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About Alexis Hutson

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So far Alexis Hutson has created 7 blog entries.

What Are Your Summer Fundraising Plans?

Keeping Donors Close When the Days Get Long By: Scott Jones Professional Auctioneer, MPA, CFRE, CAl, BAS Summer has a way of slowing things down—longer days, lighter schedules, and a collective exhale after the rush of spring events. But while your major gala has passed or may be months away, this sunny stretch is [...]

By |2026-05-27T19:27:30-05:00May 27th, 2026|Uncategorized|Comments Off on What Are Your Summer Fundraising Plans?

To Emcee, or not to Emcee….that is the question

By: Dan Campbell, Fundraising Auctioneer For Shakespeare, this might be a more dramatic question, but for your gala, it still can carry significant consequences to the success of your night! With over 1,000 galas under our belts, we have seen events with and without emcees, and a variety of emcee skill sets. There are so [...]

By |2026-05-04T09:08:17-05:00April 30th, 2026|Uncategorized|Comments Off on To Emcee, or not to Emcee….that is the question

Why Rare Bourbon Is Dominating Fundraising Auctions Right Now

Scott Jones, MPA, CFRE, BAS, CAI Senior Partner Raising Paddles   Walk into almost any successful gala today and you can feel it immediately—there’s a shift in energy, a buzz in the room, and a cluster of attention around one particular moment. Conversations get louder, phones and bid paddles are out, and bidding accelerates [...]

By |2026-03-26T16:25:29-05:00March 26th, 2026|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Why Rare Bourbon Is Dominating Fundraising Auctions Right Now

Paddle Raise Best Practices

How to Prepare Donors for a Successful Fund-A-Need at Your Fundraising Gala How to Introduce (or Re-Introduce) a Mission-Driven Ask at Your Fundraising Event By Erin Williams, Professional Fundraising Auctioneer & Consultant If you are planning a fundraising gala and wondering how to run a successful paddle raise — also called a Fund-A-Need or [...]

By |2026-02-26T09:15:39-06:00February 26th, 2026|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Paddle Raise Best Practices

Bridging the Gap: Why Operational Excellence Needs Fundraising Expertise

Scott Jones, Senior Fundraising Auctioneer, MPA, CFRE, CAI, BAS In the nonprofit world, mission delivery often hinges on two distinct but interdependent forces: operational execution and fundraising strategy. While many organizations are staffed with passionate professionals focused on logistics, programming, and service delivery, the lifeblood of their impact—funding—requires a different kind of expertise: one [...]

By |2026-01-26T19:44:43-06:00January 26th, 2026|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Bridging the Gap: Why Operational Excellence Needs Fundraising Expertise

Sit-Down Program or Reception-Style Gala–What will your next gala look like?

By:Scott Jones, MPA, CFRE, CAI, BAS, Senior Fundraising Auctioneer With each new year of strategizing and planning for upcoming events, I am being asked more of my thoughts on the reception-style event.  This month’s article will provide my perspective from my experiences with both style events.  Planning a major fundraising event means making one [...]

By |2025-12-23T12:36:38-06:00December 23rd, 2025|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Sit-Down Program or Reception-Style Gala–What will your next gala look like?

Why Board Engagement is Essential to Fundraising Events – and How to Create Your Own “Board Task Guide”

By: Erin Williams, Partner Fundraising Auctioneer & Consultant  Fundraising events are often the most visible expression of a nonprofit’s mission. They bring together donors, community partners, and advocates in a room filled with possibility. But too often, one of the nonprofit’s greatest assets – the Board of Directors – isn’t fully activated in the [...]

By |2025-12-23T12:24:44-06:00October 15th, 2025|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Why Board Engagement is Essential to Fundraising Events – and How to Create Your Own “Board Task Guide”
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