Mar152017
bid-300x300.jpg

Fundraising Silent Auctions: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, the Easy

Got a silent auction coming up?

After our recent article (Charity Auctions: Providing a Better Donor Experience), I got a number of questions from folks who’d had negative experiences.

These weren’t just poor donor experiences. They were also real drags on staff.

And I feel your pain.

Sadly, I’ve been there.

I’ve worked these painful events. And I’ve been a bidder at them.

Silent auctions are a bit like the story of the little girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead:

When they are good they are very, very good; when they are bad they are horrid.

The Good

Silent auctions can be a great way to both increase event revenue and entertain your guests.

Don’t rule out the importance of the latter.

The very best events I’ve witnessed are those where

Details
Leave a commentAnnual Giving
Mar132017

Charity Auctions: Providing a Better Donor Experience

Event_auction_phone_biddingCharity auctions are an oft-held fundraising event, but even the most seasoned nonprofits often don’t host them well.

Since auctions are multifaceted events that are relatively complicated to organize, many organizations focus too much on getting the logistics in order and not enough on how they can provide an amazing experience for their donors.

Instead of considering how they can leverage their auction to build deeper supporter relationships, they bolt straight to the fundraising finish line: increasing event proceeds. It’s no wonder that event retention is so low!

In this article you’ll receive great advice from Adam Weinger, President of Double the Donation, as to how you can make your auction a more positive experience for your donors, focusing specifically on how auction software can help.

Details
2 CommentsAnnual Giving
Feb272017
A heartfelt story to tell

5 Guaranteed Ways to Raise Money Through Storytelling

Storytelling today is ‘hot.’

And why not?  It’s the fundamental human activity – we even talk to ourselves!

We tell ourselves stories all the time to inspire, goad, cheerlead and persuade.

“I’ve been knocked down, but I’ll pick myself up.”

“This cake will be even better than my mother-in-law’s.”

“The deck seems stacked against me, but I’m going to fight; I’m going to win.”

“Tomorrow will be a better day.”

Storytelling is something people naturally gravitate to. We’re wired that way.

Stories connect the dots.

They are the connective tissue that turns otherwise random acts into important sequences. Stories invite us in. When we add our own imagination, stories begin to acquire personal relevance.

Does this sound like something that might be useful for your content marketing strategy?

Details
Leave a commentContent Marketing