5 Things This Grant Writer Learned as a Volunteer Fundraiser
Perhaps I should have called this "Event Planning Is Not My Bag, Baby."
One thing I do to give back to my community is to volunteer at my church. For example, I wrote a successful grant proposal for funds that helped the church with some renovations so we could host a Head Start classroom.
This year, when the time came to start planning this year's silent auction for our children and youth program, I raised my hand to volunteer. I felt obligated since my two teenagers benefit a lot from the program and the items up for bid at last year's auction were so disappointing that I wanted to help improve the situation.
As Pamela Grow said, "Unless your organization already has a prominent signature event, or a committed bunch of talented volunteers willing to do the grunt work for you, events are generally a losing proposition."
This auction was turning into a losing proposition. It was organized and run by the same staff person and same volunteer for three years. I knew it had the potential to be a prominent signature event and I thought I could parlay my volunteer experience to recruit other volunteers next year. Besides, having helped out with a couple of six-figure fundraisers, how hard could this be?
In its own way, it was very hard. We weren't staff people organizing a nonprofit gala; we were just one staff person and a group of volunteers. Here's what I learned.
1. Check the calendar for similar events
Late April and May are popular dates for auctions in general. Many parents at our church had already attended at least one auction by the time ours rolled around. Also the night of our auction kickoff, another church preschool was having its auction so we lost potential bidders who would have dropped by ours. Not only do bidders get "auction burnout" but so do businesses that are asked to contribute goods and services to be auctioned off. As a result, we will likely change the date of our auction next year.
2. Have a plan
An obvious one, right? I had no idea to what extent we were flying by the seat of our collective pants. We had no organized process in place to solicit items, no deadlines for accepting unsolicited items, not even a check-out process.
The lack of a check-out process was a particular problem because for the first time this year, we used a "Buy It Now" technique to generate attendance the first night. There were a limited number of "Buy It Now" items yet when I asked about how to check them out, the answer I got was, "We'll figure it out later." We also had gift certificates from several businesses but no central place to put them. There were people contributing items not just the day of the auction, but during the auction!
Fortunately, we had a late-entering volunteer who fundraises for a living so we could whip this event into shape at the last minute. We had our auction items not only broken out into categories, but the bid sheets were pasted on to different color construction paper so we could easily group the different categories on tables.
Will we have a better plan next year? Oh yes!
3. Play the Host
As a member of the volunteer committee, play the host and circulate among your guests. Thank them for attending and bidding. Make sure they have enough to eat and drink. Ask if there are any questions you can answer for them. For example, one item at our auction was a bounce house but the dimensions weren't listed. I located the donor immediately and got an answer for the bidder. I also got helpful feedback from attendees and even played bartender for a while.
If you have VIPs attending your event, designate a greeter to stand near the door and greet them as they come in. It's a personal touch that makes a good first impression. What also helps is to have a sheet of pictures and names just to be sure they're not missed.
4. Decorate
This year, we had some very simple flower arrangements, big beautiful balloons and votives decorating the tables with the auction items. It was quick and easy yet the impact was enormous. This really makes a difference when you have a table filled with bid sheets for vacation homes or gift certificates. Next year, there will be a theme.
5. Food, Glorious Food!
Event planners will advise there should be lots of food for guests; it doesn't have to be fancy but it should be plentiful. I had a brainstorm; if you have donors who are putting up a cookie of the month to auction, for example, be sure there are samples for people to taste that will encourage them to bid the item up. It worked and the guests thought it was a great idea, too.
Bonus Tip: Know the law
At one point we discussed having a raffle to entice people to contribute who might not be able to attend the auction. We deferred the idea to next year but it raised an important question about whether we would need a license in order to have a raffle. Each state has different requirements about organizations that are allowed to hold a raffle and the manner in which it is conducted. For example:
Here's a question that arose very late in the planning process but it was a question that never crossed my mind: Should you print auction item values in your catalog? Sherry Truhlar of Red Apple Auctions says there are two arguments against doing this:
Where could you run afoul of the law? Tax deductions. Donors who purchase items at an auction may claim a charitable contribution deduction for the amount of the purchase price paid for an item over its fair market value. To do that, the donor has to show that he or she knew that the value of the item was less than the amount paid. If the IRS flags this during an audit it won't be the taxpayer who is on the hook for any tax, interest or penalty, it's the nonprofit. Truhlar says that the main benefit of listing auction item values in the catalog is you have an educated bidder, since bidders tend to underestimate the value of what they're bidding on.
Grant seeking is a collaborative effort, and volunteer opportunities like this can help make you a well-rounded grant writer. It's an opportunity to interact with your community, engage them in volunteer service, and spread awareness of the organization, its programs and services, and its impact. You also get the chance to practice your cultivation and stewardship skills, as well as widen your network. It's experience than will benefit you greatly in your grant writing career.
One thing I do to give back to my community is to volunteer at my church. For example, I wrote a successful grant proposal for funds that helped the church with some renovations so we could host a Head Start classroom.
This year, when the time came to start planning this year's silent auction for our children and youth program, I raised my hand to volunteer. I felt obligated since my two teenagers benefit a lot from the program and the items up for bid at last year's auction were so disappointing that I wanted to help improve the situation.
As Pamela Grow said, "Unless your organization already has a prominent signature event, or a committed bunch of talented volunteers willing to do the grunt work for you, events are generally a losing proposition."
This auction was turning into a losing proposition. It was organized and run by the same staff person and same volunteer for three years. I knew it had the potential to be a prominent signature event and I thought I could parlay my volunteer experience to recruit other volunteers next year. Besides, having helped out with a couple of six-figure fundraisers, how hard could this be?
In its own way, it was very hard. We weren't staff people organizing a nonprofit gala; we were just one staff person and a group of volunteers. Here's what I learned.
1. Check the calendar for similar events
Late April and May are popular dates for auctions in general. Many parents at our church had already attended at least one auction by the time ours rolled around. Also the night of our auction kickoff, another church preschool was having its auction so we lost potential bidders who would have dropped by ours. Not only do bidders get "auction burnout" but so do businesses that are asked to contribute goods and services to be auctioned off. As a result, we will likely change the date of our auction next year.
2. Have a plan
An obvious one, right? I had no idea to what extent we were flying by the seat of our collective pants. We had no organized process in place to solicit items, no deadlines for accepting unsolicited items, not even a check-out process.
The lack of a check-out process was a particular problem because for the first time this year, we used a "Buy It Now" technique to generate attendance the first night. There were a limited number of "Buy It Now" items yet when I asked about how to check them out, the answer I got was, "We'll figure it out later." We also had gift certificates from several businesses but no central place to put them. There were people contributing items not just the day of the auction, but during the auction!
Fortunately, we had a late-entering volunteer who fundraises for a living so we could whip this event into shape at the last minute. We had our auction items not only broken out into categories, but the bid sheets were pasted on to different color construction paper so we could easily group the different categories on tables.
Will we have a better plan next year? Oh yes!
3. Play the Host
As a member of the volunteer committee, play the host and circulate among your guests. Thank them for attending and bidding. Make sure they have enough to eat and drink. Ask if there are any questions you can answer for them. For example, one item at our auction was a bounce house but the dimensions weren't listed. I located the donor immediately and got an answer for the bidder. I also got helpful feedback from attendees and even played bartender for a while.
If you have VIPs attending your event, designate a greeter to stand near the door and greet them as they come in. It's a personal touch that makes a good first impression. What also helps is to have a sheet of pictures and names just to be sure they're not missed.
4. Decorate
This year, we had some very simple flower arrangements, big beautiful balloons and votives decorating the tables with the auction items. It was quick and easy yet the impact was enormous. This really makes a difference when you have a table filled with bid sheets for vacation homes or gift certificates. Next year, there will be a theme.
5. Food, Glorious Food!
Event planners will advise there should be lots of food for guests; it doesn't have to be fancy but it should be plentiful. I had a brainstorm; if you have donors who are putting up a cookie of the month to auction, for example, be sure there are samples for people to taste that will encourage them to bid the item up. It worked and the guests thought it was a great idea, too.
Bonus Tip: Know the law
At one point we discussed having a raffle to entice people to contribute who might not be able to attend the auction. We deferred the idea to next year but it raised an important question about whether we would need a license in order to have a raffle. Each state has different requirements about organizations that are allowed to hold a raffle and the manner in which it is conducted. For example:
- Are there thresholds under which your organization would be exempt from permit, financial reporting, and audit requirements?
- Does your organization have to be in existence for a certain length of time, e.g., five years, before it can apply for a permit?
- Is your organization allowed to sell raffle tickets to your out-of-state relatives?
Here's a question that arose very late in the planning process but it was a question that never crossed my mind: Should you print auction item values in your catalog? Sherry Truhlar of Red Apple Auctions says there are two arguments against doing this:
- Some auction items have a straightforward value. The bike is $300. The home rents for $2,000 per week. That bottle of wine retails at $60. Naysayers of printing values are concerned that guests won't pay more for that bike / trip / wine than the printed value.
- If an item's value is attributable to the intrinsic worth of the experience – a la "Headmaster for the Day" or "Lunch with the mayor" – the committee's debate rages. Oftentimes groups resort to labeling these as "priceless" items rather than list a $0 value.
Where could you run afoul of the law? Tax deductions. Donors who purchase items at an auction may claim a charitable contribution deduction for the amount of the purchase price paid for an item over its fair market value. To do that, the donor has to show that he or she knew that the value of the item was less than the amount paid. If the IRS flags this during an audit it won't be the taxpayer who is on the hook for any tax, interest or penalty, it's the nonprofit. Truhlar says that the main benefit of listing auction item values in the catalog is you have an educated bidder, since bidders tend to underestimate the value of what they're bidding on.
Grant seeking is a collaborative effort, and volunteer opportunities like this can help make you a well-rounded grant writer. It's an opportunity to interact with your community, engage them in volunteer service, and spread awareness of the organization, its programs and services, and its impact. You also get the chance to practice your cultivation and stewardship skills, as well as widen your network. It's experience than will benefit you greatly in your grant writing career.
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