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Handwritten thank you notes

How do you thank your donors? Your volunteers? Did you know that EVERY donor (yes, even those who gave $20) should get a handwritten thank you note? It’s been said that major donors make a small gift first to see how they are treated before committing to a larger gift. Are you going the extra mile to share how you’re using their donations and what an impact their gift has made? Thanking and recognizing donors is a year-round activity, not a once-a-year-only chore.

I try to send handwritten thank you notes to those I’ve worked with on an event, and I appreciate greatly when someone takes the time to send me a note, too!

If you haven’t tried it, you can use the Send Out Cards online service to share photos from your event and a personalized message.

Training Auctioneers

You may not know that since 2008 I’ve been teaching a 3-day class I created called BOOTCAMP for Benefit Auctioneers. I’ve taught more than 75 classes of auctioneers how to better work with you, the nonprofit fundraising community.

Among many other things, I show them 11 ways to help you get better auction items, 65 ways you can work together to create more prepared bidders, and nearly 50 ways to generate revenue at your event!

This month I taught 2 BOOTCAMP classes back-to-back in Sacramento and Long Beach, CA. Both classes had highly motivated, passionate folks who are eager to bring more to their gala clients.

I’ve helped literally hundreds of auctioneers to up their game. You might ask if YOUR benefit auctioneer is a BOOTCAMP alum!

Two trends

Here are two things you might not be doing: asking for small monthly recurring donations, and including a direct QR code to make it easy for guests to give. Shout out to the fabulous Wounded Veterans Relief Fund for their upgrades to a traditional pledge card.

Splurge on the Big Screens!

Even for small audiences, you want the biggest screens possible, and it’s that much more crucial when you’ve got 300, 500, or even more guests. Especially for your live auction items, you need those big screens to show your striking photos to help sell the packages. This matters most with trips, art and jewelry, but even chef experiences and sports tickets benefit from great promo shots.

Big screens and great audio matter more than centerpieces when it comes to your fundraising outcomes.

Great poster example

Here’s an example of a Live Auction Poster: the photo(s) are large and sharp, it’s easy to guess at a glance what it is (a trip) and all parts of the package are listed. With the added bonus of having the org logos at the bottom. Shout out to United Way and L3Harris for doing it right!

Posters on Easels

Just a reminder that every live auction should have a Live Auction Display Area with posters on easels, in a high-traffic location where people can linger.

Don’t put them down the hallway walking to Registration.

Don’t put them just past Registration – no one will linger there.

Do create a special place where your auctioneer (me!) can stand and have conversations with your guests, answer questions about the live auction items and build rapport ahead of time. Your auctioneer should never be invisible! A great fundraising auctioneer will be working during the socialization time before everyone is seated.

Teleprompter screen

High-tech A/V was on display at The George H.W. Bush Points of Light Awards gala at The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City on October 24th. I was asked to auction just 4 fantastic opportunities, including the chance to sing on stage with The Beach Boys!

Besides rubbing shoulders with Jose Andres and Branford Marsalis, I was impressed by the huge teleprompter screen straight out from the stage and behind the guests. It was so big it allowed the emcee and speakers to easily see their scripts scrolling. (I work from bullet points talking freely, not scripted comments.) I’ve seen a couple types of onstage teleprompters before but this large screen method I haven’t seen in Florida.

It was a beautiful night, and it was so much fun to be in NYC for work!

►Why a Mastermind Group?

In the past few weeks two auctioneer friends and I have been forming a Mastermind group, which is a lot more than brainstorming, and definitely more than a chat session.

I first learned about the structure of true Mastermind groups from Chicken Soup for the Soul author Jack Canfield. Much like his preferred model, we designed our group for the purpose of continuing the high-level discussions we’d had in late July at the Summit. We have 17 members from more than 10 states representing many of the largest fundraising markets.

For the first 30 minutes we stick to a predetermined topic, sharing successes and recommendations from all across the country. For the second half, we solve problems, issues, or concerns for each other, sometimes devoting all thirty minutes to one member.

It’s a thrill to spend time with such a powerhouse group, and it has added a Zoom to my calendar that the highlight of my day! I highly recommend you look into a Mastermind with folks you respect. Brain. Trust. That says it all.

►Continuing Education – does your auctioneer do that?
logo from NAA Conference & Show

Continuing education helps me help you. This year’s topics at the Benefit Auction Summit included trends in nonprofit marketing, adding humor to the stage, new techniques for the Fund-A-Need Paddle Raise part of the program, and ways to highlight your nonprofit’s mission even more.

Curious what I learned this year? Give me a call and let’s chat!

►Summit Summit Summit Time…

Ahhh, it’s that time of year again, the annual Benefit Auction Summit hosted by the National Auctioneers Association. This is the time each year when many of the top fundraising auctioneers in the country get together for 3 days of top-tier education and networking. While our classes are good each year, it’s our time catching up with each other that really pays off.

Hours of socializing inevitably lead to shop talk, and I learned what’s been happening with events in California, Texas, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Chicago, Portland and much more. This really does add important tools and techniques that I bring to you each fall.

In addition, we got to meet with new vendors, learn about the latest consignment trip offerings, and even win prizes (I won the drawing!)

I haven’t missed a Summit since its inception in 2010, and I’m thankful for 3 great days to head into Fall 2022 with joy.

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