One of the most frequent questions related to auction fundraisers is how to get auction items donated.  In the audio seminar series Secrets of the Charity Auction Experts Karin Costa gave many great ideas for auction items. She also described in detail how to get those items donated.  This approach to getting items takes away [...]

In the audio seminar series Secrets of the Charity Auction Experts we provide a lot of tips and tools for planning successful live and silent auction fundraisers.  Of course these auctions happen in the context of a special event.  So in addition to getting auction items and such, there’s so much general event planning that [...]

I recently returned from a trip to El Paso where a group of eight from our church did volunteer work at Lydia Patterson Institute.  It’s a great high school that primarily serves English as a second language students, most of whom live across the border in Juarez. Late June in West Texas — it’s hot [...]

Awhile back I wrote about how the 2008 Southern Utah Memory Walk was a huge success, both in terms of participants and funds raised. This is fantastic news, and I’m thrilled that the event will help find a cure for Alzheimer’s and provide services to families in Southern Utah who are facing the disease. Yet [...]

What would happen if you could take the benefits of instant bidding and excitement of online auctions like eBay and apply them to a live event? That’s exactly what the wireless keypads from IML do. The portability of the devices mean that attendees can make bids on auction items from anywhere at the event.  They [...]

Have you ever thought about a live auction as being like a circus?  It’s true!  During the auction all eyes are focused on the stage to your ringmaster, the auctioneer.  Any great circus has many other performers to make the event a success.  Your auction also needs “ring people” to help the person on stage [...]

Last week I was excited to attend the national Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) conference.  There were a lot of great seminars. What I really enjoy most about going to conferences though is meeting others who work in the nonprofit world. At the first morning opening session I struck up a conversation with someone who [...]