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

Bidders

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

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

Bidder numbers being held up

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

 

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What is a Benefit Auctioneer Specialist?

Benefit Auctioneer Specialist logo

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

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What are the BEST Months to hold a Fundraising Auction?

Bidders holding up paddles at 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

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

Dinner entree

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

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Motivational Speakers at Your Fundraising Auction Event


Condoleezza Rice speaks at the Solutions for Change Auction
There are two very important segments of the event that a good motivational speaker is needed… before the live auction and before the fund-a-need.  The speaker prior to the start of the live auction should be someone that can somewhat educate the crowd about the cause and share a personal experience to get the crowd emotional.  Getting members of the crowd to “tear up” is always a good thing.  This speech should not exceed 2-3 minutes and the live auction should begin promptly following.  Videos are okay to utilize for this but they have to be great not good.  

The second speaker should come on following the live auction just prior to the fund-a-need.  This speaker needs to be extremely passionate, as the crowd is many times drained from the live auction that just took place.  The speaker must re-energize the crowd and talk about what specifically the fund-a-need dollars will represent (i.e. building a new structure for the organization to help kids, funding a specific cause, etc.).  I have found that younger teenagers or children that are good in front of people and have a personal impact experience to share are excellent for this speech.  Once again, a video can be used here but it must be great not good.  If you used a video for the first slot then try to have a live speaker for the second and vice versa. 

Motivational speakers are imperative to the success of your live auction and fund-a-need.  You can do without them but don’t expect incredible results.  As you can see so far, there are a lot of small elements that all add up to a big result.
Written by Mike Grigg, AARE, BAS
EliteFundraisingAuctions.com
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How should volunteers be utilized at my Fundraising Auction Event?

Volunteers are an extremely important part of your
fundraising event!!  Here are a list of “jobs” that your volunteers need to be placed in for optimal success from Mike Grigg at Elite Auctions & Fundraising Services:

  • Live auction and fund a need recorders.  We recommend that you utilize three volunteers in this position to eliminate errors when recording winning bid amounts and donation amounts.  Make sure your professional auctioneer has a “pow-wow” with the recorders prior to the live auction and fund a need.
  • Selling raffle tickets or entries to games.  Always put your volunteers in teams of two to maximize their efficiency.  If you have raffles or games going on at your event then send out 2-3 teams of two to sell those tickets or buy in opportunities.  You want aggressive volunteers that are going to sell not just stand in a corner and chat with friends.
  • Check-in and check out.  You will need several volunteers to assist with checking in and out your guests.  This number varies dependent upon how many guests you have coming to your event.
  • Silent Auction Assistants.  You will need about two volunteers per silent auction table to answer questions, assist with set up, and shutting down silent auction.  These volunteers will need to be able to get bid sheets off the table as soon as auctioneer closes the silent auction, and then move items (if needed) to the proper check out area.
  • We recommend that you use professional ringmen rather than have volunteers as your bid spotters.  Professional ringmen are trained to get the best result from your bidders and leaving this up to volunteers simply causes more chaos than assistance.
  • Obviously, you will need volunteers to help with setting up and taking down your entire event as well.

Volunteers that are not used or managed in the proper way can cause more problems than they help with, therefore make sure you have a manager in charge of training your volunteers.  Also, don’t give each volunteer too much to do; If you overwhelm your volunteers they become less effective.  Good luck with your fundraising events and always make sure to hire a professional auctioneer/consultant to maximize your fundraising results!

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

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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 
EliteFundraisingAuctions.com
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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
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Elite Auctions Attends 64th International Auctioneers Conference and Show

Elite Auctions Attends 64th International Auctioneers Conference and Show

July 23, 2013 – Bakersfield/Los Angeles-based fundraising auctioneers/consultants, Mike Grigg, AARE and Connie Waddell, joined their fellow auctioneers from across the world at the National Auctioneers Association’s (NAA) 64th International Auctioneers Conference and Show at the J. W. Marriott in downtown Indianapolis, July 16 – 20, 2013.

Mike graduated from the prestigious “World Champion College of Auctioneers” and is a published author of the book: “Maximizing Your Charity Event’s Bottom Line.”  He has participated in many charity, benefit and fundraising auctions as an auctioneer and fundraising consultant.  He has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing and graduated from the Fundraising Auction Academy.  Mike serves as Past President and current member for the California State Auctioneers Association (CSAA).

Mike has called hundreds of auctions in California cities like Los Angeles, Bakersfield, San Diego and San Francisco, to name a few, and knows what it takes to get the buyers to competitively bid and drive the prices up while delivering a clear message about each organizations’ cause.  His attention to detail and heart for each organization makes him one of the best in the business.  Mike has mastered the fund-a-need and has developed many revenue enhancers to help boost his clients’ proceeds to record breaking numbers.

Mike was the 2004 California State Auctioneers Association Rookie Bid Calling Champion and was crowned the 2009 California State Auctioneer Champion.  Mike began his career in the auction business in 2002 and believes that auctions are the purest form of price realization.  His recent accomplishments include a charity auction to benefit Solutions for Change which raised $1.7 million, a three-day prop, costume, and set piece auction for NBC Universal‘s hit show, Battlestar Galactica presented by Propworx where almost 1,000 lots were sold, and helping a private high school in Orange County triple their previous year’s fundraiser result.

Professional Memberships:

  • Past President & current member of the California State Auctioneers Association (CSAA)

  • Member of the National Auctioneers Association (NAA)

  • Past Board Member for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central California (Evening of Wishes Gala)

  • Accredited Auctioneer of Real Estate (AARE) designated by the National Auctioneers Association

Connie Waddell is Co-Founder and CEO of Elite Auctions with specific responsibilities overseeing the general operations and marketing department. She has over 25 years experience in marketing.  Her success comes from utilizing her experience and skills to zero in on the exact objective of any marketing campaign and the precise market to target. She was recently awarded first place for brochure design by the California State Auctioneers Association.

She has been recognized throughout her career as an accomplished business professional with an entrepreneurial spirit, outgoing personality, and with excellent communication and leadership skills.

Ms. Waddell graduated from the Professional Ringmen’s Institute (PRI).  The Ringman (professional bid spotter) is a very important member of every live auction team whose contributions and responsibilities include an accurate interpretation of the bidder’s interest and effective communication of each bidder’s participation to her auctioneer.

While involved with several charitable organizations, two very dear to her heart are Autism Speaks and Kern Autism Network in an effort to aid her grandson, Adam, and other children on the autism spectrum.

Among dozens of educational seminars, highlights included: how to excel in any interview process with clients and companies; how to build a community of online buyers; how to transition from free to a fee with non-profit groups; and more.

Additionally, attendees took advantage of the opportunity to network with their fellow auctioneers from across the globe.

Along with industry-leading education, the annual Conference and Show also featured several exciting auction competitions.  This year, the NAA celebrated the 25th anniversary of the International Auctioneer Championship (IAC) competition, which crowns the world’s top male and female auctioneers. The annual conference also included the world’s largest auction tradeshow, which provided a large, engaged consumer base. In fact, more than 900 auction professionals attended the 2013 event, making it the largest Conference and Show since 2009.

To learn more about the Fundraising Auction business visit www.EliteFundraisingAuctions.com. To view a schedule of events that were held at the 64th International Auctioneers Conference & Show, visit conferenceandshow.com

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About Elite Auctions & Fundraising Services:

Elite Auctions & Fundraising Services is the premier auction and consulting company in the state of California. We provide non-profit organizations with the tools and expertise to maximize their ability to knock fundraising auction and event revenue out of the park.

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