The scenario: You've bundled enough donations for four or five big-ticket packages in the live auction. You're confident the group dinner with a private chef, red-hot concert tickets and box suite at the baseball game are going to inspire lucrative bidding wars amongst your donors. That said, your current packages aren't quite enough to fill the 30 to 45 minutes you've allotted for the live auction. Now what?

"When Winspire contacted me, I wasn't interested at first. I used to think consignment took the money out of the room. I'm proud to say I've been proven wrong," shared Keith Jones, benefit auctioneer and CEO of Sayre & Jones Auctioneers, in a recent webinar. "A big part of that is the ability to sell multiples."

The easiest way to set opening bids in your live auction, is to leave it to the pros! Check out these real-life submissions from recent webinar Q&As... "Do fundraising auctioneers typically know how to start the bidding in a live auction, and do you have any recommendations as to what amounts to start at?"

In last week's post, "How many items should be included in a live auction?", we concluded that most events use 7 to 12 items. More important than the quantity, however, is the quality. These 7 to 12 items need to be premium, big-ticket packages worth the high bids you seek. What if you run into trouble filling the live auction with high-caliber donations?

As we kick off 2017, spring fundraising season inches closer and closer. For many event organizers, this can be a stressful time. Check out this recent graphic from USA Today: Indeed, for the fifth year in a row, "Event Coordinators" made the list of the 10 most stressful jobs of 2016 - a trend not likely to change in 2017.

Including no-risk travel in fundraising galas, auctions and raffles is an increasingly popular strategy for nonprofits. Whether you are considering using consignment travel packages for the first time or have been leveraging Winspire Experiences for years, chances are you still have a question or two about how best to use this fundraising tool.

Dear Winspire, Thank you for calling me last week to discuss the use of consignment travel packages in our upcoming live and silent auctions. As much as I enjoyed chatting with you, I wanted to further explain why I passed on your services.

When it comes to procuring auction items, we always encourage nonprofits to think outside the box. After all, your donors are sophisticated philanthropists who attend multiple fundraisers each year, and unique items like travel Experiences keep your event fresh, relevant and interesting. The catch: These items are among the most challenging to get donated.

You already know the importance of thanking donors and guests after a major fundraiser like a charity auction. But are you taking advantage of consignment auction items to raise even more once the event has ended? One of the biggest benefits to including quality consignment auction items, like Winspire trips, in a fundraiser is the ability to sell them multiple times. This means there's virtually limitless ways to increase revenue before, during and (as we'll discuss today) after your auction.

A successful charity auction relies on your ability to procure exciting and appealing auction items for your donors to bid on. Even with a dedicated and knowledgeable auction committee, this can be a daunting task. One way to simplify your procurement efforts and boost the overall revenue of your event is by presenting your guests with a generous offering of both donated and consignment auction items.