Top 3 Things you should have Your Auctioneer do prior to your Fundraising Auction Event

If you aren't using a professional benefit auctioneer at your fundraising event then you should be!  Here is a blog about why you should:  Hiring a Professional Fundraising Auctioneer & Consultant?

Once you have selected your professional fundraising auctioneer, here are the top 3 things he/she should be doing for you prior to the event date.

1.  Assisting with the creation of your event timeline.  This is the back bone of your entire event and a poorly organized timeline can spell disaster for the success of your fundraising event.

2.  Putting your live auction items in the most effective order so that funds can be maximized during the live auction.  There is a special formula for success based on the type of items, value of items and whether or not items can be sold multiple times or not.

3.  Organizing a winning fund a need.  This is the single most important fundraising aspect of your event and must be done at the right time with the right levels and flow.

Professional fundraising auctioneers are not just a person that gets up on stage and calls an auction.  We are highly trained professionals in the area of charity auction events.  We have seen it all and know what works and what doesn't.  Select an auctioneer that you are comfortable with, based on their knowledge and experience, not on what their price is.  You will see great results with the correct person for your organization.


Written by Mike Grigg, AARE, BAS of Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services

Giving in 2015 and involving Millennials

I recently attended a presentation sponsored by the Giving USA FOUNDATION entitled “The  Annual Report on Philanthropy for the year 2015”.

We were informed that 2015 was a year of steady and strong giving, explaining that the total contributions for 2015 where $373 .25 billion.  88% of the total contributions came from individuals, bequests, and family foundations. The individual contributions were up 3.8% over 2014, family foundations giving increased 6.5% and bequests were up 2.1%.  2014 and 2015 combined saw giving increase 12.2% which is the largest two-year increase since 2003 - 2005.

I am including a graphic that presents many other interesting facts about our giving in the year 2015. The graphic was created by the Giving USA Foundation.

Now with individuals being the greatest source of contributions it is extremely important we discover the most effective way to involve the next generation of donors, the Millennials. During this same presentation we heard from a panel of experts involved with philanthropic organizations. One of the subjects they discussed and I felt important to share with you is how to encourage and motivate Millennials to participate in the many aspects of fundraising for your charitable organization.

The panel pointed out that Millennials don't give to organizations, they support causes and because Millennials are so connected through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media, they have the ability to influence so many of their friends for your cause.  In order to take advantage of this fact it’s important you use social media not to sell your organization but to tell the world about your cause by sharing stories and pictures and featuring people who have benefited from your service. If the millennial is moved by your message and connects to your cause they will become an influential voice to all their friends and family via social media.

Blackbaud also reported in their Generational Giving Report that 50% of Millennials share information about charities they support with their friends on Facebook.

It was also pointed out that with the millennium's being 18 to 32 years old, the best way to excite them about your cause is to encourage them to volunteer. In the beginning volunteering their time and energy is the path to Millennials becoming your loyal donors.

With the Millennials being the largest generation since Baby Boomers we can certainly see the importance of connecting your cause to this generation.

Written by Connie Waddell, BAS of Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services

The Ultimate Fundraising Auctioneer

Check out this new "movie trailer" video showcasing Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services.  We are so proud to be in this exciting business and LOVE our nonprofits and schools for the good they bring into each community we serve.  If you need a professional benefit auctioneer and consultant we would be honored if you considered us!

 

Written by Mike Grigg, AARE, BAS of Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services

How important are recorders for your live auction and fund a need?

One of the most important jobs at a fundraising auction event are the recorders.  These are the people that are logging in the winning bid amounts and donation amounts from the live auction and fund a need.  They will also be the people running the recorder sheets to the check out personnel.  Sounds simple right?  We see more mistakes made here than almost any other volunteer job… it is a tragedy because this is where serious money can be lost!
 

Here is the formula for success with your recorders: 

1. Don’t have volunteers that like to drink alcoholic beverages handling your recording.
   
2. Assign this job to three people with identical recorder sheets to prevent missed bid amounts or bidder numbers.
3. Have pre-designed recorder sheets that are simple to understand.  Lay out your live auction sheet in the same order of the actual live auction and let recorders know if there are any items that have the potential to sell twice.  Design your fund a need sheet in columns with the same levels your professional auctioneer will be asking your guests to give.
4. Make sure that the three recorders check each other’s sheets and combine to one sheet for the checkout personnel.
5. All recorders need to be placed in a quiet corner close to a speaker, so they can hear, and just listen, logging in data based on what the auctioneer says.  DO NOT HAVE RECORDERS TRY AND FIND THE BIDDER NUMBERS THEMSELVES; THIS IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER!
6. Have the recorders meet with the auctioneer prior to the event to go over the system.

Written by Mike Grigg, AARE, BAS
EliteFundraisingAuctions.com

How many items should we have in our live fundraising auction?

How many live auction items should we have?  This is one of the most popular questions asked when planning a fundraising auction event.

In a standard “Gala style” event with silent auction, welcome speech, live auction and fund a need there is what’s called a “Golden Hour”.  I would suggest that an hour for a live auction at a fundraiser is a bit too much, but it is a good rule of thumb to keep your live auction no more than one hour long.  I really like to be more in the range of 30-45 minutes if possible.  

Now, that brings up the question: “How many items does that mean we can sell?”  A good professional fundraising auctioneer will take around 3 minutes per item (including the item description).  If you do the math that means that 15 items are the most you should be selling, but ideally you want to stay between 8-10.  Be careful of filling the auction with lower quality items just to say you have ten items!  I would rather have quality, not quantity in the live auction; even if that means having an auction with 4-5 items.  You only have a short attention span with your guests, so make it count!

Written by Mike Grigg, AARE, BAS

EliteFundraisingAuctions.com

Elite Auctions & Fundraising Services 2013 Year In Review

Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services (http://www.elitefundraisingauctions.com) had a spectacular 2013 and would like to thank all the non profits and schools that made it possible!  If you need a fundraising auctioneer and consultant so that you can break your fundraising records let us know.

How to hire a professional fundraising auctioneer… What should I ask when determining which auctioneer to hire?

DON'T FORGET TO TAKE YOUR AUCTIONEER'S ADVICE WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING MONEY AT YOUR EVENT!

Hiring a professional auctioneer for your charity, benefit or fundraising event is an essential element to maximizing your organization’s profit.

www.elitefundraisingauctions.com

Here are some questions that can be asked to determine whether or not the auctioneer is reputable...

1.  Do you specialize in charity auctions?

Auctioneers that specialize in charity, benefit and fundraising auctions are going to be best equipped to handle all aspects of your event from the silent auction, live auction and the fund-a-need or appeal.  There are many proven "tricks of the trade" that a professional charity auctioneer will know vs. a volunteer or non-charity auctioneer.

2.  Are you bonded as an auctioneer in the State of California?

Auctioneers that conduct business in the State of California are required by law to be bonded by the state.  If the company you are interviewing is not bonded by the State of California be very cautious to proceed with them.  Check your state laws regarding auctioneers if you are not conducting your auction in California.

3.  Are you a member of the National Auctioneers Association (NAA) and your State Auctioneers Association?

It is not manditory that auctioneers be members of the NAA or their state associations, but all auctioneers that are members of both associations are required to follow a code of ethics while practicing as a legitimate auction company.  Do not do business with auctioneers that aren't members of both associations because they may not be looking out for your best interests.

4.  How many successful auctions have you completed and how many years have you been in the business?

Choosing an auctioneer that has not conducted more than 50 successful auctions and been in the auction business for at least 5 years may not be in your best interests.  In order for auctions to have a positive outcome they must be handled by an auctioneer that has the

proper knowledge and experience, which can only be gained by conducting a multitude of successful auctions over a legitimate time period.  (Pictured right: Mike Grigg, AARE, BAS of Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services on stage taken by Henry A. Barrios The Californian)

5.  Do you have any auction videos that I can view?

An auctioneer should be able to show you videos of him/her in action.  If he/she does not have videos, request to attend one of his/her upcoming auctions so that you can see how he/she works with the crowd to entertain, raise money and how his/her overall personality will mesh with your organization.

6.  What type of training have you had regarding benefit auctions?

There are several different training courses and designations that an auction can complete.  The National Auctioneers Association has the Benefit Auctioneer Specialist (BAS) designation that less than 1% of fundraising auctioneers hold.  It would be a huge bonus if your auctioneer had this designation.  Ask them if they attended auction school to learn his or her chant as well.  An auctioneer that is new to benefit auctions or doesn’t have any training might not be the best choice for your event.

7.  Do you charge for your services?

Auctioneers that don't charge for their services are not going to take your event seriously.  Many times they are not charging because they don't value their ability to maximize your profit.  Ask the auctioneer what their fees are and use your judgment in determining if their cost is fair.  Remember, good charity auctioneers are the line item in the budget that make you money... It does not cost, it pays to have a professional benefit auctioneer.  They will pay for themselves with the extra revenue they will achieve vs. a volunteer.  Volunteers, weathermen, comedians, etc. are not trained as auctioneers and will lose thousands of dollars for your cause... they will cost you far more than hiring a professional with their lack of experience and consulting knowledge.  "Having a volunteer or unqualified auctioneer handle your event is like having your accountant work on your car."

*Remember, a good charity auctioneer has a lot of tips that can maximize your event's profits using a multitude of different techniques.  Auctioneers that have conducted a lot of auctions have seen many different money-making ideas and know what works and what doesn't work (i.e. timeline, types of auctions, what order to put your items in, fund-a-need, etc.)