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►That’s a Wrap!

Yup, that’s a wrap on the Spring 2022 fundraising season! I am thankful to have worked with several nonprofits I’ve not had the chance to partner with so far. It is still fun every time to meet a new group of passionate devotees and learn all about their mission. It’s invigorating and refreshes my hope for goodness in the world!

One trend I saw this spring is several large nonprofits switching things up for 2023. Two of my biggest auctions (where their annual gala makes up a huge portion of their revenue, and broke records in 2022) plan to diversify their events next year, perhaps replacing the annual gala with intimate patron parties. Typically, big-ticket galas can and do generate great revenue, entertain guests and share mission moments, they take A LOT of planning and many hours of staff, committee, and board time. So how does an org decide when that annual gala is worth it (and when it’s not)? We can do the math and crunch the numbers, but sometimes you just go out on a limb and try something new.

What about you, your org? Are you freshening up your gala each year, adding additional fundraisers, or making a break in pursuit of something totally new?

►Your auction answers

EVERY AUCTION ANSWER!

I recently did a webinar for the Volusia-Flagler chapter of AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals). Rather than bring my agenda, I showed up to solve yours! I’m sure you’ve had many of the same questions those participants did. Check it out here, and call/text/email me anytime when you’ve got any kind of question about your gala.

Got questions about how to do better online auctions, pros/cons of hybrid auctions, what are the must haves for a knockout live auction? I have been solving problems for nonprofits since 2002! Whatever challenge you’re facing, I’ve already solved it for someone else. Bring your toughest questions (as many as we can fit in an hour!) and I’ll offer you multiple ways fundraisers across America make their auctions more profitable and more polished. If you plan and conduct any type of charity auction (online, silent, live) you won’t want to miss this. 

►Fix Your Live Auctions

Today, 2/2/22, I’m excited to be doing a live webinar with the fabulous Auctria fundraising platform. Tune in at 1:00 EST here, or if you’re reading this afterward, here’s the link to the webinar – it turned out great!

In-person auctions need an upgrade: tune in for exactly how to do that.

Fresh Photos!

A shout out to Rinat Halon Photography in Apopka for my fresh new headshots and the various photos that capture all the aspects of my day-to-day as GALA GAL. I’ve got a lot of favorites, but this one has gotten the most buzz!

►Galas – Back in the Ballroom?

Are in-person galas coming back? If so, are they coming back in the same way, or has everything really changed for good?

There’s a lot of discussion among the auctioneers who are members of our private Facebook page for professional fundraisers. Just as you are probably doing within your nonprofit, we’re talking A LOT about 2022, what events will look like, and if hybrid is here to stay or will be deemed too costly or time-consuming for the payoffs.

We think virtual events ARE here to stay even if maintaining viewership over time will likely get harder. However, over and over again these past 18 months we’ve seen virtual events across the country raise as much (or even more) than the previous in-person galas they replaced. Whether or not that continues to be true remains to be seen, of course, but the thought is intriguing.

What does that mean for the future of in-person events? As auctioneers, we know there will always be a place for a talented stage personality engaging the crowd to give more. But we think we’ll be auctioning fewer items, seeing shorter programs overall, seeing fewer printed catalogs, and seeing more time for socializing.

In the next couple of months I’ll be doing some webinars and how to create more prepared attendees who are eagerly anticipating your auction.

Watch this space or follow my LinkedIn for updates.

►I Believe…

Recently I attended (virtually) my 10th consecutive Benefit Auctioneer Summit hosted by the National Auctioneers Association each fall. This is always a time of great camaraderie and learning for the small handful of folks nationwide who spend the majority of their time helping nonprofits raise more money.

This year we were fortunate to learn from Coach Burt (Coach Micheal Burt) about “I believe” statements: making it clear to the world who you are and what you stand for. So, after much reflection, here’s what I believe as the founder and head of GALA GAL, Inc. Future-Focused Fundraising:

I believe:~ whatever problem you’re facing, I’ve already solved it for someone else
~the more successful we can be, the more lives you will change
~no matter your mission, more people need to know about you

►Hybrid How-to
outdoor gala

Ahh, here we are, approaching the Fall fundraising season, and we’re not quite where we thought we’d be. Or at least where we hoped we’d be.

So many of my nonprofit clients have carefully, hopefully, even joyfully been planning in-person galas…and yet in city after city in Florida (and in some parts of the country) the biggest galas with the largest audiences are stepping back to 100% virtual.

If you’re moving forward with a hybrid event – maybe you’ve limited your in-person attendance, switched to satellite parties, or changed your seating arrangements – I understand your desire to ease your annual event back to (what used to be) normal.

I’ve done the hybrid thing, complete with one camera on a zipline across the tent! If you’ve got questions, let’s chat.

►They Provide Trips?

Consignment.

You know, the companies that spam you, flood your Inbox trying to sound appealing and not pleading (but often failing), cold-calling, name-dropping (“we just worked with ________ auctioneer/organization”).

I’m not saying there aren’t trustworthy consignment partners out there, it’s just…there.are.so.many. Somehow – in a field that was already crowded with companies with basically identical trips and price points – lately even more wannabes have sprung up. Or maybe they’ve just gotten more aggressive.

So, how do you decide? First off, do you need to pay for an auction item? or multiple items? To keep the most money that your guests spend (ideally, 100%) then the auction items you offer must either be 100% donated or fully underwritten (paid for in advance) by a benefactor.

If you’re having trouble securing 100% donated items, ask your fundraising auctioneer what they’ve seen other groups do successfully. I typically share 8-10 ideas for 100% donated auction packages that sell for thousands of dollars.

If you decide you need more or flashier auction items, then make sure you’re checking out at least 3 consignment providers, and you’re asking questions, not of them, but asking others about them: success stories, horror stories, customer service wins and fails, ease of or problems with booking desired dates, alternate destination options, blackout dates, extensions and more.

Since most of the consignment companies seem so similar, put them on the spot and ask, “What is true about your company that can’t also be said by one of your competitors?”

Consignment can add money to your proceeds, but, let’s keep ’em honest.

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