Signs Your Organization might be ready for Benefit Auction Software


Imagine an event night with seamless transactions and automation systems that track bid packages, bids, and donor activity. Many nonprofit organizations are managing their single largest fundraising event on Access or Excel spreadsheets. This can create certain challenges like version control if there are a number of people managing the events details.  It might be time to consider software if your organization:

  1. Has high volume of new volunteers each year. Software maintains history
  2. Has multiple people who need to enter attendees, donations, items etc. – Cloud software can have unlimited users and real time updates
  3. Needs to sell tickets and take donations online – Software reduces data entry
  4. Is not able to tell its auctioneer or board which part of its auction raises the most money
  5. Is not able to tell your auctioneer or board the average % of value your silent and live auction delivered at an event
  6. Doesn’t know what sold well the year before
  7. Doesn’t know who its most generous donors are
  8. Has long lines at check-in and out and spends weeks afterwards collecting the money
  9. Doesn’t know who was thanked from the event guests to coordinators
  10. Needs to reduce the stress of its volunteer and paid staff

There are many types of software out there.  Determine what actions your organizations need to be able to do.  For example, do you need a website to share information about your event? Do you need to take donations, ticket sales, preview your catalog, sell sponsorships and display your sponsors?  Do you have one person entering and managing auction data or a team?  Once you’ve answered some of these questions, start comparing and contrasting software to your list of musts.

A PC version is nice for one person but when an organizations has multiple people managing auction details,  an online version means multiple users can work at the same time. Furthermore, the IT team doesn’t have to install it on a network.  Information is available 24/7 for the auction team.

Software helps you keep the history of the event to hand off to next year’s team.  Also, software that runs reports helps organizations measure areas of success and opportunities to improve.  Lastly, it can help with quick registration, entering winning bids and checking attendees out quickly.

It might be time for software if you’ve recently said, “I’ll never volunteer again!”

Debby Roth-Bush, Greater Giving for Elite Auctions& Fundraising Services

How important are recorders for your live auction and fund a need?

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One of the most important jobs at a fundraising auction event are the recorders.  These are the people that are logging in the winning bid amounts and donation amounts from the live auction and fund a need.  They will also be the people running the recorder sheets to the check out personnel.  Sounds simple right?  We see more mistakes made here than almost any other volunteer job… it is a tragedy because this is where serious money can be lost!
 

Here is the formula for success with your recorders: 


  1. Don’t have volunteers that like to drink alcoholic beverages handling your recording.
  2. Assign this job to three people with identical recorder sheets to prevent missed bid amounts or bidder numbers.
  3. Have pre-designed recorder sheets that are simple to understand.  Lay out your live auction sheet in the same order of the actual live auction and let recorders know if there are any items that have the potential to sell twice.  Design your fund a need sheet in columns with the same levels your professional auctioneer will be asking your guests to give.
  4. Make sure that the three recorders check each other’s sheets and combine to one sheet for the checkout personnel.
  5. All recorders need to be placed in a quiet corner close to a speaker, so they can hear, and just listen, logging in data based on what the auctioneer says.  DO NOT HAVE RECORDERS TRY AND FIND THE BIDDER NUMBERS THEMSELVES; THIS IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER!
  6. Have the recorders meet with the auctioneer prior to the event to go over the system.


Written by Mike Grigg, AARE, BAS
EliteFundraisingAuctions.com

How many items should we have in our live fundraising auction?


How many live auction items should we have?  This is one of the most popular questions asked when planning a fundraising auction event.

In a standard “Gala style” event with silent auction, welcome speech, live auction and fund a need there is what’s called a “Golden Hour”.  I would suggest that an hour for a live auction at a fundraiser is a bit too much, but it is a good rule of thumb to keep your live auction no more than one hour long.  I really like to be more in the range of 30-45 minutes if possible.  

Now, that brings up the question: “How many items does that mean we can sell?”  A good professional fundraising auctioneer will take around 3 minutes per item (including the item description).  If you do the math that means that 15 items are the most you should be selling, but ideally you want to stay between 8-10.  Be careful of filling the auction with lower quality items just to say you have ten items!  I would rather have quality, not quantity in the live auction; even if that means having an auction with 4-5 items.  You only have a short attention span with your guests, so make it count!
Written by Mike Grigg, AARE, BAS

Checking In and Out Guests at a Fundraising Auction Event & Where Guests should be Seated


When guests arrive at your event make the check in process simple by dividing them alphabetically by last name or company name in about five to seven different check in areas.  This will help cut down on long lines and crowd size.  
I highly recommend collecting credit card numbers upfront at check in and assigning bidder numbers to each person.  This will make check out much easier and more efficient.  If people are not willing to give credit card numbers upfront explain to them that their check out process may take a little longer.  You can even have VIP check outfor those that submit credit cards upfront as an incentive.  Come up with a perk that VIP check out can offer your guests.  You could deliver their items to their tables or they could simply have a special checkout line.

In order to have the most successful fund-a-need, silent auction and live auction, assigning

bidder numbers is a must.  It will help tremendously to have everyone identifiable by bidder number rather than name, and it will dramatically cut down on the amount of runners and people having to collect information throughout the event.  The fund-a-need alone can almost not be done with a big group if bidder numbers are not assigned to each person.

Guests with the means to support your cause should be strategically placed at the front of a room or near the auctioneer.  These guests will more than likely bid several times and it helps to keep the flow of the auction if the auctioneer can easily find them.  Let the auctioneer know where the guests with the means to support will be sitting prior to the start of the auction, and don’t hesitate to introduce the auctioneer to the high rollers so he can build some rapport with them.
Written by Mike Grigg, AARE, BAS
Elite Auctions & Fundraising Services 

How Important is Audio/Visual at a Fundraising Auction Event?


Having great, not good, not okay, but great sound is imperative to your fundraising auction event’s success.  Here are some tips regarding audio/visual at your fundraising event:
  • Never use the in-ceiling house system.
  • Always surround the room with speakers (Don’t leave out the attendees in the back). 
  • Always have screens with auction items displayed during live auction. 
  • Don’t forget to have high quality sound in your silent auction area as well (If located in a different area). 
  • Don’t have too much treble or too much bass. 
  • Have a professional A/V company handle it!

I am no expert in designing or setting up the A/V equipment and I’m assuming you are not either, so have a professional do this step… it can make thousands of dollars difference in your bottom line!  Just picture yourself at a fundraising auction sitting at one of the tables in the back of the room when there are only two speakers in the front and people around you are chatting with each other.  All you can hear is a rumbling sound but you can’t quite make out what the auctioneer is saying… you can’t bid if you can’t hear so the result to the non-profit or school is less money.

Not only is it important to have enough speakers but it is equally important to have enough amperage to power the speakers.  You want rich, deep sound when the auctioneer is chanting or your emcee is speaking.  I leave you with one final thought: “Is it worth paying a fee to an A/V company if you can make significantly more at your event?”

Mike Grigg, AARE, BAS
Chief Auctioneer/Consultant
Elite Auctions & Fundraising Services
http://www.EliteFundraisingAuctions.com

How to hire a professional fundraising auctioneer… What should I ask when determining which auctioneer to hire?


DON’T FORGET TO TAKE YOUR AUCTIONEER’S ADVICE WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING MONEY AT YOUR EVENT!
Hiring a professional auctioneer for your charity, benefit or fundraising event is an essential element to maximizing your organization’s profit.
Here are some questions that can be asked to determine whether or not the auctioneer is reputable…
1.  Do you specialize in charity auctions?
Auctioneers that specialize in charity, benefit and fundraising auctions are going to be best equipped to handle all aspects of your event from the silent auction, live auction and the fund-a-need or appeal.  There are many proven “tricks of the trade” that a professional charity auctioneer will know vs. a volunteer or non-charity auctioneer.
2.  Are you bonded as an auctioneer in the State of California?
Auctioneers that conduct business in the State of California are required by law to be bonded by the state.  If the company you are interviewing is not bonded by the State of California be very cautious to proceed with them.  Check your state laws regarding auctioneers if you are not conducting your auction in California.
3.  Are you a member of the National Auctioneers Association (NAA) and your State Auctioneers Association?
It is not manditory that auctioneers be members of the NAA or their state associations, but all auctioneers that are members of both associations are required to follow a code of ethics while practicing as a legitimate auction company.  Do not do business with auctioneers that aren’t members of both associations because they may not be looking out for your best interests.
4.  How many successful auctions have you completed and how many years have you been in the business?
Choosing an auctioneer that has not conducted more than 50 successful auctions and been in the auction business for at least 5 years may not be in your best interests.  In order for auctions to have a positive outcome they must be handled by an auctioneer that has the
proper knowledge and experience, which can only be gained by conducting a multitude of successful auctions over a legitimate time period.  (Pictured right: Mike Grigg, AARE, BAS of Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services on stage taken by Henry A. Barrios The Californian)
5.  Do you have any auction videos that I can view?
An auctioneer should be able to show you videos of him/her in action.  If he/she does not have videos, request to attend one of his/her upcoming auctions so that you can see how he/she works with the crowd to entertain, raise money and how his/her overall personality will mesh with your organization.
6.  What type of training have you had regarding benefit auctions?
There are several different training courses and designations that an auction can complete.  The National Auctioneers Association has the Benefit Auctioneer Specialist (BAS) designation that less than 1% of fundraising auctioneers hold.  It would be a huge bonus if your auctioneer had this designation.  Ask them if they attended auction school to learn his or her chant as well.  An auctioneer that is new to benefit auctions or doesn’t have any training might not be the best choice for your event.
7.  Do you charge for your services?
Auctioneers that don’t charge for their services are not going to take your event seriously.  Many times they are not charging because they don’t value their ability to maximize your profit.  Ask the auctioneer what their fees are and use your judgment in determining if their cost is fair.  Remember, good charity auctioneers are the line item in the budget that make you money… It does not cost, it pays to have a professional benefit auctioneer.  They will pay for themselves with the extra revenue they will achieve vs. a volunteer.  Volunteers, weathermen, comedians, etc. are not trained as auctioneers and will lose thousands of dollars for your cause… they will cost you far more than hiring a professional with their lack of experience and consulting knowledge.  “Having a volunteer or unqualified auctioneer handle your event is like having your accountant work on your car.”

*Remember, a good charity auctioneer has a lot of tips that can maximize your event’s profits using a multitude of different techniques.  Auctioneers that have conducted a lot of auctions have seen many different money-making ideas and know what works and what doesn’t work (i.e. timeline, types of auctions, what order to put your items in, fund-a-need, etc.) 

What You and Your Board Should Consider when Having a Fundraising Auction

I.              Evaluation
a.    What do you hope to accomplish with a fundraising auction?
                                          i.    Thank donors and volunteers
                                        ii.    Raise needed funds
                                       iii.    Increase donor base
                                       iv.    Increase volunteer base
                                        v.    Increase community awareness for your cause
b.    Does your organization have the necessary resources?
                                          i.    Start-up capital
                                        ii.    Staffing
                                       iii.    Volunteer support
                                       iv.    Time
                                        v.    Will you need input from other organizations
                                       vi.    Professional consultation
c.    Does an auction compliment the mission of your organization?
II.            Plan and Name Your Goal
a.    Establish a realistic financial plan
                                          i.    Consider all possible expenses and revenue
                                        ii.    Estimate attendance figures
                                       iii.    Be realistic in your assessment of participation
                                       iv.    Set an expense budget and stick to it
                                        v.    Outline the worst case scenario
                                       vi.    Establish the break-even point
b.    Develop a step-by-step action plan
                                          i.    Plan training for volunteer needs and know your sources
                                        ii.    Evaluate possible locations for your auction gala
                                       iii.    Layout a game plan for reaching your target audience
                                       iv.    Plan for publicity
                                        v.    Recruit a planning committee and solicit their input on the plan
III.           Get the Word Out
a.    Involve as many as possible in the planning process.  Let others share ownership of the event so you will get more support and have a more successful auction.
                                          i.    Sell  your board on becoming involved
                                        ii.    Contact current constituents and volunteers
b.    Recruit new volunteers
c.    Reach out to the media
                                          i.    Personal invitations
                                        ii.    Write press releases
                                       iii.    Organization newsletter
IV.          Post Event Evaluation
a.    Goal Evaluation
                                          i.    Did the auction accomplish the goals you established (financial, new donors, community awareness)?  Why or why not?
b.    Support Evaluation
                                          i.    Did you have the support you needed from constituents, your board, the media, and volunteers?  Why or why not?
                                        ii.    Did you have the sponsorship support you planned?  Why or why not?
c.    What would you have done differently?
d.    Layout a skeleton action plan based on your evaluation to refer to when planning the next auction.
                                          i.    Have committee chairs give written reports
                                        ii.    Should this be an annual event?
Visit https://elitefundraisingauctions.com for more information.  

Professional Fundraising Auctioneer VS. Professional Auctioneer

So you’re having a fundraising auction event and you need an auctioneer… one of the board members says:  “My uncle is a world champion cattle auctioneer and he is willing to donate his bid calling services.”  The rest of the board says that’s spectacular and your event proceeds with a great cattle auctioneer at the helm.  After the event your guests say things like: “I couldn’t understand the auctioneer, he was speaking so fast” or “I wanted to bid but I couldn’t understand the auctioneer.”  These are very common problems that occurs at fundraising events all the time and are easily preventable. 

Cattle auctioneers and many auto auctioneers have quick chants with minimal filler because their job requires them to sell a ton of items as quickly as possible to “professional” bidders that understand a super fast chant.  The vast majority of fundraising auction attendees have never been to an auction before and will have no idea what a “fast-chanting” auctioneer is saying.  

What happens when a bidder doesn’t understand the auctioneer?  THEY DON’T BID!!  What happens when they don’t bid?  YOUR CHARITY RAISES FAR LESS MONEY!!  You have to ask yourself if it is worth a “free” auctioneer when he or she is raising you significantly less proceeds for your non profit or school.  

Here is an example of a ten item auction that could potentially happen without a professional fundraising auctioneer in control of your live auction:

Item 1:  His and Her Bicycles worth $350 sold for $150 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

Item 2:  Flat screen television worth $1,000 sold for $600 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

Item 3:  Box of wine worth $500 sold for $300 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

Item 4:  Trip to Napa Valley worth $1,500 sold for $900 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

Item 5:  African Safari worth $4,500 sold for $3,000 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

Item 6:  Latin dinner and dance party for 10 worth $2,000 sold for $1,200 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

Item 7:  Nice Men’s watch worth $1,000 sold for $550 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

Item 8:  Puppy worth $900 sold for $600 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

Item 9:  Dinner for two with wine at nice restaurant worth $300 sold for $200 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

Item 10:  Firehouse dinner worth $200 sold for $150 because audience couldn’t understand auctioneer.

In this example the loss was $4,600!!!!  This doesn’t include improperly running the fund a need at all and it has already cost you nearly $5,000.  We have consistently seen results like this and far worse with volunteer auctioneers and auctioneers that don’t specialize in fundraising.   
ARE YOU REALLY GETTING HIS OR HER SERVICES FREE OR ARE YOU SACRIFICING FUNDS RAISED THAT WILL FAR EXCEED WHAT YOU WOULD PAY A PROFESSIONAL FUNDRAISING AUCTIONEER.

  1. Experienced fundraising auctioneers know how to interact with the audience and drive the prices of your items to their full potential.  It is a proven fact that experienced auctioneers can easily attain 15%-50% higher for your items.

  1. Experienced fundraising auctioneers have a passion for their profession and understand that their performance reflects the quality of their public perception.  Having a volunteer call your auction is like having an accountant work on your car.

  1. Experienced fundraising auctioneers understand that the main goal of any event is to raise money, whether it be for a charity, business, or organization.  Auctioneers make giving money fun, emotional and competitive! 

  1. Experienced fundraising auctioneers understand that keeping the audience entertained and having fun is the key element to a successful auction event.  According to a National Auctioneers Association survey, FUN is the number one reason why people attend auctions.

  1. Experienced fundraising auctioneers have all of the necessary tools to make your event unforgettable.  Good auctioneers are always training and educating themselves about the latest trends in the business.

Written by Mike Grigg, BAS, AARE of Elite Auctions & Fundraising Services (https://elitefundraisingauctions.com)

Top Ten Biggest Mistakes Made at a Fundraising Auction Event

10.  Poor item display and lack of power point slides or video to spotlight items during the auction.

9.  Poor lighting

8.  Using no or small print bid numbers

7.  Not making adequate announcements during silent auction

6.  Starting the live auction too late 

5.  Not enough or no ringmen (bid spotters)

4.  Beginning the live auction after the sit down dinner is over

3.  Insufficient sound system

2.  Not using a fund a need or doing a fund a need incorrectly

1.  NOT USING A PROFESSIONAL FUNDRAISING AUCTIONEER AND CONSULTANT!!!!!!

Bakersfield, CA Fundraising Auctioneers become only Benefit Auction Specialists (BAS) in Kern County

Bakersfield, California based Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services (https://elitefundraisingauctions.com) attend Benefit Auction Specialist (BAS) course in Las Vegas.

“The National Auctioneers Association created the Benefit Auction Specialist (BAS) professional designation to provide Auctioneers with training in planning and conducting successful benefit auctions, as well as techniques to establish a successful and profitable benefit auction business. BAS students are taught how to market themselves to prospective clients, aid clients in coordinating a well-planned auction, market the auction and create a fun and exciting event that generates more revenue for clients and auction businesses.”  (National Auctioneers Association)

Furthering their knowledge of benefit auctions directly benefits Elite Auctions’ clients, assisting them to bring in more qualified attendees, more money and more recognition for each cause.  By surrounding themselves by other qualified benefit auctioneers, Mike and Connie have developed their network of the best fundraising auctioneers in the country.  The concepts and ideas taught at BAS are cutting edge and specific to fundraising auction events which differentiate a professional BAS fundraising auctioneer versus a volunteer or auctioneer with other specialties donating their time.  Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services increased nonprofit organization’s and school’s results by 39% when following volunteer auctioneers from the previous year’s event in 2013.

To attain the BAS designation, candidates must complete 21 hours of classroom training. Upon completion

of classroom activities, candidates must submit a detailed, written auction summary report and proof of at least six benefit auctions. Auctioneers must complete 24 hours of continuing education every three years and pay an annual designation fee to main their BAS designation.  Only about 1 in every 10 auctioneers have the BAS designation (this number is approximate and fluctuates each year based on renewals and continuing education requirements).