Featured Article

Product Updates

Featured Partner

Client Spotlight

Live Seminars

Client Services Corner

April 19, 2007
CBI Conference
Dallas, TX
 

 
June 15, 2007
DFW AFP Philanthropy Conference 
Dallas, TX
 

 
July 16-21, 2007
Int'l Auctioneers Conference and Show
San Diego, CA
 


 
View online calendar of events for more information.
 

- Resource -
Get the Auction Planner
A detailed timeline providing tips and ideas for planning successful benefit auctions.

- Featured Article -
Best Practices - What We've Learned From Thousands of Events  

Maximize the funds you raise for your cause.

In the newly-expanded Best Practices Guide for Benefit Events you will find:

• How to improve the flow of your event 
• Where to invest in your event to grow revenue 
• How to effectively train and utilize volunteers
• Overall logistics and organization for the live and silent auctions
• How to organize registration, check-out and item pickup

From pre-auction planning with event timelines, to creating a budget and procuring items, Auctionpay’s Best Practices Guide for Benefit Events will give you invaluable insights for improving your next event. 

- Product Updates -

Auctionpay Launches Event Services Group   
 
Auctionpay has officially launched the Event Services group. Staff experienced in running nonprofit and school auctions and Auctionpay solutions will provide pre- and post-event support, as well as individual consulting for those clients who are interested in having an Auctionpay event consultant on-site. Different service levels are available. Learn more.
 

"Auctionpay has worked with us at our annual Village of Dreams Benefit Gala for the past two years, and really put our staff and volunteers at ease during an extremely hectic event night. Your experience and professionalism in training the volunteers around check-in and check-out, was instrumental to the event success. We are very happy customers and we know others will be too."
 
- Diane Hufnagle, Development Administrator, Riverview School, East Sandwich, MA, an Auctionpay customer since 2004

- Featured Partner -

David Goodman - Auction Results

An Engaged Audience Donates More
 
"Live auctions done well will create an entertaining event and when planned and executed properly will raise serious money" says David Goodman of Auction Results.

Goodman is a professional auctioneer. "I know my job is to be an educator, a salesman, and a motivational speaker. But most importantly, I’m an entertainer. I learned a long time ago, you have to keep people laughing, but there is also a psychology to understanding the audience," he states. Goodman has been praised by many of his clients for really knowing how to connect to the audience and the cause. He reads people’s expressions and is very quick on his feet to alter things as needed.

Goodman approaches each event with enthusiasm and studies up on each client’s mission. Then, he helps tailor their offerings to make supporters open their wallets wider. "An auction requires careful planning, knowledge of the product and market, proper promotion and careful attention to details. To maximize the funds raised, it is essential to have the guests leave the benefit happy and satisfied about attending and looking forward to next year’s event. You might have 20% of the people reaching into their pockets, but you have to keep the other 80% engaged and leaving the night with goodwill about the organization for the other 364 days of the year," says Goodman.

Heather Higgins Alderman, lead chair of the Pillars Ball, recently praised Goodman’s abilities. "Last year the live auction portion of our event raised $35,000. Thanks to David's terrific work the night of the event, our live auction raised $172,000! We deeply appreciate his pre-event advice and ideas and his consistent professionalism. David's availability to answer questions as the event drew near was extremely valuable. Our guests found the auction both enjoyable and entertaining."

Auction Results' sole focus is on high-impact fundraising for nonprofit organizations. David Goodman has been a professional auctioneer and entertainer for nearly 20 years and has helped raise millions of dollars for charity through auction events. While based in Chicago, Illinois, Auction Results provides expert auction services throughout the U.S. His fee includes consulting services that begin months before the event and range from supplying fresh ideas to training bid spotters.
Visit www.auction-results.org to learn more.

In the January 2007 Funding Edge we featured an article on the top 5 reasons to hire a professional auctioneer. View the article here.

- Client Spotlight -

St. Francis Healthcare Foundation Chrysanthemum Ball
 
On September 30, 2006, the St. Francis Healthcare Foundation, located near Indianapolis, IN, held their 39th Chrysanthemum Ball. Amanda Haugh, Director of Development, joined the foundation just four months prior to this annual fundraising event and auction — aware that the Ball needed revamping to rekindle the excitement of staff and supporters if revenue was going to increase. Haugh brought the event to a new level of excitement and sophistication using Auctionpay’s Complete Event Suite and Auction Booster travel packages.

Auctionpay Online Payments and pre-swiping of credit cards with Auctionpay Event Payments fulfilled Haugh’s need for convenience and ease, while the Auction Booster travel packages met her desire for drastic change. "My biggest draws and the way I sold Auctionpay to my team were, by far, the Booster packages," Haugh explains. "Boosters" are unique travel and experience packages to a variety of destinations that nonprofits can use as biddable auction items at their own events--and then purchase them from Auctionpay after they’re sold. Haugh said, "I listed them at 25% above their cost, and knew I wasn’t out anything if they didn’t sell. They were a tremendous success!" 

To drum up enthusiasm, not only did Haugh spread the word verbally and talk to folks about what trips they wanted to take, but the Foundation posted PDFs online (provided by Auctionpay) showcasing package details prior to the event. Guests could then visit these pages 24/7, as well as other live auction items. 

"Auctionpay helped me take our entire event to a new level," Haugh said. The results were record-breaking. Auction revenue alone rose more than 800% to an amazing $70,000, and total revenue soared 43% to $159,000. Seven Auction Booster packages were sold, giving the Foundation over $20,000 gain, with the trips averaging more than 47% over package cost due to competitive bidding.

"My committee, which was once just me, is now growing, and people are all completely blown away with the things that we can do with Auctionpay. Online registration, pre-swiping, event software and Auction Booster made such a difference in our event."
 
- Amanda Haugh, Director of Development, St. Francis Healthcare Foundation

To learn more, please visit: www.stfrancishospitals.org/Foundation/. For an example of how they let guests preview the Auction Booster packages prior to the event, please click here.

- Live Seminars -

Coming to a Location Near You:
 
We have teamed with a variety of our partners to offer to you the following upcoming seminars. Check our site often as it is continually updated.

Auctionpay - Mastering Auction Challenges

• April 23: Richmond, VA 
• April 24: Arlington, VA 
• April 25: Reston, VA 

ePhilanthropy Foundation eTour - Nonprofit Internet Strategies

• April 25: Indianapolis, IN 
• April 26: Detroit, MI 
• May 2: Charlotte, NC 
• May 8: Denver, CO 
• May 16: Portland, OR 
• May 18: Corpus Christi, TX
• May 31: Memphis, TN 

Jim Miller - So You Want to Have an Auction?

• April 24: Chicago, IL 
• April 25: Milwaukee, WI 
• May 1: Indianapolis, IN 

Louis Murad - Taking Your Benefit Auction to the Next Level

• April 24: Austin, TX
• April 25: Austin, TX 
• May 22: Dallas, TX 

To learn more and to register for the above seminars, click here.

- Client Services Corner -

Helpful Hints to Overcome Event Challenges 
 
Through our experience at thousands of benefit events, Auctionpay has identified some of the most common challenges that have impacted the success of nonprofit organizations’ auctions — and the recommended solutions for you to use at your next event. 

Challenge:
Back up at registration due to registration challenges or exceptions.
Recommendation:
Assign a volunteer or staff member at the registration area who is familiar with VIPs, the guest list and table assignments. They will serve as a troubleshooter for any registration situation that is out of the ordinary. Set this person up in a separate area, leaving the rest of the registration table open for other guests, thus maintaining a good flow. This recommendation also applies to check-out.

Challenge:
Disorganized staff and volunteers
Recommendation:
Arrange for staff and volunteer training prior to the day of event. Make sure everyone knows what their responsibilities are for the event, and that they have tools they need to do their job. 

Challenge:
Lines or bottle necks at check-out caused by an insufficient number of computers and printers or slow printers.
Recommendation:
Provide enough computers and fast printers for your event. Auctionpay recommends 1 computer and 1 printer per 100 guests. Additionally, test your equipment prior to the event and on-site the day of the event to make sure that the computers are properly networked. Print several test documents to make sure that the printers and computers are communicating. 

Challenge:
Confusion about items at the silent auction and item pickup.
Recommendation:
Indicate the package number on the physical package or item for your silent auction. This is important because when the bid sheet is removed at the close of the silent auction, the item/package number will be clear thus facilitating a well organized item pickup. 

Challenge:
Keeping the silent auction open until after the live auction.
Recommendation:
Allow enough time for volunteers to do item entry and to prepare for check-out by closing the silent auction before dinner and before the live auction begins. Consistently, the flurry of bidding that takes place at a silent auction is in the last 30 minutes before the tables close. It will not increase revenue to leave the silent auction open until after dinner. In fact it may limit the revenue raised as guest may forget about the bids they have made.