By: Erin Williams, Professional Fundraising Auctioneer & Consultant As we reflect on the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, one trend was unmistakable: donors were eager to return to in-person fundraising events. Many nonprofits saw a "bumper gala" year, breaking records and raising more money than ever before. Now, as we approach 2025, the question [...]
By: Shannon Eason, Fundraising Auctioneer Gen Z: The New Kids on the Block! There's a new generation making waves, and they're called Gen Z. They're young, they're online all the time, and they care about making the world a better place. Nonprofits need to pay attention to them because they're the future of giving! [...]
By: Dan Campbell, Fundraising Auctioneer The world of fundraising has become harder as we compete with other spending habits of our donors. The economy has tightened wallets, interest rates have risen, and businesses have struggled to maintain their success from just a few years ago. Where do we go to retain the level of [...]
By: Erin Williams, Fundraising Auctioneer Philanthropy has become an increasingly important aspect of economic development, yet age differences and social characteristics often drive donor behavior. Generational differences in giving behavior are based on donors’ altruistic motivations and their concern for social, political, and economic stability. These differences manifest in donors’ attitudes toward giving, their [...]
By: Scott Jones, MPA, CFRE, CAI, BAS Effective storytelling is a powerful tool for nonprofit fundraisers, transforming statistical data and white paper narratives into compelling stories that resonate with donors on an emotional level. The key is to simplify the message, making it as digestible and appealing as a 'juicy cheeseburger' rather than an [...]
By: Dan Campbell, Fundraising Auctioneer One of the most commonly used fundraising elements to a fundraising event is a silent auction. Similar to setting up a retail shop, your attendees can browse the items and decide which ones they want and make a bid on them. Of course, different from a retail transaction, you [...]
By: Shannon Eason, Fundraising Auctioneer "Ok, our goal is to keep our program mission focused, the timeline tight, a fabulous guest experience, and break records in our fundraising!" said everyone in the nonprofit world holding a gala. But then, there's a slight mention of a "KEYNOTE SPEAKER". "Wait, did you just say you're having [...]
By: Erin Williams, Fundraising Auctioneer Websites, social media, email, and mobile fundraising are interconnected components in the digital fundraising landscape. While each channel plays a unique role, they should operate with one mission and message. Websites: Central Hub: A website often serves as the central hub for an organization's online presence. It provides detailed [...]
By: Dan Campbell One of the challenges of a live auction at a fundraising event is to get everyone’s attention so we can focus on fundraising. You have people socializing, moving about the room for restrooms, taking photos, and hitting the bar, so that traffic itself is a distraction. Your crowd will likely be [...]
By: Scott Jones, MPA, CFRE, CAI, BAS Nonprofits are often charged with executing a program evaluation to assess the impact and outcomes of existing programs or initiatives. Program evaluations are leveraged for several reasons by the fundraising professionals. Fundraising professionals have determined that implementing program evaluations can be extremely purposeful. Have you ever considered [...]
