Podcast – Episode 34: Dessert Dash Done Right: Energy, Competition, and Revenue
In this episode of Auction Is Action with U in It!, Bobby D. Ehlert walks through one of the most fun, high-energy, low-lift fundraising games you can add to your gala: the dessert dash.
Imagine this. Dinner is wrapping up. The room energy is high. And suddenly grown adults in suits and cocktail dresses are sprinting across the ballroom fighting over chocolate cake. It is glorious. And it raises real money.
Key Takeaways
The Dessert Dash Is Part Fundraising Game, Part Donor Engagement Strategy
When done correctly, a dessert dash can raise thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, in just a few minutes. The format is simple, the energy is high, and the barrier to participation is low enough that nearly every table can join in.Here Is How It Works
Every table pools their money together to bid for the right to choose their dessert first. The highest bid gets first choice. Second highest gets second. And so on. Volunteers collect the bids from each table, the winning tables are announced in ascending order, and then each table's designated dessert dasher sprints to claim their prize.This Is Not About Dessert. It Is About Psychology.
Competition, teamwork, urgency, and social energy are the real drivers. The dessert becomes an excuse for generosity. When people are laughing, cheering, and standing up to watch a colleague sprint across the ballroom, they are emotionally invested. And emotional investment leads to giving.Make the Desserts Worth Bidding For
This is not grocery store sheet cake energy. Cheesecakes, chocolate creations, colorful pastries, over-the-top desserts that people want to photograph before they eat. People bid with their eyes first. The visual display matters.The Dessert Dash Creates Participation for Everyone
Not everyone can bid $10,000 in a live auction. Not everyone can give $5,000 in the paddle raise. But almost every table can rally together for a dessert dash. And participation creates emotional investment, which is the foundation of long-term donor relationships.Pro Tips for Running a Great Dessert Dash
Have at least one dessert per table so no one feels left out. Make each dessert visually distinct so people get emotionally attached before the bidding starts. Keep the energy moving fast because momentum is everything. And use mobile giving or pre-registered credit cards to make the process as frictionless as possible.The Dessert Dash Can Help Cover Your Auctioneer Fee
If your budget is tight and hiring a professional auctioneer feels like a stretch, the dessert dash is one way to generate the revenue to make it happen. The funds it raises can go directly toward underwriting that investment.
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Bobby D.: Welcome back to the Auction Is Action with You in It podcast, because without you there is no action and there is no impact. I'm Bobby D, your host, fundraising strategist, fundraising auctioneer, billion-dollar fundraiser. And today we're going to be talking about one of the most fun and high-energy, low-lift fundraising games that you can add to your gala: the dessert dash.
If you've never seen a dessert dash before, imagine this. The dinner's wrapping up, the room energy is high, and suddenly grown adults in suits and cocktail dresses are sprinting across the ballroom fighting over chocolate cake. And honestly, it's glorious. The dessert dash is part fundraising game, part entertainment, part donor engagement strategy. And when it's done correctly, it can raise thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, in just a few minutes.
Here's how it works. Every table pools their money together to bid for a chance to choose their dessert first. The more money the table raises, the earlier they get to pick. Highest bid, first choice. Second highest, second choice, and so on and so on.
Here's the secret. This really isn't about dessert. It's about psychology. It's about competition. It's about teamwork. It's about urgency. It's about social energy. The dessert becomes an excuse for generosity.
So let's break down how the dessert dash is actually set up. Step one: the setup. You create a beautiful dessert display somewhere visible in the room. And I mean beautiful. This is not grocery store sheet cake energy. I want cheesecakes. I want chocolate creations. I want colorful pastries, over-the-top desserts that people want to Instagram before they eat them. The visual matters because people bid with their eyes first.
Once guests are seated, each table gets a bid sheet or an envelope, and everybody at the table chips their money together. Maybe one person gives $100, maybe somebody else gives $50, another person throws in $20, and collectively the table builds their bid total. Then volunteers go around and collect the bids from each table.
Before the dessert dash starts, every table chooses their dessert dasher. On the count of three, pick a dessert dasher. One, two, three. It's you. You want somebody fast. You want somebody competitive. You want someone who understands the assignment. Preferably not in six-inch heels. Because once the bidding closes, it's game time.
The auctioneer starts announcing the winning tables in ascending order. Table number one gets first choice. The dasher takes off, sprints to the dessert table, claims their prize, plants their table marker, and races back victorious, like they just won the gold medal for tiramisu. A few seconds later, table two, table three, table four. The room erupts. People are cheering, laughing, standing up, taking photos. And suddenly your gala transforms from a passive dinner into an interactive experience.
Here's what I love most about the dessert dash: it creates participation. Not everybody can bid $10,000 in a live auction. Not everybody can give $5,000 in the paddle raise. Not everybody can make a major gift. But almost every table can rally together and participate in a dessert dash. And participation matters because participation creates emotional investment.
A few pro tips if you're planning one. Number one: have at least one dessert per table. You never want tables feeling like there is not enough inventory. Number two: make each dessert look unique. Different flavors, different looks, different experiences. You want people emotionally attached to specific desserts before the dash even starts. Number three: keep the energy moving fast. The dessert dash should feel exciting, a little chaotic, and most importantly, fun. Momentum is everything. Number four: use mobile giving or pre-registered credit cards wherever possible. You want this process to be Amazon easy. The less work donors have to do, the more likely they are to participate generously.
Here's the bigger lesson. The best fundraising events aren't just asking people to give. They're creating experiences that people remember. That's what the dessert dash does. It creates a moment. It creates a story. Something guests talk about on the ride home: I was at this gala last night and this happened. And when people emotionally connect to your event, they emotionally connect to your mission. That's where the fundraising magic happens.
So if you've never done a dessert dash before, maybe it's time. Sometimes a chocolate cake can raise a whole lot more than dessert money.
And here's what's great about the dessert dash: it becomes an opportunity to help underwrite your auctioneer's fee. If you're looking at your budget and thinking you don't have room for a professional auctioneer, add the dessert dash and use that as a revenue-generating opportunity to make it happen.
If you're looking for an auction team, feel free to reach out at calltoauction.com. We are here to serve you in any capacity, in any market, with any budget, because we have solutions to help you raise as much money as possible.
My name is Bobby D, your host. Thank you all for the beautiful work you are doing in the world to make events better and the impact that happens beyond them. We could not do it without you. Thank you so much for listening and watching. Check us out at calltoauction.com. Remember, auction is action with you in it. We'll see you on the next one.
Ready to Raise More?
At Call to Auction, 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.