Your Silent Auction Questions Answered
We’ll get right to it. Here are answers to the most common questions about charity silent auctions:
Can You Run a Silent Auction on Facebook?
Many nonprofits are tempted to run their silent auction fundraiser on Facebook. After all, most of their supporters already have an account and Facebook doesn’t charge anything. But, are charity auctions even permitted according to Facebook’s terms of use? If so, what’s the best way to run a silent auction on Facebook? Drawbacks to Running a Silent […]
7 Do’s and Don’ts for Getting Sponsors for Your Fundraising Event
In this post, you’ll learn the do’s and don’ts of getting sponsors for your fundraiser. DO: Ask Your Organizational Contacts and Personal Connections to Sponsor Your Event There’s no better place to start your list of target sponsors than with businesses that have previously contributed to your nonprofit. On the flip side, any businesses to which your […]
7 Simple Tips for an Inspiring Fund-a-Need
In this post, you’ll learn how to maximize donations during your Fund-a-Need. What is the fund-a-need? The fund-a-need, or paddle raise, is where you solicit donations from the audience at your gala. In the typical fund-a-need format, the auctioneer starts at a high amount, say $5,000, and asks donors to raise their bid cards to commit to […]
10 Amazing Tips to Increase Bidding at Your Silent Auction Fundraiser
In this post, you’ll learn 10 amazing tips to increase bidding at your silent auction fundraiser. 1. More items are not always better A good rule of thumb is to auction approximately one item for every two attendees. For example, if you expect 200 people, then the ideal number of Silent Auction items would be 100. If […]
How to Hire the Right Auctioneer for Your Benefit Event
Are you running a charity gala and need the help of a benefit auctioneer? Hiring an auctioneer can seem daunting, particularly if it’s your first time as the auction chair. Not to fear! Regardless of whether you’re running a small live auction, a big gala or perhaps even a virtual gala, this post will teach you how […]
The Key Performance Indicators for Your Fundraising Auction
In this post, you’ll learn the key metrics you need to evaluate after each fundraising auction. These metrics will help you determine how you performed compared to last year and highlight what to improve. Revenue and Costs First, look at the big picture stats. Specifically, total revenue, total expenses and finally your expense ratio which is your […]
The Definitive Guide to Hybrid Fundraising Events
The benefits of virtual galas are undeniable. But, there are trade-offs as well. Many donors, for example, miss the communal feeling of everyone coming together at an in-person gala to help a dear cause. Fortunately, there’s a way to reap the benefits of virtual event without the trade-offs: the hybrid fundraiser. In this post, you’ll learn what […]
5 Tips for Staff and Volunteer Management During COVID-19 (Guest Post)
There is no doubt that you have been affected by COVID-19 both at home and work. However, your organization’s work needs to continue, so what does that look like in terms of fundraising and sustaining operations? The travel and events industries have been some of the hardest-hit groups, causing a standstill as public health regulations halt travel […]
Apply Nobel Prize Winners’ Findings to Your Benefit Auction
Two economists, Paul R. Milgrom and Robert B. Wilson, won the Nobel in economic science on Monday for improvements to auction theory and inventions of new auction formats. At TravelPledge, we are quite excited about auction theory getting so much attention in the news! We looked at a few of Milgrom and Wilson’s findings to see how […]
