Charity auctions are a great way to raise money for a charitable cause. David Goodman, President and founder of Auction Results®, LLC, tells us how to do them the right way and how essential the role of a charity auctioneer is.
What is a charity auction?
Typically, a nonprofit puts together a charity auction to raise funds for their organization. This can take place in many forms, but one of the most common is a gala dinner.
The guests have a fun-filled night, including dinner and dancing, but the main event is typically the charity auction.
During the evening, a charity auction is held, with the proceeds raised going directly to the nonprofit. The items that are sold should be very appealing to the audience and usually have been donated by their supporters in the community.
A Professional Charity Auctioneer Could Be a Make or Break
Hiring a professional charity auctioneer is the only way to go if you’re planning for a successful charity auction. Many nonprofits make the mistake of turning to a local celebrity or accomplished speaker as their live auction auctioneer.
These individuals may seem like a good choice for your next event – primarily because of the cost or lack of cost. However, they don’t have the training and psychological skills necessary to be able to leverage your audience to raise their paddles for the benefit of the organization.
So, it’s important that the auctioneer possesses the right qualities. Don’t look at hiring a great professional charity auctioneer as costing you money; instead, it is an investment to ensure your fundraiser’s success.
A great professional charity auctioneer will give you the tools, techniques, and experience to maximize your fundraising efforts the night of your event and beyond.
Non-profits – The Right Questions to Ask
When looking to hire a great charity auctioneer, experience is going to be of the utmost importance. Always ask the following questions and do your due diligence:
1. CAN I GET A LIST OF REFERENCES?
Hiring a benefit auctioneer should be much like a job interview. Ask for a list of the last 10 auctions they worked on, plus contact names and numbers. Then check them, asking if the auctioneer met or exceeded their goals.
If you hear positive comments from the clients and the list is from benefit auctions over the last four weeks, it is very telling that they are active and successful benefit auctioneers.
But if the list is spread out with a benefit auction a handful of times a month, it should send up a big red flag.
2. WHAT SIMILAR ORGANIZATIONS HAVE YOU WORKED FOR?
Knowing the organizations that the auctioneer has worked for in the past will give you a good idea of the type of organizations the auctioneer has had experience with and how similar or dissimilar they are to your charity and its goals.
3. WHAT DOES YOUR AVERAGE SALE EARN? HOW DOES THAT RELATE TO WHAT THE EVENT EARNED BEFORE THAT AUCTIONEER WORKED FOR THE ORGANIZATION?
Have a good idea ahead of time of the average amount you want in donations from each contributor, and find out whether or not the auctioneer has experience bringing in these types of numbers.
4. IS YOUR FOCUS STRICTLY ON THE BENEFIT NONPROFIT MARKET?
It’s important to have an auctioneer that knows non-profits. While both for-profit and nonprofit auctioneers have similar roles, running a live charity event is much different than managing a for-profit event and requires a specialist.
5. WHAT CONSULTING SERVICES ARE OFFERED, AND ARE THEY INCLUDED IN YOUR FEES?
Knowing the fees and services ahead of time is key to understanding the role your auctioneer will provide to you both on and before your event.
Make sure you are doing your due diligence so that you get the most value and profit from your fundraising event by choosing a professional charity auctioneer!
