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

Should I use Mobile Bidding for the Fund a Need?

As mobile bidding becomes more an more popular at fundraising auction events we tend to get this question quite frequently: "Should we use mobile bidding for the fund a need?"  The simple answer is NO!

While mobile bidding is a spectacular way to maximize funds in your silent auction, it just does not perform well with a fund a need (aka: paddle raiser, fund a cause, etc.).  I want to reiterate that I am specifically writing about the fund a need aspect in regards to mobile bidding.

Here are the top three reasons why mobile bidding is not effective for your fund a need:

1.  People give to people and by having everyone looking at their phone screens the personal feeling is taken
out of the giving process and it becomes much less emotional.

2.  A fund a need is driven by a "community" effort to come together and fund a specific need of the organization.  The sense of community is taken out of the equation by everyone focused more on finding the correct button to push rather that engaging and cheering on each other to accomplish that goal.

3.  Accountability.  Mobile bidding is much more discreet and it allows people that would otherwise give a larger amount to "cheat" a bit and give less.  People are simply not as inclined to give big in such an impersonal way with no recognition.

Mobile bidding is a fantastic tool for the silent auction but please let your audience hold their bid paddles up high and show you what they can do when the spirit of giving is out in the open and they are united in funding that specific need.


Please visit EliteFundraisingAuctions.com to find out how we can take your fundraising event to the next level!


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

Should you have a Live Auction at your charity auction event?

Wondering if a live auction at your next fundraising auction event makes sense?  Well, the simple answer is YES!!!  Live auctions are not only huge money-makers but they provide a high energy excitement that is matched by nothing else.  There are some critical elements to having a successful live auction at your nonprofit or school fundraiser.  I have outlined the most important ones below.

1. Hire a professional fundraising auctioneer.  DO NOT use a volunteer or inexperienced auctioneer here; your results will be much more dismal and your audience will feel like they are having their teeth pulled during the auction.

2. Fill your audience with people that have the means to support your cause.  You have to have money in the room to have a great revenue outcome.

3. Procure desirable, higher dollar items to sell.  Find out what your audience is interested in and the price range they can afford.

4. Don't have too many items in your live auction.  A good rule of thumb is to not exceed 30-45 minutes for your live auction.  It takes me about 3 minutes per item so about 8-12 live auction items is perfect.

Live auctions at your fundraising auction event will be one of your biggest revenue generators.  Whether you have three items or twelve you should be doing one. 

Visit EliteFundraisingAuctions.com today to find out more about our services and how we can help you achieve your goals!


Written by Mike Grigg, AARE, 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 many People should attend a Fundraising Auction Event to ensure SUCCESS?

Every nonprofit and school want to have hundreds of people attend their fundraiser, but is this really the measure of a successful event?

The question should be: "How many people will give and at what levels will they give?"

Just because an event has 800 people in attendance does not necessarily mean that the event is a success on the revenue side of things.  This is where mining your database of past attendees comes in extremely handy and really is an absolute must before you send out your invitations.  Look at past event records and see who is giving and who is not; it should become very apparent who you want to fill your seats with for your next charity auction gala.  I would rather have 100 people with the means to support your cause in the seats then 500 people who are there to simply party.  Not only will it cost the nonprofit a lot more to provide a venue large enough to house 500 people but it will cost immensely more to feed 500 people versus 100. 

As an example: A room full of 100 power bidders may generate an average of $1,000 per person of revenue which equates to a gross of $100,000 versus a room of 500 people who generally came to party which may equate to an average of $100 per person or $50,000 gross with a much higher expense to house and feed them.

Your homework should be done several months in advance using data from the past 3 years of events to determine who should receive invitations.  I'm not saying that all events should have lighter attendance because if you happen to have 500 loyal supporters that plan on giving then invite all of them. 

Don't forget to hire an experienced, professional fundraising auctioneer and consultant like Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services to help insure your event's success.  The results far outweigh the investment!

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

Why You Should Hire a California Based Fundraising Auctioneer if your Charity Auction is in California

First off, if you are having a fundraising auction event you should definitely retain a professional benefit auctioneer that is a member of the National Auctioneers Association, their state auction association (California's is the Western States Auction Association), and better yet has the Benefit Auctioneer Specialist (BAS) designation as well.  With that out of the way lets discuss why you should be hiring a California based charity auctioneer for your California based fundraising event.

As we all know California has several areas that are unique to that region.  Quite frankly the Bay Area (San Francisco, Oakland, etc.) is a lot different from Central California (Bakersfield and Fresno, etc.).  Of course, Southern California has many different pockets as well, such as Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, Orange County, and San Diego to name a few.

This means many things, but here are just some of them:

1.  Different regions of California have unique general occupations that drive the economy in those areas.
2.  Different regions have contrasting income levels and age groups.
3.  Different regions have particular auction items that will do well just in those zones.
4.  Different regions have unique venues to utilize for your fundraising auction event.

Overall, California is DIFFERENT as you travel north to south and east to west.

Don't you want a benefit auctioneer that has knowledge of these differences and familiarity through experience of what works and what doesn't work in these specific regions?  Most of the time in order to have this knowledge you need an auctioneer that is local to the state and understands these differences so he or she can fully maximize the degree of services that they provide to your nonprofit or school.  You want a professional fundraising auctioneer that understands the people in the audience and what they want.  Not to mention, a professional auctioneer that is well read and understands the laws of California when it comes to charitable fundraising.

Here at Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services we understand California and have been in the auction business since 2002.  Our Chief Auctioneer, Mike Grigg is a California native and has been a professional auctioneer for almost a decade and a half.  We have raised literally Millions of dollars for nonprofits and schools in all different areas of California.  We are here in California to serve California nonprofits and schools!

Next time you retain a professional fundraising auctioneer and consultant for your California charity event... Go local, go with a California Auctioneer.

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

Top 3 Reasons why You should have a Live Auction at Your Fundraising Event

Live auctions are an essential element to any successful fundraising event and by overlooking this element you may be leaving BIG bucks on the table!

Here are the top three reasons why you should have a live auction at your fundraiser:

1.  Live auctions are FUN!  A survey conducted by the National Auctioneers Association determined that the number one reason why people attend live auctions is because they are fun.  You can't have a FUNdraiser without the fun!  People will keep coming back for years to come if they have fun at your event, and with the right people in the seats this directly equates to more revenue.

2. Live auctions bring the big dollars!  A live auction with the correct 7-10 items will many times eclipse a silent auction with 50 items in revenue generated.  If you want to tap into the larger donors in the crowd, a live auction with higher dollar items is a perfect way to accomplish this.

3.  Live auctions provide a spectacular marketing opportunity!  Leading up to your fundraising auction event you should be taking advantage of as many marketing opportunities as possible to advertise your event.  When you have great live auction items you should be advertising these as well as the event itself.  If you go on a local news station's broadcast then talk about some of your top live auction items that will be sold at the event to create a buzz.  Remember, don't just focus on the party... focus on the fundraising.

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

How to Get Bidders to Bid at Your Fundraising Auction Event

First off, there are several ways to get bidders to bid at your benefit fundraising auction, but the MOST important aspect is to make sure you have the right people in the seats with the means to support your cause!  Check out this past blog post explaining this in more detail:  What is the most important ingredient to a successful fundraising event?

Here are the top 3 ways to get bidders to bid at your charity auction event:

1.  Hire a professional fundraising auctioneer to take the helm during your live auction and fund a need.

2.  Make sure you procure desirable items for your auction.

3.  Do not start your bidding too high.  This includes not using items with high minimum bids (i.e. consignment items).

There are several factors that play into a successful auction but these are the key elements that make your auction a record breaker and help you achieve fundraising bliss.

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

7 Things You Should Know About Conducting a Successful Fund a Need or Special Appeal at Your Fundraising Event

1.  What is a Fund a Need or Special Appeal?

A Fund a Need (aka: Special Appeal, The Ask, Cash Ask, Fund a Mission, etc.) is the single most important fundraising technique at your benefit event, whether you do silent and live auctions or not.  The fund a need is a completely different fundraising aspect than your silent auction, live auction or other revenue enhancers.  It allows your donors to give a cash amount at a specific level to help fund a specific need or needs that your nonprofit or school has.


2.  What should the fund a need benefit?

This is your opportunity to ask your donors to give at specific levels to fund your Nonprofit's biggest need for the upcoming year.  For example: If you are a school and need to purchase iPads for the 6th graders, this would be a perfect fit for fund a need.

3.  How should we determine the different levels for our donors to give?

We at Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services believe that you should do no more than six levels beginning high and working to low.  The first high level should be determined prior to the fundraising event with one of your larger donors so that there are no crickets in the room when your professional fundraising auctioneer begins the ask.  Once you have established your high level, work with your professional auctioneer to determine how many and which levels should follow.


4.  When should you conduct a fund a need?

The fund a need should be done at every single fundraising event that you conduct where you will have an opportunity to be in front of your donors in a sit-down environment.  The beauty of a fund a need is that you do not have to do any other fundraising elements, and you do not have to procure items to conduct one successfully.  It is simply your donors showing their support of your cause.


5.  Who should conduct the fund a need?

A fund a need must be conducted by a professional benefit auctioneer, preferably by a designated Benefit Auctioneer Specialist (BAS) to get the most desirable results.  There is a definite formula for success here and a professional will more than pay for themselves!


6.  Should we use mobile devices or electronic giving for our fund a need?

The simple answer is NO!  The success of a fund a need depends largely on emotion and a group of people giving together to fund a great cause.  Using mobile devices to give takes out almost all of the emotion and generally produces mediocre results compared to a traditional appeal using a qualified professional charity auctioneer.


7.  Why is the fund a need important?

The fund a need is important for many reasons.  The top two reasons are that it raises funds that would otherwise "walk out" of your event and it enables you to determine who your biggest supporters are.  Knowing who your biggest supporters are is essential to having fundraising success in the future, but that's an entirely different blog for another time.


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

 

What can Auction-tainment do for your Fundraising Auction Event?

Are you looking for a way to spice up your live auction?  Then Auction-tainment is for you!  My favorite way to utilize auction-tainment is by having a professional sound technician play a snippet of music when the auctioneer says sold.  It works best to plan this ahead of time and make the music match the item.  For example, imagine your professional auctioneer selling a suite at a baseball game and as he says "SOLD", Take Me Out to the Ballgame comes on for about 5-10 seconds as the auctioneer transitions into the next item.  It keeps your audience entertained, engaged and energized (The three E's).  This approach can be done as you open an item as well.  However, it must be accomplished with a professional auctioneer and sound tech in order to have the full effect and not seem corny. 

Auction-tainment can be done in many forms, utilizing what works best for your audience.  If you are a theater group, actors can be incorporated into the live auction.  If you are a school, the band can be showcased during the live auction. 

While a professional benefit auctioneer will improve your bottom line by leaps and bounds, auction-tainment can take your event to a much more memorable experience for your donors and keep them coming back for years to come!

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

Why are Silent Auctions dwindling at Fundraisers?

We are noticing more and more nonprofits eliminating their silent auctions from their key fundraising auction events.  When we ask what the reasons are, these are the most common remarks:

1.  "They require too much work and manpower."
2.  "We don't raise that much money with the silent auction."
3.  "We don't have enough volunteers to run it successfully."
4.  "It complicates the check out process."

All in all, some nonprofits are saying that their silent auctions aren't raising enough revenue to justify the work involved to put on a successful silent auction.

So you may ask: "What do we at Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services think about this?"  It's quite simple actually, we think whatever makes the most sense for the individual nonprofits that we work with.  There are several alternative ways to generate equal or more revenue than a silent auction produces with much less work, volunteer participation and the dreaded Check Out Armageddon.  However, if nonprofits still want to conduct silent auctions we are all for it, and in fact have several proven programs to astronomically increase revenue brought in at the silent auction. 

While we have noticed that approximately 30% of our clients have eliminated the silent auction aspect (up from about 15% three years ago), there are still several organizations that are sticking with it.  Either way, Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services have proven techniques to increase revenue in both areas, just visit our website at www.EliteFundraisingAuctions.com to find out more!

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

What is a Benefit Auctioneer Specialist?

A fundraising auctioneer that goes the extra mile to earn his or her BAS designation is an auctioneer that you want working for your event.  Not only do they receive special training that very few auctioneers attain, but this also is a great indicator of an auctioneer that will do whatever it takes to be on the cutting edge of the fundraising auction professional spectrum.  

The following is the definition of Benefit Auctioneer Specialist (BAS) from the National Auctioneers Association:

[BAS is a two-part educational program which trains auction professionals to enhance their services to clients.  Coursework focuses on the fundraising components of the benefit auction event, item acquisition, audience development, additional revenue items, contractual agreements, and public relations.

The BAS program is offered through the National Auctioneers Association (NAA) Education Institute and is taught by nationally recognized Auctioneers and professionals who serve the benefit auction industry.
 
Earning the BAS designation requires not only completion of the coursework, but also testing, submission of specialized reports and various experiential projects. 

As a BAS graduate, we are among the less than one percent of Auctioneers throughout North America with specialized training in benefit auctions.  To maintain this designation, each auctioneer and fundraising consultant holding a BAS designation must complete 24 additional hours of continuing education courses every three years.]

Here at Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services we are committed to staying on top of the latest trends so that we can provide the best possible service to all of our clients.  We are proud to have the BAS designation behind our names and I would highly recommend that you utilize an auctioneer for your fundraising auction event that is also BAS designated.


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

Are You Looking for a "Magic Pill" to bring in MORE MONEY at Your Fundraising Auction?

We all know that a "Magic Pill" doesn't exist in the physical sense, but what if I tell you that doing one simple thing could double or triple your fundraising auction revenue; would you believe in a "magic pill" then? 

There are so many facets that make up a successful fundraising event: great venue, good food, dedicated board, etc.  I can speak for us at Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services when I tell you that our team of dedicated fundraising professionals will take your revenue to the next level and you will think that you just took a magic pill.  We have time and time again proven that we can consistently increase revenue to double or triple what the previous volunteer auctioneer was able to attain.  We do this with pre-event consulting.  We don't just show up the day of the event and you hand us a list of auction items and off we go... this is how you guarantee poor results!  We work with your committees and board up to a year in advance and guide you through every up and down of the fundraising event roller coaster with simple, yet effective techniques that guarantee to show you spectacular results.  Click Here to find out what consulting will give your organization. 

The greatest thing about our "Magic Pill" approach is that we have a super secret way that we actually pay you to hire us... Visit our website to find out how to get one of these "Magic Pills" for your next fundraising auction event!!  EliteFundraisingAuctions.com

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

Free Fundraising Auctioneer

So you are planning a fundraising auction event for a nonprofit or school and you need an auctioneer, but you are limited on budget and one of your board members knows a guy that knows a guy that will come do your auction for free.  You agree to this and the big night comes, with all the planning completed, all the money spent on venue, food, décor, DJ, sound services and equipment, etc. and you have high hopes for a record breaking year.  The free auctioneer gets on stage and barely knows what your nonprofit stands for, was just handed a list of auction items an hour prior, and has had a few cocktails because you told him if he came for free that you’d give him and a guest a couple spots at a table.  He is more in a guest mentality than a worker mentality.  Many times he doesn’t have any benefit auction training or experience and you are entrusting this guy to raise you thousands of dollars?  

More than likely your fundraising efforts will be a flop, you might have a great party, but your fundraising will fall short nine times out of ten.  

Hiring a Professional Fundraising Auctioneer?  Click Here to see what you're actually getting.

Professional benefit auctioneers are not only a part of your event that night but far in advance of your event as well.  This planning and consulting is what brings your event to the next level.  If you hire a professional benefit auctioneer he or she will show you creative and effective ways to bring in more funds than you would have ever imagined!  The extra funds will far out way the cost of doing business with that auctioneer and make your guests leave the event wanting to attend the next one.  A professional fundraising auctioneer, in essence, will pay you to hire him/her so you are not only saving money, you are making money!  

I leave you with one question:  “If I could show you one technique that would make you more money than my fee, would you hire me?”

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

What are the BEST Months to hold a Fundraising Auction?

So, what month should you hold your fundraising auction event?  There really is no completely correct answer here, however I would suggest that you consider holding your event in mid-February or early June.  The reason being is that most other nonprofits hold their events in March-May and September-early November so you will cut down your possibility of having competing events on the same night. 

The advantage to February is that you will be one of the first benefit auction events of the year!  Many businesses and people attend multiple charity events throughout the year and allocate a certain amount of funds to be given to nonprofits.  By being the first event of the year you will have first "dibs" at those allocated funds and be able to set off the fundraising season. 

The advantage to June is the simple fact that most of the Spring events are completed and you will have less competing events on the day that you choose, also you will be ahead of the Fall fundraising curve as well.  I would also suggest considering a Friday night event to avoid competition; this also allows your guests the entire weekend to travel, relax or do what they want to do with their weekend.

I don't want any of you to think that because your event is at a different time of year it won't be successful because that is dead wrong; this blog is simply designed to open your eyes about other alternatives that will work for your event.  You can have a successful event any time of year, it mostly depends on what type of donors you can get in the room and having a professionally run event.  Check this blog out for more information regarding "The Most Important Ingredient to a Successful Fundraising Event."

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

What is the most important ingredient to a successful fundraising event?

Is the most important ingredient the type of live auction items or what kind of food you serve or how many silent auction items you have, etc.?  While all these are important, the answer is NO!  The single most important ingredient for a successful fundraising event is having the right people in the room. 

So you may ask “Who are the right people?”  These are simply the people that believe in your cause and have the means and desire to support your cause through monetary giving (Whether that be in a silent auction, live auction, fund a need, or any other type of revenue enhancer.  

A FUNDRAISING AUCTION EVENT SHOULD FOCUS ON FUNDRAISING!  

This sounds so simple yet many organizations get away from this and focus on the party.  Your event should be seen as an opportunity to raise as much money as possible and spread your Nonprofit’s message.  If your guests are coming just to have dinner and not support your cause monetarily then you are missing your opportunity to have a super successful charitable event.

Quite simply, you are looking for QUALITY NOT QUANTITY.  

You would rather have 150 guests with the means to support your cause than 500 guests who are there for the party or there because the boss gave them tickets.  For example, if you take those 150 attendees that have the means to support your cause and they give an average of $500 per person then your organization would raise $75,000; not to mention the fact that you will pay less for your venue, less for your food and less for your beverages, ultimately raising your net.  If you take the 500 guests that were mostly given tickets (i.e. from bosses, friends, etc.) and most of them don’t have the means to support your cause, you may be lucky to have them give an average of $100 per person.  This equates to $50,000, which is 50% less than the example above.  Your net figure is also going to be much lower because you will need a larger venue, more food and more beverages.

When your committee sits down for its first meeting, the primary objective should be putting people with the means and desire to support your cause in the seats!

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

What Food Should You Serve at Your Next Fundraising Auction Event?

Just about all of us love to eat and what you serve can have a definite impact on what you raise when it comes to fundraising auction events.  If you are wanting to raise a substantial amount of funds then serve your donors high quality food like steak, lobster, prawns, etc.  It definitely sets a subconscious message to your guests for the auction and fund a need giving.  This all depends on the style of event you have of course, but I'm speaking in more of a general sense. We always recommend a plated dinner versus a buffet which you can read more about HERE.  The picture to the left (from gorare.com) screams high class and high value, which is the mindset you want your bidders in when they are about to donate to your important cause.

Another piece of advice is to stay away from desserts that involve ice cream for the simple fact that ice cream can easily melt, and you never know the exact amount of time dessert may be put on hold to finish fundraising efforts.

Overall, if you are having a classy event that you are expecting large donor participation at high levels then serve them a great meal so they know you appreciate their generosity and count on them to return the generosity when they give.

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

What Should Your Nonprofit Organization be doing in the "Off-Season"?

We all know that the Fall fundraising season just came to a close and everyone is in holiday mode now.  All I can say is DO NOT wait to start planning, procuring and cultivating your donor list until the last 2 months prior to your next benefit auction event!  Here are three simple things you can do in the "off-season" to start planning for your next charity auction event:

1.  Cultivate your donor list - Start making those important phone calls and contacts to your donors that generously gave at your last event.  You don't have to start asking for more at this point, just thank them for their donation and start to develop a relationship with them.  Don't just call them when your next event is approaching and ask for money or items; this looks like you only care about them when you need something!  Really try to get to know them and take some notes as you talk to them to remind you for future calls.

2.  Hire your professional fundraising auctioneer and consultant - Good auctioneers book up extremely quickly, many times 8 months to a year in advance!  DO NOT WAIT TO BOOK THEM OR YOU MIGHT NOT GET TO WORK WITH YOUR FAVORITE AUCTIONEER!  I recommend booking your benefit auctioneer immediately following your last event if you were happy with the service they provided.

3.  Start to procure for items - It's never too early to start procuring items for your next event.  In fact, you have a great opportunity to ask for items or help getting items for your next event as you stay in touch with your donors and build those relationships (not necessarily the first phone call thanking them for their participation).

There are obviously many things you should be prepping for in regards to your next fundraising auction event, but these are three simple things that you absolutely should be doing well in advance to ease the panic when your event is right around the corner.  

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

Do Sign Up Boards at a Fundraising Event work?

Here at Elite Auctions & Fundraising Services we are always searching for alternative "revenue enhancing" ideas at our fundraising auction events other than the live auction, silent auction and fund a need or ask.  We have compiled a book of several revenue enhancers to use at your event and share this with all of our clients.  Well, here is one of those enhancers that works well if executed properly... Sign Up Boards.  When your organization has an over abundance of 8-20 person parties, like a bourbon and cigar tasting party for the guys or a fiesta and salsa dancing party for the girls, then a sign up board may just be the thing you're organization is looking for.

Here's how it works.

Step 1:  Design a poster board with the amount of lines matching the amount of people the party is for and number them 1-8, 1-10, etc. and set a fixed price for each participant (i.e. $50, $100, etc.)

Step 2:  Have a reveal time when the board(s) are uncovered and open for sign ups (Hint: Have your professional auctioneer make a big deal about it on the sound system).

Step 3:  When guests come over to the boards have volunteers explain each party to them and have the guests put their name/bidder number on the open lines.  Once the board(s) are full then your parties are sold out!

Simple, fun and effective!!  This is one of many ways to add a revenue enhancer into your fundraising auction event.  Good luck with your fundraising auction event!

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

Wine Auction for Your Fundraiser

Wine is one of the most popular items to sell at fundraising benefit auction events.  Remember to check your state laws regarding selling wine at fundraisers as some states have laws prohibiting it and others have none at all (another great reason to have a professional benefit auctioneer handle your auction).  

There are many ways to sell wine at your fundraising auction event.  Here are a few:


1.  Wall of Wine.  Visit this link by Debby Roth-Bush of Greater Giving for great Wall of Wine ideas: http://www.pinterest.com/debbyroth/wine-pull-wall-of-wine/ 

2.  Wine in your live auction.  There are several ways to auction off wine in your live auction.  You can sell premier wines by the bottle, you can sell wine tasting trips, or you can sell wine by the case.  All of these methods tend to do extremely well at fundraising auctions.
 
3.  Wine in your silent auction.  Similar to a live auction you can sell wine in just about any way imaginable.  We have seen a lot of success by selling fine wines by the bottle in the silent auction and then delivering them to the winning bidders' tables at dinner (check the venue for corking fees).
 
4.  Wine as a raffle item.  Bottles of wine, wine tastings and cases of wine can be raffled off at your fundraising event as well (once again check with your state laws on wine sales and raffle rules).

All and all, wine is an excellent choice for fundraising events and tends to do extremely well at auctions benefiting your great cause.

Contact Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services today to find out how to incorporate wine into your benefit auction event.

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