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Wine for your Charity Auction | Fundraiser Idea- Part II

3/30/2017

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I originally wrote this article for BidPal.com a mobile bidding technology. I’ve reprinted it here for you! This is a 2 part Blog Series. Make sure you check out Part 1.

Wine is a hot. Everyone is talking about it – Trader Joe's has an entire section, and when Costco’s is the biggest retail player in the game, it means wine is hot for the masses. It’s hottest perhaps in wine country where big ticket auction items include trips to exclusive vineyards and cases of wine going for tens of thousands of dollars at charity galas. People are curious about wine and want in on the culture.
Over the last few years I’ve auctioned or helped produce over 40 wine focused events. I’ve learned that wine is a natural partnership for fundraising events and charity galas.

If you want to take a charity event to the next level and attract a new group of donors, wine is the perfect way to do it. Here’s what I’ve learned about getting wineries to come to, donate, and be part of charity events.

8. INVITE WINERIES TO DO A TASTING.
Many events people ask for wine donations. You can also invite the wineries to come and do a tasting at the event. Typically these happen before and after the program. This way they get to interact with your donors while pouring and highlighting elements of the wine that waiters normally do not know about. Wineries like doing tastings because they get to tell the story of the wine and they’re more likely to gain loyal wine drinkers.

9. HOLD A PRIVATE PRE-EVENT WINE TASTING.
If you have a wine partner, hold your planning committee meeting at the winery. Bring new people to them! Typically, they will give you a tour, and you also get to hold your meeting at a beautiful location. You’ll be sure to guarantee a great turnout.

10. PROMOTE THE WINERY.
Put their branding on everything. If they’ve donated the wine that will be featured, takes lots of photos, put them in the program, say thanks from stage, and include them in the follow-up email. The more you promote them to your audience, the better. Much of wine buying is brand recognition.

11. WORK WITH VINEYARDS TO DEVELOP A UNIQUE AUCTION IDEA.
Ask wineries to donate something for the auction. These are my favorite ideas.
  • Crush Party – Get stomping and drinking grapes! You’ll be the envy of all of your friends.
  • Stay at guest house – Most wineries have a guest house that they may offer for you.
  • Wine Maker Dinner – Have the winemaker come and pair a dinner while talking about the wine.

12. CREATE A BOTTLE SHOP.

Like most things at a gala, you’ve got to see it to believe it. Here’s something we did recently that worked great!

Let’s say you invited 8 wineries to pour at a gala. Ask the wineries to bring some extra cases of wine to set up like a bottle shop, sell it at their wine club price, and give the charity 20% of all the sales.

13. HAVE A WINE PULL.
Ask for a few cases of wine to be donated around the same price point (let’s say $25 for this example). Then mix in a few expensive bottles. Wrap up all of the bottles of wine so they all look the same. Charge $25 per bottle and let guests pull a bottle for a $25 donation. They’re guaranteed a bottle of wine worth at least $25, with a chance of winning an expensive bottle. This creates additional revenue and an exciting game for gala attendees.

14. EXPLORE WINE SPONSORSHIP.
The typical wine sponsorship works by one winery providing and pouring for the entire event. This winery gets to showcase all of their different wines to a captive audience and pair them with all the dishes throughout the evening.
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For more Fundraising Charity Auction ideas and helpful tips on planning your next charity fundraiser, follow Generosity Auctions on Facebook or Instagram @GenerosityAuctions. Abra Annes is the leading Charity Auctioneer based in California. Abra is the owner and founder of Generosity Auctions, the premier choice for Non-Profit Organizations looking to maximize their event fundraising.


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Winning Wine Charity Auction Ideas - Part I

3/27/2017

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I originally wrote this article for BidPal.com a mobile bidding technology. I’ve reprinted it here for you!

Wine is a hot. Everyone is talking about it – Trader Joe's has an entire section, and when Costco’s is the biggest retail player in the game, it means wine is hot for the masses. It’s hottest perhaps in wine country where big ticket auction items include trips to exclusive vineyards and cases of wine going for tens of thousands of dollars at charity galas. People are curious about wine and want in on the culture.
Wine-themed events are some of the top fundraising options in the country – Sonoma Wine Weekend, Auction Napa Valley, Walla Walla, Destin, Naples and Sun Valley just scratch the surface of the list of theses high dollar events.

There are more and more wineries popping up every year and more competition among wineries to get customers than ever before. This makes partnering with a winery on an event a perfect way to get a winery in front of a targeted audience.
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Over the last few years I’ve auctioned or helped produce over 40 wine focused events. I’ve learned that wine is a natural partnership for fundraising events and charity galas.
If you want to take a charity event to the next level and attract a new group of donors, wine is the perfect way to do it. Here’s what I’ve learned about getting wineries to come to, donate, and be part of charity events.

1. LURE THEM WITH STATS.
Start by contacting a winery that you love. Tell them about how many people are coming to the event. Include who they are, estimated annual income, and why your audience is a viable customer for their winery specifically. Make sure it’s the right demographic and sell it to the winery. Vineyards want people who buy wine, are in their age demographics and have some disposable income.

2. DO YOUR RESEARCH ON WHAT YOUR AREA DRINKS.
Every area of the country has a specific wine unique to that region. For example, New York, Chicago and California are the biggest locations for champagne. If you’re in these regions, bubbly, sparkling wines are a more likely choice to partner at your events. Know your audience and be focused on what your customer drinks.

3. FOLLOW THE WINES YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
Follow. Taste. Then reach out. Before you reach out to any winery, interact with them on social media. Make sure your profiles look great! It’s a great way to prove you have a genuine interest in their product. If they see on your feed you’re drinking their wine (and their competitors’) they’re more likely to partner with you.

4. FOCUS ON A VARIETAL OR AVA.
You’re much more likely to have success if you focus on specific varietals. You can also focus on a specific wine area in your region. Get in touch with the AVA’s growers’ association, get all the wineries’ contact info, and reach out to them. The more you know about the wine the better the event will go.

5. INVITE A SOMMELIER TO HELP.
Add a Sommelier to your event committee. They don’t have to be a master, but they can curate a list of wineries to target that will pair well with your event. For example, if you’re looking for Bordeaux style reds from Washington, the Sommelier will help you find the best ones in the area (some that may be under the radar). Also, they can help pair the wine with the dishes you’re serving at the event.

6. BE INNOVATIVE WITH PAIRING.
Entice a Sommelier with fun pairing challenges. Ask the Sommelier to pair wines with mac & cheese, Indian, or Thai food, not the normal boring event food. You want to be innovative with your pairings.

7. PLAN YOUR EVENT AROUND BIG WINE EVENTS.
In most large cities there are food & wine shows a few times per year. Find them on the Internet and look to see what wineries are already going to be in town. You can meet the owners of those vineyards in person while they are in town, or you can develop your event around the dates they’ll already be there.
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For more Fundraising Ideas, Charity Auction Concepts and helpful tips on planning your next charity fundraiser, follow Generosity Auctions on Facebook or Instagram @GenerosityAuctions. Abra Annes is the leading Charity Auctioneer based in California. Abra is the owner and founder of Generosity Auctions, the premier choice for Non-Profit Organizations looking to maximize their event fundraising.



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Fundraiser Success & Lesson Learned

3/23/2017

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In a perfect world you’d have complete control and everything works out perfectly. Your client engages you months before the event and you have all the time and luxury to make the event a success. Well, the world isn’t perfect and one way to value your success is to understand how successful you can be even in not-so-perfect circumstances.

The i.am.angel foundation is the brainchild of will.i.am, an American musician, rapper, record producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. The i.am.angel foundation administers charitable activities and programs targeted towards providing college scholarships, college preparation, and opportunities in STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics). I was asked to run the fund-a-need in 2016, but I was giving birth. So, I was excited to work with the foundation in 2017.

Let’s address the challenges and then we’ll move to the successfulness of the event. As a professional charity auctioneer, I think about all of the details of an event to ensure flow and the maximum amount of donations raised. This event was connected enough to secure a visit from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. However, Mayor Garcetti spoke before the fundraising portion of the night. While attendees were focused on photo ops with the Mayor, they were not focused on the auction. As an improvement, I suggest having most aspects of your fundraising before your keynote speaker. This keeps guest engaged through the fundraising and speaking parts of the program.

Despite the challenge, the event was not only lovely, but also successful. Held at Milk Studios in Los Angeles the College Track preparedness program brought in over 400 people with five desirable auction items. I was able to bring in $55,000 for one of the five auction items, exceeding the expectations of the client and contributing to the largest fund-a-need in their history.

Every event faces challenges. What’s important is making the effort to plan for any unforeseen complications and then rising to the challenges. Having the right professionals on your team from the beginning will help you evade these hiccups but will also help you succeed despite those hiccups.

For more Fundraising Charity Auction ideas and helpful tips on planning your next charity fundraiser, follow Generosity Auctions on Facebook or Instagram @GenerosityAuctions. Abra Annes is the leading Charity Auctioneer based in California. Abra is the owner and founder of Generosity Auctions, the premier choice for Non-Profit Organizations looking to maximize their event fundraising.


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The Power of the Association of Fundraising Professionals

3/20/2017

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Before I began my Fundraising Auctioneer life I was a full time development professional. That is where I first heard about AFP. However, I only began attending my local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) about two years ago. My decision to join the Wine Country Chapter has been professionally rewarding. My chapter meets once a month and we bring in speakers from both inside and outside our community to learn about fundraising strategies. In December, I was asked to join the board of the Wine Country Chapter. My board responsibilities include leading, growing, and promoting the chapter.

Not only have I learned from the AFP, I have also had the opportunity to share my knowledge about being a charity auctioneer. I have spoken for the AFP on topics such as planning fundraising events, timing your event for the best time of the year, and engaging millennial donors. I strongly encourage all nonprofit professionals, especially Development Directors, to join your local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. I will be at the International Fundraising Conference in April. Please email me here if you’d like to meet me. This conference is a great way to get outside of your organization and learn strategies to improve your fundraising and philanthropy related skills.

For more Fundraising Charity Auction ideas and helpful tips on planning your next charity fundraiser, please follow Generosity Auctions on Facebook or Instagram @GenerosityAuctions. Abra Annes is the leading Charity Auctioneer based in California. Abra is the owner and founder of Generosity Auctions, the premier choice for Non-Profit Organizations looking to maximize their event fundraising.


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The Right Charity Fundraising Auctioneer will Inspire Your Donors to Give More

3/17/2017

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Last month I worked with a client I haven’t worked with since 2015. In 2015, I was hired to be the charity fundraising auctioneer for the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center (OFJCC). The OFJCC had a goal to raise $100,000 at their annual gala and I was able to raise $300,000 through a Fund-A-Need only!

After realizing my success they asked me to manage their auction in 2016. I never like to turn a client down, but I realize the importance of balancing work and family. I couldn’t work with the Oshman Family JCC in 2016 because I was pregnant and due on the day of their event! They hired a different auctioneer and were able to raise roughly the same amount of money.

The Oshman Family JCC asked me to be their auctioneer again for this year (2017). The plan was to conduct a live auction with 2 items and a Fund-A-Need. Not only did we raise a tremendous amount of money with our two planned live auction items, two more items were spontaneously donated during the event and even MORE money was raised. Between the live auction and the fund-a-need, The Oshman Family JCC raised $400,000 during their 2017 annual gala.

Choosing the right auctioneer for your fundraising event gala is crucial. In 2015, I inspired and then trained the donors to give more, taking donations from the goal of $100,000 to $300,000. During the year in which I was absent, the donors already had the training to give big, but they weren’t inspired. They were missing the energy, the passion and the inspiration from Generosity Auctions.

When considering hiring a fundraising auctioneer, ask them why they are passionate about your organization. If they cannot communicate the importance or uniqueness of your organization, don’t expect them to do so on the evening of the event. Look for  a charity fundraising auctioneer who understands your community and speaks about your organization passion and authenticity. Passion will always inspire your donors to give more.

For more Fundraising Charity Auction ideas and helpful tips on planning your next charity fundraiser, follow Generosity Auctions on Facebook or Instagram @GenerosityAuctions. Abra Annes is the leading Charity Auctioneer based in California. Abra is the owner and founder of Generosity Auctions, the premier choice for Non-Profit Organizations looking to maximize their event fundraising.

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8 Fund-A-Need Tips to Raise Big $$$

3/14/2017

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One of the most common questions I am asked by organizations planning a Charity Fundraising Auction is how to raise the most money with a Fund-A-Need. A Fund-A-Need is also known as a Pledge Drive, Paddle Raise, Fund-A-Need Auction or Cash Call. 

No matter what you call your Fund-A-Need, it is one of the most powerful methods of event based fundraising.

I put together a 2 part video series called - Fund-A-Need Auction -8 Tips to bing in big $$$. After hundreds of fundraising events as a Charity Auctioneer, I know what works, and what doesn't. Everything I've learned is in this video.

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Best NonProfit Fundraising Podcasts: The Nonprofit Radio Podcast

3/13/2017

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I’ve been listening to Podcast for over 10 years. I was ahead of the curve regarding the popularity and usefulness of podcasts, being an avid listener since 2007. I periodically spotlight podcasts that I enjoy, and  are interesting and helpful to nonprofits and their fundraising needs.

Tony Martignetti hosts the Nonprofit Radio Podcast. Tony is a snarky host with an informal personality who “tells it like it is” about what nonprofits need to be successful. I particularly like the podcasts that focus on fundraising technology and platforms. Whenever I listen to the Nonprofit Radio Podcast, I feel like I’m always learning something new about nonprofit technology, ideas, and strategies in the fundraising world. Check out the Nonprofit Radio Podcast and subscribe to all of Tony’s channels like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

For more Fundraising Charity Auction ideas and helpful tips on planning your next charity fundraiser, follow Generosity Auctions on Facebook or Instagram @GenerosityAuctions. Abra Annes is the leading Charity Auctioneer based in California. Abra is the owner and founder of Generosity Auctions, the premier choice for Non-Profit Organizations looking to maximize their event fundraising.

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