Fall Ride

The weather was perfect here in Portland this weekend. The smoke and ash from the nearby Columbia Gorge fires had cleared; so I decided to head out on my bike for a couple of motorcycle events.

Saturday, I headed over to Cycle Heaps annual fall swap meet. I'd been looking for a couple parts for my Honda CBX. Though I didn't find what I was looking for, I did come across this old 1965 Yamaha 80 80 that I liked. I ended up leaving empty-handed

On Sunday, I joined my friend Glen for a ride over to the Lighthouse Inn. We ended up in Linnton to join the Sang Froid Riding Club for its annual fall ride. The Sang Froid Club is a two-stroke motorcycle club, but this year they allowed a few of us four-strokers to join in on the ride too. There was a good mix of bikes. All-in-all, about three dozen bikes showed up. The ride took us on the old Vernonia Highway and along the Nehalem River. I met some great people and had a blast on the ride.

Fall is Here

I had a great summer this year. Though like most of them, it went by too quickly. I had a chance to do a couple road trips - out to the Oregon Coast, the Gorge and up to Vancouver Canada, my favorite city, second to Portland. I feel really lucky to live here in the Pacific Northwest and I get out as often as I can, to enjoy all that it has to offer.

I had a pretty easy summer in regards to my workload. Without the weekly trips between Portland and Seattle, I was only on a plane every other week. Summer isn't a particularly busy time for fundraisers; though we had a couple of fundraising auctions. So I get to start this fall fundraising season completely refreshed and ready to go.

We're working on a couple of exciting new ventures for the New Year. As soon as we have some 2016 details finalized and dates set, we'll make an announcement. Keep checking back here to be in the know.

Ali, our one-woman Communications team, will also be starting a seasonal e-newsletter to keep srdorsey clients and friends appraised of what's happening. So if you want to stay current on the world of auctions or where we are and what we're doing; drop me a line and we'll make sure we keep in touch with you. Please feel free to include any topic requests or inquiries and we'll do our best to help you out.

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Fall Fundraising

Fall fundraising season is already right around the corner.

Even as kids are getting back into the classroom, fundraising season preparations have already been underway. This year, I have auctions booked from September that continue into December. Despite twenty-five years in the business, this is a first for me.

I have always felt that there were more advantages of having your auction in the fall, as opposed to waiting till spring to hold your traditional auction. One of the main advantages is that there is less competition with other non-profits who are trying to attract the same patrons. I also prefer fall auctions, as the fundraisers tend to have a more relaxed feel to them. It's a nice escape from the wind and rain outside, where you can enjoy warm conversation with some friends over a couple glasses of your favorite Oregon Pinot. All of that, while raising your bid card in support of a worthy cause.

Just as the days get shorter in the fall, so do the auctions. The trend of having only a few select items for auction followed by a special appeal is fast becoming the norm. While not technically the fall, I auctioneered at a late summer fundraising event. We auctioned off three items and then we did a special appeal. With just over a hundred people in attendance, the organization netted close to $40K. Not bad for a 30-minute gig.

See you next at the Big Green Benefit or the Governors' Gold Awards.