Make sure you are getting every dollar that can be donated at your event by having great messaging for the Fund a Need – and then have some fun and raise even MORE money at the $100 level with the last paddle raised!

Here are the 5 keys!!

1. Do It Early

The longer you wait the less money you will raise. The best time is typically right before or right after the live auction, prior to dessert and coffee being served.

2. Tell Them Why

Make sure you have an inspiring, speaker, video or photo montage before the auctioneer begins the Fund a Need. It needs to be brief, 3-5 minutes max and it is essential to articulate clearly and concisely why the money is needed. Even if you have a great speaker, I suggest a photo montage showing images of why (sending children to camp, feeding the hungry, providing medical care for the sick or purchasing new equipment). The old saying a picture is worth a thousand words holds true here!

3. Equate Their Donation to Actual Impact

If you can give the donor an idea as to what their donation will buy, it will definitely increase your participation and your bottom line. A guest is more inclined to donate if they can relate the dollar amount to a product or service. For example, a $5000.00 donation will help us buy 10 new iPads for the classroom, a $2500.00 donation will fund bus service for the seniors for a month, or, a $1000.00 donation will fund Equestrian and Animal Interaction Programs that help our children and adult clients with disabilities in our Stein Education Center programs to gain new skills and improve self-esteem. If you can’t tell them what the money is going to be used for they think you don’t need it!!

4. Big Money Donors

If you know of a donor that plans on making a larger cash donation leading up to your event, ask him or her if they would be willing to make their pledge during the Fund a Need portion of the evening. Having a couple of donations at the $10,000, $5,000 or $2500 levels to start things off will help get the donation ball rolling.

5. The Last Chance To Give

We do this at the $100 dollar level. At this level the auctioneer let’s them know we have an Apple watch, a staycation or perhaps a case of wine for the very last donor to raise their paddle at this level. They can raise their paddle more than once but every time it goes up it’s another $100 donated to the charity. So we go for it with tons of passion and enthusiasm to get them to give.

“Thank you bidder number 108… but wait, there’s another donation. I guess the Apple watch goes to bidder 276. Wait, we have another.”

All of these donations still count and we continue to collect for the cause, but is 321 our last donation of the night and the winner of the Apple watch cooler? No! Bidder 111 is in for $100!

This continues until the very last donation is made in the room. In the last three auctions we used the “Run Around,” we have made no less than $4,000 using this system and we call the bidder numbers out until we get to the very last one in the room to donate $100.

For more information on how you can raise more money at your next fundraiser, please feel free to give Mike a call!

Posted by Mike Hogan