yOUR fUNDRAISING pARTNER

Are you looking for a fundraising partner? One who stays up to date on all the latest trends while having a deep understanding of the fundamentals of fundraising? Whether you are organizing a gala, school auction, or a paddle raise only event - a professional benefit auctioneer can help you achieve and often exceed your fundraising goals.

So, what exactly does a professional benefit auctioneer bring to the table? If you work with an auctioneer that has the BAS designation from the National Association of Auctioneers you will be working with an auctioneer that has the training and experience to directly support your fundraising event. And with this education and experience they can offer you a range of services to support you in all aspects of your event.

What difference does a BAS designation make? In addition to having to attend a 3 day designation academy class that is designed to cover the latest in best practices for fundraising events - all designees are required to complete 24 hrs of continuing education every three years to maintain their designation - ensuring that they stay up to date the latest industry trends and provide you with the most up to date best practices. 

The value of a BAS designation extends beyond formal education. Many BAS auctioneers actively network with peers nationwide, sharing real-time data on successful strategies.  Additionally, while many of the nonprofits we work with only organize one fundraising event a year - your professional auctioneer is working an average of 25-55 events on their own and many work with teams who are working 100-300 events a year. What does this mean? It means they have extensive data on what is working and not working every single fundraising season. You can benefit from this experience and trust your professional auctioneer is bringing solid data to the table to give you what is actually working.

In addition to night of event fundraising host and ambassador services (emcee, live auction, and a professionally executed paddle raise) - most BAS auctioneers will also consult on your event to provide you with best practices on your run of show, script, storytelling, procurement efforts, live auction, paddle raise strategy, additional revenue generators such as raffles and games, as well as marketing and even donor development strategies. They can help you think through how many live auction items you need, whether you should use consignment items or not, what kind of format and dinner service would work best, how to thank your sponsors, how to best incorporate awards, as well as referrals to vendors who will support your efforts in crafting a successful event.

To maximize the benefits of your relationship with an auctioneer, it's crucial to involve them early in the planning process. While some may view auctioneers as mere entertainment and consider hiring them as an afterthought, seasoned nonprofit professionals and event chairs recognize the importance of reaching out 6-9 months in advance, and sometimes even a year. Many expert auctioneers book their calendars well within 6-12 months in advance for popular event dates.

The sooner you reach out the sooner you can take advantage of your relationship with your auctioneer and involve them in your strategy and planning meetings so they can help set you up for success. Want to explore what a professional benefit auctioneer can do for you? Reach out and let’s explore how we can partner together to create your best event yet!
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