Why sweepstakes, and why now A well-run sweepstakes lets a nonprofit raise money from people far beyond its ballroom, its mailing list, and its zip code. Galas and live auctions remain the backbone of event fundraising, but they reach only the people in the room. A sweepstakes puts a compelling prize in front of [...]
By Dan Campbell A sold-out ballroom does not happen by accident. The nonprofits that consistently fill 300 seats with engaged, generous guests are not the ones with the best email list. They are the ones whose board, staff, and key supporters treat the invitation as a personal act, not a marketing campaign. The single [...]
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: 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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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: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: 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: Erin Williams, Partner Fundraising Auctioneer & Consultant Whether you're planning a gala, luncheon, or cocktail reception, your sponsorship packet is more than a list of benefits—it's your first opportunity to spark meaningful partnerships. Recently, I had the opportunity to review a sponsorship package from Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, and the experience reminded [...]
