How to Have a Successful Fund-A-Need and Live Auction in a Virtual Gala

When planning a virtual gala, we all know fundraising will be a key component of the short and entertaining virtual event. The goal of a virtual gala is to connect with your donors and offer them an engaging experience while meeting your organization’s fundraising goals.

Let me state the obvious: a virtual gala is different from a live event because you don’t have your physical audience in the room which means your approach to fundraising will be different as well.

How to have a successful Fund-A-Need in a Virtual Gala

Do the ask early and often

As soon as your event begins, you should be setting expectations for your virtual attendees. You will remind them WHY they are there. The formal Fund-A-Need ask should happen within the first 10 minutes of the program coming only after an inspirational storytelling moment (video, short speaker or testimonial). As you continue through the program, your auctioneer will tactfully remind people how they can give.

Enlist Momentum Donors

Having momentum donors is a key to success in any fund-a-need (you can learn how to acquire momentum donors in my post here). They are just as important in a virtual fund-a-need. Have conversations with your high level donors or sponsors who usually give to your annual fund-a-need and ask if they would consider being a momentum donor. This would mean explaining to them that when the ask happens that they be ready to add their donation right away so the fund-a-need starts powerful and quick. They can even receive extra recognition if they feel comfortable with it because the auctioneer can say, “Jon and Tammy Anderson have generously started us off with a $20,000 donation, if you can match their generosity at home with $20,000 please let us know right now by placing your donation in your mobile device through the link on the screen.”

Be flexible with donation levels

When conducting a fund-a-need in a virtual setting, you may still want to announce donation levels if you have secured momentum donors for those higher levels. You may want to have your auctioneer announce “now if you can give $20,000…$10,000…$5,000…” for a while, but based on experience I know that once people know they are in the fundraising moment, you’ll see donations of all levels coming in at once, so you’ll receive $200 donations at the same time as a $10,000 donation. At some point, your auctioneer will feel out the situation and stop calling out levels and start thanking the names that are showing up on the screen and continue to talk about the impact this money will have on your organization. it will feel more like a QVC sale than your traditional paddle raise. Your auctioneer will be working with the data she is given and being quick on her feet to continue to create a compelling ask as the numbers are coming through.

Keep it up beat

Keep in mind that a virtual gala will not have the energy of a live event, and it must remain upbeat and engaging. A fund-a-need during a virtual gala will go by much quicker than a traditional fund-a-need paddle raise or even a fund-a-need done through mobile bidding at a live event. Once the numbers slow down and there are fewer bids being entered, the producer will help the auctioneer and emcee navigate when to move on to the next segment. Remember, you can continue to come back to the ask throughout the program “you can give right now on your phone.” If the giving has slowed down, even if you have not hit your ideal number, do not spend time “pulling teeth” because you will quickly lose your audience and the chance to engage them on the live auction and in future asks.

Explain how to use the mobile bidding

As a part of the ask, your auctioneer should walk through the ease of entering bids via mobile bidding. If possible, add graphics to the screen to help them navigate the process. Sending out an email in advance to get donors comfortable with the technology before the virtual gala begins will help smooth out any possible glitches they may run into.

How to Have a Successful Live Auction in a Virtual Gala

The bidders will bid on live auction items via mobile bidding

The “live” auction items will be featured during the live program, but bidders will bid on them the same way they bid on silent auction items. The live items will receive more attention and praise. They will be higher ticket items with a broad appeal that will create competitive bidding, but they can be open for the length of the silent auction for donors to bid throughout the event.

Limit Auction items to 5 or less

Your virtual program should last about 30 minutes, so you do not have time to waste describing 8-12 featured auction items. Pick 4-5 of the best auction items you have and feature them during the live program. Your auctioneer will create hype around the item, call attention who the current highest bidder and encourage people to keep bidding.

Don’t spend much time on each auction item

The time during the program where you feature the “live auction” items will be to describe them, create a little hype, possibly engage the audience with friendly banter between the emcee and auctioneer and bring attention to the current highest bid. In a virtual setting it is not appropriate for the auctioneer to “sell” the item the way she would in a traditional in-person gala. The goal is just to create hype and excitement out of the higher ticket items, but to continue to move the program along in a peppy and upbeat manner!

Try opening the the auction earlier in the day or the week

With the option of having mobile bidding, you can open your auction as early as you want. By opening the silent and live auction items earlier in the day, it will help create more hype around your virtual event happening later in the day and give your attendees a chance to learn the mobile bidding technology prior to the event starting. Try opening the auction at 8:00 am and send a note out via email and social media that it is open and remind people throughout the day to bid on the items and to tune in to the live virtual event that evening.

Maximizing Revenue in a Virtual Gala

Your auctioneer will be able to connect with your audience from the other side of the screen using tried and true fundraising methods. Leaning in to your auctioneer for guidance will allow you to easily transition to a virtual event while still meeting fundraising goals.

Happy Fundraising

Get your FREE Virtual Gala Guide

We are living in a socially distanced world and even though your nonprofit is still serving your community, you aren’t allowed to gather your supporters for a spring gala this year. So what do you do? Should you cancel?

How about hosting a virtual gala?

A virtual gala will allow you to meet your fundraising goals while connecting your donors from the comfort of their homes.

I know it’s intimidating and you are wondering if it will work, which is why I’ve been working with other industry experts who are at the forefront of the virtual gala trend!

Get your FREE 21-page Virtual Gala Guide Right here:

Benefits of hosting a virtual gala

We are in the heart of Gala season, but right now there are no galas. Over the past month we have seen the horrific impact COVID-19 has taken on the lives of people, but also on how we meet and communicate and gather. With public events banned and citizens being asked to stay home and limit contact to people outside their immediate home, events like fundraising galas, just cannot happen. So what do we do? Do you cancel? Do you postpone? Or do you go virtual?

What is a virtual fundraising event?

A virtual fundraising event is a way to host what would normally be your fundraising gala, using an online platform like YouTube or Facebook Live, engaging your donors right from the comfort of their own homes. Your program would feature a similar layout to that of a live program during the dinner portion of your event. The virtual program should include speakers or inspirational videos educating and engaging your online audience, a fundraising portion which could include a “live” auction and/or fund-a-need, and the entire program should be no longer than 45 minutes and should be able to hold your audience’s attention the entire time.

Why should you host a virtual fundraising event?

Aside from the obvious fact that hosting a virtual fundraiser is better than cancelling an event alltogether, there are many other benefits of hosting a virtual gala that come as added perks!

You will engage more people with a virtual gala

With a traditional fundraising event, you are limited to the number of people who are able to fit in the room, or who are geographically near to where your event is being hosted, or just those who can afford the ticket price. By hosting a virtual gala, you can reach anyone who has internet access. Not only that, your biggest supporters - the ones who normally attend your live event year after year - can now invite everyone in their own network to join and learn more about YOUR organization.

You have lower overhead costs to produce a virtual gala

By hosting a virtual event in this socially-distanced culture, you are going to have much lower overhead costs. Expensive things like catering and venue rental are no longer needed. While you will likely want to pay a professional AV company to manage your live streaming tech (the alternative would be purchasing all of the equipment yourself and paying your current staff to figure it out on the cuff).

You can easily integrate social media (aka free marketing) into your event

With everyone joining from home, you will be using new and creative ways to engage your community. Whether it be by using a special hashtag or by tagging your organization in a post. Try creating a specific call to action to your virtual attendees to have them all share a story or message with their own social media communities. This not only spreads your message further, but it gives your virtual attendees a sense of purpose within your organization.

Virtual Galas are short and sweet

While your traditional gala may last 4 or even 5 hours between the cocktail reception, silent auction, dinner, program and live auction, a virtual gala should last only about a half hour (45 minutes if it’s REALLY engaging). This is because people do not have the attention span to sit through a long presentation. They have many other things competing for their attention, so with a virtual gala, you get to keep your message on point, entertaining and inspiring. You get to focus on what matters most and therefore keep your donors engaged (aka ready to give).

Virtual galas can be successful ANY night of the week

Traditionally galas are a Friday or Saturday night affair. When you are thinking of a virtual gala, you can host it any night of the week, especially when people are consciously socially distancing. They are already home and looking for something new to engage in. As we move into warmer weather with spring and summer quickly approaching, weeknight galas may even fare better than weekends because potential attendees won’t have weekend outdoor activities vying for their attention.

You can still raise money even when events are banned

The biggest benefit is obvious. In a time where large gatherings (or any gatherings) are banned, you don’t need to miss out on the revenue that your organization relies on to keep things going. You can still engage with your donors and offer them a wonderful experience that helps them connect with you and the work you are doing. These events can be profitable. Even though we are all navigating the virtual event space, industry partners are sharing that clients who opt for virtual galas are still able to meet their fundraising goals during this time of social distancing.

Can we still host a virtual event and have it be successful after the COVID-19 passes?

This is a great question and one we’ve been exploring. This season of virtual events is teaching us a lot with how to engage with an audience on a larger scale in more creative ways, but will it fully replace in-person events? Absolutely not. After COVID-19 passes and people begin to feel more comfortable communing in groups, I believe we will see traditional events return, but they will likely be integrating some virtual aspects in the future. Nothing can replace the energy of a live audience coming together for one purpose, but being able to extend that energy through the lens of a live stream to those who are unable to attend, may be a way to grow communities and strengthen nonprofits.

How to capture donations at your Fund-A-Need

The Fund-A-Need (or fundraising appeal) is the biggest moment of your gala. Every part of your event should be pointing and building momentum to this moment. This is when you ask the guests to join you in your mission through a financial contribution. If you’ve done all the right things, your event will be successful.

However in order to make sure your donors follow through on their commitment, you need to have a thought out system in place to ensure that you properly capture the donations.

How do you capture donations during your fundraising appeal or fund-a-need?

Traditional Paddle Raise

The traditional paddle raise is the most common and traditional way to conduct your fundraising appeal, and it's how most auctioneers like to do it because it's easy to control and explain to the audience. This is where the auctioneer or whoever is conducting the Fund-A-Need calls out donation levels and people raise their paddle at those levels. 

There are 2 ways to capture donations during a traditional paddle raise. 

Read each bid number out loud.  

Pen & Paper Method

This sometimes takes a long time, so if you have more than 500 people in your crowd, it probably isn't the best way to capture these donations. With that being said, there is something amazing about the momentum it creates as I walk around the room calling out those numbers and thanking each bidder individually.

When I conduct a Fund-A-Need this way, I always thank each bidder. I do this for two reasons. First, every donor deserves to be thanked because their contribution is so important. Second, saying "thank you" between each bid number gives the recorders a moment to write down their number. Many auctioneers rush through the numbers because this part can take a while, but if they go too fast, numbers are missed and donations are not captured.

You will need several (3-5) volunteers writing down the bid numbers at each donation levels so you can cross reference their records and make sure no one gets missed.  

Utilizing Mobile Bidding Technology with this method

This takes a very talented, detailed and quick-typing volunteer to achieve. As the auctioneer reads the bid numbers out loud, the volunteer types them into the system live. This provides the momentum of reading the numbers out loud, while also being able to track the amount live on the screen. 

Refer the donors to a donation card on the table

With this, the auctioneer would do a traditional paddle raise and thank the donors as their hands fly in the air. After the auctioneer gets through all of the levels they would say "Thank you for everyone who committed to make a difference tonight. To follow through on your commitment, please fill out the donation cards on the center of your table."

This can be a nice method because the auctioneer can calculate the amount that is being raised in their head as they go. This helps with the auctioneer know how much has been raised so that they can adjust how they need to enhance their ask as they go. An experienced fundraising auctioneer knows how to work a room as needed for this.

Utilizing Mobile Bidding Technology with this method

If you want all our donations captured through mobile bidding, but also want to maintain your traditional paddle raise, you can have your auctioneer announce at the end of the Fund-A-Need that they can follow through on their commitment on their phones. NOTE: they need to announce it at the very end of the Fund-A-Need because the moment you have some people raising their hand while others are just entering numbers on their phone, you've lost momentum which means you've lost money. 

Want to get fancy and use Mobile Bidding? 

Oh man, I LOVE mobile bidding. This is where we are moving and you need to make sure your auctioneer is on board with this. I know many of my fellow auctioneers who don't love to use it and prefer to use the traditional paddle raise, which is fine because like I mentioned before, there are ways to integrate mobile bidding into a traditional paddle raise. 

Tips for a utilizing mobile bidding technology successfully

Focus on 100% participation over donation levels

Because you likely won't have people raising their paddles at different levels, encourage your donors to give at any level as long as they give. I usually say something like "it doesn't matter whether you give $1 or $25,000 today, what matters is that you make the decision to be a part of the solution by pulling out your phone and taking action right now." 

You are still going to get your $25,000 or $10,000  donors who planned for that, and if you had a compelling introduction to your Fund-A-Need they may even give more than they budgeted, but with this method you are going to capture donations from all of those low level donors who weren't planning to give. There are actually studies about the psychology behind this that I can get into another day, but basically giving them a low risk option of $1 compels them to take action, but then they don't want to be perceived as cheap, so they rarely actually give just $1. 

Again, your auctioneer has to be on board with this. I have spent a lot of time studying the phychology behind this and applying and honing these methods, so I am very comfortable and love doing it this way. 

Make sure everyone knows how to access mobile bidding when they check in

Make sure everyone is signed on to mobile bidding at check in. Most systems text bidders a link. For best results, have them sign in right there with your check-in volunteers otherwise many people will put it off and never actually sign in. If they are signed in before the Fund-A-Need begins, they will be ready to pull it out and give. It can take a while for people to get signed on, which means it takes a while for those numbers to go on the screen, which means that the momentum slows down. That can be really rough for your final numbers.  

 

Give step by step instructions on how to give

Have your auctioneer walk your guests through the donation process on their phones. It helps to have screen shots on a page in your program and on the screen as a visual guide. Now only do your guests need to be clear on why they are giving money, but they also need to be clear on how to give their money. As soon as something becomes unclear, you lose money.  

Make sure your server and wi-fi have the capacity for your group

In a world of unlimited data, people will still want to use wi-fi to use their mobile bidding. I will tell you that most venues are not designed to have 1000+ (or even 200+) people on their wifi system all at the same time. You will want to plan to bring in reinforcements for this. It will be an additional expense, but it is better than all of the money it will cost you when your wifi goes out and no one can give and you lose their donations. Some mobile bidding companies, like Auction Harmony, actually bring their own modems and wifi and understand the technology necessary to make your event successful. Even if your mobile bidding company doesn't provide this for you, I encourage you to get their recommendations and follow their instructions on this. They are professionals and know exactly what you'll need for your event. 

Do a test run before your event

I did an event with mobile bidding last fall and the guests were all putting their donations into their phones, but nothing was showing up on the screen. It was the most painful fund-a-need ever. It took about 5 minutes to get the numbers on the screen at which point we lost a ton of momentum. We ended up hitting their goal and breaking personal records for this group anyway, but it definitely lost a lot of power and momentum because of a technical difficulty. Test this before your guests arrive. Make sure the donations are being properly represented on the screen so that when the real Fund-A-Need comes around, you don't have to worry.  

Determine if your demographic is right for mobile bidding

While it seems that everyone has a smart phone these days, that is not true. If you have a group that is millennials through baby boomers, you are probably safe with mobile bidding. However, if your group is mostly early baby boomers and older, you may want to stick with a traditional paddle raise for their group. Younger generations feel at home with their smart phones and actually feel weird raising their hands during a traditional paddle raise. Talk to your auctioneer about the demographic of your guests because they will help you determine what is best for your group. 

Do not mix a traditional paddle raise with mobile bidding.

You must choose which method you are using because once you have both methods going, I guarantee you will lose momentum and therefore lose money. When mobile bidding first came out this is how most auctioneers handled it, including myself. It was awful! Some people raised their hands and wrote checks, while some savvy bidders put their donations in their phones. Then they would put the thermometer on the screen and it would be so disappointing because it only showed half of the actual donations. This low number did not motivate guests to give and meet the goal. Instead it discouraged people to bid, because they perceived the goal could not be met. Trust me on this. Using both methods together does not work. Determine which method is right for your demographic and stick with it. Strategize specifically for the guests at your event and you will be successful.

How to Introduce Your Fundraising Appeal or Fund-A-Need

You’ve put months of blood, sweat and tears into this fundraiser and you NEED it to be successful. You know that the fundraising appeal is where you are going to get the bulk of your donations for the night and you want to ensure it is set up for success! Don’t worry, I am going to walk you through how to introduce your fund-a-need so it is engaging and compelling and makes a clear call to action.

How to craft a compelling introduction to a fundraising appeal or fund-a-need.

Introduce your audience to a problem

What is the problem your organization solves? What would the world be like if your organization didn't exist? Why was your organization started? Nearly every organization begins because one person sees a problem in the world and thinks "Someone should do something about that" and looks around and realizes they are the someone that needs to take action. What is the "that" which needs to be taken care of. 

Help them care about the problem

Make your guests care about the problem by making it personal. Share a story of someone you served. Share their real trials and their real struggles. What are the stories that get you out of bed every day? That is the type of story you need to share. You know why you are passionate about the work your organization does, so tell them that.

Empower them to be the solution

Share with them how you solve this problem, or how you will solve this problem. Then let them know they have the choice to determine whether or not this problem is solved. You've just spent the last few minutes (or your entire program) getting them to care about the problems your organization cares about and now it is entirely on them whether or not there is a solution. The problems your organization solves cannot be done without the generosity of your donors. Empower them to solve this problem. 

Again, I will go into each of these in more detail over the next few days because they will be more valuable to you if we can talk about them in more detail, but for today I am going to talk about logistically how to convey these messages to your audience.

Who should introduce your Fundraising Appeal?

If you hired a professional auctioneer, they will conduct the ask. Whenever I conduct a fundraising appeal, I do hour upon hours of research and studying on your organization so that I know your statistics and values and services which I use throughout the ask to enhance giving, but in order to capture the soul of your organization you should have a more personal introduction before your auctioneer takes the stage. This will help you have a much more profitable fundraising appeal or fund-a-need. So who? There are a few different options that are all impactful.

This introduction should last no more than 5 minutes.

Someone within your organization

This could be your founder, president, executive director, passionate social worker, or anyone else who works within your organization day in and day out who chooses this work every single morning. If this is the angle you take, have them share a story of someone they served that refreshed their spirit and ignite passion for the work they do. 

They should keep it short and inspirational. Grateful for the people they get to serve and even more grateful for the donors for sharing in their passions and allowing them to do the work they do.

Short inspirational messaging. Full of Donor gratitude. 

Personal Testimonial  

The fund-a-need could be introduced by someone you serve. For example. I work with Wayside House which is an addiction recovery center for women and they focus on sustainable recovery which takes much more time than any insurance provider allows. In years past, they've had women who have gone through other, less thorough, programs and had relapsed, but after they went through the program at Wayside, they had the support and tools they needed to stay clean for decades. 

Not every person you serve will be brave enough to share their story in person because it is probably one of the scariest things to do, but one of them will be grateful enough to share their story so that others can experience the same success they did.

Have them write out their script for approval first. Otherwise testimonials have the habit of going really long and losing the audience. 

Video

I am a huge promoter of video because a good video will draw out the emotions of your guests. You can feature testimonials AND get some inspirational words from your founder, all set to music that will make everyone cry. Then at the end there will be a very clear call to action. 

I like to recommend that an organization invests in one new video every year. Have the original edit designed for the fund-a-need at your event where you will launch the video, and then have the videographer make a second video that is almost the same, but with a slightly different call to action to use on your website and social media throughout the year to inspire online giving. This allows you to be as resourceful as possible and see an increase in revenue on both platforms.

A mix of 2 or more of these

You can also mix it up throughout the program, featuring a testimonial AND an inspirational message from someone within your organization. Because you don't want to make your program run too long, you'll want to be strategic about where you share these in your program. If you can sprinkle these throughout your program and put your strongest one right before the fundraising appeal, you will have a successful and profitable night.

Every minute of your evening should be designed to build momentum up to your fundraising appeal so that when the big ask comes, your donors are ready and excited to give.

For more in depth information about how to get your guests excited to give, download my free “Fund-A-Need Framework” to help you in introducing your fundraising appeal.

Getting your guests ready for your Fund-A-Need before the event begins

Imagine hosting a fundraising gala and getting to your big fundraising appeal and all you see is a sea of hands in the air. Donors who are ready and excited to give to your organization. This could happen to you, but it won’t happen by accident.

Preparing your donors for your Fundraising Appeal

From the very moment you come in contact with your guests (the save the date) you should be walking them through the necessary steps to becoming a die-hard donor to your organization. I go over all of these steps in my free “Fund-A-Need Framework,” but here are some practical ways to apply this framework before your event even begins so that guests come to your event prepared (and excited) to give!

Introduce your guests to a problem

In all of your marketing materials, address the problems your organization solves. On everything from your save the date to the invites, educate the guests on the problems that exist as they relate to your intended Fund-A-Need. 

In your save the date and invite, share statistics about the demographic you serve, so that they become aware that there is a problem before they even RSVP.

I work with a wonderful community center in Saint Paul that hosts a Fund-A-Need only event every fall. They have many different programs, but every year they focus on one program at their event. Last year they focused on their senior programs. 

On their invitations and save-the-dates and on their social media communications about the event, they shared statistics about the seniors in their community. How many don't have access to healthy food, how many suffer from Alzheimers and dementia, and how many have have health problems directly related to lack of activity. 

When their guests show up to their event, they always know what the needs in their community look like.

Get your guests to care about the problem

Once invites and save the dates are out, start sending stories of people you serve either via email or through social media. Add pictures and video if you can. These stories will help you make a connection and build a relationship with your guests. You should have testimonials and stories at your event, but you serve so many people every week, month and year that you should have a wide selection of stories to share about. 

If you don't have access to a videographer, share a picture and a short write up of the person you helped or even a quote.

Leading up to the event, after guests RSVP, you can follow up with a story a week or every other week. Share these stories on your social media and have them listed on the event page on your website. There are so many ways to get your stories into the hearts of your guests before they even show up.

Empower them to be the solution

Remember, you are not the solution, you are the tool that your guests will use to solve the problem on their hearts. To prepare them, you can send out your Fund-A-Need donation levels before your event so that they can take a look at what it actually costs to deliver the programs and services to the people they care about.

This will help them set a realistic and generous budget, while also setting the expectation that they are expected to give. You will likely receive additional donations from supporters who may not be able to attend your event. Remember, you are hosting a fundraiser, not a party. Nonprofits are often very shy about asking for money. This is why I love this approach (aside from the fact that it works so well), all of a sudden you are not asking people for money. You are providing them a solution to a problem that is on their heart. If you do the first two steps well, they are going to want a solution, and at your event, you are going to give it to them.  

If you plan this out well, and start from the date of mailing out Save-The-Dates (or posting it online if that's how you do it), you will see an increase in revenue at your event this year. Prepare them to give and they'll be more willing to give.

Coronavirus & Your Fundraising Event: How to prepare for your event so you don't lose money due to COVID-19

Bringing you this special mid-week blog post on a topic that is on the front of all of your minds: How will the Coronavirus impact our Fundraising Events and how can we prepare for it?

While there are some obvious things that may happen from attendance being down or decreased giving due to the economic impact due to the international reaction of COVID-19 or even needing to postpone the event to a date later in the year. While some of these scenarios may be inevitable, it is my goal to help you mitigate the risk and give you the tools you need to maintain profitability at your event.

Many event planners are addressing the logistical side of how to handle the threat (see a helpful post by my friends over at Do Good Events for some of these tips) like reviewing contracts and asking all your vendors about their cancellation policy with this so you can make informed decisions.

But let's assume you are planning to move forward with your spring fundraiser, I want to help you make sure you are doing everything you can to ensure that your event is profitable.

What can you do to prepare your fundraising for the possible impact of the Coronavirus?

1. Invest in Mobile Bidding

If you do not have mobile bidding set up for your event, you will want to invest in a company like One Cause (BidPal) or Greater Giving so guests who choose to stay home from your event (because you can count on some attendees to do so out of concern for their own health). They can give to your fundraising appeal online as well as bid on silent auction items from home. A couple years ago, a client of mine had to cancel an event due to a Blizzard (yay Minnesota!) and their guests were so grateful for the organization's concern for their personal safety that they bid even more competitively on the silent auction than they had in previous years and many guests gave large open donations to the organization right on their phones. Their event remained profitable even though it was cancelled! As a side note, if you have not invested in mobile bidding in the past, and you have a silent auction, I can assure you that it will basically pay for itself as it promotes much more competitive bidding and makes checkout a breeze!

2. Rethink selling European Trips in your Live Auction

A normally exciting and competitive item, may fall dead this spring auction season due to the recent suspension of European Travel. If these items were donated, talk to the donor about how they would like this item handled. Will they be offended if it goes for less than it's worth? Would they want to give it anyway knowing it might not bring in as much as it would have another time? Could they commit to donating it again next year? Even if the trip could be used within a full year, bidders may be hesitant to bid on a trip to Europe at this time. Swap it out for a luxury domestic trip. If you don't have access to something like this, there are several options consignment trips that offer domestic vacation experiences.

3. Focus on YOUR mission

While you should communicate with your guests prior to the event on how you plan to handle the Coronavirus risk, it should not take up any stage time at your event. Yes, try to have lots of hand sanitizer around (if you can find any) and encourage people not to shake hands using signs at checkout and the bar, but unless it has any direct impact on the work your organization does (maybe you work with refugee camps in Italy and need to provide extra support at this time due to coronavirus), do not spend any time addressing it during your program. Your program should continue to focus on the people you serve and the work you do and should engage your guests to partner with you in your work. Don't allow this to become a distraction from what is important at your event.

4. Secure your momentum donors

With any fund-a-need or fundraising appeal, I always encourage my clients to have momentum donors. This is especially important now, knowing that some of your guests will opt to stay home from your event. Having conversations with loyal donors (especially if they fall in the high risk 60+ group) prior to your event and empowering them to be momentum donors, will ensure that you will not lose their donation even if they choose to stay home. Ideally they will still attend your event and will be one of the first donors to raise their paddle, creating a powerful momentum in your giving moment. However, if they choose not to attend for their personal safety, you can announce their donation(s) to lead in to the giving moment, which will still create momentum. For more information on how to secure momentum donors, check out this resource on "How to determine giving levels and secure momentum donors."

The work your organization does is so important

It's important to me that all nonprofits have the tools they need to be successful and engage donors in their mission. I know a lot is up in the air, and we're all taking it day by day, but right now is a great time to ensure everything is in place to maximize fundraising.

We are all doing our part to keep people safe, and as professional fundraisers, but your events are important to the work your organization does on a daily basis. I understand how important your event is to the livelihood of your organization and the weight of the choices you have in front of you. My hope is that these tips will help your staff and volunteers be more prepared and help your event remain as profitable as possible.

How to Get Dining Experiences Donated for your Fundraising Auction

One of the first questions I get when I sit down for a strategy call with clients is “What are the HOT items right now that people are bidding on?” And, for the past several years the answer has remained “Focus on one-of-a-kind Experiences!” Bidders are continuing to bid on experiences over things and some of the most popular experiences are Dining Experiences! Guests love to bid on these because they are experiences they can share with friends and more people are able to go in on this donation which drives the bidding up pretty quickly.

There are so many different dining experiences you can integrate into your live auction, I have a list of them in my post about Meal/Dining Experiences, and I also cover them in my FREE Auction Item Guide. But what you are probably wondering is HOW do I event get these experiences donated?

How to get dining experiences donated to your Fundraising Auction?

1. Tap into your network

   This would be the first place to start. Brainstorm who you know in the restaurant industry and who they could connect you with. I just did an event for a male choral group and one of their supporters worked in the restaurant industry and was able to connect with some of his friends to get not one, not two, but THREE James Beard Award-winning chefs and a couple other Chefs to come together and create a once-in-a-lifetime dinner party for an auction item.

   Start with the people on your auction committee. Do you know anyone? Are you connected to any chefs or restaurant owners?

   Ask your supporters. Reach out to your donor base. Maybe you have some wonderful supporters who are well-connected and tell them you are looking for an in-home catered meal or an exclusive chef’s dinner and ask them who they know. Your supporters are so happy to help with this because it costs them nothing to make an introduction and share their passion for your organization.

   If you can’t think of anyone specific to ask, just put it out there to your donor base via an email blast, social media and word of mouth. Share some examples of meal/dining items and ask who they know that could connect you.

2. Reach out to local restaurants, chefs and cooking schools

   If you don’t have any connections (which if you start asking around, I promise you will surprise yourself), go ahead and cold call restaurants, chefs, catering companies and cooking schools to see if they ever offer experiences like this. Many do offer experiences like this for a cost. Even if you have to pay $500-600 for the chef’s time and cost of groceries, I promise it will be worth your investment. This cost could easily be underwritten by a sponsor and therefore be a full donation. A dinner party will sell for far more than the “retail value” listed because it is such a fun experience for guests.

   Tell them about your organization’s mission, who you serve and how it impacts both your and THEIR community. Share how many people attend your event and the demographic of the guests because this will help them decide if this could also be a good marketing opportunity for their restaurant, personal brand or school. Whenever soliciting auction items, always remember what THEY get out of it too!
   Let them know what kind of experience you are hoping for and ask if they would ever consider doing something like that? Remember they are busy and this is their livelihood, so if you have no connection with them, be respectful of their work and recognize that they may charge a fee. It’s important to them that you respect what they do as work because they will be more likely to offer their services for your event.

3. Get scrappy

   Maybe you don’t have connections with professional chefs and maybe your local restaurant community is stingy and doesn’t want to offer anything to your organization. Don’t fret! You have one more trick up your sleeves: you are going to get scrappy. You are going to work with what you’ve got! This means creating an experience out of what you already have. Maybe your Executive Director has a lovely home and one of the Social Worker’s on staff is known for her famous Jambalaya. You are going to host a “World Famous Jambalaya Jam” in the home of your Executive Director, who is well-loved by many of your donors. Your board of directors will cover the cost of wine and groceries for the evening and you will sell this meal experience for WAY more money than it’s worth.

   When it comes to dining experiences, it is mostly about creating community. Bringing together people who are enjoyable to be around eating food that is delicious. The good news is that you can have delicious food without having a name-brand Chef. You can create a competitive item with what you have at your disposal. You’ll be surprised how well this will go for you.

What are some of your ideas for meal items?

I’d love to hear your dream meal experience! What would you LOVE to offer your guests at your next event? How can you make it happen?

5 Things that are a Waste of Money at Your Fundraising Event

So you’re planning a fundraising event to raise money for your nonprofit, and you want it to be amazing AND profitable, right? I want that for you so much too! A great event is one that guests love and want to keep attending year after year and that they want to GIVE to each time (and hopefully become donors outside the event).

There are a lot of things I’ve seen organizations do to “beef up” their event in hopes that they will make it more appealing to guests, or to draw guests to the event and end up losing money on their event. Not only because of the actual cost of these things, but also because of the distraction from the organization’s mission (which costs money in lost donations). While there is nothing wrong with spending money on these things for your event, I have seen these things take away more value (and revenue) from an event more often than I’ve seen them ADD to it.

1. Celebrity Emcees

   Celebrity emcees are a popular addition to an event. I value the work of an emcee so much. They help keep the flow of an event and make transitions smooth and are a steady face throughout the night to keep guests engaged and make sure that everyone knows what is going on at all times.

   That being said, paying a celebrity to “host” or “emcee” your event is not going to bring you more revenue, unless they have a close affiliation with your organization. I did an event recently with a couple of local radio hosts as the emcees, but they did not have a close affiliation with the organization. Their jokes did not land and there were a lot of awkward and uncomfortable moments through out the night. They became a distraction and took away from the momentum of the evening which is so important with fundraising.

   Who are good options for Emcees?

   1. Local Newscasters are AMAZING emcees. Yes, they are technically a “celebrity” but many of them will host events for free if they have an affiliation. What I’ve noticed about them is that they can follow a script well and they know the value of storytelling so they can tie anything back to the organization’s mission. I’ve never had an experience with an ungrateful newscaster, but I do notice them go under-appreciated for their time and talent at some events. If you can get a local news personality to host your event, allow them a guest and tickets to your event and don’t forget the thank you note!

   2. Someone within your organization! This goes overlooked, but you probably have someone in your organization who is charismatic and energetic enough to host the event for you. Some of my BEST emcees have been staff or volunteers from the organizations. They know everyone who comes to the stage and are passionate about the work being done. They communicate your mission better than anyone.

   While a “celebrity” emcee may get people into the room, they aren’t going to get the money out of their pockets and they may even distract from the mission.

2. Fancy Themes

   Themes are a fun way to get people engaged in an event, but there is a fine line between engaging guests and distracting them. Fancy, overdone themes can not only distract from your organization’s mission, but I’ve seen nonprofits shell out big bucks on decor, entertainment and venues that made for a fun event, but did not bring any more revenue to the event.

   Will fancy themes always lose you money? Of course not. We see huge organizations all the time that have themes and their events are incredibly profitable.

   Here are some things to keep in mind when considering having a theme for your event:

   1. Weigh the costs. Will the cost to execute the theme bring in more revenue or attract the right type of people? Can you offset the cost with a higher ticket price and create a more exclusive event that attracts a higher level of donor?

   2. Consider creating a theme that reflects your mission! I work with a Wildcat Sanctuary that has themes each year that reflect their Fund-A-Need for the year. One year the theme was a white party where everyone wore white and then during the Fund-A-Need we raised money to rescue some White Tigers from an abusive situation. Instead of being a distraction, the whole theme reminded people WHY we were there. These are the types of themes that work really well.

   3. How well do your guests know your organization? If you have a lot of devoted donors attending your event, a theme may be a fun way to unite them. However, if you have a primarily newer group of people, I recommend hosting events that focus on your mission and the demographic you serve. People should walk away from your event connected to YOU!

3. Hired Keynote Speakers

   Keynote speakers can draw a certain crowd, but think through all of the details before hiring a keynote speaker. I’ve seen some do a wonderful job, but more often than not, there are problems with Hiring a Keynote speaker. Here are the most common problems I see Keynote Speakers adding to events:

   1. They talk too long. During a fundraising program, you have to keep the night moving along so people don’t get bored. Most keynote speakers have talks that are 45-60 minutes. The nonprofit will tell them they have 20 minutes, and the Keynote speaker will either say “that’s fine” or they’ll say they can’t do it in 20 minutes and either way, they are almost always going to talk longer than they have budgeted. Remember at a fundraiser, time is money. As you start to lose attention, you will also lose revenue.

   2. They plug their own mission instead of YOUR mission. While it is so easy to find a Keynote speaker that represents they type of work that you do, I have rarely seen a speaker come in and be able to accurately promote an organization’s mission. They talk about their own experience and their own work, and rarely do a good job of tying it back into the organization that hired them. This distracts from the mission. I’ve even see keynote speakers plug their own nonprofits at events which makes it very challenging to go and raise money for THIS organization after they spent 30-45 minutes talking about something different.

   3. They are expensive. Keynote speakers get paid to speak, and they do not come cheap. They will likely run your organization $10K-20K+ to hire a professional, desirable speaker.

   Who should speak instead?

   My recommendation is to have someone internally talk about the organization. Maybe it is the Executive Director, or a staff member. Try having a testimonial from someone your organization served. Or, instead of spending money on a keynote speaker, hire a professional videography company to come in and make a stellar video that tells your organization’s story. It will be engaging to the audience and it will also be an asset you can use on your website and will bring you much more revenue.

4. Entertainment

   Are you seeing a theme here? Anything that will distract from your mission, is going to lose you money. Entertainment is not bad, but you need to ask “will this bring us more revenue?” I am all for entertainment during the cocktail hour or after the fundraising is accomplished, but the entertainment you hire should not take up the prime time in your program.

   Your live program should be very strategic in leading up to your Fund-A-Need in order to build momentum and bring in the most revenue for your organization. Hiring entertainment for the sake of entertaining your guests, can risk distracting from your purpose for the evening. Now, if you have music or some other performing arts as a part of your mission, your whole program will probably be entertainment which is perfect because it continues to bring the audience back to your mission.

5. Open Bar

   Does this one surprise you? There is an idea that people have that if their guests have a couple cocktails, they will loosen their purse strings a bit. While, this may be true (though there is no hard evidence to support it), there is a fine line between a couple cocktails to loosen up the crowd, and losing them all together.

   Hosting an open bar all night is not only going to cost you a ton of money, but you are risk a crowd that becomes chatty and distracted when you need them to be alert and engaged for fundraising.

   What can you do instead?

   Try hosting an open bar during the cocktail hour

   If you want to treat your guests to a few free drinks, host an open bar for an hour or 90 minutes at the beginning of the evening. This will give them some time to loosen up and enjoy themselves before the big program starts.

   Incentivize people to come early with free drink tickets

   A client of mine just did this over the weekend. They found that their group used to parade in to their event late, which impacted giving during the silent auction, so they promised that if people arrived between 5-6 (in the first hour of registration), they would get 2 free drink tickets. This got people in the door early and they could use those free drink tickets at any point in the night.

   Have wine served at the tables at dinner

   This is a great option to give people a drink during the program. It’s not expected, but always appreciated by guests.

What is the common theme?

Before you spend money on anything at your event, ask yourself, “Will this distract from our mission or remind our guests of our mission?”

In and of themselves, none of these things are bad, but more often than not I’ve seen them create more harm than good for my clients. My goal for you and all of my clients is to be as profitable as possible while educating as many guests as possible so they can begin to build life long donor relationships. My fundraising strategy is very mission-focused, which leads to record-breaking events.

If you want help with emphasizing your mission, I recommend checking out my Free Fund-A-Need Framework below. This will help you tell your organization’s story throughout the night at your fundraising event and turn more guests into donors.

Dessert Dash: A Revenue-Generating Game for your Fundraising Event

Looking for a crowd pleaser that will raise your organization more money at your next event? Look no further than the Dessert Dash!

Why the Dessert Dash is great:

It is a quick and relatively easy way to raise several thousand dollars more.

How much will people pay for dessert? A surprising amount. For example, just last week I did this with a small private school. Each table bid between $100-$2500 for the dessert dash. In a matter of minutes they raised close to $10,000 towards their fundraising goal. Imagine what your organization could do with that revenue!

Cakes and desserts are easy to get donated.

I know you are in the midst of soliciting items for you silent and live auctions, but what is great about getting cakes and desserts donated is that they are a low-ticket price that are relatively easy to get donated. You can get them donated a few ways:

1. Visit local grocery stores and bakeries and ask if they would donate a dessert (make sure to list the donors on cards in front of each cake so they receive recognition).

2. As your board or auction committee to donate a dessert as a part of their involvement.

3. Put it out in your newsletter, social media, Friday folders (if you are a school) and ask people to commit to donating a dessert.

You’ll find that these will come in relatively easily. Make sure you assign a volunteer to the coordination of this because they need to be fresh, it will be a bit of day-of coordination and someone should be designated to the Dessert Dash duties.

Who is the dessert dash good for?

I’ve seen many different types of organizations do the dessert dash and have it be successful, but there are some events that it may not be appropriate for. You should definitely try the dessert dash if:

You are a School

School communities love this one. This is a great way to get everyone involved in something at whatever level they can give. There is a certain level of anonymity which is great in communities where everyone knows each other. Some people may bid $1,000 for the first dash at the dessert, but others may only be able to bid $10 but they still get a chance to play (although they may end up with a sleeve of Oreos).

You have less than 30 tables

I would say 20 tables would be the max number of tables to do this with. So thinking a group of 300 would be perfect. The game could get a little long after this. If you have more than 300 guests and want to integrate a dessert activity into your program, try a dessert auction instead with 3-5 premium desserts.

Your program isn’t too long

If you don’t have a lot going on in your program. Maybe you have a Thank you, a video, live auction and Fund-A-Need, adding a Dessert Dash is a great way to fill a little time and get people excited and on their feet. However, if you have multiple speakers and/or a Keynote on top of all the other fundraising activities of the evening, adding a dessert dash could prolong the evening and distract from some of the more mission-focused activities.

How to play Dessert Dash

Get a variety of desserts donated

Based on the number of tables you have, start soliciting for those desserts. Look for a wide variety. Some should be amazing (I’ve seen full fledged wedding cakes donated) while others could be humorous and less enticing (think a thawed out Sara Lee cake still in the box, or some oreos). I recommend you stay away from legit homemade desserts. Stick with bakery quality desserts and prepackaged ones for the safety of your guests.

Note: make sure each dessert can serve the size of your tables. If you have 10-tops, you should not have a selection of 6 cupcakes as an option. Every person at the table should be able to eat the dessert!

Display Desserts with signs to identify them

Have all the desserts out on a display in an area that is easy to access from the dining area. Most often this is by the stairs, but if you have a bar in the dining area, that is another great place to put your display because people will be passing by it and thinking about their favorites as they wait in line for their drink. Make sure each dessert is labeled with what it is and which bakery it is from (if applicable). Some cakes may look vanilla, but have strawberry filling. Guests need to know what they are getting themselves into before they bid! I also recommend listing the donor on each dessert card so they get recognition for their donation.

Have a bid sheet at each table

Each table should have a bid sheet on it where each bidder can write their bid number and amount they want to bid. At the top of the sheet should be a place to write the table number and at the bottom there should be a place to write the total amount for the entire table. I have a free printable that you are welcome to use for your Dessert Dash below. Once you download it, you can print as many as you need.

Have the emcee or auctioneer explain the game

Once everyone is seated for dinner, have the emcee or auctioneer explain the game (this should happen before the dinner so you have time to tally all the cards) .

Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to take a few minutes to bid on our dessert dash! This is how you will receive you dessert tonight, so bid high to get the best desserts. On your tables you will find a bid sheet. Each person/couple will bid the amount they would like to contribute to your table total for the dessert dash. Please write your table number at the top and add up all the bids for the table total at the bottom. After dinner, we will announce the winners and the table that bid the most will get to send a table representative to pick out the dessert first. We will announce each table in 10 second increments to “dash” to the desserts in order from highest to lowest bids. With that in mind, pass around that sheet and bid for your chance to pick first!

Tally the totals and announce the winners

By the time dinner is finished, you should have all of the numbers totaled and entered for check out. Have the auctioneer or emcee announce that it is time to play and remind them that they will be announcing the winners in order from top bidders all the way down and each table gets a 10 second head start in front of the next highest bidder. I always tell them to pick their table representative and make sure they are swift, steady and have good taste in dessert. Then simply announce the table numbers every ten seconds and watch them run to get their dessert of choice!!

In case of a tie…

If two or more tables bid the same amount just simply say, “looks like we have a tie here…” then announce both table numbers at the same time and they have to race to the dessert line!

Will you try it?

What do you think? Will you try this game? I will tell you that this is a fun event to get people moving and energized after they eat their meal. I always love to see what the joke desserts are too. A box of twinkies is always a great idea for a good laugh.