Agenda: Finding Items for Your Auction Fundraiser Where to Find the Good Stuff 1. Understand Your Auction Audience 2. Procurement Basics 3. Who, When, and HOW to Ask 4. Online Request Resources 5. Consignment/No-risk Items 6. Q&A
About DonationMatch ● Over $70 Million in donations facilitated ● To 30,000 nonprofits & schools ● From 300 companies 102,000 Donations Approved in 2019
Auction Audience Focus on what your auction audience will bid upon based on: ● Past Event Data: Bestsellers (Most bids, most $ raised, highest $ raised-to-value ratio) ● Uses: Live auction vs. silent auction vs. raffle ● Goals: Amount to raise (# auction items & value) Use your procurement time wisely!
Renee’s Top 10 Auction Packages (continued) Gift-Worthy: ● Outings (amusement parks, escape rooms, museums, birthday parties) ● Date nights (restaurant gift cards, tickets to theatre or festivals, special events) ● Splurges (spa treatments, day off activities, jewelry, electronics) ● Children and fur-children items (toys, shower gift baskets, new products) Practical: ● Everyday spending (store gift cards, personal services, summer camps & classes)
Class Art Great for auction promotion to encourage participation. Create display pages, send targeted emails to the niche audience/class parents. P.S.-These items sold for over $350!
Auction Audience BEWARE OF: ● Assuming every bidder has same interests as you--have diverse offerings ● Hidden terms and conditions (make sure bidders are aware of fine print) ● Collectibles/items with small target market ● Businesses with poor reviews (i.e. Yelp < 3 stars) ● Home parties (ensure first-hand experience, no-strings donation) ● Too many of the same item ● High ratio of # packages to ”buyer units” Every audience is different, especially if event theme or type of event changes.
Procurement Letters Answer the question “What does the donor get out of it?” ● Be nice ● Be direct ● Single page ● Include ALL key information - contact info, deadlines, how donations used and promoted, expected impact of funds raised ● Link to a website that shows how your event will elevate their business - event photos, lists/logos of donors and sponsors ● Easy call to action on letter and website, i.e. “Call xxx-xxx-xxxx for pickup; email to [email protected], mail to….
Stay Organized Make accessible to your committee (Google Folder): ● Printable/email-ready request letters (PDF) ● Media kit with logo, website URL, IRS determination letter, mission, event details to copy/paste into online forms ● Prior event photos, media coverage (should be on website already) ● Spreadsheet of past donors, current asks/who, & responses updated in real-time, i.e. Google Sheet
Who, When, and HOW to Ask for Auction Donations WHO ● Past donors/sponsors ● Board of directors, members, supporters… and their employers ● Your organization’s own vendors, partners, and sponsors ● Wherever you shop/eat out (grocery stores, local shops) ● Aggregated lists: Blogs (Fundraiser Help), Pinterest boards (Auctria, DonationMatch), Facebook Groups (PTO Today Parent Group Leaders) ● Donor networks (DonationMatch, HARO for Giftbag item pitches)
Who, When, and HOW to Ask for Auction Donations WHEN ● ASAP - As soon as event details are finalized ○ Larger national companies may need 60+ days lead time ○ Some companies have inventory only at certain times of year ● May limit frequency of donations, i.e. once per year or every two years
Who, When, and HOW to Ask for Auction Donations HOW ● Look up on websites and reach out the way each company prefers ○ Online form/DonationMatch: Information ready to copy/paste ○ Email: Use an official org email address whenever possible ○ In person: Have letter to leave with manager *Avoid duplication whenever possible, respect donor preferences and instructions, don’t get internally flagged! Keep track of changes on spreadsheets to remember!
Common Donation Requests Online Sports-Related: ● All professional teams donate: NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB ● Most collegiate and minor league teams donate ● Many locally loved sports establishments donate, think high school, tennis center golf courses, batting cage ● Local kids recreational leagues may donate a seasonal registration Family Activities: ● Theme Parks and Amusement: Seasonal, local and large chains donate ● Live & local theatres, cinema Retail Services & Restaurants
Online Request Resource - DonationMatch DonationMatch.com "One-stop shop" access to donated products from companies for silent auctions, raffles, giveaways ● Pros: Free to use and secure at least 3 items, one application, e-delivery of printable gift certificates ● Cons: Selection limited in some areas
Online Request Resource - DonationMatch How It Works 1. Create a DonationMatch login 2. Add your organization profile 3. When verified, add event details 4. Go to “Find Donations” to see eligible items and make requests 5. Will be notified when a donation is approved, how to collect it, how the donor company wants to be thanked 6. Repeat steps 3-5 for future events EXAM PLE
Consignment/No-Risk Auction Items No-Risk Auction Items ● Sports memorabilia, collectibles, vacation & luxury packages ● Not normally able to be donated ● No deposit or obligation to pay for unless sold ● Can work as raffles/opportunity drawing prizes, too! *Get details in writing: shipping, airfare, blackout dates, valid dates, fees expected to be paid by winner (hotel taxes common) i.e. Winspire, DSC Consulting, Villa Encanto, Ezulwini Photo Safari Lodges
Wrap-up, Next Steps Procurement is greatly enhanced by early promotion ● List donors on your website as items arrive ● Start social media early, tag companies ● Promoting items attracts bidders AND other donors ● Track all donors and items in real time with committee (including donor websites) ● Set starting bids strategically moderate for engagement and “emotional” attachment
Wrap-up, Next Steps with the Auctria Platform ● Track all donors & donations ● Dedicated website to promote items and donors ● Set starting bids systematically in the Auctria platform, no calculator required ● Use integrated credit card solutions so bidders swiftly move through registration→ bidding → closeout & payment ● Send receipts & statements to both donors and bidders
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