December is that time of year when it seems like everyone is running as fast as they can, but the list of “things to do” never ends. A holiday shop at your school or church may be the answer to shorten that endless list. Here is what I have seen as a result of running […]

Last year, a 2010 Harley-Davidson Sportster motorcycle was stolen. The bike was painted pink and signed by a number of country music stars, such as Dolly Parton, Tim McGraw, and Taylor Swift. Here’s the kicker: It had been donated to be sold in a benefit auction to benefit the Lexington affiliate of the Susan G. […]

When it comes to incorporating a simple auction idea into your fundraising gala, don’t forget about one of the easiest ways to get feedback from your charity auction: surveying your auction guests. I was reminded of this recently while listening to the radio. On a recent morning show, the DJ was asking his co-hosts and […]

Once again, I’d like to welcome Sherry Truhlar to Step By Step Fundraising!  Sherry’s written a number of great articles for us on the topic of fundraising auctions, and she has a great site at Red Apple Auctions that you should definitely check out.  She also has a FREE Auction Item Guide (listing the 100 best-selling items to […]

In this economy, one strategy to help you maintain a strong overall sale value of a party is by splitting up the value among many bidders. Here’s how it works. Remember the adage, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts?” For example, a house is more valuable than the individual pieces of […]

Social media applications like blogs, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook can be useful tools to help you publicize, gain attendees and supporters for fundraisers such as benefit auctions. Not only are these tools free to use, but they enable you to relay short, constant reminders about your  fundraiser. Creating “something to write” can be overwhelming for […]

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 […]