| Many fundraising ideas can help you raise cash, but no | | | | understand where the money is going, and how it will |
| other singular activity during your benefit auction will | | | | help the cause. |
| have more financial impact than the cash appeal. It can | | | | * Offer several different pledge levels so everyone |
| be such a cash cow that one of my clients has no live | | | | can participate. The appeal is the "group gift" of the |
| auction and only conducts an appeal! | | | | gala, but not everyone is going to be able to give at |
| The appeal goes by various names: gift from the heart | | | | the same level. By offering four to six different levels |
| ... cash call ... raise the paddle / paddle raiser ... | | | | of pledges, you ensure everyone in your crowd can |
| community gift ... fund a need ... or even -- as one of | | | | give and feels good about it. |
| my client's says (tongue-in-cheek) -- "the shakedown." | | | | * Begin by asking for the most amount of money |
| Whatever you call it, there is a strict protocol to follow | | | | (your highest giving level), and end by asking for the |
| if you want to be successful. | | | | least amount of money (your lowest giving level). This |
| Here are seven pointers. | | | | is simple psychology. Asking a guest to pledge $100 |
| * Select a single item or cause to fund. You will | | | | seems a modest request after they have just |
| confuse your audience if you have a laundry list of | | | | witnessed other guests pledging $1000. |
| activities or items. I saw an appeal flop at one school | | | | * Ask guests to raise their bid card to make their |
| because they insisted on raising money for three | | | | pledge public. With few exceptions, public pledging will |
| items. Some members of the (tipsy) audience became | | | | raise more money than silent pledging. Pledges written |
| confused and thought they could choose which item | | | | on notecards and collected by volunteers just isn't as |
| they got to fund. Ugh! Keep it simple by keeping it | | | | effective. When a guest watches a neighbor raise his |
| singular. | | | | bid card, there is subtle pressure to do the same. |
| * Advertise the appeal. Just as you would advertise a | | | | * Announce the total of what was raised. Guests are |
| silent or live auction item, you should advertise the | | | | always curious about the total, and my experience has |
| appeal. Talk it up prior to the gala... put it in your catalog | | | | been that even when the money raised hasn't been |
| ... highlight it in your program ... ensure it has its own | | | | as spectacular as privately had been hoped, guests |
| display table in the silent auction (see photo). | | | | don't know it. "Wow, we raised $25,000! " a guest will |
| Showcase it! | | | | tell me (even though we hoped for $35,000...), "That's |
| * Describe the need. This can be conveyed in a | | | | WONDERFUL!" Announcing the total inspires guests; |
| heart-wrenching video, a heart-warming live testimonial, | | | | they feel good about their participation. You'll likely even |
| or via a short plea from someone close to the need | | | | collect a few more donations as guests check-out. |
| who can succinctly describe its impact. Guests need to | | | | |