Private and Public School Fundraising – New Idea’s

Zanza Blue Benefit Auctions

 

Many private and public schools have turned to fundraiser / fundraising auctions to raise money for their sports teams, libraries, grounds and any other worth while cause that will benefit the facility and students. We have seen too many times where a volunteer parent, or board member has cost the school tens of thousands of dollars by thinking they can run the auction themselves.  Let a professional benefit auctioneer make your event a success.

Fundraising events challenge individuals to donate both their time and money to a cause. A live auction brings imagination and excitement to an event which commonly attracts guests who otherwise would not participate in a charity function. Raising a bid card into the air is an energizing feeling and your guests become enwrapped in the excitement which always results in more donations.

A live auction will entertain your guests making your event and it’s cause more memorable. Benefit Auctions bring awareness of the organization and increase donations through excitement and camaraderie. Annual events especially benefit from live auctions as guests are more likely to return in the following years and encourage friends and business acquaintances to attend.

 PLANNING A LIVE AUCTION
The most important part of a live auction is the auctioneer, before choosing an auctioneer make sure they have experience performing benefit auctions (using a general auctioneer that uses chanting / fast talking is not conducive to fundraising events). In fact the best option is to find an auctioneer or auction house that specializes in fundraising auctions.

You want an entertainer who is also an auctioneer, when participants enjoy the event they will give more.  Many benefit auction services only accommodate school that anticipate high revenue and in turn will still charge hefty fees up-front for their services.

An ideal situation is to find an auction house that will provide services through a buyer’s premium as compensation for their services. Normally sales tax does not apply to a charitable event which can range from 6% to 9%. In place of this amount is a buyers premium (normally 10%) that goes to the auction firm, this is a good option for several reasons, the participants are used to sales tax or some kind of surcharge on goods, the school / organization benefits since the auction house costs nothing, the auctioneer will work harder to increase profits.

Keep away from auction houses that want a fee up-front, once you have paid for their services you cannot guarantee they will perform at a high level. Another key is to find a full service auction firm. Many auctioneers will only provide services for the actual auction portion leaving the school / organization to handle the rest of the event. See what the auction house provides, the more services included the better.

If your school has never hosted a live auction then you need an auctioneer that is also an event coordinator. Never use a volunteer for a live auction, this will cost an event unbelievable losses. Ideally look for an auction firm that can assist you with planning every aspect of the event. Some auction houses do provide these services without any additional charges.

If you are hosting a fundraising event that includes a live auction in the greater Chicago area or greater Miami area check out Zanza Blue Benefit Auctions. Look over their services at www.zanzablue.com (Zanza Blue does provide services nationwide, however depending on your location traveling expenses should be considered).

If your school / organization is hosting a live auction and would like to know what services should be offered to you then use the Zanza Blue website as a guide. Print out the services offered and present them to the auctioneer / auction house in your area. If you find that you cannot locate a auction house you can email Zanza Blue for advice regarding a reparable auctioneer in your area. Email info@zanza.com   

 

 

 

 

Chicago Charity Auction raise four million for charity with cows

 

Bidders heard the cattle call and opened their wallets to snap up life-sized bovine creations from Chicago’s “Cows on Parade” exhibit. Organizers sold almost half the fiberglass herd on Tuesday in two auctions, raising close to $4 million for charity.

Sotheby’s put 75 cows on the block at an auction at the Chicago Theater. They sold for $2.7 million. Proceeds from each sale are to go to the charity of the buyer’s choice. HANDsome, a cow covered in child handprints, fetched the biggest price: $110,000, to be donated to Children’s Memorial Hospital.

The cows — which city officials say have attracted more media attention for Chicago than the 1996 Democratic National Convention — are a city-sponsored outdoor art exhibit. The idea for the exhibit originated in Zurich.

Uncle Sam, the patriotic steer, came in second — the winning bid amount of $92,000 is to be contributed to Dairy Relief Inc. Third place was a three-way tie for third place: Grazing With the Cows, Urban Re-cow-struction and Adaptive Reuse each sold for $75,000.

Talk show host Oprah Winfrey bought “Cowbeille De Fruits,” a cow painted with fruit. Winfrey sent Jeff Jacobs to put in a bid on her behalf. He says Winfrey plans to keep it on her farm in Indiana. The $36,000 she paid is to be donated to a group that helps abused women.

Internet auction results
Bidders bought 65 other cows for almost $1.4 million in an online auction conducted at Metromix.com. Mirroriam, a cow covered in shards of mirror, got the highest online bid at $65,500. That money is to benefit the Off-the-Street Club.

Festival Cow, sporting a mural of fireworks over Lake Michigan with the city skyline in the background, generated a $34,550 donation to the Chicago Tourism Fund. Brian the Cow: Milk & Cookies drew $32,200 for the Grant-A-Wish Foundation. The remaining 140 cows not auctioned are being kept by their corporate sponsors.

The sculptures, dismantled on Tuesday, were given a final parade down neighborhood streets in pickup trucks. The sculptures had been posed on city sidewalks for months, luring an estimated 2 million visitors downtown since June, according to the city. Michael Lash, director of public art for Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs, says he estimates visitors spent an average $112 each, hence the value of the exhibit to Chicago.

The success of the cow exhibition is giving other cities ideas. Officials in more than 30 municipalities, New York and Seattle among them, say they’re planning similar exhibits.