Answer Upon - 10 Tips for a Running a Silent and Live Charity Auction

1. Choose the right date for your silent and/or live auction

Choosing the right date for your auction is critical. Most auctions are held in either the spring or the fall. Summer is not a good time to hold a major event since many guests may be vacationing. Winter is also considered a bad time of year as many are preparing or recovering from the holidays. Fall is normally considered the best time of year to hold an auction because many of your guests are beginning to get into the holiday shopping mood and may find that what you have to offer is on their shopping list. Weekend evenings are the most popular time to hold auctions since most auctions last well into the night.

2. Pick the right auctioneer for your live auction

You have two choices, a professional auctioneer or a volunteer. This decision generally comes down to the following considerations. A professional auctioneer will charge for their services. However, they will auction more gifts faster and for more money. A professional auctioneer can auction approximately 75 items in an evening, at 20-25% higher than an amateur auctioneer. If you are running a small auction, you may want to use a volunteer. It might also make sense to use a volunteer if you have someone in your organization that has a great personality and is known by many of your potential guests. Best of all, they are free. However, volunteers can cause the evening to run very late and ruin the opportunity to get guests to return to future auctions.

3. Use the most effective strategy for acquiring gifts for both your silent auction and your live auction

Teams provide the moral support necessary to approach a potential donor. Additionally, using teams helps ensure that the paperwork is completed properly. When setting up teams, pay attention to personal dynamics. Certain team members will be more comfortable asking donors for gifts than others. These individuals should be teamed up with team members who do not necessarily have this talent. Also, this allows teams to share the workload by allowing the more reserved person to take on tasks which are more suited to them (documentation, collection of the gifts, etc.).

4. Obtain tangible gifts for both your silent auction and your live auction whenever possible

Many businesses, especially restaurants, will offer to provide you with gift certificates instead of actual gifts. Focus on local businesses that can donate tangible items. You should not turn away businesses that can only provide gift certificates, but they should not be the focus of your campaign. Tangible gifts create a very exciting auction night environment. Just imagine an auction with no actual gifts, but rather just a bunch of gift certificates lying around on a silent auction table. Secondly, a gift certificate is only going to bring in the amount on the certificate, or unfortunately, sometimes not even that. A tangible gift is much more likely to bring in a value that exceeds its real value. 

5. Know what to put in your "Auction Packet"

The auction packet is given to guests when they arrive. Some of the items you should include in your packet are:

• The auction program
• Addendum to auction Catalog
• Organization fact sheets
• Auction rules
• Payment options
• Advertising
• Silent auction table closing times
• Drink coupons
• Raffle tickets
• Flyers for other upcoming events
• Auction paddles

6. Close down the silent auction tables properly

Closing down the silent auction can be a bit tricky. There may still be several bidders bidding on the same item right up until the closing time. To prevent a situation that is perceived as unfair, it is important that the table be closed at exactly the time advertised. It is a good idea to announce the closing of table at prescribed intervals before, such as 15 minutes, 5 minutes, etc. This helps to get interested bidders to enter their "best and final" offer before the time for bidding expires. It is also helpful to close different sections of the silent auction at different times, to allow your volunteers time to pick up all the bid sheets quickly. 

7. Take advantage of other opportunities to make money at your auction

Admission fees, the sale of beer, wine and cocktails, raffles, door prizes and the sale of advertising in your program are a few of the ways you can augment your auction revenue. 

8. Send out invitations for your auction

If you are lucky enough to have a database of your members or guests from previous auctions then you can send out formal invitations. The design of your invitation can range from very simple to very elegant. Your should mail them approximately 90 days before your event to make sure your guests have not already made other plans for the evening. You should also develop a plan to send out reminders at periodic intervals to those who have not sent in their RSVP. Remember, RSVPs also tell you who has declined, which reduces the number of reminders you need to send. 

9. Know the laws regarding silent and live auctions and stay out of trouble

Fundraising events create tax consequences for the guest and the organization hosting the event. According to the IRS; "A donor cannot claim a tax deduction for any single contribution of $250 or more unless the donor obtains a contemporaneous, written acknowledgment of the contribution from the recipient organization." Also, "A donor may only take a contribution deduction to the extent that his/her contribution exceeds the fair market value of the goods or services the donor receives in return for the contribution; therefore, donors need to know the value of the goods or services.

10. Use checklists to make sure everything goes smoothly

• Room reservation checklist
• Room setup checklist
• Refreshments checklist
• Sound system checklist
• Check-in checklist
• Check-out checklist
• Raffle and door prize checklist
• Silent auction checklist
• Live auction checklist
• Auction cleanup checklist Poems In Training - A Metaphor For Success
  Poems and stories can provide powerful metaphors in training, particularly when you are trying to get a motivational point across. If you think about the things you remember from your past education, you will probably note that most of them have come from rhymes or stories of some kind. I mean how did you learn to say your A,B,C's? I bet you're even saying the rhyme in your head right now!I find that participants respond extremely well when you sum up a topic with a rhyme that fits the occasion and there are so many wonderful examples to be taken from past literature that it really doesn't have to take too much time looking for them either. An example of this for me was the subject of 'procrastination'. I really struggled to get the point across to learners when approaching what is a pretty dry ght also make sense to use a volunteer if you have someone in your organization that has a great personality and is known by many of your potential guests. Best of all, they are free. However, volunteers can cause the evening to run very late and ruin the opportunity to get guests to return to future auctions.

  3. Use the most effective strategy for acquiring gifts for both your silent auction and your live auction

  Teams provide the moral support necessary to approach a potential donor. Additionally, using teams helps ensure that the paperwork is completed properly. When setting up teams, pay attention to personal dynamics. Certain team members will be more comfortable asking donors for gifts than others. These individuals should be teamed up with team members who do not necessarily have this talent. Also, this allows teams to share the workload by allowing the more reserved person to take on tasks which are more suited to them (documentation, collection of the gifts, etc.).

  4. Obtain tangible gifts for both your silent auction and your live auction whenever possible

  Many businesses, especially restaurants, will offer to provide you with gift certificates instead of actual gifts. Focus on local businesses that can donate tangible items. You should not turn away businesses that can only provide gift certificates, but they should not be the focus of your campaign. Tangible gifts create a very exciting auction night environment. Just imagine an auction with no actual gifts, but rather just a bunch of gift certificates lying around on a silent auction table. Secondly, a gift certificate is only going to bring in the amount on the certificate, or unfortunately, sometimes not even that. A tangible gift is much more likely to bring in a value that exceeds its real value. 

  5. Know what to put in your "Auction Packet"

  The auction packet is given to guests when they arrive. Some of the items you should include in your packet are:

  • The auction program
  • Addendum to auction Catalog
  • Organization fact sheets
  • Auction rules
  • Payment options
  • Advertising
  • Silent auction table closing times
  • Drink coupons
  • Raffle tickets
  • Flyers for other upcoming events
  • Auction paddles

  6. Close down the silent auction tables properly

  Closing down the silent auction can be a bit tricky. There may still be several bidders bidding on the same item right up until the closing time. To prevent a situation that is perceived as unfair, it is important that the table be closed at exactly the time advertised. It is a good idea to announce the closing of table at prescribed intervals before, such as 15 minutes, 5 minutes, etc. This helps to get interested bidders to enter their "best and final" offer before the time for bidding expires. It is also helpful to close different sections of the silent auction at different times, to allow your volunteers time to pick up all the bid sheets quickly. 

  7. Take advantage of other opportunities to make money at your auction

  Admission fees, the sale of beer, wine and cocktails, raffles, door prizes and the sale of advertising in your program are a few of the ways you can augment your auction revenue. 

  8. Send out invitations for your auction

  If you are lucky enough to have a database of your members or guests from previous auctions then you can send out formal invitations. The design of your invitation can range from very simple to very elegant. Your should mail them approximately 90 days before your event to make sure your guests have not already made other plans for the evening. You should also develop a plan to send out reminders at periodic intervals to those who have not sent in their RSVP. Remember, RSVPs also tell you who has declined, which reduces the number of reminders you need to send. 

  9. Know the laws regarding silent and live auctions and stay out of trouble

  Fundraising events create tax consequences for the guest and the organization hosting the event. According to the IRS; "A donor cannot claim a tax deduction for any single contribution of $250 or more unless the donor obtains a contemporaneous, written acknowledgment of the contribution from the recipient organization." Also, "A donor may only take a contribution deduction to the extent that his/her contribution exceeds the fair market value of the goods or services the donor receives in return for the contribution; therefore, donors need to know the value of the goods or services.

  10. Use checklists to make sure everything goes smoothly

  • Room reservation checklist
  • Room setup checklist
  • Refreshments checklist
  • Sound system checklist
  • Check-in checklist
  • Check-out checklist
  • Raffle and door prize checklist
  • Silent auction checklist
  • Live auction checklist
  • Auction cleanup checklist Medical Billing - Distributing Duties
    It doesn't matter whether your a large medical billing company or a small one. The last thing you want to do is to have one person do everything, as if that was even possible. This will only lead to disaster. The reason is simple. Medical billing involves more than just typing up a bill to send to an insurance carrier. There are so many behind the scenes activities, especially if you're using DME software, that one person can't possibly do it all. Below is just a basic list of personnel you're going to need in order to run an efficient operation.Starting from the ground floor up, the first thing you need to do is get the personnel required to actual setup your network and install your system. Please don't leave this to data entry personnel or to yourself unless you are good at networking ould not turn away businesses that can only provide gift certificates, but they should not be the focus of your campaign. Tangible gifts create a very exciting auction night environment. Just imagine an auction with no actual gifts, but rather just a bunch of gift certificates lying around on a silent auction table. Secondly, a gift certificate is only going to bring in the amount on the certificate, or unfortunately, sometimes not even that. A tangible gift is much more likely to bring in a value that exceeds its real value. 

    5. Know what to put in your "Auction Packet"

    The auction packet is given to guests when they arrive. Some of the items you should include in your packet are:

    • The auction program
    • Addendum to auction Catalog
    • Organization fact sheets
    • Auction rules
    • Payment options
    • Advertising
    • Silent auction table closing times
    • Drink coupons
    • Raffle tickets
    • Flyers for other upcoming events
    • Auction paddles

    6. Close down the silent auction tables properly

    Closing down the silent auction can be a bit tricky. There may still be several bidders bidding on the same item right up until the closing time. To prevent a situation that is perceived as unfair, it is important that the table be closed at exactly the time advertised. It is a good idea to announce the closing of table at prescribed intervals before, such as 15 minutes, 5 minutes, etc. This helps to get interested bidders to enter their "best and final" offer before the time for bidding expires. It is also helpful to close different sections of the silent auction at different times, to allow your volunteers time to pick up all the bid sheets quickly. 

    7. Take advantage of other opportunities to make money at your auction

    Admission fees, the sale of beer, wine and cocktails, raffles, door prizes and the sale of advertising in your program are a few of the ways you can augment your auction revenue. 

    8. Send out invitations for your auction

    If you are lucky enough to have a database of your members or guests from previous auctions then you can send out formal invitations. The design of your invitation can range from very simple to very elegant. Your should mail them approximately 90 days before your event to make sure your guests have not already made other plans for the evening. You should also develop a plan to send out reminders at periodic intervals to those who have not sent in their RSVP. Remember, RSVPs also tell you who has declined, which reduces the number of reminders you need to send. 

    9. Know the laws regarding silent and live auctions and stay out of trouble

    Fundraising events create tax consequences for the guest and the organization hosting the event. According to the IRS; "A donor cannot claim a tax deduction for any single contribution of $250 or more unless the donor obtains a contemporaneous, written acknowledgment of the contribution from the recipient organization." Also, "A donor may only take a contribution deduction to the extent that his/her contribution exceeds the fair market value of the goods or services the donor receives in return for the contribution; therefore, donors need to know the value of the goods or services.

    10. Use checklists to make sure everything goes smoothly

    • Room reservation checklist
    • Room setup checklist
    • Refreshments checklist
    • Sound system checklist
    • Check-in checklist
    • Check-out checklist
    • Raffle and door prize checklist
    • Silent auction checklist
    • Live auction checklist
    • Auction cleanup checklist An Introduction To Labels
      A label is a tag attached with an adhesive, used for the purpose of identifying an object or its contents. Labels can come in several forms and can be distinguished by the kind of stock (base material) that they are printed upon, or by the adhesive that they use. The most common type of label is prepared with a paper stock and is colloquially called a sticker. Labels have several uses, from name tags to the identification of products.The stock types include litho, which is a common base stock; latex, which is litho with added latex that allows it to be more flexible and convenient to use around curved objects; foil, which has the properties of a metal foil; and thermal, which has the ability to change color (generally black) upon heating. Also, there are various plastics including vinyl, acetateem right up until the closing time. To prevent a situation that is perceived as unfair, it is important that the table be closed at exactly the time advertised. It is a good idea to announce the closing of table at prescribed intervals before, such as 15 minutes, 5 minutes, etc. This helps to get interested bidders to enter their "best and final" offer before the time for bidding expires. It is also helpful to close different sections of the silent auction at different times, to allow your volunteers time to pick up all the bid sheets quickly. 

      7. Take advantage of other opportunities to make money at your auction

      Admission fees, the sale of beer, wine and cocktails, raffles, door prizes and the sale of advertising in your program are a few of the ways you can augment your auction revenue. 

      8. Send out invitations for your auction

      If you are lucky enough to have a database of your members or guests from previous auctions then you can send out formal invitations. The design of your invitation can range from very simple to very elegant. Your should mail them approximately 90 days before your event to make sure your guests have not already made other plans for the evening. You should also develop a plan to send out reminders at periodic intervals to those who have not sent in their RSVP. Remember, RSVPs also tell you who has declined, which reduces the number of reminders you need to send. 

      9. Know the laws regarding silent and live auctions and stay out of trouble

      Fundraising events create tax consequences for the guest and the organization hosting the event. According to the IRS; "A donor cannot claim a tax deduction for any single contribution of $250 or more unless the donor obtains a contemporaneous, written acknowledgment of the contribution from the recipient organization." Also, "A donor may only take a contribution deduction to the extent that his/her contribution exceeds the fair market value of the goods or services the donor receives in return for the contribution; therefore, donors need to know the value of the goods or services.

      10. Use checklists to make sure everything goes smoothly

      • Room reservation checklist
      • Room setup checklist
      • Refreshments checklist
      • Sound system checklist
      • Check-in checklist
      • Check-out checklist
      • Raffle and door prize checklist
      • Silent auction checklist
      • Live auction checklist
      • Auction cleanup checklist Convenience Store Supply Helps Retailers Deliver on Promise
        Convenience stores by nature have a singular brand promise: convenience. But in a fast-paced retail environment, the busiest of stores struggle to live up to that commitment. Some retailers are taking a step back and discovering opportunities to improve on convenience by rethinking their supply and fixture layout.They’re recognizing opportunities to improve flow and better address their customers’ needs quickly and efficiently. If a store is properly staffed for its typical daily traffic, there should be no reason for lines and congestion. Convenience store managers need to realize the importance of efficient design in delivering on the promise of the industry.Store layout plays a big role in improving efficiency and convenience. It demands a customer-centric approach that allows managersls to those who have not sent in their RSVP. Remember, RSVPs also tell you who has declined, which reduces the number of reminders you need to send. 

        9. Know the laws regarding silent and live auctions and stay out of trouble

        Fundraising events create tax consequences for the guest and the organization hosting the event. According to the IRS; "A donor cannot claim a tax deduction for any single contribution of $250 or more unless the donor obtains a contemporaneous, written acknowledgment of the contribution from the recipient organization." Also, "A donor may only take a contribution deduction to the extent that his/her contribution exceeds the fair market value of the goods or services the donor receives in return for the contribution; therefore, donors need to know the value of the goods or services.

        10. Use checklists to make sure everything goes smoothly

        • Room reservation checklist
        • Room setup checklist
        • Refreshments checklist
        • Sound system checklist
        • Check-in checklist
        • Check-out checklist
        • Raffle and door prize checklist
        • Silent auction checklist
        • Live auction checklist
        • Auction cleanup checklist

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