is finished.

Once the results have been tallied, we announce who won to the entire crowd, and at the end of the night the highest bidder at each table takes their centerpiece home: win/win!

To help each table determine who will be their auctioneer, you can havie the youngest person stand up, put a red dot on the back of one chair at each table, or some other random method. The prize that you offer for the person who spends the most should be borderline between silent and live auction – something attractive enough to get people’s interest but still make a profit. Your auctioneer should tell each Table Auctioneer where to start the bidding.

The centerpiece auction can be very chaotic, but it is fun and it can be extremely profitable. At an event where the highest selling auction lot raised $6,000 the centerpiece auction for a wine tasting party for 20 people raised over $13,000 for 24 centerpieces. The highest single bid for a centerpiece was over $1,500 and the average sale price was $540!

How to: Sequence Your Live Auction

Once you have successfully solicited the lots for your live auction, the next big challenge is deciding on a sequence for them. The order in which you sell your auction items is equally as important as the items you are selling.

Every decision you make has the potential to earn or cost you money. Lead or end with the wrong lot, and you will not realize the full potential of those lots. Put too many similar items in a row, and you run the risk of alienating the bidders who aren’t interested in that type of lot. Lump all of your highest-valued items together, and one of those items is going to underperform.

The right sequence creates an auction that flows with a sense of narrative, that builds to high points, and embraces downbeats. Most importantly, the right sequence ensures that you make the most money with the items your team has worked so hard to secure.

We could spend hours discussing this topic, and sometimes spend hours working on the sequence for one of our client’s auctions. There is too much information to try and convey in this single blog post. So we’ll cover some easy to implement points.

An auction is like a locomotive: it takes time to build momentum

Do not lead with your most expensive lot

Do not kick off your auction with your biggest lot, or even your third or fifth most expensive lot. The first lot in any fundraising auction is challenged. The crowd hasn’t settled down and people haven’t warmed up to the process yet. You need to build momentum, like accelerating a steam locomotive. Your first lot should be something that has a low retail value, but hopefully a high perceptual value. Or, at the very least, is one of your lower-end lots that is appealing, but won’t be disappointing no matter what it sells for.

Do not end with your most expensive lot

While it can be exciting to end an auction with a really expensive lot that raises more money than anything else at your auction, I guarantee that if you do so you are costing yourself money.  The person who comes in second on your most expensive lot is trying to give you money. More money than anyone else in the room. If the most expensive lot is last, they have no more opportunities to give you that money.

But if there are more lots after the most expensive lot, that second-place bidder will have opportunities to spend more. More times than not, they will wind up bidding over value on a less expensive lot. I observed one bidder stop bidding at $10,000 on an item, only to come back a few lots later and spend $6,000 on a lot that was valued $4,000. To top it off, she turned to her table and said, “I just saved $4,000!”

Give your donors as many opportunities to give you as much money as possible.

 Separate types of lots

Unless your auction is comprised solely of trips, do not place all the trips in a row. Spreading them out in your auction will ensure that the people who want the trips have ample opportunities to buy them, and that the people who don’t want trips won’t be bored by a parade of trips.

Alternate values

The most successful method of ordering an auction is to build momentum, like accelerating a locomotive. Once you have momentum, you can’t expect every lot to sell at a high value. Every time something sells for a bunch of money, there is a buzz in the room that makes the next lot challenging. Embrace that buzz by alternating values, so you have mid- or low-level lots following expensive lots.

This creates a flow that embraces the natural tendencies of your crowd, and, most importantly, helps realize the full potential of the auction lots in your auction.

Stellar offers new Catalog Copy Writing Service

Stellar Fundraising Auctions has partnered with copy writer Chaia Milstein to launch our new catalog copywriting service. Any fundraising auction team looking for clean, crisp, well-researched catalog descriptions of their live auction items can now get Stellar copy delivered on time and on budget.

Some solicitation teams love to write the descriptions for all of the auction lots they have worked so hard to acquire, and we totally get it. We say more power to you! But sometimes, the act of getting the lots is enough – you still have to line up potential bidders, let alone plan the rest of the event – and writing each of the catalog descriptions is just one thing too many.

Stellar can provide professional copy for all of your live auction items. We thoroughly research each auction lot, seeking the hidden “sizzle” that will engage potential buyers, and assure your donors you are handling their donation with aplomb.

We thoroughly understand the intricacies of the planning process, and will work with your team to establish a timeline that works with your needs. Bringing in a successful auction is enough work, let us make it sound great for you!

For more information about our Catalog Copy Writing Service, or to request a quote for services, please contact us here. Whether you are an existing Stellar client, or simply looking for help with your catalog, we'd love to chat with you.

Gamblers like to know the odds

Raffles are an important revenue generator for most fundraising events. They provide a low-cost entry point for attendees to participate while simultaneously helping raise significant amounts. We consistently see raffles that raise $5,000 - $10,000 and occasionally see them in the $15,000 - $25,000 range.

Most people think the prize is the most important piece of a raffle and focus all of their attention on finding something they think will have universal appeal. While the prize is important, I argue that the number of tickets you are going to make available is even more crucial. 

Gamblers like to know the odds before they put down their money. When you limit the number of available tickets for a raffle, you are giving people a clear understanding of their odds. And a perceived “good chance” encourages people to pay a higher price to play.

Unlimited $25 raffle tickets aren’t as appealing – from a gambling standpoint – as 1 of 100 tickets at $50 each. Who knows how many people are going to buy one of those $25 tickets? But the $50 ticket? There are only 100 of those, and odds resonate with gamblers.

By limiting supply you also enable your staff or volunteers to create a sense of urgency: “Do you want a 1 in 100 chance to win this trip to Hawaii? There are only 50 chances left…” Tickets will run out. Buy yours now. For a limited time only.

There are a number of calculations that go into deciding how many tickets you should make available for a particular raffle and how much you should charge per ticket. First and foremost, you need to determine how much you want to raise in your raffle. Our recommendation is that any raffle should raise at least double the value of the donation.

Then you have to calculate how many tickets you think you could sell. If you’ve never done a raffle before and have no data to rely on, just know that you can’t expect 100% of your attendees to buy raffle tickets. Between 15% and 20% of your attendees is a reasonable assumption, if the raffle is compelling.

It is always preferable to have more demand than supply, so people will rush to get their tickets next year. Limit the number of tickets and increase the amount you raise in your raffle. People who participate in raffles are gamblers, and every gambler likes to think they are getting good odds.

The Keys to Going Out on a Limb in Fund-A-Need

For years, one of our recommended strategies for a successful fund-a-need has been to begin asking for pledges at the highest level with a lead donor lined-up in advance. In other words, start asking for money at a level you know will be immediately successful.

Even the most impromptu moments are the result of tons of planning, and your fund-a-need is no different. 

We had a lot of rationalizations for this: It forces events to have important conversations with donors pre-event; it pre-determines whether or not key supporters believe in what you’re asking them to help fund; and the night-of the event, it ensures that the fund-a-need starts off with immediate momentum.

In the past few years, however, we’ve had some phenomenal successes starting the fund-a-need “out on a limb,” at a higher level than our lead donor commitment. At one event we had a $10,000 donor identified in advance, but we went out on a limb and another donor offered to pledge $100,000. He was followed by two more donors at $100,000, including a woman who was completely new to the organization.

We’ve also had some abysmal failures, which are difficult to recover from. At a recent event, I was sent out on a limb at $50,000 and told to ask for $25,000 next. We received zero pledges at those two levels, killing most of the momentum the testimonial had generated. 

We have, therefore, identified four keys that will determine whether going out on a limb in the fund-a-need is appropriate for your event.

1)  Can you justify starting higher? It seems like a silly question to ask, but do you need more money? If so, you need to be able to tell that story the night of your event in a way that empowers people to support you at a higher level. If you are going to send your auctioneer out on a limb, make sure you have tied that limb to the change you are asking people to fund.

Example: You normally start your fund-a-need at $5,000 but this year you’d like to ask for $10,000. Prepare some examples of what $10,000 will help you do and utilize them as a reason for asking for more money.

2) Determine if your existing lead donor(s) will be upset by you asking for more than they agreed to pledge. Sometimes ego comes into play with high-dollar donors. I’ve seen instances where lead donors felt slighted because they thought they were going to be the top dog in the fund-a-need, and then we asked for more.

3) If you go out on a limb at a specific amount, make sure you have a *guaranteed* donor committed at the next level down. A fund-a-need that starts off with no pledges at one level can recover quickly if there is an immediate pledge at the next level down. Two levels of zero pledges can have a significantly negative impact on the momentum of your appeal and the amount you raise.

4) Do you have donors in the room who have the capacity to support you at a higher level? The $100,000 example above was set into motion the previous year, when a donor came to us after the event and assured us we had started the fund-a-need too low. He was right, as he was one of the donors who stepped up at $100,000.

You may not know all of the donors in your room and may not know the individual capacity of all of them, but you should have a good sense of the potential capacity – or at least know someone who does. When in doubt, ask your supporters – your table captains or board members – for a reality check. You may have untapped potential in your crowd, and you’ll never know if you never ask.

Let a previous winner sell the lot for you!

 One of the ways to generate excitement for a recurring auction lot at your event is to have a live testimonial from someone who won it previously as a part of the lot description. 

 Last year I was reminded of how powerful a well-placed testimonial can be.  The organization for whom I was working was auctioning off an African Safari that promised to be a challenging lot for several reasons.  First, it was a high-dollar trip that did not include any of the travel between the U.S. and the wilderness reserve in Africa.  Second, it was a consignment, meaning that while it could be doubled, it had a substantial reserve price.  If it sold for just over than the reserve, the organization would make very little money.  And third, it was through a company that, while highly rated, did only consignments for benefit and fundraising auctions, meaning that the winning bidder’s fellow guests on the safari all paid wildly differing prices for the exact same trip. 

Challenges notwithstanding, we decided to try to sell it in the live auction.

During the reception that preceded the live program, the auction chair told me she wanted me to meet somebody.  He was a guest at the gala who had won the same trip at an auction for a different organization the previous year and had already gone on the safari with his spouse.  We chatted about his experience, and his review was glowing and heartfelt -- so much so that I asked him if he would say a few words about the trip before we sold that lot.  He agreed.

We arranged for a wireless mic to be ready at his table when the description of that lot started.  I introduced him as a previous winner of the trip; and he stood up and gave the crowd the same positive review he had given me, full of humor and personal details.  He even described the situation of his fellow travelers all having won the trip at auction in the most wonderful, unexpected way.  He said it was a great positive, being on safari exclusively with fellow fundraising/benefit auction winners, because it meant traveling with ‘people who shared our values.’

As he spoke I could see the crowd becoming more animated and excited.  The bidding action was strong right out of the gate, and we ended up selling it for over twice the reserve and doubled the lot as well.  And the credit for the success of that lot goes to the gentleman who shared his actual experience, making the trip much more attractive and accessible to the audience.  That lot benefitted greatly from his testimonial – a real, human moment and a great reminder of why an organization has a live event in the first place.  

A testimonial can also be as simple as the auctioneer giving a previous winner a shout out and/or telling some of their story for them.  “Mr. and Mrs. X, who are here tonight, took this trip last year and loved it.” 

Not everyone is amenable to, or necessarily good at, talking about their experience in front of a crowd.  But if there is a previous winner of a lot at your event, and they have a positive story to tell about it, it’s a resource worth exploring.