The Pros You Need for Fundraising Events
Would you solicit your hairdresser to fill a cavity? Would they be proficient at diagnosing the problem, numbing your pain and using dental equipment? Would you summon your dermatologist for a brain tumor? Never! You’d seek out a trained professional to meet your needs. So why would you consider using a volunteer to lead your fundraising efforts? You’ll leave money on the table if you do.
Always employ fundraising pros to raise you the most money with less effort while elevating your guests’ experience. Otherwise, you can expect results that are as disastrous as your hairdresser wielding a dental drill.
8 Specialists Required for Successful Fundraising
1. Emcee
A professional Master or Mistress of Ceremonies is an important job and should be considered with utmost care. Your emcee is the face and voice of your fundraising endeavor – the person your donors will associate with and relate to during the event. A great emcee will weave your mission throughout the program, coaxing donors to your side and emotionally engaging them. A great emcee elevates energy, charms everyone and highlights your organization, while shining brightly on stage and delivering a powerfully engaging performance.
2. Professional Benefit Auction Specialist
A Benefit Auction Specialist identifies your goals, evaluates your existing offerings, reviews historical data from previous events, if applicable. They then craft unique data-driven strategies for your success. They bring fresh ideas and new life to programming perfect for the fundraising event you have in mind. They’ll suggest new and better-performing revenue streams. You’ll receive pre-event consultation crafted to maximize giving, while streamlining your efforts and implementing best practices to ease your burden and up the ante for donors. A professional benefit auctioneer with experience knows how to keep the energy up, how to have fun and how to keep your run of the show tight. Our numbers suggest increases between 40-350% when utilizing a professional benefit auctioneer vs. a volunteer or other well-meaning novice. Fundraising is what we do; training and experience matter!
3. Professional Bid Assistants
In an in-person or hybrid fundraising event, fabulous bid assistants pay for themselves every time with increased live auction prices upwards of 10-15%. They encourage your crowd to give more generously and they answer questions on the spot. Professional bid assistants infuse your show with energy and merriment. They’re communication pros; providing answers to donors and relaying information to and from the auctioneer. They seamlessly communicate with the sales team while on the floor. They help execute every detail of your event. They’re an integral part of the success of your fundraiser.
4. Professional Event Clerks
Event Clerks are the glue that holds the fundraising team together. Event clerks accurately record and communicate all live event sales and gifts. They bring calm to chaos, organize final event results and tally raffles. They facilitate live auction sales and special appeal giving – all while making sure the rest of the fundraising staff adheres to the run of show. A great Event Clerk always has one ear aimed at the auctioneer and the other following everything else going on. They miss nothing and record everything. That way, you always have accurate data at your fingertips!
5. Audio Visual Pros
In the fundraising world, few things will sink your entire production faster than poor audio, visuals and/or streaming issues. Donors will not part with their money when they can’t hear what’s going on or they don’t understand what’s being offered. Think about it. Each time a donor raises their paddle, or clicks “bid”, they are agreeing to a binding verbal contract. Would YOU continue to bid if you didn’t know what you were agreeing to? We didn’t think so.
Sound that’s too loud is like an assault; sound that’s too quiet is just plain frustrating. Any disturbance in sound irritates donors, and when your donors are irritated, guess what? They don’t give to capacity! And we don’t have to tell you, that is the absolute last thing you want at your fundraiser. Always, always hire professional AV folks to ensure your show is as clean as it can possibly be. Just say NO to frozen videos and stuck PowerPoint slideshows! Professional AV folks know how to troubleshoot any and all technical difficulties that arise during your event.
6. Livestream Team & Engineer
Every role in the program is essential for the success of your show – but the buck truly stops with a talented livestream engineer. They manage every element of your show. You provide a rock solid run-of-show with all of the videos and graphics you want, in the order you want – cues to perfection. Your livestream engineer builds the framework, loads it all up, and off you go. Your livestream engineer is the beating heart of your entire production. It’s a highly-technical, highly-skilled job. Do not trust this essential role to just anyone.
7. Registration Support 
One of the MANY great things about new fashioned fundraising? Registration is simpler and streamlined. So much so, we’ve taken it in-house! We now offer registration services. Reach out! At in-person events, registration is one of the most important facets, as it is the first and last interaction your donors have with your org on event day. Donors form strong opinions based on this alone. Long lines, confusion, and delays at either check-in or check-out impacts you negatively – this is an area donors unanimously agree is their number one pet peeve at live events. And even when donors are watching from home, you don’t want them to jump through too many hoops just to watch your virtual show. Make it EASY for guests to give by relying on robust mobile bidding and event software systems.
Events are ENORMOUS endeavors. Without a comprehensive software package to support you, track donors, and handle event night transactions effortlessly, you run the risk of not only irritating donors, but also mishandling funds. The right software keeps all of your event and donor information in one easy place. It’ll help you steer your fundraising ship in myriad ways.
8. Sales People
You know what they say about spending money to make money? Well, in this case, we say, “Amen!” Pro sales people trained in the art of influence and selling do positively increase your bottom line. They also act as engaging brand ambassadors of your mission. When you have guests in the room, you want to have fabulous salespeople there, as well. Our data suggests they frequently double and triple the number of sales recorded. They’re well worth your investment!
