In this episode of Auction is Action with U in it!, Bobby D. Ehlert walks through a no-fluff gala checklist—the 10 core elements that determine whether your fundraising night feels smooth, engaging, and profitable… or disorganized, awkward, and leaving money on the table.

Bobby breaks down what to tighten before event night: a strong run of show, a properly structured paddle raise, live + silent auction strategy, sponsor dollars, marketing that sets expectations, board/committee alignment, audience development, and (the one too many teams forget) a real post-gala gratitude process.

If you’re a nonprofit leader, development director, or event chair, you’ll walk away knowing how to:

Build a run of show that holds attention and leads donors toward generosity
Design your paddle raise to be clear, compelling, and easy to collect
Stop overloading your silent auction and start curating it for performance
Maximize sponsorship dollars by treating the event like a full campaign
Create a gratitude plan that improves retention and drives future gifts

Key Takeaways

A tight run of show keeps donors engaged and supports your fundraising moments (don’t bury the good stuff under boring speeches).
Live auction success depends on the right items for your audience and strong pre-event marketing (email, program, display, paddles, etc.).
The call to action paddle raise is your most inclusive fundraising segment—plan levels, story, and collection logistics ahead of time.
“Extra revenue generators” (golden ticket, mystery box, raffles, etc.) can add meaningful dollars without adding chaos—if they’re planned.
A curated silent auction usually performs better than a giant one: fewer items, stronger demand, better results.
Sponsorships are often your biggest revenue opportunity outside the paddle raise—treat sponsorship as a campaign, not a one-night logo placement.
Put the F-A-B in your fundraising marketing: Fundraising Activities + Benefit (set expectations clearly).
Your board + committee should be aligned on goals and actively helping fill seats with the right people.
Audience development matters more than headcount: connection + capacity beats “more butts in seats.”
Your gratitude process is where long-term fundraising starts—fast outreach, personal thanks, board involvement, handwritten notes.

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Bobby D.:
Well, hello there everyone. Bobby D here with the Auction is Action with U in it podcast. Thank you so much for joining me today—because today we are talking about the Gala Checklist: the top 10 things you need to focus on to have a fantastic, successful fundraising night.

Here we go. We’re going to get into it: your run of show, your live auction, your call to action paddle raise, your additional revenue generators, your silent auction, sponsorships, marketing, board + committee engagement, audience development, and your gratitude process.

Did you get all that? Okay—thank you so much for listening. We’ll see you…
No, just kidding. Just kidding. We’re going to go through each one.

1) Run of Show

Probably one of the most important pieces for your fundraising gala is your run of show—and making sure it’s tight.

Not boring. Not packed with long speeches in the middle. You want your live auction and your call to action paddle raise in the right place. You want storytelling that keeps focus on your mission and impact—but also keeps it friendly, fun, exciting, and engaging… so your audience never forgets the great time they had and the impact they made.

Your run of show is how you maximize every moment and every opportunity in your program.

2) Live Auction

Your live auction is often one of your biggest revenue generators. You need:

the right items for your audience
the right auctioneer for your audience, items, and mission
strong marketing so people already know what’s coming

Market your live auction items ahead of time: email them out, put them in the program, show them during cocktail/connection hour, even put them on the back of paddles—whatever you need. The point is: don’t surprise people with major live auction items.

3) Call to Action Paddle Raise

The call to action paddle raise is one of the most important parts of your fundraising.

You need to know:

where you’re starting
where you’re ending
what storytelling leads into it
who is making the ask (auctioneer or someone else)
how you’re collecting funds smoothly so you’re not chasing money afterward

A paddle raise is a 100% engagement opportunity. Auctions are exclusive. Paddle raises are all-inclusive and transformational.

4) Additional Revenue Generators

These are things like:

mystery box
golden ticket
50/50 raffle
fishbowl raffle
…and more

You can create additional revenue during cocktail/connection hour and in your live program. Talk with your fundraising auctioneer (or reach out to me)—we can help you pick the right ones.

And yes—resource coming next year: 50 revenue generators you can download.

5) Curated Silent Auction

Silent auctions are still a thing—and they can be successful when they’re done right.

I call it a curated silent auction. It’s not “all the stuff we can gather.” It’s being strategic.

Here’s a simple guideline:
Take your total guest count, split it in half (households), then aim for 30% or less in silent auction items.

Example:
200 people → 100 households → 30 or fewer silent auction items.

That’s how you optimize it.

6) Sponsorships

Sponsorships are one of the biggest revenue opportunities beyond the paddle raise.

Your event is a campaign from today… through event night… and beyond. Sponsorships aren’t just for “the night of.” Sponsors are supporting the entire campaign: before, during, and after.

You’re tapping into what I call the three wallets:

Individual philanthropy
Corporate marketing (where sponsorship dollars often come from)
Corporate philanthropy / CSR (corporate social responsibility)

Sponsorships are huge. If you don’t have sponsors—go get them. That’s money sitting on the table.

7) Marketing (Put the “F-A-B” in It)

You’ve got to let people know about your event. Social media, email, website, PR—use your board and committee as ambassadors.

And I always say: put the F-A-B in your fundraising marketing:

F = Fundraising
A = Activities
B = Benefit

Tell people it’s a fundraiser. Tell them what’s happening (auction, paddle raise, raffle, storytelling). Tell them who it benefits (your mission and the people you serve).

Set expectations. Donors don’t like surprises—especially about being asked.

8) Board of Directors + Committee Engagement

Your board and committee need to be aligned on:

fundraising goals
experience goals (what kind of night are you creating?)
growth goals (new donors vs stewardship vs sponsor visibility)

They should be actively helping you reach those goals—not just showing up.

9) Audience Development

This is about getting the right butts in seats.

You can invite 1,000 people… but if they don’t have connection or capacity, it won’t matter. You can shrink that to 300 people—150 households—and if they have connection + capacity, you can have a record-setting night.

I’ve seen hundreds of thousands raised with 200 people. I’ve also seen $50,000 raised with 1,000 people. It depends on who’s in the room and why they’re there.

10) Gratitude Process

How are you saying thank you:

at the event
immediately after the event
within 24–48 hours

Get on the phone. Get your board making thank-you calls. Handwritten thank-you notes are still powerful.

Keep the post-gala high going with photos, videos, emails, social media—showing the energy, success, and impact.

Bonus!
11) Invite to Next Year

Save-the-date. Own your date. Own your day. Be so good that people say, “That was the best gala I’ve ever been to,” and they bring their friends next time—the friends with connection and capacity.

So those are your 10—count them:
Run of show, live auction, call to action paddle raise, additional revenue generators, curated silent auction, sponsorships, marketing, board/committee engagement, audience development, and gratitude process.

If you need help with this, please reach out—calltoauction.com. You can find me online, and I’m here to help you make your next fundraising event even greater.

Thank you for the work you’re doing in the nonprofit world. By listening to this, it shows me you care about how great your gala is. Let us help you raise more.

Thanks again, everyone. We’ll see you on the next episode. Bye.

Ready to Raise More?

At Call to Auction, Ready to Raise More? We specialize in turning galas and fundraising events into mission-driven, revenue-generating experiences. From paddle raises to live auctions, our team knows how to excite donors, engage audiences, and inspire generosity in the moment.

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Podcast – Episode 17: The Gala Checklist | 10 Things That Make or Break Your Fundraising Night