The holidays are a time where my email box and text messages are landing on my computer and phone from many nonprofits who are seeking a donation for Giving Tuesday. The Tuesday after Thanksgiving has been designated as the day to donate to nonprofit organizations. That one day is a good opportunity to receive a…

Tick, tick, tick. It is always the most viewed brioBlast of the year. It is the list of the best selling live auction packages of the year. I will provide the list on a brioBlast in January so that Auction brio llc. subscribers can see what items, destinations and experiences sold for the highest for…

The list of what is illegal and cannot be sold at an auction is longer than you’d imagine. Most of the time it does not pertain to a benefit auction, but there are laws that must be followed. Always discuss this with your licensed auctioneer and when in doubt, check with state officials to see…

My 2023 benefit action season has just about ended. In two weeks my phone will ring and emails will come in with clients preparing for their events that will be happening in a month. Others will be contacting me to conduct their auctions in 2024. This morning, I had a videoconference call with a client…

What is the time that you are starting your benefit event? What time are you stating that it will end? Is it a weekday event or a weekend event? Are you still at the same starting and ending times as usual? I have seen a change with my clients event times and some other entertainment…

Numbered paddles raised in the air by bidders is likely the most iconic image of an auction. Paddles have been part of auctions for over 2,000 years. Television commercials that contain an auction always have bidders raising paddles. So why would anyone want to eliminate this important tool for bidding? It happens when someone thinks…

Over the past eighteen years I have looked over hundreds of client sponsorship forms. For for the majority of forms you could say, if you’ve seen one form you’ve seen them all. Everyone offers “your logo printed in the program. Your logo projected on the screen. Your logo on our website and social media sites.”…

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…

Every auction should aim to be a new record for raised funds at the gala. That record will come from strategies and excellent planning. Great live auction packages can fall from the sky once in a while, but most of the time, they come from asking. A lot of asking. You can get an idea…

The selection of who leads and manages your event is important. They have a very important role. The Master or Mistress of Ceremonies is the person who will be the face of your organization or your school for that event. Are you selecting the right person who has genuine, personal interest in your mission? Do…