My point today is that the classical fundraising auction is beginning to underperform and highly unlikely to get much better for some very understandable reasons. If you think you are going to significantly beat last year’s number, then you should be (very) careful about your assumptions….

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The Denver Hospice (http://themaskproject.cmarket.com) provides an unprecedented level of expert, comprehensive and personalized care and provides programs to promote comfort and manage pain as well as counseling and support for families and friends.

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Congregation Brith Sholom (http://cbsauction.cmarket.com) seeks to bring relevance to the beliefs and practices of their religious traditions and, through their many programs, activities, committees, and educational initiatives offer their members the opportunity to experience, study, and appreciate their rich heritage.

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The Brentwood School Parents Association (http://brentwoodauction.cmarket.com) supports many programs including student activities, teacher appreciation and parent education for the Brentwood School.
This first-time customer had a fantastic auction with cMarket, employing some best practices such as building a brand-new homepage for the final day of their auction. Having an auction homepage tailored to [...]

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Here are a few of the most unique experiences and items available on BiddingForGood.com this week:

A Date with “Greg” from “All My Children”: Benefits The Midtown West PTA, NY

2 VIP Tickets to the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week: Benefits The Youth Automotive Training Center, FL

“Harry Potter” Nimbus 2000 Broom used in movie: Benefits Lovejoy Hospice, OR

Check out [...]

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While I’m happy to offer suggestions on other ways to influence your audience, this space will primarily cover issues for getting your message across to a broad base through the media. So, allow me to proffer a few questions that will get you going in the right direction so you can appeal to over-worked, under-paid writers who can, through the power of the pen, drive more potential bidders to your auction:

· What’s your objective? ie. Get more bidders? Sounds simple, but if your auction catalogue has only $5,000 and above items, you’re looking for a certain kind of bidder.

· Who cares? Identify the groups of people who would be interested in the auction cause and items. For schools this might be parents and extended family.

· What’s the news or most interesting part of the story? Lots of golf items? Celebrity item? Superbowl tickets? This will often be the story ‘hook’.

· How will the audience benefit? Unique items, great deal, charitable giving….

· What can you offer the journalist to support the story? Spokesperson, images, data….?

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BiddingForGood.com was recently featured on New England Cable News (NECN) in a segment about the growing trend of fundraising auctions moving to the Internet.
The site’s success includes having run over 4,000 auctions through cMarket and raising over $43 million for nonprofits and schools in the United States. This “megacharitable marketplace” is home to almost [...]

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The University of Kentucky Alumni Association brings the University of Kentucky and its alumni together in a lifelong relationship of friendship and support.
The University of Kentucky Alumni Association has gathered a great range of auction items to benefit their scholarship fund. There are offerings for everybody with items ranging in [...]

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Many school and community fund-raisers are auctions in name only, operating more like glorified raffles. Instead of a single item, several related prizes — like an assortment of books or toys, or concert tickets paired with a CD — are bundled into a gift basket or tray. This kind of auction has become its own genre, known as the “basket auction” or “tricky tray,” though sheer luck rather than any tricks is the deciding factor.

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These 100 companies have emerged at an important time for the US economy. As financial services and real estate markets gasp for air, investors are turning to technology to expand into global markets, make business more efficient, and find new ways to tap hidden revenue sources. And that means more money flowing into the robust VC and startup community in the Northeast.

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