Why should you even have a Charity Benefit Gala? We get this question a lot and some Organizations have cancelled or done away with their Galas altogether with a rationale of saving money and resources. They even think they will be viewed in a more positive light than their peers in the non-profit community.
The Rationale normally goes something like this:
"With Online Auctions and E-mail fundraising getting so popular why should we engage in the time, trouble and expense of putting on a big Gala? We can raise the same money by taking items, putting them in an online auction and selling them. Utilizing Facebook and other E-marketing techniques we'll send out our message and generate direct support that way. People will appreciate we are being good stewards of our money and support us even more!"
This can be a very tempting rationale but it is incredibly short sighted. You may save some labor and costs one year but you will find your revenue begins to decrease in the next 5 years because you are not filling your pipeline with new prospects and supporters.
Yes galas are labor intensive and some volunteer committees will do almost anything to avoid actually asking people for money.
(I have been hearing the "Really Nice Letter' argument since 1989 when I started in Profesional Fundraising.)
Galas and Special Events are needed and are extremely valuable to your financial health both in the short term and the long term. Lets take a look at the 7 levels of financial engagement in any organization, Associates, Affiliates, Supporters, Donors, Loyal Donors, Major Donors and Planned Givers and how Special Events affect the long term.
Associates are folks who know about your Organization, have a good feeling about you but not much more. Affiliates are those individuals that cheer for you from the sidelines, identify with your goals but are not involved. You want to turn these individuals into supporters.
Supporters are those that actually contribute something. Time, Talent or Treasure, and you want all three. The Gala Auction is the perfect time to turn these individuals into supporters. I have already written extensively on the "Paddles Up" or "Fund a need" in an earlier post so I will not delve back into the details now, but with that technique and 600 attendees at your event you have turned at least
300 individuals into supporters even though they bought nothing at the Live or Silent Auction. And all 600 who attended have now been exposed to a heartfelt appeal about your mission and what you do.
Now it's time to take those supporters and move them to the next level, Donors. Donors that contribute without an event or tournament but because someone asks them, someone who they know and trust.They know your mission, and they know and trust the volunteer that is asking them. Because they attended your event.
From there some become Loyal Donors that contribute each year on a regular basis. A good way to take Donors and turn them into Loyal Donors is to ask them to help with the Gala or event, and exposing them even more to the mission and the reason funding is needed. This is an especially good technique if you want to move them to the next level, Major Donors.
Now a select group of Loyal Donors can be moved up to Major Donors. This takes time of course and relationship building but a gift of $10,000 or $20,000 annually is worth the time, don't you think?
Finally a few Major Donors become Planned Giving Donors, the top of the pyramid. Bequests, Charitable Remainder Trusts, or Endowment Gifts of $100,000 or more are substantial gifts that provide financial stability for your Organization in the long term.
You need to keep your pipeline filled with new supporters and start moving them up this pyramid of support. The Gala Auction enables current donors and supporters to bring new contacts into your sphere in a fun and exciting way.
Don't abandon it!
Questions? Call us at 512-369-3391 or visit our website at www.austinauctioneer.com
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Profile of a Gala Chair
Profile of a Gala Chair
If you are a Development Director or Executive Director of a Non-Profit and have been around the Charity Benefit/Non-profit world for a few years, you have probably already learned the secret of real success in fundraising. It’s all about the manpower. It is no different when forming a committee for a Benefit Auction. The right people on your committee can make the difference. The right Chair can take your event to new heights and make it the “Must Attend” event of the season. But be cautious! The best thing about working with high level volunteers is that they are strong, independent, aggressive and very resourceful. The worst thing about working with high level volunteers is that they are strong, independent, aggressive and very resourceful. A clear understanding of what is expected is very important and such things can not usually be communicated verbally.
Selecting the right Gala Chair is vital. An Executive director once said to me,
”A key Volunteer should be one of 4 D’s. A Doer, a door opener, a donor, or departed!”.
An organization once asked me what kind of person makes the best chair. I thought about it and prepared this profile/job description for them. It is designed to be shared with a prospect when recruiting them to make sure they understand what is expected of them. Although this is designed for an Auction/Gala chair with a few changes it could be used for a Sporting Clays or Golf Tournament Chair.
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Job Description- Gala Chair
Statement of Purpose of the Organization- Sell your Organization.Something Like:
“The Boy Scouts of America has earned the reputation over the years of being one of the premier charitable organizations in the traditional annual giving campaign arena.” Or “The Greater Denver Chamber of Commerce is the driving force behind the economic vitality and quality of life within the Central Colorado Region”
Attributes of the Chairman ( This is where you flatter your prospect. When they read this they say to themselves, “Me? I’m this kind of person? Well of course I am!” )
The Gala Chair is an individual of affluence and influence in the community. He/She must be well respected in the community and goal oriented. They should have an affinity for (Scouting/The Chamber/ The Shelter) and the values we promote.
The Chair should be someone who has a certain amount of control over their own schedule and someone who can hold others accountable in a positive manner. Above all the Chair MUST be an individual who can and will take ownership of the event and be responsible for the failure or success of the endeavor.
Objective of the Chairman ( Do not be shy here. State your goals and objectives. If they say no to this kind of specific goal they may not be the right person. )
To take ownership of the Gala/Event and successfully recruit and train the necessary volunteers to adequately identify and evaluate the giving ability of potential donors and guests, and to tell our story and share our needs to these potential donors and guests, so that we raise $ 500,000 of the overall $1,300,000 Finance objective by May 31, 2010.
Responsibilities ( Again, be specific. Let them know EXACTLY whats expected. This will help later, trust us!)
A. Accepts the responsibility of assisting with the recruiting of volunteers and promoting the 2010 Gala and the achievement of the goal of $500,000 and the recruitment of top level community Leaders to fill the following positions:
1. Ticket Sales Chair
2. Table Sponsorship Chair
3. Live Auction Chair
4. Silent Auction Chair
5. Entertainment and Logistics Chair
B. Keeps the team on schedule by setting expectations and providing coaching for team when needed.
C. Makes a substantial contribution to the Gala
D. Keeps volunteers motivated and committed to success.
E. Hosts a regular report meeting with key gala leadership.
F. Empowers Committee members to be successful and lend assistance when needed
Notice how it is specific. How much money to be raised? By when? How many positions to be recruited? What kind of positions?
This kind of written job description can save you a lot of headaches. If a Gala chair thinks the Auction/Gala will be a big party and all they have to do is be a “Party Planner” you have lost the opportunity to have a reliable partner and you have potentially left tens of thousands of dollars on the table.
Save yourself time and trouble. Recruit the right Chair at the start.
If you are a Development Director or Executive Director of a Non-Profit and have been around the Charity Benefit/Non-profit world for a few years, you have probably already learned the secret of real success in fundraising. It’s all about the manpower. It is no different when forming a committee for a Benefit Auction. The right people on your committee can make the difference. The right Chair can take your event to new heights and make it the “Must Attend” event of the season. But be cautious! The best thing about working with high level volunteers is that they are strong, independent, aggressive and very resourceful. The worst thing about working with high level volunteers is that they are strong, independent, aggressive and very resourceful. A clear understanding of what is expected is very important and such things can not usually be communicated verbally.
Selecting the right Gala Chair is vital. An Executive director once said to me,
”A key Volunteer should be one of 4 D’s. A Doer, a door opener, a donor, or departed!”.
An organization once asked me what kind of person makes the best chair. I thought about it and prepared this profile/job description for them. It is designed to be shared with a prospect when recruiting them to make sure they understand what is expected of them. Although this is designed for an Auction/Gala chair with a few changes it could be used for a Sporting Clays or Golf Tournament Chair.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Job Description- Gala Chair
Statement of Purpose of the Organization- Sell your Organization.Something Like:
“The Boy Scouts of America has earned the reputation over the years of being one of the premier charitable organizations in the traditional annual giving campaign arena.” Or “The Greater Denver Chamber of Commerce is the driving force behind the economic vitality and quality of life within the Central Colorado Region”
Attributes of the Chairman ( This is where you flatter your prospect. When they read this they say to themselves, “Me? I’m this kind of person? Well of course I am!” )
The Gala Chair is an individual of affluence and influence in the community. He/She must be well respected in the community and goal oriented. They should have an affinity for (Scouting/The Chamber/ The Shelter) and the values we promote.
The Chair should be someone who has a certain amount of control over their own schedule and someone who can hold others accountable in a positive manner. Above all the Chair MUST be an individual who can and will take ownership of the event and be responsible for the failure or success of the endeavor.
Objective of the Chairman ( Do not be shy here. State your goals and objectives. If they say no to this kind of specific goal they may not be the right person. )
To take ownership of the Gala/Event and successfully recruit and train the necessary volunteers to adequately identify and evaluate the giving ability of potential donors and guests, and to tell our story and share our needs to these potential donors and guests, so that we raise $ 500,000 of the overall $1,300,000 Finance objective by May 31, 2010.
Responsibilities ( Again, be specific. Let them know EXACTLY whats expected. This will help later, trust us!)
A. Accepts the responsibility of assisting with the recruiting of volunteers and promoting the 2010 Gala and the achievement of the goal of $500,000 and the recruitment of top level community Leaders to fill the following positions:
1. Ticket Sales Chair
2. Table Sponsorship Chair
3. Live Auction Chair
4. Silent Auction Chair
5. Entertainment and Logistics Chair
B. Keeps the team on schedule by setting expectations and providing coaching for team when needed.
C. Makes a substantial contribution to the Gala
D. Keeps volunteers motivated and committed to success.
E. Hosts a regular report meeting with key gala leadership.
F. Empowers Committee members to be successful and lend assistance when needed
Notice how it is specific. How much money to be raised? By when? How many positions to be recruited? What kind of positions?
This kind of written job description can save you a lot of headaches. If a Gala chair thinks the Auction/Gala will be a big party and all they have to do is be a “Party Planner” you have lost the opportunity to have a reliable partner and you have potentially left tens of thousands of dollars on the table.
Save yourself time and trouble. Recruit the right Chair at the start.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Leverage:More guests and more $$$ to your Auction
More bidders equal more dollars for you in your silent, and especially the “Paddles Up” or “Fund a Need”.
There is a popular show called “Leverage” on TNT right now. It’s all about a group of con men who help out people who need it. They have become the good guys and they bring leverage to bear for respectable reasons. But how can leverage help you at your Gala? How can it increase the number of people that come to your event and generate $10,000 or $20,000 in additional revenue?
The answer is for you to leverage the attendees that are coming or supporters that are not by utilizing them to get more attendees to attend. Mr. John Duffy is on your board. He has been on your board for several years and has been contributing a significant amount to your organization. He believes in the mission but he does not attend your events. He goes to other Galas and Tournaments because his friends invite him. Why not approach him with an idea?
“John, if you can attend the event and bring a table of 8 of your friends and business associates we will have a chance to tell them about what we do. If we explain the need maybe they will be motivated to participate. All you need to do is invite them to a party!”
How many other Galas and events does John get invited to? This is his chance for a little “Payback” (Another great movie).
John does not have to even be on the board, but maybe a good supporter or donor. Think about your list of contributors. Do any of them fit this description? I am big proponent of doing the math. Find 5 of these hidden jewels in your volunteer structure, ask those 5 to get 8 couples to come to the event and let your professional Auction team do the rest. That is 40 new attendees and if you can generate $500 per new attendee that is $20,000 in additional revenue.
Don’t bear the burden alone of trying to fill the room. Ask for help, and you might just get it!
There is a popular show called “Leverage” on TNT right now. It’s all about a group of con men who help out people who need it. They have become the good guys and they bring leverage to bear for respectable reasons. But how can leverage help you at your Gala? How can it increase the number of people that come to your event and generate $10,000 or $20,000 in additional revenue?
The answer is for you to leverage the attendees that are coming or supporters that are not by utilizing them to get more attendees to attend. Mr. John Duffy is on your board. He has been on your board for several years and has been contributing a significant amount to your organization. He believes in the mission but he does not attend your events. He goes to other Galas and Tournaments because his friends invite him. Why not approach him with an idea?
“John, if you can attend the event and bring a table of 8 of your friends and business associates we will have a chance to tell them about what we do. If we explain the need maybe they will be motivated to participate. All you need to do is invite them to a party!”
How many other Galas and events does John get invited to? This is his chance for a little “Payback” (Another great movie).
John does not have to even be on the board, but maybe a good supporter or donor. Think about your list of contributors. Do any of them fit this description? I am big proponent of doing the math. Find 5 of these hidden jewels in your volunteer structure, ask those 5 to get 8 couples to come to the event and let your professional Auction team do the rest. That is 40 new attendees and if you can generate $500 per new attendee that is $20,000 in additional revenue.
Don’t bear the burden alone of trying to fill the room. Ask for help, and you might just get it!
Friday, June 4, 2010
High Dollar Sponsor Packages for your Gala
You need the right kind of bidders to attend your gala. That is just common sense. High Dollar Sponsor Packages can help you fill your Gala with bidders that can spend top dollar on your items and donate to your "Fund a Need" at higher levels. What kind of packages can you offer to entice these individuals of affluence and influence to get them to buy a table and fill it with their freinds and associates? Here is one example from a Gala we are working with:
Blues Legend:- $5000-$7500
- Table for 10 ( Front Row Seating)
-Prominent listing in post event advertising
-Event Advertising
-Two tickets to special lunch with Mack Brown and Ben Barnes
-Autographed Marcia Ball CD
-Complimentary Parking
-Two tickets to VIP after party with Marcia Ball
Blues Rocker:- $3500-$4999
-Tabel for 10 ( Prominent Seating)
-Prominent listing in post event advertisement
-Event Advertising
-Two Tickets to special lunch with Mack Brown and Ben Barnes
-Autographed Marcia Ball CD
Blues Jr. $2000
-Table for 10 (prominent seating)
-Prominent listing in post event advertisement
-Event Advertisement
-Marcia Ball CD
Event Advertisement means Name/Company Logo projected onto a large media screen and prominent advertising in all annual publications of the organization this calendar year.
-
Blues Legend:- $5000-$7500
- Table for 10 ( Front Row Seating)
-Prominent listing in post event advertising
-Event Advertising
-Two tickets to special lunch with Mack Brown and Ben Barnes
-Autographed Marcia Ball CD
-Complimentary Parking
-Two tickets to VIP after party with Marcia Ball
Blues Rocker:- $3500-$4999
-Tabel for 10 ( Prominent Seating)
-Prominent listing in post event advertisement
-Event Advertising
-Two Tickets to special lunch with Mack Brown and Ben Barnes
-Autographed Marcia Ball CD
Blues Jr. $2000
-Table for 10 (prominent seating)
-Prominent listing in post event advertisement
-Event Advertisement
-Marcia Ball CD
Event Advertisement means Name/Company Logo projected onto a large media screen and prominent advertising in all annual publications of the organization this calendar year.
-
Monday, May 17, 2010
Examples of High Dollar "Ego Items"
“Ego” Items gain importance in School Auctions.
I read an article on the Wall Street Journals Website about how important PTA Auctions in New York were becoming in this age of Education Budget cuts.
It mentioned a parent volunteer that had been involved in her child’s school for years all the way back to Pre-K. Beacon School on West 61st in Manhattan is a New York Public School that is a high quality alternative to private education and in order to stay current and competitive raises money for the wide variety of extra curricular activities, arts programs and sports teams.
The School has decided that the annual school auction — the crown jewel of Parent Associations — is the best way to raise a lot of money in one night. They work and plan all year to prepare for the Auction with a six figure goal in mind There items were inspired and I thought I might share them with you. We always talk about “Ego Items” in the Auctions we work on and these are excellent examples!
Internships: Nothing seems to garner parents' attention like internships. At the Dwight School on West 89th Street in Manhattan, parents had the chance to help their kids bypass the interview process and purchase a summer internship at Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, donated by Maureen Case, president of specialty brands at Estée Lauder Co. Starting bid: $6,000. And besides reaping work experience, the Bobbi Brown intern is paid $400 a week.
A $10-an-hour internship with the white-collar criminal defense group at law firm Hughes, Hubbard & Reed, donated by partner Edward Little, started at $2,500. A research internship with Professor Ray Horton, director of the Social Enterprise Program at Columbia Business School, started bids at $2,000—but the internship itself is unpaid.
A student at Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn will work on a CoverGirl ad at Grey New York this summer, donated by the advertising agency's executive vice president Alice Ericsson. Students at Manhattan's Upper West Side Anderson School will get a glimpse of what it is like to work for Google or the United Nations with employee-run private tours of their offices.
Celebrity Appeal: Adrian Grenier, an alumnus of LaGuardia and star of HBO series Entourage, will invite a guest to stay in Los Angeles for three nights at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and have lunch on the "Entourage" set.
News junkies at the Collegiate School on West 78th Street in Manhattan bid on a conversation about foreign affairs with CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour and her husband, James Rubin, former assistant secretary of state. Rob Brown, Poly Prep alum and star of HBO series "Treme," will take auction winners to lunch.
At Loyola School in Manhattan, crime writer James Patterson will use the winning bidder's name as a character in an upcoming thriller. For politicos at Staten Island Academy, New York Sen. Andrew Lanza auctioned off a private breakfast meeting. Eye-Catching: Manhattan's Mandell School head Gabriella Rowe will lead 12 people on a duck-hunting expedition in Melbrook, N.Y., followed by a round of scotch and cigars. At LaGuardia, parents bid on the chance for famous male voice-over artist and alum Les Marshak to record the outgoing message on their answering machine. At Bard High School Early College on East Houston Street in Manhattan, a bidder scored a walk-on part in Broadway musical, "Hair."
Other "Ego Items"
Brooklyn Friends School parent and dog psychic Christine Agro auctioned off a one-hour consultation for the downtown Brooklyn school.
Car lovers at Staten Island Academy started bidding at $4,000 for five hours driving a collection of sports cars, such as a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and Lamborghini LP560. Emergency Tuition:
In case Wall Street hasn't rebounded fast enough for some families, bids also border on the charitable. At Loyola, where tuition starts at $28,000, parents bid on temporary assistance to families that have experienced a "recent and dramatic change in financial circumstances" and can't pay tuition, according to auction materials. Other options include providing support for scholarship students to attend an in-house SAT-prep program.
What I did not see in the article was the mention of a “Paddles Up” program or a “Fund a Need”.
I also noticed that an actor not a professional Auctioneer conducted the Auction.
The result? $140,000 for the weekend Auction. This is not a paltry sum but one that could have been doubled with a few ideas and a professional fundraising Auctioneer advising the committee on item order, logistics and techniques.
One quote that stuck out from the article I read:
“This is a sophisticated New York crowd, if people want to go on a fancy vacation, they’ll buy their own vacation. We have to scour for connections to things that you can’t buy,”
This is on point. The wealthy can buy all the jewelry, trips and automobiles they want. Want to get them excited? Show them something they cannot have.
I read an article on the Wall Street Journals Website about how important PTA Auctions in New York were becoming in this age of Education Budget cuts.
It mentioned a parent volunteer that had been involved in her child’s school for years all the way back to Pre-K. Beacon School on West 61st in Manhattan is a New York Public School that is a high quality alternative to private education and in order to stay current and competitive raises money for the wide variety of extra curricular activities, arts programs and sports teams.
The School has decided that the annual school auction — the crown jewel of Parent Associations — is the best way to raise a lot of money in one night. They work and plan all year to prepare for the Auction with a six figure goal in mind There items were inspired and I thought I might share them with you. We always talk about “Ego Items” in the Auctions we work on and these are excellent examples!
Internships: Nothing seems to garner parents' attention like internships. At the Dwight School on West 89th Street in Manhattan, parents had the chance to help their kids bypass the interview process and purchase a summer internship at Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, donated by Maureen Case, president of specialty brands at Estée Lauder Co. Starting bid: $6,000. And besides reaping work experience, the Bobbi Brown intern is paid $400 a week.
A $10-an-hour internship with the white-collar criminal defense group at law firm Hughes, Hubbard & Reed, donated by partner Edward Little, started at $2,500. A research internship with Professor Ray Horton, director of the Social Enterprise Program at Columbia Business School, started bids at $2,000—but the internship itself is unpaid.
A student at Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn will work on a CoverGirl ad at Grey New York this summer, donated by the advertising agency's executive vice president Alice Ericsson. Students at Manhattan's Upper West Side Anderson School will get a glimpse of what it is like to work for Google or the United Nations with employee-run private tours of their offices.
Celebrity Appeal: Adrian Grenier, an alumnus of LaGuardia and star of HBO series Entourage, will invite a guest to stay in Los Angeles for three nights at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and have lunch on the "Entourage" set.
News junkies at the Collegiate School on West 78th Street in Manhattan bid on a conversation about foreign affairs with CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour and her husband, James Rubin, former assistant secretary of state. Rob Brown, Poly Prep alum and star of HBO series "Treme," will take auction winners to lunch.
At Loyola School in Manhattan, crime writer James Patterson will use the winning bidder's name as a character in an upcoming thriller. For politicos at Staten Island Academy, New York Sen. Andrew Lanza auctioned off a private breakfast meeting. Eye-Catching: Manhattan's Mandell School head Gabriella Rowe will lead 12 people on a duck-hunting expedition in Melbrook, N.Y., followed by a round of scotch and cigars. At LaGuardia, parents bid on the chance for famous male voice-over artist and alum Les Marshak to record the outgoing message on their answering machine. At Bard High School Early College on East Houston Street in Manhattan, a bidder scored a walk-on part in Broadway musical, "Hair."
Other "Ego Items"
Brooklyn Friends School parent and dog psychic Christine Agro auctioned off a one-hour consultation for the downtown Brooklyn school.
Car lovers at Staten Island Academy started bidding at $4,000 for five hours driving a collection of sports cars, such as a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and Lamborghini LP560. Emergency Tuition:
In case Wall Street hasn't rebounded fast enough for some families, bids also border on the charitable. At Loyola, where tuition starts at $28,000, parents bid on temporary assistance to families that have experienced a "recent and dramatic change in financial circumstances" and can't pay tuition, according to auction materials. Other options include providing support for scholarship students to attend an in-house SAT-prep program.
What I did not see in the article was the mention of a “Paddles Up” program or a “Fund a Need”.
I also noticed that an actor not a professional Auctioneer conducted the Auction.
The result? $140,000 for the weekend Auction. This is not a paltry sum but one that could have been doubled with a few ideas and a professional fundraising Auctioneer advising the committee on item order, logistics and techniques.
One quote that stuck out from the article I read:
“This is a sophisticated New York crowd, if people want to go on a fancy vacation, they’ll buy their own vacation. We have to scour for connections to things that you can’t buy,”
This is on point. The wealthy can buy all the jewelry, trips and automobiles they want. Want to get them excited? Show them something they cannot have.
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