Everyday Disasters

Category: Running A Non-profit Auction

  • Silent Auction Process

    It’s the night of the Auction. The room is glamorous, people are having a good time, everyone admires the items. Just one small problem – you need to start closing and no one has bid. Don’t panic.  People know they’re at the auction to give money to your cause but they like a bargain too.…

  • What to Bring to The Auction – Administration Committee

    (Out of order, but I just ran an auction so it’s fresh in my mind.) Auction Item Set-up (the period before the auction when you fill the room with auction items) Bring:  the pile of bid sheets (NOT on clipboards), at least 3 labels for each item with the item number and title typed on…

  • Auction Committees

    You’re planning an auction for this year (hopefully the spring) and you’re not sure where to start. With luck you’ve already booked the locale and any entertainment you need.  If it’s a school auction, you reminded people to keep an eye out for auction items over the summer. You’ve set the theme. Now what? The are…

  • How Bad Can an Auction Be? – Lose Sanity and Money on an Auction

    Most charity auctions are events that can be extremely wearing on volunteers but are worth it because they raise large amounts of cash.  Most does not mean all. I was recently (6 weeks before the event) asked to help with an event for an extremely worthy charity. They knew they didn’t quite have it down…

  • Time for Auction Item Reminder Letter

    You’re having a school auction but you’ve decided to take it easy now that you’ve booked the place and the band? Not quite yet.  Before everyone scatters to the four winds send out a gentle announcement – Let people know the date. Remind people you will be asking for item donations and that summer travels…

  • Auctions & Your Family Life

    If you commit to running an auction you can say good bye to your family life outside of the auction preparation for a while.  My family always was involved – in nursery school my children would put the labels on the envelopes for the gift certificates, as they got older they helped wrap baskets and…

  • The Year Before The Auction – Location & Theme

    There are several elements that must be covered with any fund-raising event but several specific items must be kept in mind to ensure a good auction. Volunteer chairs, location and theme should be set as early as possible.

  • Running A Great Auction

    I love auctions for schools, churches and charities. (I’ve run over 20 of them for various schools and charities.) They are the most painless way of supporting your favorite cause. Volunteers get to have guilt-free coffee klatches with their friends (“I don’t have time to clean my house – I’m working on the auction.”) A…