Category: Charity Events

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Charity Event Planning: How to Run a Live Auction

Charity Event Planning: How to run a Live Auction

Charity Event Planning: How to run a live auction

 

The live auction is one of the most important aspects of a charity event.

There’s more to a live auction than just slapping together random items and waiting for the bids to flow in. There is so much you can actively do to get top dollar out of your donors. Here are just some of the ideas you can implement to get the most out of your live auction.

How to Run a Live Auction:

 
◾ Hire an auctioneer
If there’s one thing you must do, it’s hiring a professional auctioneer for the live auction.  The auctioneer knows how to feel things out and work the room. While using an MC or board member saves money short term, you could be missing out on the great potential an auctioneer is trained to get out of your guests. The money paid to an auctioneer should easily be made back and then some. Electronic bidding may also seem tempting, but often all it does is confuse guests and take away the fun back and forth of bidding aloud.

◾ Ensure that the venue has a good sound system.

People can’t bid on items if they can’t hear the auctioneer. Test the equipment to ensure that sound quality is clear throughout the entire room. Nothing kills the mood of a live auction quicker than muddled sound. People will start to talk over the auctioneer, lose interest, and, therefore, not be bidding.

◾ Be sure to have bid spotters around the room.

Many auctioneers travel with their own professional spotters. Like auctioneers, they can make a world of difference. They are pros at ramping up excitement and competition among bidders. If the auctioneer doesn’t offer that option, provide your own. You don’t want to miss out on bids because people were overlooked.

◾ Save smaller ticket items for the silent auction.  

Items like certificates to restaurants and gift baskets are fun items to raise money, but they do not belong in a live auction.  Having lower value items mixed in can set the standard low and devalue higher end items.

Corporate Event Planning: Corporate event ideas for entertainment

◾ Begin the live auction with something attention grabbing!

Think about incorporating exciting entertainment to get guests pumped! Speed Painter Tim Decker can pick up the tempo of your charity event with his fast paced performance art. Not only that, auctioning the pieces created in mere minutes will bring in additional funds for your organization. After his performance every eye will be on the stage ready for the auction to begin!

◾ Have live auction items that cover a large range of interests.  

The live auction items should include everything from trips to sporting event tickets to one of a kind experiences. Focusing on just one area will only alienate people with other interests.

◾ Include a clear description of live auction items in the program.

This will allow guests to preview the items and plan out their bidding. This will eliminate questions and confusion during the live auction allowing for a much smoother process.

◾ Decide on smart starting bids.

Start the bidding too low, you run the risk of guests thinking the item has no value. Start the bidding too high, you may intimidate bidders.  Know your crowd and allow the auctioneer to feel things out and do his or her job.

◾ Have the actual items ready to showcase during the auction.

People like to see what they are bidding on. In the cases of trips and experiences, having some sort of relevant visual can help increase interest.

◾ Place your biggest supporters in the front of the room.

Show big donors your appreciation by giving them prime seating. This will also ensure they are front and center during the live auction.  They’ll have a good view of the auction items, be able to hear the auctioneer clearly, and they’ll be easy to spot when they place bids.

Making the most of your charity event's live auction means knowing how to get top dollar from your largest donors, starting with seating arrangements.Click to Tweet

◾ Don’t drag out the auction.  

Keep things fast paced. If the live auction runs too long, people will get bored and end up leaving early. The last thing you need is to end up auctioning off the remaining items to an empty room.

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Utilizing live auctions is an amazing way to raise funds at your charity event if you do it right. Follow these tips and the auction won’t just be a way to squeeze money out of donors, it will also be an event to remember.

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Charity Event Ideas Charity Events

Charity Event Planning: How to Retain Donors

Charity Event Planning: 7 Tips for Retaining Donors.

The key to growing a successful charitable organization is finding ways to retain donors. Appreciating your donors and keeping them informed is crucial to getting individuals to contribute to your cause year after year.

Here are a few ideas on how to accomplish that while charity event planning.

1. Personalize correspondence.

While this may not be possible for organizations with a large number of donors, an effort should be made to know your big donors. People can tell when the introduction to a letter is generic. By acknowledging them in a personal way, donors will feel noticed and appreciated. Hand signing letters and making personal phone calls are other ways to accomplish this.

2. Clearly outline your goals.

Let donors know exactly what you plan to do that year. If your goals are vague, how can you expect people to give? Tell donors at the charity event that you plan to build an addition to your center, or send 200 kids to camp, or award 100 scholarships.  Knowing this information ahead of time will help donors give confidently.

3. Manage Funds Well.

Use the money for what you say you are going to use it for and set reasonable budgets during the charity event planning process. Keeping donors in the loop as to where the money will go builds trust. If funds are mismanaged or misrepresented, donors will quickly drop out.

4. Thank your donors.

Do it quickly and sincerely. Donors should always be thanked immediately after they donate. People give out of the goodness of their heart, but they do like to feel appreciated. Don’t make the mistake of leaving donors feeling unnoticed; they make take their money elsewhere.

5. Show them how their donation is being spent.

You can include this in your thank you note or follow up with a newsletter later on. When people can see how their donation is specifically helping a current project, they will feel more connected to the cause and more willing to give at future charity events.

Transparency about funds builds trust and encourages giving, both of which are crucial to growth of a charitable organization.Click to Tweet

6. Hold “must attend” events.

By throwing charity events that donors actually enjoy attending, they’ll be more likely to stick around long term. People love to help out a good cause, but they also love a good party! Charity events are the perfect time to solicit donations, but also show appreciation through delicious food and exciting entertainment.

7. Touch Hearts.

Help donors feel emotionally connected to your cause with real-life stories. Allow them to hear from people who have benefited directly from your organization. When people see all the good that has been done, they will want to be a part of it.

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Retaining donors takes work. It’s not something that will just happen on its own, but with some effort, you will be able to obtain loyal donors and keep them for the long haul. Remember, keeping charity event donors happy and satisfied with your organization is the only way for you to grow!

 

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Charity Event Ideas Charity Events Event Planning

Charity Events: 10 Mistakes to Avoid when planning a Charity Event

mistakes to avoid when planning a charity eventWhile there are many do and don’ts when it comes to charity event planning, there are many mistakes that can be avoided simply by planning ahead of time. Raise as much money as you can for your cause and avoid making your event a bust by reviewing this list of commonly made mistakes at charity events.

Mistake #1: Not using a professional auctioneer

 
This is the worst mistake you can make when planning a live auction at a charity event.

Using a staff member or any other non professional to auctioneer can cost you a lot of money. Many charity event planners do not want to spend the funds to hire an auctioneer but it will not be wasted money.

A professional will easily earn their fee back and increase profits from previous years. This is what they do for a living and know how to get every penny out of the room. Many auctioneers will also bring their own bid spotters which is a must! If the auctioneer does not provide them, be sure to have people on hand to spot. You don’t want to miss out funds because the auctioneer never saw the bid.

Mistake #2: No transition plan
 
The transition between cocktail hour and the actual charity event program can often be sloppy and throw off the timeline. One simple tip can help solve that problem… Close down the cocktail bar as soon as the doors to the event open.

When people can no longer get their drinks from this area, they will naturally make their way inside. Open a bar inside when you want them to make the transition or better yet, switch to table service from the servers. This will keep everyone seated and keep a great flow to the evening.

Charity event timelines are oftentimes thrown off by as much as an hour because of people continuing to drink in the cocktail area. Account for this early on in the charity event planning process.

Mistake #3: Choosing oversized centerpieces

 
A lot of attention is given to making the room feel magical. While this is indeed a very important aspect to setting the mood of the charity event, it’s possible to get carried away in some aspects.

Large centerpieces may look beautiful, but are often impractical in this setting as they just end up blocking the view of over half the people in the room.

Obscuring the view of the stage will make people feel disconnected resulting in chatter at the wrong times and lower bidding when it comes time to raise money.

Mistake #4: Ineffective room layout

 
Try to lay out the room so that all tables are in front of the stage. Having tables directly to the left or right makes for a terrible view for those guests.

Another aspect to consider while charity event planning is table distance from the stage. Try not to have a huge gap between the attendees and the stage, as this is yet another thing that can cause a disconnect. The further away people are, the more they feel they aren’t apart of what’s happening onstage.

Spacing between tables is also important. Make sure there is enough space for servers and guests to move comfortably.

Mistake #5: Not hiring charity event entertainment

 
Obviously, the point of a charity event is to raise money for a great cause, but what better way to show your appreciation to donors than with amazing entertainment? Great charity event entertainment puts donors in a good mood and happy people are generous people.

Hiring charity entertainment doesn’t have to be just a loss to your budget.  Charity event entertainer Tim Decker can provide your audience with a fast paced, high energy speed painting performance right before your live auction begins. He will get the crowd pumped to bid and the pieces he created before their very eyes can be auctioned to raise funds for your cause!

Mistake #6: Unprofessional sound system

 
So, you hired a professional auctioneer and planned for some touching testimonies about your cause? It’s all for naught if you’re not using a professional sound system. The last thing you want is people talking over the program because they can’t hear a word of it.

This mistake can also stunt you financially. If people cannot hear and are chatting, do you really think they will be bidding during the live auction? Many auctions have been ruined due to a faulty sound system, as people strain to hear auction item descriptions and just give up. This is definitely one of the more overlooked aspects of charity event planning.

Mistake #7: Too many auction items

 
Having too many items takes away the unique excitement of bidding. Having just the right amount of high impact items will drive higher competition among bidders, drawing in greater amounts of money.

If the list of auction items is too long, people can also become bored with bidding causing those items to go for way under value and people may even leave early.

Still need ideas for the live auction items? Live Auction Ideas for your Next Charity Event

Mistake #8: Skipping the fund a need
 
Why skip out on an opportunity to raise funds without having to spend a dime? This will give charity event guests an opportunity to donate to your cause even if an auction item hasn’t caught their eye.

It can also allow guests who cannot afford to bid on an expensive trip or experience to still contribute. It all adds up!

Mistake #9: Boring guests with too many speeches

 
If you put donors to sleep with hours of speeches, how will they bid later on in the night? Or even worse, will they return next year? Beware of putting your donors to sleep with long speeches and an excess of auction items! 😴Click to Tweet
Short, high impact videos are great, as are first person testimonials about your cause. All other speeches should be very limited so you do not kill the pace of the evening. Make sure anyone who plans to speak that night knows their time limit.

Mistake #10: Saving the auction until the very end of the night
 
Waiting to hold the auction until the very end can definitely cost your charity event much needed funds. By that point in the evening people will be less energetic and winding down, resulting in a lackluster live auction.

You also run the risk that people will leave once they have had their share of food and drinks. Holding your live auction to a half empty room would be tragic.

Need some tips for the live auction? Charity Event Planning: How to Run a Live Auction

In Conclusion…

 
With so many aspects to consider while charity event planning, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Following these tips can help make your life a little easier and help you avoid the mistakes that have been made at countless events.

Happy planning!

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Charity Event Ideas Charity Events

Charity Event Planning: 10 Tips for a Successful Event

charity event planning: tips for successful charity eventCharity event planning can be a lot of pressure. You are trying to raise money for a worthy cause while making sure guests have an amazing time. After all, you want them to continue supporting your cause in the future. While there are many steps that go into planning a successful charity event, here are some tips to steer you in the right direction.

Planning

As with any event, coming up with a detailed plan, establishing a reasonable timeline, and setting goals are the first steps in throwing a successful charity event.  With so many moving parts, you need to make sure everyone is on the same page at all times.  Figure out dates and times, decide who your target audience is, get budgeting allocated, and communicate, communicate, communicate!

Venue

Deciding on a venue is usually one of the first steps in charity event planning. Try to choose a venue that is centrally located to where your nonprofit operates. You want to make it easy for your major supporters to attend. Visit the potential venue in person to make sure it will have the space to accommodate your guests and give off an inviting atmosphere.

Layout

Layout is also a crucial feature that is often not given enough thought.  Make sure there is enough room for wait staff and guest to maneuver between tables. The tables should also be arranged in a way that all guests have view of the stage. If people cannot see what is going on they are more likely to not pay attention. This leads to guests talking over your speakers and auctioneer and in turn, leads to less money being raised.

Entertainment

Fun, upbeat entertainment has the power to put people in a giving mood. While having a band sets a great tone for the event, having an additional form of charity event entertainment will take it to the next level. There are even ways to incorporate the entertainment into your live auction to raise more money for your cause. Using Speed Painter Tim Decker to wow your crowd with a fast paced performance right before the auction will get them in the bidding mood and auctioning his works of art will bring in additional funds!

Auctions

Have a varied assortment of live auction items. People tend to get too caught up in the “theme” of the event during the charity event planning phase and end up only auctioning off items in that one category. This leads to a boring experience since you are not piquing the various interests in the room.  Also, avoid only including local experiences in your auction. Odds are, your guests have already seen it or done it and you won’t get top dollar out it.

More tips on running a live auction: Charity Event Planning: How to Run a Live Auction

 
Auctioneer
Hiring a professional auctioneer is something that will pay off in a big way. An auctioneer will get the most money out of your crowd for each item. While using an MC or board member saves money short term, you are missing out on the great potential an auctioneer is trained to get out of your guests. Also, stay away from electronic bidding. It takes away the excitement from an auction and doesn’t raise nearly as much.

Sound System

Most people assume any old microphone and speaker will do, however many auctions have been ruined with a screechy sound system. If the sound quality is terrible, all your fundraising efforts will have been wasted. When people cannot hear the auctioneer and item descriptions, bidding will suffer. Not to mention guests will lose interest and begin talking over your MC and honorees.

Decor

While there are no set ways to decorate for an charity event, one key tip involves centerpieces. Centerpieces have the power to transform a room. However, one thing people don’t consider is centerpiece size. Be careful not to choose anything that is “over sized”. When guests cannot see over or around the centerpiece to the stage, you will create a sense of detachment. After all, if someone cannot see what is going on, do you really expect them to pay attention?

Marketing

Advertising and promoting your charity event are a must. Take advantage of social media to market to your supporters. There are also many free or low cost online opportunities available specifically for nonprofits.

Day of

Make sure you rent out the venue with plenty of time for setup included. Nothing is worse than rushing around right up until the doors open. Be sure to have people onsite to direct and advise vendors and entertainment.

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Planning a charity event is a lot of work. Follow the above charity event planning tips and you will be well on your way to a successful event!

Looking for things to avoid while charity event planning? Charity Events: 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Planning a Charity Event

 

 

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Charity Event Ideas Charity Events

Live Auction Ideas for your next charity event

Live auction ideas - golf package

Charity Event Planning: Live Auction IdeasHaving a varied assortment of items is key to having a successful live auction.

Often times people get caught up in the “theme” of the event and only auction off related items. Consequently, by doing that you are not piquing the various interests in the room and people will lose interest.

Above all, you need hot ticket items that your guests can’t get anywhere else. It can be hard to come up with unique live auction ideas that will get your guests excited about bidding, so here a few ideas to use at your next charity event.

Travel

-Weekend getaways
-Extravagant trips abroad
-All inclusive cruises
-Family friendly vacations
-Ski trips
-Food and wine experiences
-Golf packages

Experiences

-Tickets to popular talk shows
-Concert tickets with backstage passes
-Set tours of popular TV shows
-Dinner party prepared by gourmet chef
-Adrenaline infused experiences like driving a NASCAR race car or being a fighter pilot for a day
-Dinner with a celebrity
-Tickets to a high profile awards show such as the Emmy’s

Sports

-Box seats to a game
-Tickets to a prime game like the Super Bowl or World Series
-Autographed memorabilia such as jerseys and footballs
-Lunch with a star athlete
-Stadium Tours

Tangible Items

-Beautiful pieces of jewelry
-Signed guitars, albums, and other memorabilia
-Automobiles
-Designer handbags
-Electronics packages such as a home theater system

Do something unique!

Another live auction idea to consider is kicking off your auction with entertainment that can then be incorporated into the auction.  Speed painter Tim Decker can get your guests pumped for the auction with his fast paced performance art show. Auctioning off the paintings, right after your guests saw them created in mere minutes, is a sure fire way to get the bids flying! As a result, it’s the perfect way to raise money and wow your guests!

Having a varied assortment of live auction items is vital to throwing a successful charity event. Get inspired with these ideas!Click to Tweet

Consider adding some of the above live auction ideas to your next charity event and you will be on your way to a successful auction in no time.

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Charity Events

Charity Event Entertainment: Speed Painter Raises Money for Charity in Rochester, Minnesota

I recently performed at the Fourth Annual Mending Minds gala which benefits the RT Autism Awareness foundation. This foundation is one of my favorites as I have not found another organization that has as much passion for their cause as this staff does. They spread awareness of autism and the effects it has on the entire family, while providing support to those dealing with a diagnosis.The founder Brad Trahan is extremely passionate about the cause and that is one of the reasons I continue to support this great organization each year. As a speed painter, I constantly have to come up with new ideas for my paintings especially when I am booked over and over for the same event. This is no exception as it is my third time performing at this event and the crowd in Rochester, Minnesota is by far one of my favorites. Each year they do not disappoint, as they are some of the most enthusiastic and fun people I have ever had the pleasure of speed painting for. I can definitely say that this townknows how to have a great time.

Every year they do a variety show type charity event where numerous acts perform for this great cause. At this event, I usually kick off the live auction with my speed painting performance to create some excitement for the beginning of the auction.

The show started with comedians Bob Zany and Zan Aufderheide. Bob can be heard weekly on the Bob and Tom radio show and has appeared in numerous movies and television shows. Zan has also appeared on various tv shows and currently performs all over the country.

I then came in and did a two painting set which led right into the start of the live auction. For the sake of time, I created a painting of Minnesota Viking, Marcus Sherels, ahead of time. Sherels was in attendance and is a big supporter of the foundation. My speed paintings were auctioned along with a host of other great items.

This was followed by comedian Tom Wilson, best known for playing the role of Biff in Back to the Future. He performed a thirty minute set which closed the evening on a high note. I love this foundation and will continue to perform at their event (as long as they will have me of course.)

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Charity Event Ideas Charity Events

Raise Money for Charity: Speed Painter Raises $86,000 in one night

 

Raise-money-for-charity-washington-dc
Me and John Legend

In an effort to raise money for charity, I entertained the guests at Fight Night, a Washington DC benefit thrown by Fight for Children.

This was truly a one of a kind event. The benefit supported health and education for low income children and was chaired by Under Armour.

This truly was an event unlike any I have performed at.

 
The stage was set for over 1000 people! In this case, the stage was a boxing ring in the center of the room. I was hired to not only entertain this large crowd, but also help raise money for charity.

The evening started with amateur boxing matches which ended faster than expected.

After the last boxing match, I took the stage for a speed painting performance and painted Muhammad Ali and the Statue of Liberty. These two paintings raised $86,000. Ali sold for $30,000 and another bidder matched that amount for me to paint a second Ali to ship to them after the event. Lady Liberty followed and sold for $26,000. As an added bonus, Ali agreed to sign the paintings so that added some excitement to the live auction.

And that’s not all…

 
As I was leaving the stage I saw MC Hammer in the crowd which brought back a few childhood memories. He was the first concert I ever attended and like most kids I loved “Can’t Touch This.”

Once my speed painting performance was over, the stage was cleared and a piano was brought on for John Legend to perform a short set. A great way to close a great night. I absolutely love to raise money for charity and it didn’t hurt that I also had a backstage seat for this great concert.

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Charity Events

Charity Event Ideas: Speed Painter Raises $37,000

Tim Decker with George Lopez speed painting at a charity event.

 

Charity Event Ideas - Speed Painting
Backstage with George Lopez

I was contacted recently to help raise money for Boys and Girls Country, a charity in the Houston Texas area that provides homes for children in need and raises them to be self sustaining adults.

They booked me to perform at their annual gala which is held at the Hilton of Americas in Houston. The venue has an enormous ballroom which seated over 1000 people on that night.

My performance was scheduled to start right before George Lopez was scheduled to do his set. I went up, performed two popular speed paintings, Albert Einstein and the Statue of Liberty, which were then auctioned in the live auction.

The live auction was a huge success!

The two performance pieces raised a total of $27,000, with Einstein raising $10,000 and Lady Liberty going for $17,000.

Another great charity event idea is to have the speed painting performance right before the live auction starts. This creates excitement and anticipation for the beginning of the auction and can often increase bidding for the other auction items as well.

After those were auctioned, I unveiled a custom painting of George Lopez, which I did in the studio prior to the event. They were on a tight time line that night so it worked well to have this painting already done. This is a great way to raise money for charity while saving time if needed. The performance creates excitement and the custom unveiled piece is always welcomed with a huge cheer from the crowd. A great idea for any charity event that has a celebrity or special guest.

That piece sold for an additional $10,000, bringing the grand total to $37,000 for a 10 minute speed painting performance! The Boys and Girls Country will be able to put that to great use! I hope many of the children they serve will benefit from it!

Tim Decker, Speed Painter provides charity event entertainment that will raise money and wow guests at the same time!Click to Tweet

After the performance I met with George Lopez backstage for a few minutes before he came on and did his set. He was a really nice guy and he was happy with the speed painting I created of him.

Turned out to be a great night! I was honored to be the gala entertainment and raise money for such a great cause!

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