In many cases, silent auctions are lucrative fundraisers for nonprofits. Their broad appeal attracts a wide range of participants, they can be paired with a variety of other events to increase the total revenue your organization brings in, and they tend to have a high return on investment (ROI).

When your nonprofit hosts a silent auction, the items are the star of the show. After all, you’ll only hit your fundraising goal by motivating supporters to bid on your high-value prizes! To encourage competitive bidding, showcasing your items in an appealing way is essential, and one way to do this is through well-designed bid sheets. Although bid sheets are primarily a tool to track which auction participants are vying for which items, they can also grab supporters’ attention and provide them with key information to help them decide if and how much to bid on a particular prize.

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.

If you've ever been part of a fundraising auction, you know how important it is to establish not only auction chairs and committees, but an extensive team of reliable, passionate volunteers. On the day of the event, staff and leadership need to prioritize mingling and networking with donors. This means well-trained volunteers are key to the actual execution of your event.

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

Did you know giving back not only helps others - it's good for you?

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression." - Will Rogers, actor

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.

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!

Recently we hosted a webinar with fundraising software provider Greater Giving all about practical tips to describe, display, promote and sell auction packages more effectively. Today we are sharing part I of a lively Q&A session with charity auction organizers around the country.