No two auctions are alike. Your benefit auction will be different from all the others. From attendance size, to the donors level of giving or buying, your event is unique and it should be treated that way. The only way to raise more money is to create new paths for generating fresh funds so when I was confronted with a last minute situation, I was determined to find a way to set this up for success. The organization wanted to send 45 participants and 15 care staff members to attend a live arts performance. The participants had never seen a live performance at a theatre. Discovering the arts is a vital portion of the organization’s therapy programs that help these participants. We sought generous donors to support the costs that it would take to make this happen. In addition, as a last minute addition, where would this fit in the run-of-show? We were all set and ready to go for the event so it was time to get creative. I devised a strategy to engage the audience. We set up a short live performance by the dance company to give the audience not only an entertainment value, but also an idea of what they would be supporting. The professional dance team performed with live music and they were tremendous. After their thunderous applause, I returned to the stage and explained the tie of the performance with what I was about to do. The video of this entire magical moment is on my video page and on YouTube. There was a need for just and estimated $6,000 dollars to cover costs. I was looking for $10,000. What we received was the result of the compelling strategy. In just :30 seconds, we received $47,000 dollars! That will support a number of trips to the theatre for participants and care staff.
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