Bigger Is Not Always Better

At the end of November, we will be finishing up our final fundraising auctions for the year. The last one on our roster is slated for the Soul River Foundation. Chad Brown is in charge of this not-for-profit aimed at helping inner city kids and veterans who suffer from PTSD. To learn more about the good work he is doing, you can check him out at www.soulriverrunsdeep.com.

This year has already been a big year for growth. All-told, eight new clients joined the srdorsey fundraising team. A couple were very large auctions with over 300 people in attendance and more than a $150K raised in one night! Though the majority came to us as grassroot groups starting up with their first fundraising auctions. Most had limited to no experience in organizing a fundraiser. So we were able to guide and coach them into holding their first auctions, which turned out to be better events than they had imagined possible.

On average, we managed to raise between $20,000 and $50,000 on auction night, which was enough to cover their expenses and provide much needed revenue for these kickstart non-profits. Our success didn't surprise me; but what did, was how difficult it was for these small groups with limited resources, to find an auctioneer who was willing to be paid less to work a smaller auction.

In my experience and opinion; it is even more crucial to hire a professional auctioneer for a smaller and newer auction, than it is for a well-established auction that has been running year upon year. Most auctions take at least three years to establish themselves. Usually in year one, we establish a baseline of funds raised. The next year, we improve a bit more by raising more than we did at the inaugural event. Then by the third year, the tendancy is for the amount of money raised to plateau. But not to worry; because by year three, we have typically tripled the amount we have raised from the first auction!

So whether you are considering your first ever auction or you need to spice up your tenth annual one, we are glad to help you out!

Chad Brown. Photo compliments of www.soulriverrunsdeep.com

Why I do what I do

My last school fundraiser of the season before summer break came up out of the blue. A friend and fellow auctioneer's father died suddenly and he needed a hand to cover a previously booked event. I assured him that I would take care of everything and that he wouldn't have to worry. But what about the auction chair? Was she okay with it? So I called her and she seemed fine with my stepping in. Plus it turned out that this was to be this particular school's first ever auction. Perfect, I thought. A couple of phone calls and emails later, we had her auction sorted out, and its program ready to go to print. I also brought up the idea of including a special appeal. The chair was unsure at first. She wasn't sure if her audience would participate in an appeal. This was a school in a not very high income area. But the auction was raising money towards the remodel of a playground. I thought I could easily sell that idea!

The night quickly arrived. I found myself in a brightly lit multipurpose room. In it was a small stage, a squeaky sound system and a group of excited, young parents enjoying a Saturday night away from the kids. It instantly took me back to where I had originally started my auction career all those years ago. Evenly spaced throughout the room was kids' artwork. That was what I would be auctioning off tonight. It was a total departure from the formal, high society, big ticket events that I've become accustomed to doing. While the majority of the evening's auction items sold for less than $400; with the amount and level of hype and buzz in the room, you would have thought they were going for more like $4,000! When we arrived at the halfway point of the night, I explained how the special appeal would work and how every single dollar raised would get them closer to that new playground for their kids. We started at the modest amount of $250, and worked our way down to $25. In the end, we nearly raised $3,000 in under 10 minutes amongst the less than fifty couples in the room!

The total for the night was around $10,000, which may not sound like a lot to a more established, better-funded school. But everyone in the room that night left feeling like together we raised a million dollars.