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In 2023 we've helped 200 organizations raise $80278905

Yearly Archives: 2023

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How to Begin the Conversation

By Scott Jones, CFRE, CAI, BAS Senior Consultant, Raising Paddles Quite often I am asked to share with board members strategies on “How to begin the conversation.” Specifically, how do I ask guests to participate in the giving the day of your biggest fundraising event? It’s simple. We must help each board member to [...]

By |2023-07-31T13:49:32-05:00July 31st, 2023|Benefits of a Professional Auctioneer, Consulting, Donor Development, Fundraising|Comments Off on How to Begin the Conversation

The top 10 Reasons to Attend Our Workshop Coming to a City Near You!

By Shannon Eason, Senior Partner, Fundraising Auctioneer You’ve probably received an email inviting you to one of our workshops. If you’re near Kansas City, St. Louis, Detroit, Chicago, or Tulsa you’ll want to put this on your calendar. Why? Ahhhhh..let us count the ways!  1.   You’ll be treated like a guest and see how [...]

By |2023-07-26T13:44:10-05:00July 26th, 2023|Benefits of a Professional Auctioneer, Consulting, Event Planning, Fundraising|Comments Off on The top 10 Reasons to Attend Our Workshop Coming to a City Near You!

The Fear of Bidder Fatigue….is it Real?

By Dan Campbell, Senior Partner, Fundraising Auctioneer One of the most common questions we hear from those we consult with is ‘how many fundraising elements should we include in our program?” What is too many? Which ones are best for our event? It is not surprising that we see some events that are jam packed [...]

By |2023-07-07T16:14:55-05:00July 7th, 2023|Bidders, Consulting, Donor Development, Event Planning|Comments Off on The Fear of Bidder Fatigue….is it Real?

Homework, Honesty, and Practice: The Key to Making an Ask – Part One

By Scott Jones, Senior Partner, CFRE, CAI, BAS Part I: The Homework All too often, I find myself in conversation with fundraising managers concerning the uncomfortable position of having board members ask their connections for monetary support.  We all agree that all fund development is founded on board support and participation.  Why is it [...]

By |2023-06-05T15:51:44-05:00June 5th, 2023|Consulting, Event Planning|Comments Off on Homework, Honesty, and Practice: The Key to Making an Ask – Part One

Can a Successful Gala be Held on a Week Day? We say, Yes!

By: Erin Williams, Fundraising Auctioneer and Consultant  Our team is seeing a trend towards weekday fundraising events. While there are pros and cons to everything, we think there is a very strong argument for why this may be something to consider. Let’s weigh a few out together now! I supported an event in Chicago [...]

By |2023-06-05T10:51:49-05:00June 5th, 2023|Consulting, Event Planning|Comments Off on Can a Successful Gala be Held on a Week Day? We say, Yes!

Which is more effective? The Live Auction or Paddle Raise?

The short answer is….BOTH! While most non-profit galas include both a live auction and a paddle raise, some will stick with one or the other. You will see one organization that is uncomfortable asking their donors who support them throughout the year to give again at their gala. Another organization will express concern that [...]

By |2023-05-01T15:37:29-05:00May 1st, 2023|Event Planning, Fundraising, Live Auction, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Which is more effective? The Live Auction or Paddle Raise?

Does the Run of Show/Timeline Really Affect the Evening?

One of the first questions we have when we start consulting with an organization is, “Which should we do first, the live auction or the Fund A Need?” That’s like saying, which came first, the chicken or the egg? Ask any auctioneer and you’ll probably get a different answer on which to do first. [...]

By |2023-05-01T14:05:56-05:00May 1st, 2023|Consulting, Event Planning, Fundraising, Live Auction|Comments Off on Does the Run of Show/Timeline Really Affect the Evening?

The Power of a Preview Party

By: Erin Williams, Fundraising Auctioneer & Consultant  A client we support in St. Louis had been at the same venue for many years but they had outgrown the space and made the decision to move to a larger venue this year. Change can be scary, especially when your input cost increases. So we decided [...]

By |2023-04-05T13:45:07-05:00April 5th, 2023|Consulting, Event Planning|Comments Off on The Power of a Preview Party

New Twist on Spring, Summer and Fall fundraising: Fundraising Tennis & Golf Tournaments

By Scott Jones, CFRE, Senior Partner Raising Paddles You might not be aware of this, but tennis and golf are some of the most popular sports in the United States. It also happens they can be some of the best fundraising opportunities for nonprofits. That’s because tournament fundraisers are a great way to appeal to what [...]

By |2023-04-03T13:01:52-05:00April 3rd, 2023|Consulting, Event Planning, Fundraising|Comments Off on New Twist on Spring, Summer and Fall fundraising: Fundraising Tennis & Golf Tournaments

Live Auction Best Practices Worksheet

Gala season is under way and one of the most popular features of the evening is the live auction. Making sure your live auction results in the best year ever takes work and premeditation. However, following the next 10 steps is your secret to success! Introducing: THE BEST PRACTICES WORKSHEET-10 Best Practices for a Successful [...]

By |2023-03-03T16:31:39-06:00March 3rd, 2023|Benefits of a Professional Auctioneer, Event Planning, Fundraising, Live Auction|Comments Off on Live Auction Best Practices Worksheet
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