Which type of fundraising event makes the most money in the shortest amount of time? Is it golf tournaments, galas, 5K run/walks, raffles?

When your fundraising event countdown passes the 3-month mark, it's a good time to celebrate what you have accomplished and make final pushes to reach your goals. How will you ramp up your social media strategy? Which potential event sponsors and underwriters haven't yet responded? How many Fund-a-Need pre-donations have been collected? That's a lot of priorities to balance at once.

Planning a summer fundraising event? As the big day gets closer, there are countless details to finalize: the auction items, your social media strategy, event sponsors and more.

Charity auction success depends on expertise: knowing what to do to make the most of every opportunity and auction item. Arguably just as important is knowing what not to do, and that's what we're going to share today. In season 5 of popular NBC sitcom The Office, boss Michael Scott decides to hold a charity auction (called C.R.I.M.E. A.I.D.*) to replace stolen items after a break-in.

If you've ever helped organize a fundraising event, it won't surprise you to hear event planning is certified tough. In fact, according to CareerCast's Most Stressful Jobs of 2018 list, 'Event Coordinator' is the fifth most stressful job out there!

What's the best way to arrange seating in a live auction? As always, it's imperative to think like a pro when planning a fundraising event.

When it comes to charity auctions, procuring quality items tends to be auction organizers' biggest challenge. Once you do wrangle those big-ticket items, are you all set? Not so fast - it's now time to consider the order in which they're presented.

In photography, the golden hour is the time shortly after sunrise or before sunset when daylight is redder, softer, and perfect for capturing precious memories. In medicine, it's the first hour after serious injury. Time is of the essence, and the earlier emergency treatment is administered, the better. In charity fundraising events, the golden hour is the peak time of your program to launch the #1 revenue generator of the night: the live auction.

When nonprofits have hosted the same event for years, it's common to reach a plateau. Wondering how you can break through a slump and once again generate record profits?

When it comes to charity auctions, many organizers simply "don't know what they don't know." Unfortunately, a lack of professional expertise is the #1 reason events fall short of their revenue goals. To help provide the expertise needed for success, we interviewed Cheryl Parker, certified benefit auctioneer specialist in San Diego, Calif., for a recent episode of event fundraising podcast Events with Benefits. Parker shares her simple - yet often overlooked - strategies for generating as much revenue as possible at auction events.