What everybody ought to know…… About The Fundraising Auction & Consulting Business

WHY WE ARE PUBLISHING THIS INFORMATION

A little while ago we were talking with the Executive Director of a big nonprofit organization, a well-informed woman.  She said that she had never done business with a professional fundraising auctioneer and consultant because she was afraid she wouldn’t see the return from hiring a professional vs. using a volunteer.
Since we are professional fundraising auctioneers and consultants you can imagine that was something of a shock… made us think.

The fundraising auction business does use a lot of specialized techniques, but there really isn’t anything complicated or mysterious about what those techniques accomplish for your nonprofit or school.  Because we’ve used them so long and so frequently, we’ve just assumed that everybody understood them...That has been our mistake.  And a big mistake.  For if nonprofits and schools don’t understand what professional fundraising auctioneers and consultants do, they aren’t likely to invest their money in them.
“So what?” you ask.  Well, here’s “what”.

If nonprofits and schools don’t invest their funds in professional fundraising auctioneers and consultants, they won’t have the capital they need for growth which ultimately affects the people they help.  That capital can come from primarily from one place; People at your fundraising auction event.  Not just a few people with great fortunes, but from many people who have the means to support your cause. 

Or look at it from a different point of view.  Nonprofits or schools who don’t understand the value of a professional fundraising auctioneer and consultant are easy prey for a wide variety of mistakes often made at benefit auction events that ultimately result in mediocre returns.

Or look at it from the purely personal points of view.  A lot of nonprofits and schools might like to invest in a professional fundraising auctioneer and consultant where they could increase their fundraising event revenue.  But if they are unfamiliar with the techniques and value provided by a professional, they aren’t likely to invest their money in them.

For all these reasons, it is important that nonprofits and schools know as much as they can about the fundraising auction event business.

But where do you start?

Well, it would seem that a good place to start would be with the “techniques” used by professional fundraising auctioneers and consultants that our friend, the Executive Director, was concerned about.  And we might as well go back to the most common techniques in the business.  You may find a lot of this explanation pretty elementary, but the next person may not be completely clear about the exact differences between the various techniques.  So we’ll start right there, in the belief that you’ll be kind enough to skip what you already know.

Click Here to Keep Reading!

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

What Most People Don’t Know about Working with a Great Benefit Auctioneer

A great benefit auctioneer is involved in the planning months in advance.

Most people that attend fundraising events see an auctioneer up on stage chanting away to raise funds for a great cause, and it appears to be seamless for a good benefit auctioneer. What they don’t see are the countless hours in consultation and setup that it took to get to the fabulous auction. The day of the fundraising auction event is just a tiny piece of the pie. 

I like to compare a good fundraising auctioneer’s job to an iceberg, 90% of it is underwater and only 10% (the part you see) is above water. If you have an auctioneer that is simply showing up the night of the event and getting on stage (the 10% of the iceberg above the water) then you are probably leaving a ton of money on the table. In order to maximize your event’s revenue you must diligently work for several months leading up the event (the 90% of the iceberg below water). 

Click here to see what we include in our consulting and auction package. Remember, a great benefit auctioneer will be part of your planning process as well. Be very careful with having an auctioneer just show up the day of your event with no prior engagement in your planning process. Always use a professional benefit auctioneer versus a volunteer! 

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

Elite Auctions Attends 64th International Auctioneers Conference and Show

Elite Auctions Attends 64th International Auctioneers Conference and Show

July 23, 2013 – Bakersfield/Los Angeles-based fundraising auctioneers/consultants, Mike Grigg, AARE and Connie Waddell, joined their fellow auctioneers from across the world at the National Auctioneers Association’s (NAA) 64th International Auctioneers Conference and Show at the J. W. Marriott in downtown Indianapolis, July 16 – 20, 2013.

Mike graduated from the prestigious "World Champion College of Auctioneers" and is a published author of the book: "Maximizing Your Charity Event's Bottom Line.”  He has participated in many charity, benefit and fundraising auctions as an auctioneer and fundraising consultant.  He has a Bachelor's degree in Business Marketing and graduated from the Fundraising Auction Academy.  Mike serves as Past President and current member for the California State Auctioneers Association (CSAA).

Mike has called hundreds of auctions in California cities like Los Angeles, Bakersfield, San Diego and San Francisco, to name a few, and knows what it takes to get the buyers to competitively bid and drive the prices up while delivering a clear message about each organizations’ cause.  His attention to detail and heart for each organization makes him one of the best in the business.  Mike has mastered the fund-a-need and has developed many revenue enhancers to help boost his clients' proceeds to record breaking numbers.

Mike was the 2004 California State Auctioneers Association Rookie Bid Calling Champion and was crowned the 2009 California State Auctioneer Champion.  Mike began his career in the auction business in 2002 and believes that auctions are the purest form of price realization.  His recent accomplishments include a charity auction to benefit Solutions for Change which raised $1.7 million, a three-day prop, costume, and set piece auction for NBC Universal's hit show, Battlestar Galactica presented by Propworx where almost 1,000 lots were sold, and helping a private high school in Orange County triple their previous year’s fundraiser result.

Professional Memberships:

• Past President & current member of the California State Auctioneers Association (CSAA)


• Member of the National Auctioneers Association (NAA)


• Past Board Member for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central California (Evening of Wishes Gala)


• Accredited Auctioneer of Real Estate (AARE) designated by the National Auctioneers Association

Connie Waddell is Co-Founder and CEO of Elite Auctions with specific responsibilities overseeing the general operations and marketing department. She has over 25 years experience in marketing.  Her success comes from utilizing her experience and skills to zero in on the exact objective of any marketing campaign and the precise market to target. She was recently awarded first place for brochure design by the California State Auctioneers Association.

She has been recognized throughout her career as an accomplished business professional with an entrepreneurial spirit, outgoing personality, and with excellent communication and leadership skills.

Ms. Waddell graduated from the Professional Ringmen's Institute (PRI).  The Ringman (professional bid spotter) is a very important member of every live auction team whose contributions and responsibilities include an accurate interpretation of the bidder’s interest and effective communication of each bidder’s participation to her auctioneer.

While involved with several charitable organizations, two very dear to her heart are Autism Speaks and Kern Autism Network in an effort to aid her grandson, Adam, and other children on the autism spectrum.

Among dozens of educational seminars, highlights included: how to excel in any interview process with clients and companies; how to build a community of online buyers; how to transition from free to a fee with non-profit groups; and more.

Additionally, attendees took advantage of the opportunity to network with their fellow auctioneers from across the globe.

Along with industry-leading education, the annual Conference and Show also featured several exciting auction competitions.  This year, the NAA celebrated the 25^th anniversary of the International Auctioneer Championship (IAC) competition, which crowns the world’s top male and female auctioneers. The annual conference also included the world’s largest auction tradeshow, which provided a large, engaged consumer base. In fact, more than 900 auction professionals attended the 2013 event, making it the largest Conference and Show since 2009.

To learn more about the Fundraising Auction business visit www.EliteFundraisingAuctions.com. To view a schedule of events that were held at the 64^th International Auctioneers Conference & Show, visit conferenceandshow.com

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About Elite Auctions & Fundraising Services:

Elite Auctions & Fundraising Services is the premier auction and consulting company in the state of California. We provide non-profit organizations with the tools and expertise to maximize their ability to knock fundraising auction and event revenue out of the park.



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