Self Enhancement Inc.
Self Enhancement, Inc. is a 27-year-old, nationally recognized non-profit that helps underserved youth realize their full potential. Based in Portland, Oregon, Self Enhancement serves more than 2500 youth and their families annually in comprehensive in-school, after-school and summer academic programs to opportunity for personal and academic success.
Highlights
- Self Enhancement’s 2007 event raised a record $3 million, making it one of the most successful single-night fundraising events ever held in Portland, Oregon.
- Using Auctionpay Event Payments helped speed guest check-in by up to 60 percent, enabling attendees to spend more time bidding in the silent auction.
- Since successful bidders had pre-registered their credit cards at event check-in, and they no longer needed to phone in authorizations, long check-out lines were avoided, reducing check-out time by up to 70 percent.
Challenge
Self Enhancement, Inc. uses Event Payments for all their live events, including the annual Art + Soul Gala, held in the fall, and the annual Here + Now Gala, held in the spring. Their largest fundraisers are the Art + Soul Gala, which attracts more than 500 attendees to the popular, sold-out event held at their facility. Due to limited parking, event attendees are shuttled to the venue from a nearby hospital parking lot, with as many as 60 patrons arriving for check-in at one time. The sudden influx of 60 guests arriving at check-in at once created a significant bottleneck and slowed guests from entering the event and reduced the time they could spend reviewing the items for bid in the silent auction area. The staff at Self Enhancement was looking for a way to reduce auction check-in time that was easy to use for its team of volunteers who were not comfortable with complicated technology. That’s when some of their Board members, who had seen Auctionpay at work at other community auctions, recommended Auctionpay to help speed auction check-in, improve the guest experience and maximize revenue.
Solution
Self Enhancement, Inc. first selected Auctionpay to improve on-site check-in and payment processing at its 2003 gala. Impressed with the technology’s benefits, the organization tapped Auctionpay in subsequent years to assist with on-site registration and payment processing for its silent and live auctions, as well as sales of smaller items like raffle tickets and table centerpieces.
“What first piqued my interest was Auctionpay’s lower processing rate. But after seeing Auctionpay in action, I was sold on the whole convenience factor, and how much it improves the payment process,” said Marcella McGee, Self Enhancement‘s Finance Director. “It’s just fantastic compared to when we had to take people’s credit cards manually. In the past, someone from our finance department had to be on the phone getting authorization for every single credit card payment generated from our auction, which takes a significant amount of time when you have 500 attendees. For us, to have an automated process is a big advantage, not only in helping speed reconciliation, but in creating a better experience for guests.”
Tips from Self Enhancement, Inc.
- Publicize use of Auctionpay in pre-event materials and on-site signage, letting guests know that efforts have been made to make the process quick and easy.
- Make it simple for people to give to your organization by utilizing Auctionpay for both large auction item and smaller offerings like raffle tickets.
- Tap into Auctionpay’s knowledgeable staff for ideas on how to orchestrate check-in and check-out processes.
Results
Self Enhancement’s 2007 event raised a record $3 million, making it one of the most successful single-night fundraising events ever held in Portland, Oregon.
Auctionpay helped speed guest check-in by up to 60 percent, resulting in faster arrival attendees to the silent auction. Since successful bidders had registered their credit cards at event check-in, long check-out lines were avoided, reducing check-out time by up to 70 percent. Also valuable were Auctionpay’s Professional Event Services consultants, who according to Sharon Brabenac, Director of Development at Self Enhancement, “…really understand auctions. All the staff who worked the night of the event couldn’t have been better!”
Auctionpay also significantly reduced the amount of time Self Enhancement, Inc. spent collecting receivables post-event. “In the past, the first thing we had to do after the auction was invoice the people who left without paying, which kept us from starting on reconciliation,” said Brabenac, “Now we’re able to capture a majority of our revenue at the event, which is a huge time savings.” All in all, Auctionpay has helped Self Enhancement, Inc.’s record-breaking fundraising efforts become even more successful by positively impacting the guest experience.
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