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auction

Did coronavirus cancel your school auction? Here is what one elementary school did – with Becky Urbano

#010 – Becky Urbano is the auction chair for her elementary school.  Their auction was scheduled to take place just days before the shelter in place was ordered due to the coronavirus pandemic.  She and her team had to scramble to change course fast.  In a matter of days, they had to cancel vendors and move their event online to a virtual one.  They lost deposit funds paid to vendors, but they were able to minimize other losses and still had a successful event.  They used social media more than they had in the past to inform the community and drive excitement. 

They had to scramble fast to scrap their physical event and go virtual.  They did the best they could with the hand they were dealt, but still raised money.   Do what you can and don’t worry about what was planned.  This covid-19 crisis has taught us that we have to do things differently.  You have to think out of the box.

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Resources

SchoolAuction.net

Other Resources

Groupfinity COVID-19 Q&A

Facebook Live

3 Key Takeaways  

#1 Don’t be afraid to ask your guests to donate their ticket funds

#2 Be proactive and emotions must take a back seat  

#3 Prepare for the worst case scenario     

Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode

[1:51] We were under pressure from the district to postpone 4 days before the event
[2:35] We were proactive and we looked at other options
[3:36] It was very clear that our event was not going to happen
[4:02] We lost our deposits, but we did not have to incur additional costs
[5:24] All guests donated cash paid for tickets
[7:15] Our decision to go virtual
[8:28] We had to go through our items to determine what could still be offered
[9:16] We quickly pivoted to an online event
[9:41] Using SchoolAuction.net was a big benefit to us
[10:53] We had to adjust our expectations
[11:20] The online only event did not generate as much as the historical live event
[12:43] We generated about 50% of what we would have fundraised
[14:00] You always have to be prepared for the worst case scenario
[14:30] The biggest thing I learned was the importance of being proactive
[15:20] We used social media more than ever before
[16:20] I had not done Facebook Live and now I've done several
[17:24] How we used Facebook Live

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GroupFinity
Posted in PodcastTagged annual event, auction, canceled, community, coronavirus, coronavirus crisis, covid-19, donation, donor, elementary school, events, FAQ, fundraiser, fundraising, gala, group, leader, mission-driven organization, nonprofit, organization, parent, PFC, postpone, PTA, PTO, questions, refund, registration, school auction, shelter at home, social distance, sponsors, ticket, virtual event, volunteer organization, will coronavirus stop

Coronavirus impacting your fundraising? Here’s what to do – with Christy Noel

#009 – This is my interview with Christy Noel, VP of Marketing at MobileCause.  Nonprofits use MobileCause’s online and event fundraising software to boost their fundraising efforts.  This episode was recorded in early April when organizations were faced with having to cancel or postpone their events due to the coronavirus pandemic crisis.  The social distancing and stay at home orders as a result of the coronavirus pandemic are adversely impacting nonprofit organizations’ fundraising events. You may have to decide to cancel your event.  Local authorities may force you to cancel your event. Christy shares what you can do. Specifically, she talks about transforming “in person” events to virtual ones.  

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Resources

MobileCause

MobileCause Resources

What do do if your event is canceled due to coronavirus

Live event thermometer video

Enhanced text messaging video

Coronavirus communication templates

Virtual fundraising ideas

Other Resources

Groupfinity COVID-19 Q&A

Vimeo

3 Key Takeaways

#1 Don’t drag your feet on moving to a virtual event.     

#2 Don’t assume you need to refund your ticket/registration funds.  Communicate with your guests and sponsors and come up with a way forward that works for both sides.

#3 Add value to your sponsors by continuing to promote them.  

You need to continue communicating with your guests and sponsors.  Let them know what you are doing. Let them know how they can help.  Don’t assume they know.  

Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode

[2:02] Spring events are going virtual
[2:33] Organizations are continuing to fundraise
[3:30] Organizations are pulling the plug on live events scheduled in the next 3 months
[3:57] Outside of June, organizers are moving ahead cautiously
[4:34] Going forward, live events will have a virtual component
[8:25] Communicate - don't assume you need to refund ticket sales / registration funds if your event changes
[9:00] Ask your guests and sponsors how they want to handle the funds they paid
[10:02] Continue to promote your sponsors
[10:58] Multi-channel communication
[14:15] Recalibrate your expectations when you go virtual
[14:40] You still need to promote your event after you decide to go virtual
[17:00] Livestream your event
[20:15] Test your set-up before you go live (livestream)
[21:37] Make sure you have good audio
[22:46] Do not drag your feet about going virtual
[24:40] Virtual events can expand your reach

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GroupFinity
Posted in PodcastTagged annual event, auction, canceled, community, coronavirus, coronavirus crisis, covid-19, donation, donor, events, FAQ, fundraising, gala, group, leader, mission-driven organization, mobilecause, nonprofit, organization, postpone, questions, refund, registration, shelter at home, social distance, sponsors, ticket, virtual event, volunteer organization, will coronavirus stop

Will Coronavirus (COVID-19) stop my nonprofit event? Sam Swaim shares her insights.

#008- This is my interview with Sam Swaim who is the co-founder of Swaim Strategies and we explore the question – Will coronavirus stop my nonprofit event?  Swaim Strategies works with nonprofits, large and small, to bring people together through events. This episode was recorded shortly after many local government authorities implemented restrictions on large gatherings due to the coronavirus crisis.  Many organizations had events planned and were wondering if they could or should still host their event. In this episode, we talk about what the decisions leaders of organizations are grappling with. Sam shares what she is seeing and hearing from nonprofit event organizers.  On the one hand, you don’t want to host an event that is not safe for your community. On the other hand, you may have extended substantial financial resources towards the event. What happens if you are forced to cancel your event because your local authorities have put a “shelter at home” order in place.  What can you do to protect your organization’s finances?

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Resources

Swaim Strategies

The Show Must Go on – Fundraising Despite the Odds

Zoom

Google Hangout

Vimeo

COVID-19 Fundraising Principles by Steven Screen

3 Key Takeaways

#1 If your event is before May 2020 you have 3 options:  

  1. Cancel
  2. Postpone
  3. Go virtual

#2  Be open, honest, and transparent with your community, vendors, and partners

#3 Everyone is challenged so don’t ignore what is going on and don’t be tone-deaf.  

Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode

[4:10] Events between March and May are being canceled, postponed, or are going virtual
[4:30] Be careful moving forward with a live event - you may be taking on liability
[4:50] Don't stop fundraising
[5:06] It is a good time to invest in donor relationships
[5:18] Are you still obligated to fulfill your event contract(s)
[6:15] This is not a time to think individually, it's a time to think collectively
[7:35] Vendors are working with event organizers to move to another 2020 date
[8:43] Be honest, be open, and be collaborative with your partners
[9:29] Force Majeure clause can free you from your contract
[10:55] Get on the phone and collaborate
[13:30] Creative ways to move forward with your event
[16:23] How do you strike the appropriate tone while fundraising during these times?
[16:52] Talk about how the coronavirus crisis is impacting your organization
[17:40] What should I do with the funds from tickets/registrations?
[18:52] You need to offer a refund as an option
[20:00] How should I communicate my plan? How far in advance?
[20:37] Cancel, postpone, or go virtual
[21:56] If your event goes virtual, have clear communication before, during, and after your event
[22:55] Meet your donors where they are communicating
[23:49] Put your plan on your website
[25:15] Change your social media messaging - the world has changed
[26:58] Include consignment travel in your auction
[30:41] Use challenges in your fundraising
[31:55] Ask your partners to match gifts
[32:50] Make sure you engage in your virtual events
[34:09] Tools people are using
[38:18] What happens when this is over?
[39:00] Start planning for what comes next
[39:40] Resources

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GroupFinity
Posted in PodcastTagged annual event, auction, canceled, community, coronavirus, coronavirus crisis, covid-19, donation, donor, events, FAQ, fundraising, gala, group, leader, mission-driven organization, nonprofit, organization, postpone, questions, shelter at home, sponsors, virtual event, volunteer organization, will coronavirus stop

Your fundraising event should be well produced like a piece of theater with Beth Sandefur – Part 2

#007 – This is Part 2 of my interview with Beth Sandefur, who is the founder and owner of Beth Sandefur Events.  She works with nonprofits to help them execute successful events. Beth is a seasoned event planner with a strong background in development and hands-on experience with theatrical production. Her efforts focus on planning and execution of fundraising galas, typically with a large auction component. As a planner, she believes in working with clients to find the inefficiencies and redundancies in their systems to create a streamlined approach, keeping the organizational mission in the forefront.

Beth taught us the importance of setting your goals and visualizing your outcome and working backward from there.  In this episode, Beth teaches us how to incorporate “Revenue Enhancers” to increase our fundraising yield.

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Resources

Beth Sandefur Events

How to incorporate your mission into your décor

Survey Monkey

50/50 Raffle

Video – Beth Sandefur – Revenue Enhancers: Beyond the Raffle

3 Key Takeaways

  1. Revenue Enhancers are great, but don’t have too many:  
    1. Raffle tickets
    2. 50/50 raffles
    3. Games
  2. Focus on your organization’s strengths
  3. Bigger is not necessarily better.  Two smaller events may yield more fundraising proceeds than 1 big one.  

Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode

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GroupFinity
Posted in PodcastTagged 50/50 raffle, annual event, auction, community, donation, donor, events, fundraising, gala, group, leader, mission-driven organization, nonprofit, organization, raffles, sponsors, volunteer organization

Your fundraising event should be well produced like a piece of theater with Beth Sandefur

#006 – Beth is the founder and owner of Beth Sandefur Events.  She works with nonprofits to help them execute successful events.  Beth is a seasoned event planner with a strong background in development and hands-on experience with theatrical production. Her efforts focus on planning and execution of fundraising galas, typically with a large auction component. As a planner, she believes in working with clients to find the inefficiencies and redundancies in their systems to create a streamlined approach, keeping the organizational mission in the forefront.

Beth taught us the importance of setting your goals and visualizing your outcome and working backward from there.

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Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher

Resources

Sample Gala Volunteer Job Descriptions

Beth Sandefur Events

3 Key Takeaways

  1. Consider your goals before planning your event:
    1. Is your goal to raise funds?
    2. Is your goal to build brand awareness?
    3. Do you want to honor community leaders?
  2. Make sure your goals are in line with your organization’s history. It doesn’t make sense to have a $250,000 goal when your event has never raised more than $30,000.
  3. Your event should be scripted. What appears to be organic and spontaneous to your guests, is actually well planned and carefully orchestrated.

Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode

[2:45] Consider your goals before planning your event.
[3:20] Don't force too many objectives into one event.
[5:26] Don't have a theme just for the sake of having a theme.
[5:55] Infuse your story into all of your pre and post event communications.
[7:04] Place the people on the front line of your work at guest tables.
[7:22] Connecting people to your story can create new subscribers.
[13:40] Bring in the interesting aspects of your organization to make the event relevant to your guests.
[14:58] Incorporate did you know facts about your organization in your event.
[16:37] A well produced event is like a well produced piece of theater.
[17:27] Write job descriptions for committee members.
[18:30] Break down tasks so they are more manageable.
[19:00] Calibrate your goals based on your past experience.
[21:20] No one should show up to a fundraising event not aware it is a fundraising event.
[22:20] If you're having a paddle raise / fund a need, pre-secure donors at the 3 top levels.
[25:00] The event looks spontaneous to the guests, but is carefully scripted.
[27:20] Set up procurement strategies based on what has worked in the past.
[28:15] How to build a buzz around your event.
[30:02] Placing phone calls to guests can be very effective.
[30:40] Keep people in the loop as to what is going on with your planning
[31:48] Share behind the scenes moments - People LOVE this!
[33:54] Involve the volunteers in the shout-outs

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GroupFinity
Posted in PodcastTagged annual event, auction, community, donation, donor, events, fundraising, gala, group, leader, mission-driven organization, nonprofit, organization, sponsors, volunteer organization
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