Category: mike grigg

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

Post author By eliteauctions
Post date March 7, 2014

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?

Post author By eliteauctions
Post date February 12, 2014
1 Comment on 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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How to hire a professional fundraising auctioneer… What should I ask when determining which auctioneer to hire?

Post author By eliteauctions
Post date January 15, 2014

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.

www.elitefundraisingauctions.com

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.)

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

Post author By eliteauctions
Post date January 3, 2014

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.

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Professional Fundraising Auctioneer VS. Professional Auctioneer

Post author By eliteauctions
Post date December 18, 2013

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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)

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Top Ten Biggest Mistakes Made at a Fundraising Auction Event

Post author By eliteauctions
Post date December 11, 2013

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!!!!!!

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Plated Dinner or Buffet at Your Fundraising Auction Event?

Post author By eliteauctions
Post date September 16, 2013
1 Comment on Plated Dinner or Buffet at Your Fundraising Auction Event?

Benefit Auctioneer, Mike Grigg with Elite Auctions & Fundraising Services discusses the importance of a plated dinner versus a buffet style dinner at your fundraising auction event. If you must do a buffet use food stations intermixed with your auction items. Try to avoid having a buffet at a fundraising auction event. There is a clear winner here… just watch to find out!

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How can Board Members Contribute to Raising Funds?

Post author By eliteauctions
Post date September 9, 2013

There are many ways that a Board member can contribute to raising funds, directly and indirectly. Below is a brief list of things to keep an eye on to help Board members set themselves up for success:

1. Do they completely understand the mission of the organization? Train them, take them into the field, help them (and all your staff and volunteers) understand the impact that your work is making in the community. Make them proud and the words will follow easily.

2. Remind them to start with them self: The first sale is always to one’s self. The first ask is always to one’s self. It is much easier to engage someone when we have already made a commitment. Next time they are out golfing or lunching with their friends or colleagues, ask them to share why this cause is so important to them, why they feel compelled to give of their valuable time. Follow this up with a ‘won’t you join me’, or ‘would you consider’, statement.

3. Find the asking style that fits the Board Member and play to those strengths. Hone those skills and strengths and use them to connect people to your cause (i.e. Perhaps they are good at writing copy and have generated numerous gifts from this skill. Do not underestimate this asset).

4. Know asking styles and pair them up with their opposite when visiting donors or making a request for a lead gift.

5. Say Thank you! Knowing how to say thank you is almost a guarantee of future donor giving. Immediately after an event have Board Members get on the phone and say ‘thank you’ to all those who made a gift to the organization. Few Non-Profits do this, yet it is stunningly effective and creates huge donor loyalty. The board member is one of the best people to do this. (It overfills the cup of the giver and it also reinforces to the Board member the value of the work that the organization is creating.)

Written by Tracy Karbus, Fundraising Event Strategist and Consultant

‘When courage, genius and generosity hold hands, all things are possible.’
-Unknown

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Fundraising Auction Seminar in Bakersfield, CA

Post author By eliteauctions
Post date September 3, 2013

Financial stress is a given for Nonprofits.
Our record-breaking fundraising ideas and

customized strategies are the key to your

organization’s success.

Meet Mike Grigg – the solution to your professional auction needs

Bakersfield Seminar: Skyrocket Your Fundraising Auction Revenue!!

When: Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Morning Session: 8:30 am – 12 noon

Where: Bakersfield Assoc. of Realtors 2300 Bahamas Dr. Bakersfield, CA

Discover the secrets of how professional

charity auctioneers/consultants can deliver

record setting financial results.

Look at all the great content you will discover:

Which Auction Items Are Hot & Which Are Not

Identify items that are bringing in the highest yield & how to secure them

Items that are not performing well

Where to place auction items (Silent/Live)

How to Knock Your Auction Revenue Out of the Park

Why a professional auctioneer is best

Why volunteer auctioneers could COST you money

Number one reason why people love auctions (hint: FUN!)

The pace of the auction & why it’s important

Value of a Professional Ringman (Bid Spotter)

Cutting-Edge Fundraising Techniques (known only by professional auctioneers & consultants)

How to turn emotion into money- touch the heart of your bidders

How revenue enhancers add value

How to execute the perfect Fund-A-Need

How can Auction Ice Breakers help raise bids?

Increase Your Results by 10%, 20% or More

Put power bidders in the seats

Training volunteers “The Ask”

Prepping your attendees to maximize bidding

Minding your donor database for maximum results

Setting your Board up for success

Run of Show

Develop a winning timeline- don’t fail from poor planning

Plated dinner or buffet?

Learn to involve your guests in your mission

Schedule do’s and don’ts

Questions and Answers

Let us address your questions and concerns

We’ll hold your hand throughout the entire process

No question will go unanswered

CLICK HERE to Register!!!

(Photo by Henry A. Barrios, The Californian)

Who is this perfect for?

Auction Chairpersons
Non-Profit Staff
Auction Planners
Board Members
Auction Committee Members
Volunteers
Anyone involved in a charity auction!


For Attending You Will Receive:
	Complete Benefit Auction Planning Checklist (FREE) Auction Committee Member’s Job Descriptions (FREE) List of “What’s Hot & What’s Not” Auction Items (FREE) Questions You Should Ask Before Planning Your Event (FREE) Live and Silent Auction Bid Forms (FREE) The Book: “Maximizing Your Charity Event’s Bottom Line” – written by Award Winning Auctioneer Mike Grigg (FREE) 30 Minute FREE Phone Consultation prior to your event (FREE) AND MUCH MORE… That’s over $500 in FREE bonuses just for attending!

LIMITED SEATING AVAILABLE SO PLEASE ACT QUICKLY!

Your investment today is only:

CLICK HERE to Register!!!

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California Fundraising Auctioneer more than Doubles Horse RescueEvent’s Revenue

Post author By eliteauctions
Post date August 20, 2013

PRLog (Press Release) – Aug. 20, 2013 – NAPA, Calif. — Napa Valley, CA – Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services more than doubles Sunrise Horse Rescue’s profit at their 4th annual Harvest of Hope Benefit Auction Event. Professional auctioneer, Mike Grigg presided over the live auction which brought in nearly $50,000 and the fund a need which brought in $21,000. The funds will go to benefit horses and the rescue operation in the Napa Valley area.

The event was held at the Blossom Creek Farm in Calistoga, CA where some of the rescued horses were present to interact with the over 180 attendees. There was a silent auction, live auction and fund a need which coupled with ticket sales raised in the area of $100,000.

Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services has record-breaking fundraising ideas and customized strategies that are key to nonprofit organizations’ success. They present seminars all over the state of California teaching their secrets to nonprofit fundraising success.

Every year, countless horses go without enough food, shelter or love. Sunrise Horse Rescue is the only non-profit organization in Napa County dedicated to saving such horses and providing them with forever homes. Children and adults in the community gain life-skills by assisting in the rehabilitation of these horses and provide them with the loving attention they so deserve.

Sunrise Horse Rescue was founded in November of 2007 as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We are located in the heart of the Napa Valley, in beautiful Saint Helena, California.

Our Mission: to provide a sanctuary for rescued abused and neglected horses in Napa and Sonoma Counties as well as provide students of all ages with life enhancing skills derived from the care and rehabilitation of the horses.