Podcast – Episode 41: Raise More with Your Paddle Raise: The Best Practices Most Galas Miss
In this episode of Auction Is Action with U in It!, Bobby D. Ehlert walks through the most important fundraising moment of any gala: the paddle raise. And more specifically, why most organizations are leaving significant money on the table by treating it as a spontaneous moment instead of a strategically designed one.
A successful paddle raise does not begin when the auctioneer steps to the mic. It begins with your event design, your storytelling, your speaker coaching, your giving levels, and your pre-event donor conversations. Everything before the ask is either building toward generosity or leaking it.
Key Takeaways
Your Paddle Raise Begins Long Before the First Paddle Goes Up
Every element of your program should help guests understand your mission, recognize the need, and believe they can be part of the solution. Your video matters. Your speaker matters. Your run of show matters. The paddle raise should happen immediately after your strongest mission moment, not after long award presentations or after the energy has already left the room. Do not expect your auctioneer to manufacture emotion during the ask. Build that emotion through the event and allow the auctioneer to turn it into action.Focus on One Clear and Compelling Need
One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is trying to explain everything they do. When you try to communicate everything, guests remember nothing. Choose one fundable priority. Explain why it matters right now. Show donors how their generosity creates a meaningful solution. Clarity creates confidence, and a confident donor is more likely to give.Your Mission Speaker Creates Connection. Your Professional Asker Turns It Into Action.
Your speaker should have an authentic personal connection to the work, be comfortable sharing their story, and be willing to prepare. A powerful story should never be left to chance. Coach them. Rehearse with them. The story should acknowledge the challenge but finish with hope. Guests should not leave feeling helpless. They should understand the organization has created change and that their generosity can create more. And importantly: your mission speaker should not make the financial ask. That is the professional asker's role.Giving Levels Should Be Designed Around Your Actual Audience
Your paddle raise levels should not be copied from another organization, based on what looked good at someone else's gala, or selected simply because they are round numbers. They should reflect the giving capacity of the people in your room. And every level should be connected to meaningful impact. Donors are not purchasing programs or supplies. They are investing in outcomes. Do not only describe what the money buys. Describe what the money makes possible.Secure Leadership Gifts Before the Event
Do not walk into the ballroom hoping someone will surprise you with a $25,000 gift. Hope is not a fundraising strategy. Identify your strongest donors in advance. Have personal conversations with them. Invite them to commit before the event and ask whether they will raise their paddle publicly when their level is announced. Pre-committed gifts establish confidence, create social proof, and show the rest of the room that respected members of the community believe the mission is worth supporting. The first paddle at each level is often the hardest to raise. Know where some of those paddles are coming from.Slow Down and Let Generosity Breathe
When you announce a giving level, clearly explain the impact, make the ask, and then pause. Give people time to consider. Give couples time to look at each other. Give donors time to process what their gift could accomplish. Silence does not mean the ask has failed. Silence is often the moment when someone is deciding to give. Do not become uncomfortable and immediately talk over that decision. Hold the moment. Watch the room. Allow generosity the time it needs.Visible Generosity Inspires More Generosity
As paddles go up, recognize those donors. Thank them. Use their names when you are certain of them. Make people feel seen and appreciated. That recognition also creates momentum: one person raises a paddle, then another, then another. Generosity becomes visible and visible generosity can inspire others to participate.Make Participation as Easy as Possible
Use large, highly visible paddles with plain font and large black numbers on a white background. Make sure every guest has one and understands what their number means. Train your spotters before the program begins. Coordinate your professional asker, spotters, recording team, and AV team. Everyone should understand the levels, the process, and their specific responsibilities.Your Fundraising Software Is Part of the Paddle Raise Strategy
Raising the paddle is only the first step. You still need to accurately record the gift, connect it to the right donor, process the payment, and send a receipt and a follow-up. Every guest should be registered correctly before the program begins, their paddle number connected to their name and preferred payment method. At checkout, donors should not have to stand in a long line or repeat their information. The easier you make it to fulfill the gift, the faster your organization receives the revenue and the better the donor's final experience will be.Treat Every Giving Level with Equal Energy and Gratitude
Organizations often bring tremendous energy to the top gifts and then rush through the lower levels. But your lower-level donors may produce the largest number of new supporters, and collectively those gifts generate significant revenue. A $250 donor deserves to feel just as connected to the mission as a $25,000 donor. The dollar amounts are different. The desire to make a difference is not.The Paddle Raise Does Not End When the Paddles Go Down
Follow-up matters. Use your fundraising management software to identify unfulfilled pledges immediately. Send acknowledgements quickly. Confirm payment and gift information. Provide tax receipts. Share what donors have helped make possible throughout the year. And pay special attention to first-time donors. A first gift should be the beginning of a relationship, not the end of a transaction. Many donors give test donations to see how an organization treats them after the gift is made. Too many organizations spend months preparing to receive the gift and only minutes planning what happens after it.
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Bobby D.:
Bobby D here with the Auction Is Action with You in It podcast. 25-plus year fundraiser, world champion auctioneer, founder of Call to Auction, and a chronic entrepreneur.
Today we are here to talk about the most important and biggest fundraising opportunity you have at your event: the paddle raise. And today we are going to be talking about the paddle raise best practices that inspire more giving.
A successful paddle raise is not simply about starting at a high dollar amount and working your way down. It is about creating a carefully designed moment where guests understand the need, connect emotionally with the mission, and feel inspired to take action. Today I am going to share the best practices that can turn a basic fundraising ask into one of the most powerful and profitable moments of your event.
So let us start with the most important lesson. Your paddle raise begins long before the first paddle goes in the air. It starts with your event design. Every element of the program should help guests understand your mission, recognize the need, and believe that they can be part of the solution.
Your video matters. Your speaker matters. Your stories matter. Your run of show matters. All of these elements should work together to build emotional momentum toward the ask. The paddle raise should happen immediately after your strongest mission moment: not after a long awards presentation, not after the energy has disappeared, and definitely not after guests have started thinking about dessert, the bar, or going home.
Do not expect your auctioneer to manufacture emotion during the ask. Build that emotion through the event and allow the auctioneer to turn it into action.
Next: focus your paddle raise on one clear and compelling need. One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is trying to explain everything they do. They discuss every program, every challenge, every expense, every line of the budget. But when you are trying to communicate everything, guests often remember nothing. Choose one fundable priority. Explain why it matters. Explain why it matters right now. And then show donors how their generosity can create a meaningful solution. Clarity creates confidence, and a confident donor is more likely to give.
You also need to choose the right mission speaker or video. Your speaker should have an authentic personal connection to the work. They should be comfortable sharing their story and willing to prepare. A powerful story should never be left to chance. Coach them. Rehearse with them. Make sure they are ready to communicate their experience clearly and concisely. In most cases, three to five minutes is enough.
The story should acknowledge the challenge, but it should finish with hope. Guests should not be left feeling helpless. They should understand that the organization has created change and that their generosity can help create more of that change. And here is an important distinction: your mission speaker does not need to make the financial ask and should not make the financial ask. Their role is to create connection. The professional asker's role is to turn that connection into action.
Now let us talk about your giving levels. Your paddle raise levels should be designed around the giving capacity of the people in your room. They should not be copied from another organization. They should not be based on what looked good at somebody else's gala. And they should definitely not be selected simply because they are round numbers.
You might use levels like $25,000, $10,000, $5,000, $2,500, $1,500, $250, and $100. But those amounts must make sense for your audience. Every level should also be connected to meaningful impact. What can $10,000 accomplish? What changes does a gift of $5,000 make possible? What becomes possible with a gift of $1,000? Donors are not purchasing programs or supplies. They are investing in outcomes. They are investing in impact. So do not only describe what the money buys. Describe what the money makes possible.
Another essential best practice is securing leadership gifts before the event. Do not walk into the ballroom hoping someone will surprise you with a $25,000 gift. That rarely happens. Hope is not a fundraising strategy. Identify your strongest donors in advance. Have personal conversations with them. Invite them to commit before the event and ask whether they will raise their paddle publicly when the level is announced.
Pre-committed gifts accomplish more than generating revenue. They establish confidence. They create social proof. They show the rest of the room that respected members of the community believe the mission is worth supporting. The first paddle at each level is often the hardest to raise. Make sure you know where some of those paddles are coming from.
The person leading the paddle raise also matters enormously. A paddle raise requires more than someone who can speak quickly, entertain an audience, or read a list of dollar amounts. It requires a professional asker who understands fundraising and has done it before. That person needs to read the room, set the pace, make a direct and confident ask, recognize donors properly, hold silence without panicking, and adjust the strategy in real time. Great paddle raises are structured, but they are never robotic. The asker must understand when to pause and when to push, when to celebrate and when to move forward.
This brings us to another powerful best practice: slow down.
When you announce a giving level, clearly explain the impact, make the ask, and then pause. Give people time to consider the decision. Give couples time to look at each other. Give donors time to process what their gift could accomplish. Silence does not mean the ask has failed. Silence is often the moment when someone is deciding to give. Do not become uncomfortable and immediately talk over that decision. Hold the moment. Watch the room. Allow generosity the time it needs.
As paddles go up, recognize those donors. Thank them. Use their names when appropriate and when you are certain of them. Make people feel seen and appreciated. That recognition also creates momentum. One person raises a paddle, then another, then another. Generosity becomes visible, and visible generosity can inspire others to participate.
You also need to make participation easy. Use large, highly visible paddles with plain font and large black numbers on a white background. This is the best design: a 5x8 card with a white background and big bold black lettering. Make sure every guest has one and understands what their number means. Train your spotters before the program begins. Coordinate with your professional asker, your spotters, your recording team, and your AV team. Everyone should understand the levels, the process, and their specific responsibilities. A powerful emotional moment can quickly become confusing if no one knows who is recording the gifts.
And that brings us to something every organization needs to consider: your fundraising management software.
Raising the paddle is only the first step. You still need to accurately record the gift, connect it to the right donor, process the payment, send a receipt, and send a follow-up and a thank you message. A strong fundraising management solution makes donation redemption easy for both the organization and the donor.
Every guest should be registered correctly before the program begins. Their paddle number should be connected to their name, their contact information, and their preferred payment method whenever possible. When they raise their paddle, your team should be able to record that gift quickly and accurately. One special part about Call to Auction is that we provide a fundraising scribe for every event we host, helping our team track the data and make sure everything is accurate and entered into the system as quickly as possible.
At checkout, the donor should not have to stand in a long line, repeat their information, or wonder how to complete their contribution. The easier you make it to fulfill the gift, the faster your organization receives the revenue and the better the donor's final experience will be.
Your software should help you track paddle numbers and giving levels, process payments securely, identify outstanding pledges, generate accurate receipts, integrate donor information, and create the reports your team needs for immediate follow-up. But having the software is not enough. Your team must know how to use it. Test the entire process before the event. Create a mock paddle raise. Enter sample gifts. Verify that your spotters, recorders, checkout team, and fundraising staff all understand their roles. And establish a backup system in case the internet, tablets, or software experiences a problem. Technology should remove friction, not create it.
The emotional journey may inspire the gift. But an efficient redemption process is what turns that inspired commitment into collected revenue.
Another mistake is treating the lower giving levels as an afterthought. Organizations often bring tremendous excitement to the top gifts and then rush through the final levels because they believe the important money has already been raised. But your lower-level donors may produce the largest number of donors, and that matters. Those gifts create participation. They introduce new supporters to your organization. They allow more guests to see themselves as part of the mission. And collectively those gifts can generate significant revenue.
Bring the same energy, gratitude, and respect to every level. A $250 donor deserves to feel just as connected to the mission as a $25,000 donor. The dollar amounts might be different. The desire to make a difference is not.
At every level, invite board participation. Make it clear that every gift matters. Show guests how individual contributions create collective impact. And then finish the paddle raise with gratitude. Celebrate what the room has accomplished together. Thank the donors who raised their paddles. Thank those who may give privately or after the event. Connect their generosity back to the people, families, animals, students, patients, or communities they are supporting.
Be careful about announcing the total unless you know it is accurate. Instead, celebrate the shared commitment. You can say: look around this room. This is what generosity looks like. Or: tonight, you did not just raise your paddles. You raised possibilities.
The final emotion should not be relief that fundraising is over. It should be pride, hope, and momentum.
And remember: the paddle raise does not end when the paddles go down. Follow-up matters. Use your fundraising management software to identify unfulfilled pledges immediately. Send acknowledgements quickly. Confirm payment and gift information. Provide tax receipts. Share what donors have helped make possible. Continue reporting impact throughout the year. And pay special attention to first-time donors. A first gift should be the beginning of a relationship, not the end of a transaction. Many donors come to events and provide test donations to see how the organization will treat them afterward. Too many organizations spend months preparing to receive the gift and only minutes planning what happens after it. Great fundraising includes great stewardship.
So let us bring it all together. Build the emotional moment before the ask. Focus on one clear and compelling need. Select and coach the right mission speaker. Design giving levels around your actual audience. Connect every level to meaningful impact. Secure leadership gifts in advance. Use a professional asker. Slow down and allow donors time to decide. Make participation simple. Use fundraising management software to record, redeem, and follow up on every gift. Value every giving level. Make sure everybody has a paddle in their hand with their name attached to it. And finish with gratitude. Steward every donor with intention.
The most successful paddle raises are not spontaneous. They are strategically designed, carefully rehearsed, efficiently managed, and confidently led by a professional fundraising auctioneer or asker. Because fundraising is not simply about getting people to raise their paddles. It is about inspiring them to raise their hands and say: I believe in this mission. I want to make a difference. And I want to be a part of what happens next.
There you are, friends. Raise it right: the best practices for your upcoming paddle raise.
Thank you all so much for your time and your dedication to the work you are doing through events to make a bigger impact for your organization. By spending time here, you are showing that you are dedicated to creating a better event. Better events create more fundraising. More fundraising creates bigger impact. Thank you for all of that.
My name is Bobby D with the Auction Is Action with You in It podcast, presented by calltoauction.com. If you are looking for an auctioneer, dates are filling up quickly. Head to our website at calltoauction.com and schedule your free event analysis today. Thanks again for listening and we will see you all on the next episode.
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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.