While I feel terrible for the non-profit, I think we can definitely learn from their mistakes when it comes to fundraising.The worst thing someone can say about your event is that is was "disorganized," and sadly that is exactly what I would have to say about this charity gala I attended. Don't get me wrong the food was great, the location was prestigious, and attendance levels were high, but the main purpose of the event was not the pageantry of the guests, but raising money for impoverished people in a foreign country. There were a lot of guests present at the event with full wallets ready for the giving and no one around to take charge of the situation.
When the time finally came for presenting awards and more importantly for beginning the live auction there was chaos. Most guests were out of their seats, wandering around, talking with other guests. No one was paying attention to anything going on on stage. It was painful to hear the organizers beg people to sit down, and when they realized no one was making any moves to sit down, the organizers just gave up and tried to speak over the guests, which had no effect on the noisy guests. Not to mention, staff was still serving food and bartenders were still serving drinks which simply encouraged people to get up and walk around.
I don't always feel you need a professional auctioneer but in this case, a professional was desperately needed. This non-profit was looking to raise a lot of money. Most of their auction items began at 10K, but because they didn't have anyone dynamic or experienced on stage they made much less than expected on all their items. At times the volunteers that were on stage sounded more like they were begging people to donate. It was very embarrassing. When you have to say, "Anyone? Anyone? Come on guys, please, it's for a good cause," someone has definitely made a mistake!
With over 500 people in attendance, it was not always so easy to see exactly who had made a bid. The room had been cut into a 'V' with the back half of each side not able to see each other. No one was given a paddle, instead guests were just left to shout over each and more than once I noticed a bid being lost in the crowd or even worse being ignored. When raising money is the main goal accidentally ignoring bids is inexcusable. If I was the person ignored it would certainly keep me from wanting to bid again. This is where large easily visible bidding paddles would have come in handy.
Being there was a great way to observe what I would and wouldn't do at my own fundraiser. To start, I probably would have shut down all bartending stations for the duration of the auction, and possibly allowed people to order drinks from their seats. I also would have hired a professional to auction off items and ordered bidding paddles for maximum viewing by everyone in the room. As we discussed in What Event Planners Can Learn from Economists, people are much more likely to give if they see or hear that someone they know, or a person of influence is giving to a cause. It's called herd mentality. To increase money raised I also would've had people coming around offering guests the opportunity to buy expensive bottles of alcohol for themselves and everyone at their table, thus also satisfying people's desire to impress others and spend more money. These are only a few things off the top of my head that I think could've made a difference.Overall, the fundraiser was very painful to watch. Particularly because so many so many things done just a bit differently would've had people gladly opening their wallets. People were there to spend money, but as an organizer it is your job to make sure giving money is easy as possible. It can be difficult but you must always be in control of your event.Have you ever had an experience like this? What are some fundraising mistakes you've seen or had happen to you? Please share your thoughts with us in the COMMENTS section!