Fundraising Jam Sessions

Episode 1: Following Up With The Different Generations of Donors We know it’s important to thank our…

Episode 2: Smooth Check-In Check-in. The moment all the guests arrive, ready to give, ready…

Episode 3: Getting Donors to Buy in on Mobile Bidding The switch to mobile bidding…

Games of chance are a great way to drive extra revenue at your event. Our Director of Client Services, Erin Phillips, takes us through the wine pull.

The goal of any event is to turn guests into donors. But what if we could turn one-time donors into year-round donors? Someone who attended an event once, now gives monthly, or annually. Senior Account Executive, Michael Lenzi, tells us how to encourage donors to stick around.

Ah, the ole text message. It’s time to take that text message further by engaging your donors…with a text. Perhaps they’ve been outbid at an event. Text. Perhaps you’d like to offer an opportunity to donate. Text. Senior Account Executive, Nicole Barbara, unveils how this can be most effective.

We’re going to have a live appeal (cash call, donation moment, fund-a-need, paddle raise), but when, during the event, should we have it? Customer Success Manager, Shelby Scraper, gives us the 411.

Checkout. Often the most dreaded moment of an evening for fundraisers with a silent auction. Fear no more. Director of Client Services, Amy Gainsford, lends her expertise on running a smooth and painless checkout for your auction. 

Episode 9: Games of Chance – Gift Card Tree A gift card tree might sound…

It can be tricky when the development team and board don’t see eye-to-eye. Senior Account Executive, Tracy Varchetto, take us through ways you can enable yourself to help the board see why it’s critical to go mobile with your fundraising.

Episode 11: The Live Appeal – How to use a plant Having a live appeal…

Episode 12: Table placement at your event Customer Success Manager, Chi Tran, unfolds the importance…

Trying to find your next live auctioneer? Brittany discloses key communication tips and ways to determine the right fit.

Do we need an event theme? Should the event theme always be the same? What if people don’t want to participate? We’re tackling these questions and getting to the bottom of event themes…and whether they’re worth having.

When an anonymous donation comes in, how do you figure out who this unexpected donor is? Frank tells us about his 95-year-old boyfriend, The Unexpected Donor, and how one person can have such a touching impact on an organization. 

What are raffles? What’s the difference between a raffle and a silent auction? Will raffles generate revenue? Let’s discuss.

Engage your board members as business leaders, and leverage them to raise more and fulfill your mission. Your board is one of your organization’s most valuable assets! 

It can be tricky to come up with creative packaging for auction items. Do the items fit together? What’s their collective value? Zoe breaks down components of creative and successful packages in live and silent auctions.

Sometimes you need a little pick-me-up at the end of your live appeal (cash call, donation moment, etc.) and a game like last paddle standing is the way to go. Kristine takes us through how exactly it goes down.

We looked at all of the fundraising events run on GiveSmart’s platform across Los Angeles to determine which silent auction items showed the highest return. Matt also talks about the most popular silent auction items in LA county.

Episode 21: Last-Minute Auction Items
Last-minute auction items…ahhh! Have no fear, the strategy to fitting them into your live or silent auction is here.

Episode 22: When to close the silent auction
Determining when to close the silent auction can be a tough question, depending on the other fundraising elements you might have going on at your event. Taylor takes us through best practices and how to spot signs that might suggest closing earlier or sooner than planned.

Episode 23: Capturing Gustav (Guest of) Likely you know the name of your sponsor or…

Your board is a critical piece to your nonprofit. However, holding board members accountable is always a task, and sometimes it can get tricky. Nikki Berti, Co-Founder and CEO of Goodie Two Shoes Foundation, shares with us how she holds her board accountable from meeting attendance to their guests’ participation at the annual gala.