Category: Raffles

Online Raffles: Prizeo and Omaze

1/3/2020

A client recently asked me:

We have a lot of people in our community who cannot afford to come to our event, but would like an opportunity to participate from home for a very low price point. What can we do?

I told them about Prizeo and Omaze. Two very similar services that allow you to run an online raffle for a very reasonable price.

Here’s how it works.

Your nonprofit works with the site to set up a raffle for an amazing prize. Your supporters, and people from all over the world, donate as little as $10 for a chance to win the prize.

It’s that easy.

This is a great option for nonprofits who have a lot of donors who cannot attend their annual events. It’s also an amazing opportunity to reach philanthropic-minded people around the world who may not hear about your nonprofit any other way.

Next time you’re looking for a way to engage supporters who can’t attend your event, check out Prizeo and Omaze.

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50 Crowd-Pleasing Nonprofit Fundraising Ideas

12/20/2019

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Creating a fundraising event every year, while keeping things new and fresh, can be daunting. Lucky for you, I’ve got a list of fifty amazing fundraising ideas that you can try next time you need a fun, new way to raise money.

100-Point Wine Dinner
Host a multi-course dinner prepared by an amazing local chef and paired with outstanding, locally-sourced wines. Sell seats to this dinner for a set price.

50/50 Raffle
Sell raffle tickets at your next live event for a chance to win 50% of the raffle proceeds. Combine this with a traditional raffle for extra incentive. Check with your local and state laws regarding raffle rules and regulations.

Amazon Smile
Shopping through Amazon Smile can earn your nonprofit money. Spread the word to your supporters and encourage them to set your organization as their Amazon Smile recipient.

Baking Competition
Host a friendly baking competition. Challenge participants to bake the best chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, brownies, etc. Bring in local bakers to judge the bakes. Charge a sign-up fee for the bakers and an admission fee for the audience.

Battle of the Bands
Have a particularly musical community? Host a battle of the bands at a local venue. Charge a sign-up fee and get the audience involved by having them vote for their favorite group. Ask for donations at the event or charge at the door.

Bingo Night
Host a bingo night for the community. Charge for bingo cards. This is a great all-ages event, or you can theme the night and make it more adult-friendly. You can either give away prizes to the winners or give them a cash prize based on the amount of money brought in by the game. Remember to check your local and state laws regarding raffle rules and regulations.

Book Fair
Host a book fair benefiting your organization. Source books from local booksellers and major retailers. Ask people in the community to donate their gently used books. Great for schools and nonprofits focused on literacy and education.

Boon Supply
This fundraiser is completely FREE. Simply sign up with Boon Supply, then spread the word of your fundraiser over social media. People can browse Boon Supply and make purchases for the duration of the fundraiser. 40% of all purchases goes straight to your nonprofit or school.

Bowling Tournament
Work with a local bowling alley to host an amateur tournament benefiting your nonprofit. Charge a sign-up fee and request a portion of the evening’s proceeds as a donation.

Box Tops for Education
A true classic and a great way to raise a little extra money for schools in your area. Each box top turned in to the school is worth 10 cents. Ask your students, parents, and community to clip box tops for you.

Car Wash
Hold a car wash in your parking lot. Charge a set amount per car. Use volunteers as your car washers.

Chili Cook Off
A specific take on a cooking competition. Gather participants to compete to see who makes the best chili in town. Charge a sign-up fee and bring in local chefs to judge the dishes. Set up a donation table at the event for extra revenue.

Cooking Competition
Host a friendly cooking competition at a local venue. Give each person or team a basket with ingredients and challenge them to prepare a dish from the contents of the basket. Bring in local chefs to judge the dishes. Charge a sign-up fee and an admission fee for the audience.

Community Clean Up
Get members of your community together to clean up public parks, waterways, or other spaces. Provide shirts for everyone to wear. Ask members of the community to donate based on area cleaned or amount of trashed picked up. Great for nonprofits focused on conservation and public spaces.

Dance Marathon
A classic with a historical origin. Host a dance marathon with teams of participants competing to see who can stay moving the longest. Have your teams collect pledges from people in the community for every hour they dance. Establish rules for how long they must dance each hour. Charge a small sign-up fee per team and sell concessions at the event.

Dance Off
Dance offs are great for communities with performers. Host a dance off at your nonprofit or a local dance studio. Charge an admission fee and sell concessions at the event. Get the audience involved by asking them to vote for their favorite performer.

Easter Egg Hunt
Host an easter egg hunt for kids in the community. Ask volunteers to help you fill and hide the eggs. Charge a small sign-up fee per child and set up a donation table at the event. Maybe the Easter Bunny will make an appearance.

Fashion Show
Hold a fashion show at your nonprofit or another venue. Ask local boutiques to provide clothing items or make it a do-it-yourself affair if you have a particularly crafty crowd. Charge an admission fee for the event. You could even auction off the clothing items after the show.

Fund-A-Need
Make a Fund-A-Need part of your next fundraising event. It’s like an auction, but without the items. Hire a charity auctioneer to help run the event. Encourage everyone to make a gift at the giving level comfortable for them. Thank your donors for their generosity and support of your cause.

Game Night
Host a game night at your nonprofit. Ask a local game shop, if you have one, to supply board games for the evening. Charge an admission fee and sell concessions at the event.

Girls’ Night Out
Work with a local venue to arrange a girls’ night out for your female supporters. Think fashion, great food, entertainment, whatever is local to you. Charge a sign-up fee and work with any venues to receive a portion of the proceeds as a donation. When bundled with other items, tickets to these events make a great addition to your silent auction.

Golf Tournament
Have a local golf course? Work them them to host an amatuer golf tournament benefiting your nonprofit. Charge a sign-up fee and set up a donation table at the event.

Guys’ Night Out
Work with a local venue to arrange a guys’ night out for your male supporters. Think sports bars, golf, car shows, whatever is local to you. Arrange for food and drinks to be catered or for the night to take the guys through a bar or local restaurant. Charge a sign-up fee and work with any venues to receive a portion of the proceeds as a donation. When bundled with other items, tickets to these events make a great addition to your silent auction.

Karaoke Contest
Ask a local karaoke bar to host an event for your nonprofit, or rent equipment and have the contest at another venue. Charge a small fee for each song and allow the audience to request specific songs for an extra donation. Sell concessions at the event, or ask for a portion of the food and drink sales to go to your nonprofit.

Kids Camp
Host a kids camp for a day or a week in the summer. Provide educational and outdoor activities. Charge parents a registration fee appropriate for the length of the event. Parents will be delighted their children have somewhere to go for a few days. Perfect for schools and nonprofits focused on children.

Live Auction
Make a live auction part of your next fundraising event. Hire a charity auctioneer to run the auction. Source amazing auction items, trips, and experiences. Invite all the right people to attend.

Movie Night
Host a movie night at your nonprofit or other local venue. Charge a small admission fee and serve concessions at the event. This event works well for kids and for the cinephile crowd, just make sure to choose your movie appropriately.

Murder Mystery Dinner
Great for donors looking for a more adult experience. Work with a murder mystery theater group to put on an event benefiting your nonprofit. Encourage everyone to participate and really get into the story. Serve a great meal made by a local chef.

Museum Night
Have a local museum who hosts events outside of regular operating hours? Talk to them about hosting an event for your nonprofit. Attendees get to view the artwork/interact with the exhibits in a more intimate setting and your nonprofit gets a cut of the admissions price. Set up a donations table for extra revenue.

Online Auction
Like a silent auction, but online! Use mobile bidding technology to setup your next auction entirely online. This allows people who can’t attend your event to participate in your auction. Combine this with a traditional silent auction to allow more people to participate.

Paint and Sip Party
Paint and sip parties are all the rage. If you have a local paint and sip business, see if they will host an event benefiting your nonprofit. Ask for a cut of the profits as a donation to your nonprofit. Great for nonprofits with millennial and creative donors.

Penny War
Two or more groups compete to raise money, collecting coins and dollar bills to score points. Each team collects their coins in containers placed in a common area. Encourage people to stop by and donate their spare change to the team of their choice. Increase competition by awarding positive points for all silver coins and negative points for pennies, or the other way around. Very popular with schools.

Pet Party
Throw a party and invite everyone to bring their pet. Hold pet storytime, play games, and serve food for your guests and their pets. Charge a small admission fee per person and pet. Ask for additional donations at the event.

Pet Wash
It’s a car wash for your pets! Set up a pet wash in your parking lot and charge a small fee for each animal washed. Perfect for nonprofits focused on animals.

Photo Contest
Have some artsy people in your community? Host a photo contest and invite everyone to participate. You can ask for photos that fit a specific theme or no theme at all. Charge a fee for submissions and show the photos in a gallery at your nonprofit or another venue. Ask visitors to the gallery to vote on the best photo. You can even ask permission to sell the photos to benefit your nonprofit.

Pool Party
Perfect for summertime when everyone is itching to get outside. Coordinate with your local public pool to host a pool party benefiting your nonprofit. Charge a small admission fee, sell concessions, and set up a donation table at the event. Great for kids.

Progressive Dinner Party
Progressive dinner parties are wonderful for donors looking for a more refined experience. Participants agree to serve one course of a meal at their home and the group travels from home to home enjoying a fabulous meal and accompanying drinks.

Pub/Restaurant Crawl
Invite your supporters to take part in a pub or restaurant crawl. Talk to the venues about receiving a portion of the sales as a donation and charge a small fee to participate. Use the opportunity to visit a selection of locally-owned businesses. Ask if they will put out a donation jar on the night of the crawl for your nonprofit as an extra revenue stream.

Raffle
Host a raffle. Sell raffle tickets for a five dollars a piece and raffle off some amazing prizes at your next event. This works great in conjunction with any live event. Arrange the prizes on a table so people can see what they are buying tickets for.

Read-a-thon
We all wish we could read more books. Why not hold a read-a-thon over the summer months and encourage all ages and reading levels to participate. Charge a small sign-up fee and have participants gather pledges from their family, friends, and neighbors for every book they read. Perfect for libraries, schools, and nonprofits focused on education and literacy.

Scavenger Hunt
Put together a scavenger hunt in your community and invite people to attend over social media. This is a great way to get people out into the community, you can even align your clues and items with the mission of your nonprofit to further increase awareness. Charge a registration fee for each group and set up a donations table at the end point of the event.

Seasonal Carnival
Host a summer or fall carnival benefiting your organization. Set up games, bring in performers, and hire local restaurants to provide concessions. Charge a small admission fee and keep a portion of the proceeds from game tickets and concessions. Set up a donations table at the event.

Silent Auction
A fundraising classic. Silent auctions go great with any number of other fundraising activities. Source auction items from local businesses. Arrange the items and their bid sheets on tables and encourage the public to stop by or make the silent auction part of a larger fundraising event. Use mobile bidding technology to allow people to bid on items without being present at the auction.

Sing-a-thon
A staple in many church communities. Host a Sing-a-thon and charge a small admission fee. Consider selling concessions at the event for a second revenue stream. Encourage attendance by combining this event with a silent auction.

Talent Show
Have a lot of performers in your community? Host a talent show at your nonprofit or other local venue. Invite everyone in the community to participate by having the audience vote for the winner. Charge a small admission fee and sell concessions at the event. Perfect for school and nonprofits focused on the arts.

Themed Run/Walk
Host a themed walk/run and encourage everyone to dress up in costumes or matching shirts. Charge a sign-up fee and set up a donation table at the event. Perfect for nonprofits focused on public health.

Tie-Dye Party
Does your nonprofit sell shirts to benefit your cause? Why not host a tie-dye party where attendees can jazz up their shirts with some tie-dye. Provide scarves, wraps, and hats for additional donations.

Trivia Night
Host a trivia night at your nonprofit or local bar or restaurant. Topics can include anything from current events and politics to sports and pop culture. Align your questions with the mission of your nonprofit for extra thematic relevance. Charge a registration fee for teams and pass around a donation sheet at the event itself.

Walk-a-thon
A staple of elementary schools everywhere, walk-a-thons are a great way to get people of all ages up and moving. Charge a small sign-up fee and have participants collect pledges from family, friends, and neighbors for every half mile they walk.

Zoo Night
If you have a local zoo that hosts events, talk to them about sponsoring an event for your nonprofit. You can charge a percentage of the admission fees and set up a donation table inside the zoo. Consider combining this event with a zoo-themed silent or live auction for additional revenue streams. Perfect for nonprofits benefiting animals, children, or wildlife conservation.

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6 Easy Steps to Get the Most Out of the Volunteers at Your Next Fundraising Event

3/22/2018

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If your nonprofit organization has very few employees, you are not alone. According to the Nonprofit Finance Fund Report Small Nonprofits Solving Big Problems, “There are over 1.5 million nonprofits in the United States. Of those, three-quarters (almost 1.2 million) have annual budgets under $1 million, and most are even smaller.” This means that most nonprofits have a small but mighty number of staff members with many nonprofits having only a sole employee.

If you are a small nonprofit I know that you rely heavily on volunteers to help execute fundraising events. The success of the evening can hinge on the effectiveness of the volunteers. Ensuring that your volunteers know what to expect, what to wear, and how to do the job you expect them to do, will not only help the evening run as smoothly as possible, but ensure a great experience for those most loyal and dedicated to your organization.

Based on the thousands of charity auctions that I have conducted over the years, I have come up with a short checklist of six things that will ensure you get the most out of the volunteers at your next nonprofit fundraising event.

1. Create Job Titles and Descriptions for Each Volunteer Position

Take the time to create job titles and descriptions for each volunteer position well before the event takes place. This does two things. First, it ensures that each volunteer knows what their job is and what is expected of them. Second, it forces you to figure out what exactly you need your volunteers to do. Writing out job titles and descriptions will help you notice any gaps in your coverage, or tasks left unassigned. This also gives both parties a clear, written outline of what is expected.

One of the worst things that I have ever experienced at a charity auction was a group of ten volunteers drunk as skunks and causing a scene. Why did this happen? Why did the volunteers end up drinking like fish and causing problems? When they arrived at the charity gala they were not told what their job duties were for the evening. The staff member in charge of volunteers had recruited a lovely group of ladies from a local college to volunteer that evening. However, the staff member failed to assign each of these ladies a job to perform for the night. Thus, we were left with a group of college ladies who felt bored, awkward, and out of place. Of course they hit the bar - they didn’t know what else to do! By the time the staff member realized that their volunteers weren’t doing anything other than drinking, it was too late.

2. Write Volunteer Contracts for Each Volunteer

After you create job titles and descriptions for each position you need to fill, make sure to write up a volunteer contract for each volunteer. These can be short and sweet, but they should include a list of what is expected in terms of shift length, required clothing, and a list of potential volunteer jobs that will be available that evening. Send this out to each volunteer in advance so they are aware of what to expect.

See my story above about the drunk volunteers. If you would prefer that your volunteers abstain from drinking, write this into the contract. The sky's the limit when crafting these contracts, just remember you don’t want to scare volunteers away from donating their precious time to your organization. This contract should be revised/updated each and every year, prior to your charity auction. This will help you get the best results from your charity auction volunteers.

3. Provide Training for Each Job Title

Provide training for each volunteer job title - in advance, online. Don’t wait until the day of the event to train your volunteers. Providing the training in advance allows your volunteers the time they need to absorb the information and to ask any questions that may come to mind, either during or after the training. Make sure all your volunteers know what they are doing. Break it down as simply as possible. Train everyone at once as well, chat programs like Bluejeans, Google Hangouts, and Skype are great for this. Take everyone’s questions at once, at the end of the training. This saves everyone time and gets everyone on the same page.

You cannot train volunteers on the day of your charity auction. Trust me. I have tried and failed. I have watched major event planners try and fail. Nonprofit staff always fail because they are usually being pulling in too many directions at once. I have learned from my mistakes and years in the fundraising industry that the best volunteers are always trained in advance. If you don’t have the time to do multiple live webinars, try pre-recording training videos either with a video camera, or via Facebook Live or YouTube Live. In this way you can create on demand training for your volunteers to consume at their leisure before the evening.

4. Provide Each Volunteer with an Individualized Schedule

On the day of the event, give each volunteer an individualized schedule of what they will do, where they are supposed to be, and how to do their job. Make it as easy for them, and you, as possible. This way everyone knows what they are supposed to do and when they are supposed to do it.

If I had a dollar for every time I saw volunteers just standing around looking bored or confused, I could retire. Volunteers are looking to provide your nonprofit organization with their skills and their time and it is shame when these invaluable resources are wasted. It is also offensive to the volunteer, as it shows that your organization does not value them or their time. I used to help nonprofits recruit volunteers through my personal connections as a fundraising auctioneer, but I stopped offering that service long ago. It was frustrating to hear people I knew complain about how they were treated as a volunteer, but I understood where they were coming from. I watched as time after time, volunteers arrived with high spirits and high hopes of a meaningful and productive volunteer experience and leave discouraged, frustrated and mad at the nonprofit organization for wasting their time.

5. Provide Your Volunteers with a Meal

At some point during the evening, provide your volunteers with a meal. And make sure that it is a good meal, something appropriate given that they are donating their time to your organization. Provide them a separate room in which to eat this meal and enjoy a little break from the evening. This is important for a couple of reasons. It allows your volunteers to remove themselves from the evening and gives them a chance to recharge. It also keeps all the tables at the event open for potential donors.

When I work with my nonprofit clients I provide a deep level of consulting as part of my services. One of the biggest pieces of push-back I get during my consulting period with the board, committee, or staff is about how and when to feed volunteers. It is one of my most detested conversations and I consider it a huge waste of time. If I could, I would shout from the rooftops that volunteers should not be seated at the event. Seating your volunteers at the event does a few things that are not beneficial to your organization or your fundraising goals:

You are adding to your event costs by renting another table (or two) plus linens, plates, dishes etc. Each meal they eat takes away from the net income of your event.
Volunteers tend to drink heavily as the event is essentially “free” to them.
Volunteers can be louder and not as focused on the program and fundraising goals. They donated an hour or two of their time and got a free night on the town, why should they pay attention when they can have fun on your organization’s dime.
It looks bad to sponsors and donors. Sponsors, board members, and major donors spend big money to get their own table. If they can get the same treatment for free, why would they continue to sponsor your event? There needs to be some differentiation between donors/sponsors and volunteers and seating them in the same room does not accomplish that goal.
Many nonprofits are afraid of offending their volunteers by telling them they need to eat in another room. The simple fix for this is, if they are interested in sitting for the program in the main dining area, offer them an opportunity to purchase a ticket at a discounted rate, that covers the costs of food, service, and all your rentals.

6. Follow Up with Every Volunteer After the Event

It should go without saying, but just as you follow up with each event attendee you should take the time to follow up with each event volunteer. This can be done by email, a phone call, or an old-fashioned letter. Thank them for donating their time to your nonprofit organization and tell them how much you appreciate their help. This is an incredibly important step that encourages your volunteers to remember the experience positively and want to come back next year. Maybe they’ll even bring their friends!

Most volunteers are the biggest supporters, proponents, and cheerleaders of your nonprofit organization. Making them feel great about their experience helps ensure a long, mutually beneficial relationship. After a charity or Fund-A-Need auction most nonprofits focus their energy solely on their donors and sponsors. Many forget that it takes more than just donations to make an event successful. Be sure to take time the week after the event to either write a handwritten note or make a personal phone call to each volunteer to let them know that they were appreciated.

Interested in Engaging your Board at your Charity Auction Fundraiser? Check out this Blog Post - 4 Ideas for Board Members at Fundraising Events

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Cheap and Easy to Get Vacation Packages for Live Auctions, Silent Auctions, and Raffles

2/19/2018

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Are you on the lookout for great vacation packages to offer in an upcoming live auction, silent auction, or raffle? Feast your eyes on HotGiveAway.com! They specialize in great hotel packages at deeply discounted rates. We’re talking dirt cheap here people! There’s no better way to provide donors with a stellar vacation experience while maximizing donations to your nonprofit organization. Be sure to watch to the end of the video to get the full scoop on this service and how it can benefit your next nonprofit charity event.

Check out what Bloomberg News wrote about us: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...

Charity Auctioneer | Benefit Auctioneer Abra Annes of Generosity Auctions is the top Charity Auctioneer in San Francisco | Sonoma | Napa exclusively focused on Charity Auctions | Fundraising Auctions | Benefit Auctions for NonProfit Organizations. In her videos Abra shares her knowledge so that you can learn her tips, ideas and tricks for nonprofit fundraising.

Generosity Auctions is the leading Charity Auctioneer and Nonprofit Consulting firm in the San Francisco Bay Area. Generosity Auctions is the premier choice for Non-Profit Organizations looking to maximize their event fundraising through Charity Auctions and Fund-A-Need. Together with their client's Generosity Auctions has raised over $80,000,000!!!

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Celebrities + Nonprofits = $$$ How Omaze and Prizeo Increase Donations for Your Nonprofit

2/13/2018

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In today’s increasingly online world it is imperative that nonprofit organizations work to utilize the internet in their fundraising endeavors. Online raffles are a great way for nonprofit organizations to maximize their fundraising dollars. Websites like Omaze and Prizeo make it easy for anyone to host a raffle for once-in-a-lifetime experiences. One of the biggest benefits of hosting a raffle online, rather than in-person, is that it allows the nonprofit to interact with a wider audience, expanding their reach beyond the immediate community. This reach can be expanded even further if the nonprofit has access to celebrities or social media influencers. Websites like Omaze and Prizeo allow nonprofit organizations to offer experiences to anyone on the internet who is a fan or follower of the celebrity or influencer.

Here’s how Omaze and Prizeo work. The nonprofit sets up a raffle, listing the experience that they want to raffle off on the website. Perhaps they are auctioning off two tickets to the Los Angeles opening night of Hamilton as a guest of Lin-Manuel Miranda, or lunch with Kristen Bell. Site visitors pay for as many raffle entries as they like for a chance to win the experience. This type of raffle benefits the nonprofit organization because it generates exposure to a brand new network of people. The brand new network of donors is brought to your raffle when the social media influencer or celebrity tells their followers to donate to win the once-in-a-lifetime experience. At the end of the raffle one lucky winner is chosen at random from the pool of donors.

Omaze and Prizeo are fantastic platforms to use if a nonprofit organization is looking to attract millennial donors. The donation amounts are more manageable for millennials who generally have less buying power than older donors. Millennials are also interested in spending what dollars they do have on experiences rather than things, and they love the idea of getting a little something in return for their donation. So donating to a great cause and getting a little something in return is a win-win.

All nonprofit organizations with access to a celebrity or social media influencer with over 20,000 followers should consider adding online raffles to their repertoire. People who have a global following are more likely to be listed on the site. Collaborating with them can help nonprofits raise the maximum amount of money and increase their following, potentially increasing donations in the future.

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 top Female Charity Auctioneer based in California. Abra is the owner and founder of Generosity Auctions, the premier choice for Nonprofit Organizations looking to maximize their event fundraising.

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Online Raffles: Prizeo and Omaze

50 Crowd-Pleasing Nonprofit Fundraising Ideas

6 Easy Steps to Get the Most Out of the Volunteers at Your Next Fundraising Event

Cheap and Easy to Get Vacation Packages for Live Auctions, Silent Auctions, and Raffles

Celebrities + Nonprofits = $$$ How Omaze and Prizeo Increase Donations for Your Nonprofit

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