Have you noticed the world of event fundraising is changing every day? Thanks to new technology, increasingly outside-the-box events and changing donor demographics, what’s working today is very different than what worked best just a few years ago.

Nearly all fundraising events can benefit from incorporating a fund-a-need or special appeal into the agenda - but a recent Winspire webinar poll revealed more than 1 in 5 organizations are missing out.

Do you have donors who aren't interested in buying more "stuff" but want to support your cause nonetheless? Nearly all fundraising events can benefit from incorporating a fund-a-need or special appeal. But in a recent Winspire webinar, we learned more than 1 in 5 nonprofits aren't doing a special appeal at all!

"Charity auctions are fundraising events that turn into social events, not social events where you hope to raise money. If done correctly, your guests won't know the difference." - Keith Jones, benefit auctioneer A surefire strategy to entertain your audience AND raise as much money as possible for your cause? Turn to a professional benefit auctioneer.

When it comes to hosting a successful fundraising auction, few can do it alone. You'll need several passionate, organized committee chairs with a laser-sharp focus on specific aspects of your event. What are the most essential event chair roles and responsibilities? And how can you find the right person for each job?

We recently received the following email from a Winspire webinar attendee... EMAIL WINSPIRE NEWS Dear Winspire, My board feels that paying $2,500 for a professional, highly-trained benefit auctioneer is out of line, considering a local personality has offered to facilitate the live auction for $250. How should I respond? ~ Lisa Lisa, this is one of the most common concerns we hear from auction organizers across the country, and it's easy to understand why. The number one priority at a fundraising event is to raise money for your cause. When an opportunity to trim costs by 90 percent comes along, you want to consider it! That said, we've found it's more effective to focus on generating more revenue first - then trim costs where you can.

Whether it's your first or fiftieth auction, chances are you could benefit from employing some new techniques to extract money from the audience. There's virtually always money left to give, and new strategies give you the tools to raise more without making guests feel nickel-and-dimed. Today we're joined by Nelson Jay, the "Bowtie Benefit Auctioneer" based in Seattle, Wash. In a recent episode of our podcast Events with Benefits, Jay provided a bevy of ideas from the cutting edge of event fundraising.

There are many different elements that can make up the program of a fundraising event: speeches, videos, saying grace, singing the national anthem, presenting awards, having a special entertainer and more. But the most important components are the fundraising centerpieces of the night: the fund-a-need, live auction and silent auction. With just a few hours to raise as much revenue as possible, it's imperative the auction timeline keep everyone's focus on fundraising. Indeed, a poorly planned agenda can sink an entire event.

Most event organizers know a big portion of the night's proceeds comes from the fund-a-need, also commonly known as a cash appeal, special appeal or fund-a-cause. Nonetheless, this revenue strategy can be tough to execute properly.

To pull off a successful charity gala, golf tournament, benefit auction and more, profits don't "just happen." Recently we discussed the need for fundraising events to create a profit plan that (1) keeps the focus on fundraising throughout the entire evening and (2) incorporates a wide variety of revenue streams.

The special appeal. The fund-a-need. The funding plea. The "Ask"... The only hotter topic of debate than what to call the special appeal has to be when, exactly, you should schedule it during your charity auction event. Okay, so maybe special appeal placement isn't exactly a burning debate, but it's certainly a subject of discussion within the fundraising community... and it's not hard to see why.