Why Are You Having A Fundraising Auction? (Tell The Truth.)
| Posted in Fundraising on Dec 30, 2010 by |
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Imagine that you’ve agreed to chair the fundraising auction for a charity in your town. You've heard that many benefit auctioneers are booked months in advance, so you've decided to call a few today to get an idea of their services.
Stop. Don't pick up the phone until you're clear about one point. You'll save yourself and the charity auctioneer a lot of time if you answer this question first.
Why are you really holding this auction gala?
When an organization calls me to inquire about services, I have a series of questions I ask to better understand the gala. If the person calling me is knowledgeable about the group’s past galas, our talk takes around 40 minutes. One question I ask is why the group is conducting this event.
"To raise money for XYZ," is the common response. But a deeper dive into that response will reveal other reasons as to why that auction is being held. As an auctioneer, I believe it is important to understand why the event is taking place because it will determine how I work with my client.
For instance, if the goal is to raise $100,000, then a group is usually focused on implementing step-by-step, time-tested strategies to ensure they achieve that goal. They will re-arrange the schedule, change the menu, and refuse to let anyone of importance on stage if they feel it detracts from raising the money.
But if the goal is to honor a local hero, the auction proceeds are secondary. If I suggest anything which might be perceived to conflict with the hero ceremony, no one will listen to me. The primary goal is to honor the hero -- not raise cash – so the auction takes second billing. I’ll adapt by suggesting appropriate ideas in relation to that goal.
So what are the reasons for hosting a benefit auction?
In addition to raising money, here are some reasons I've heard:
* Pressure from a donor
"We had one exceptionally nice item donated this year, and the donor refuses to let it be sold in a silent auction so we need to have a live auction."
* Honor a local hero
"It is important for us to honor our Volunteer of the Year. We're going to have 90 minutes of speeches honoring him, and the live auction will follow." (Ugh!)
* Tradition
"This is a social function. Any money raised is secondary. Our guests have donated a lot of money throughout the course of the year, so don't beat it out of them on the stage." ("Beat" it out of them? Is this Gala Chair talking about me?!?)
* Friendly function
"Auctions are fun, and we thought this would be a good way to raise a little money, meet others in our church, and have some entertainment."
* Image
"Everybody in town attends this event. We’ve always had an auction as part of our evening, but people will come whether there is a fundraising auction or not."
* Volunteer involvement
"Our auction doesn't make that much money, but the women really get into this. They get all kinds of items donated, and they like feeling that they are making a difference in our chapter."¯
Being honest with your charity auctioneer as to the primary goal of your fundraiser will go a long way in building your relationship. Your auctioneer will be able to suggest appropriate ideas to gracefully complement your mission.
© 2010 Red Apple Auctions Co. All Rights Reserved.
Benefit auctioneer Sherry Truhlar, CMP, BAS has been featured on television (E! Style, TLC) and in national publications (The Washington Post Magazine, AUCTIONEER) for her trend-setting work with auction fundraisers. In addition to serving clients as an auctioneer, she teaches popular online classes designed to educate volunteer auction chairpersons about simple ways they can improve the bottom-line results of their auctions. Her free or nearly free resources are used by hundreds of charities, and her complementary Auction Item Guide is downloaded by dozens every day who seek auction procurement help. Get your own FREE ITEM GUIDE (listing the 100 items selling over value) at www.RedAppleAuctions.com.
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Red Apple Auctions Charity Auction Benefit Auction Nonprofit Non-Profit
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