Podcast – Episode 16: Last Paddle Up Strategy for Paddle Raises
In this episode of Auction is Action with U in it!, Bobby D. Ehlert breaks down the “Last Paddle Up” (also called Last Hero, Last Donor, or Last Hero Standing)—a fast-paced end-of-paddle-raise game where the final person to give wins a prize.
Done well, it creates a final wave of competitive generosity and can add meaningful revenue in just a few minutes. Done poorly, it can get awkward fast, confuse donors, and create payment “spillage” after the event.
Bobby walks through how to run it cleanly, how to speed it up, what prize types work best, and the non-negotiables you need in place to protect your relationships and your revenue.
If you’re a nonprofit leader, development director, or event chair, you’ll walk away knowing how to:
Use Last Paddle Up to extend momentum after your final giving level
Avoid donor confusion by framing it clearly (every paddle = a donation)
Structure the game to raise more without dragging your program
Key Takeaways
Last Paddle Up is a donation game—not an auction bid. Every paddle raise is another gift.
Don’t run this without a pro. A skilled fundraising auctioneer/host prevents awkwardness and keeps the room clear + energized.
You need paddles tied to donor info. Paddle numbers must be connected to names (and ideally your registration platform).
Pre-wiped credit cards matter. Without cards on file, you risk major “spillage” and donor disputes afterward.
Your prize should feel exciting and simple. Champagne, bourbon, airline miles, or a standout trip/experience can work extremely well.
Plan 5–7 minutes. People may be confused (or tipsy). Repetition and clarity are required.
Speed hack: Invite donors to “meet or beat” higher amounts ($200 → $500) to shorten the back-and-forth and increase revenue.
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Bobby D.:
You are listening to the Auction is Action with U in it podcast presented by Call to Auction—where our favorite four-letter word is S O L D.
Hello there everyone and welcome again… I’m your host Bobby D. Ehlert, and I am going to be talking about the Last Paddle Up game today.
I get this question a lot—“We’ve heard about this thing called the last paddle, the last hero, the last donor…” where we give away a prize at the end of our paddle raise. Usually the last person that makes a donation is the one that wins.
So what we’re talking about today is: what does this mean, what does it do, and what should you watch out for?
Yes—Last Paddle Up is a great technique to raise some additional funds… but here is component number one: you need a professional who has done this before otherwise it can tank exponentially. It can be awkward and weird.
Number one: you need a professional.
Number two: you need paddles, connected to people’s names—because every time someone raises their paddle during Last Paddle Up, that is a donation. If you can’t collect the donations, you might as well not do it.
Then you want to select a prize. Your prize could be:
a giant bottle of champagne
a really nice bottle of bourbon
a trip from your live auction (or a consignment trip)
airline miles (we gave away a quarter million miles the other night and it went gangbusters)
Here’s how it works. You go through your paddle raise levels—$10,000… $5,000… $2,500… $1,000… $500… $250… $100. Then you call off every paddle giving at $100.
And then you say:
“Well, I’ve got a very special surprise for our last donor that gives. The last person that makes a donation today is going to win this…”
“So far our last donor is paddle number 301. Is there anybody else who wants to make a donation and could win this thing?”
If nobody else gives, paddle 301 wins. “We’re going once… we’re going twice—oh there’s another paddle! Thank you, number 123… and another paddle… number 447… and another… 888…”
This goes on until the room is drained of money and the last person to give wins. And the auctioneer needs to say it clearly over and over: “Every time you raise your paddle, that is another donation.”
301 could give again. “301, thank you for giving again.” Remember—every paddle is another donation.
Now here’s a little secret to speed it up. This takes about 5 to 7 minutes. People sometimes have a hard time understanding it. Maybe they’ve been drinking. So you need reminders.
Here’s the speed hack:
“Friends, if you’d like to give a higher donation, we can speed this up. Does anybody want to give a $200 donation?”
“Oh my gosh, 301 gives $200! Anybody else meet or beat that donation?”
Then you can bump it up:
“Can anybody meet or beat a $500 donation?”
And the auctioneer can remind them:
“301, you’ve donated about $1,000 to win this thing… every time you raise your paddle, it’s another donation.”
Now here’s another thing you have to have: credit cards on file through your auction registration technology—because people will get the invoice and say:
“Wait a minute… I thought we were bidding in an auction… I didn’t know I was giving more than once…”
This is what I call spillage. It will happen. I can guarantee it.
I’m a medium fan of Last Paddle Up. It can work really well with a competitive audience—but you must reiterate:
put it on the screen
announce it clearly
put it in the program
“Every time you raise your paddle, you are making a donation.”
So there are three things you need:
Professional auctioneer
Paddles connected to names (with pre-wiped credit cards)
A prize
That’s how you do the last hero, the last paddle up, the last donor giving—whatever you want to call it.
If you’ve got questions, reach out… you can comment, or email me at bobby@calltoction.com
Go out, make an impact in the world, and raise some more money and raise some more paddles. Bye.
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