It may seem odd, but one of the most common questions that I get is "When to Serve Dessert at a Charity Auction | Charity Gala?".

My answer is the same almost every time there is a dinner served. If dinner is being served, then dessert should come after the Fundraising portion of the evening. Or if the meal is being served family style - do it during the Live Auction.  Ensure that your guests aren't starving when you start asking for money. A hungry crowd isn't a fun crowd to work with. 

I love conducting the Live Auction during dinner. This way we don't waste any time and are getting the money early. We don't want guests and potential donors to be too tired, to drunk or too concerned about the babysitter before bidding and donating.

So serve dessert after you've reached your fundraising goal and use it as a celebratory moment.

About half of the new inquiries that come through my phone or this website ask "We are a non-profit could you do it for free/pro-bono?"

First and foremost I applaud them for asking. If you don't ask, you don't get. However, this also shows me that this potential client doesn't value the work that I as a Charity Auctioneer | Benefit Auctioneer, who only works with Nonprofit organizations, brings to the table.

Many people have an issue with paying a professional fundraising auctioneer, yet they have no problem paying $20,000 for a tent or for fancy tablecloths. Neither tents or tablecloths or embossed invitations will help you raise more funds to support the organization's work. Only a Fundraising Auctioneer is able to pay for themselves with the money that they bring in.

Often I can can double or triple the amount raised by a volunteer or cattle/car auctioneer when I'm brought into the mix. Your fundraising event isn't just a one-off event. It is ( or it should be) part of your entire yearly fundraising plan. When you think of the fundraising event as part of a whole you can use it to assist you with your additional fundraising goals.

A professional Fundraising Auctioneer or Charity Auctioneer is the best investment for your event. You wont be disappointed by all the value that we can bring to the table. 

Yesterday was an amazing day! I was recently interviewed for a magazine (official announcement coming soon) about becoming a Fundraising Auctioneer | Charity Auctioneer and why I've been getting such amazing results with my style of fundraising.  The photo above is a candid taken during the shoot inside a G4 jet.

Being different isn't easy. It isn't the smoothest road to travel. But, it certainly has been paying off with my clients and their increased dollars raised. Furthermore, people are noticing, including this magazine to which I shared everything. There are no secrets in my business, passion, commitment and follow-through with each and every one of my clients is what sets me apart.

I love my life as a Charity Auctioneer | Non-profit Auctioneer and when you love what you do, success in inevitable.

 I am looking forward to sharing this article with you when the time is right.

One of the main reasons people hire me as their Fundraising Auctioneer is they are looking for a 'fun' evening. What does that mean? It means that people are interested in having a good time when they go out. They want an interactive, memorable and most importantly they want to leave feeling good. 

Having a 'fun' fundraiser is easy to do. Here are some simple things you can do to make things 'fun' for your guests.

• Have your board walk around during cocktail hour and introduce themselves to people they don't know. Everyone in the room is a potential donor. Treat them like one.
• Create an ice-breaker moment. They may seem hokey, but they work. Take a moment in your opening remarks/welcome to have everyone at the table share their name and a quick fact. I like having people say why they are in the room, to bring everything back to your organization.
• Play some fun music! Just because people are dressed up doesn't mean you need to play classical music. This is a night on the town! Let people sing along to fun music.
• Hire an interactive and fun Gala Auctioneer. You can see how your Gala Auctioneer interacts with the audience once they send you some videos. Take a look at how the crowd reacts to them. If they look bored and dis-engaged, keep looking.

For more tips on all things Charity Fundraising Events |Fundraising Auction| from how to interview  an Auctioneer and what are the best Fundraising Auction packages, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel.

I recently learned that I qualify as a millennial. I'm the oldest possible millennial being born in 1982. This being true I am fluent in social media. I use social media, both personally and professional. I understand how it works. Most importantly, I know value that comes from having dedicated, interactive followers. 

Many of my Charity Auction clients have great social media presence. They are active on SnapChat, Twitter, Facebook, Insta & Periscope. They post at least once if not multiple times per day and interact with the their followers,

If you are on any form of social media you will have seen posts where people with lots of social media followers (they are called "Influencers") are promoting products. These influencers are paid very well for their ability to showcase a product to their followers. Some of the top influencers charge $10,000 per post! The value comes from promoting a product or company to a group that pays attention to the influencers.

So how does this work for your Charity Auction | Non-Profit Auction | Fundraising Auction? 

Consider offering social media posts in your corporate sponsorship packages. Most of the time organizations offer names on posters, banners, ect. Today these methods are antiquated. By adding social media posts you are giving corporate sponsors a real opportunity to get in-front of an engaged and listening audience and potentially attract new customers. Furthermore you are giving them something valuable in return as well as developing a deeper relationship with your corporate donor.

I love working during silent auctions. It is an opportunity for me to connect with the audience prior to the auction. That means chatting with guests, board members and potential auction bidders prior to seeing them with their paddle in the air. By meeting people during the silent auction, I am connected to people and them feel more comfortable. When guests are comfortable we have a basic level of trusts, which helps me during the Live Auction. It helps that they know a bit about me and I, a bit about them. 

Your charity auctioneer can also help "sell" the Silent Auction items. For me this means that I am familiar with the Silent Auction items and engage with guests who are checking out the items. I love talking to possible bidders about why they are interested in a certain item and what they are going to use it for. It is a simple questions that is easy to create conversation around and to encourage the donor to bid again and again.

Make sure that your Benefit Auctioneer|Charity Auctioneer|Non-Profit Auctioneer is working for you and your organization during the silent auction.