Episode 44: The Best Fundraising Auction Advice in America Live from Napa
In this episode of Auction Is Action with U in It!, Bobby D. Ehlert takes you inside the Benefit Auction Summit in Napa, California, year two of the podcast coming from this gathering of professional fundraising auctioneers.
140 fundraising professionals. One room. Two days of sharpening skills, sharing ideas, and finding better ways to help nonprofits raise more money. Bobby goes around the room and pulls the sharpest takeaways from some of the best in the business, giving you a front-row seat to the conversations happening at the highest levels of event fundraising right now.
Key Takeaways
Stewardship Is the Trend That Will Define the Next Year
Seth Winer opened with a simple and powerful insight: if someone gives money to you, thank them. Not just during the gala, but a couple of months later with no ask attached. Show them where their money went. It does not matter if the gift was $50 or $5,000. Let donors know what their paddle raise gift made possible. That is it. That is stewardship.Experiential Travel and Group Packages Are Winning the Live Auction
Eric from Mission First shared that couples and groups are increasingly drawn to larger shared travel experiences: four or five couples traveling together, all-inclusive resort packages, and international destinations. Portugal and Ireland are the breakout destinations right now. The trend points toward experiences that create anticipation and memory, not just accommodation.Shorter, Mission-Focused Programs Are Replacing Long Gala Agendas
Multiple voices at the summit echoed the same theme: remarks, not speeches. Tighter programs. Less stage time that does not directly serve the mission or the fundraising. The organizations raising the most money are protecting their program flow and eliminating anything that resets emotional energy before the ask.Authenticity Drives Participation
Aaron Ward put it simply: authenticity all the way. From the welcome speech to the giving levels to who is presenting, when everything on stage feels real and genuine, the percentage of guests who participate goes up. Authenticity is not a soft value. It is a fundraising strategy.Multiple Seed Gifts Create Critical Mass in the Room
Lucas Hunt introduced the concept of multiple seed gifts, or MSGs, as a coming trend. Organizations are securing more donor commitments before walking into the room so that when the paddle raise begins, the big dominoes are already falling. Multiple pre-secured gifts at key levels do not just generate revenue. They create social proof, establish momentum, and give others permission to give.Donor Advised Funds Are Here and Growing
Scott Robertson flagged donor advised funds as a real and accelerating trend that nonprofits need to be ready for. DAFs offer tax advantages and are increasingly how significant donors are channeling philanthropic dollars. If your organization is not set up to accept DAF gifts seamlessly, you are potentially missing major contributions.Do the Fundraising Earlier in the Evening
Sher Tuller of Red Apple Auctions shared actual data showing that the earlier in the evening the fundraising happens, the more money is raised. There is a measurable difference even within a single hour of the program. Organizations that protect the early energy of the evening and move the ask forward rather than burying it at the end consistently outperform those that wait.Silent Auctions Deserve Less of Your Attention Than You Are Giving Them
Sher also noted that the summit barely touched on silent auctions, and that was not an accident. For every minute you spend thinking about your silent auction, spend ten on your fund-a-need or live auction. The return is not comparable.Event Technology Is Transforming the Guest Experience
Candace from Knockout Fundraising pointed to fundraising software as one of the biggest shifts of recent years. Check-in time that used to take 30 to 60 seconds per guest is now down to 10 to 15 seconds through pre-captured card data and streamlined platforms. The organizations that embrace this technology reduce friction, increase giving, and give their staff more time to focus on donor relationships rather than logistics.DAF Pay Is the New Development That Changes Everything
Sam Swain of Swim Strategies and Elevate Conference introduced DAF Pay, a new payment type being added to major event fundraising platforms including Greater Giving and OneCause. DAF Pay allows donors who give through donor advised funds to pay that night at the event, eliminating the follow-up, tracking, and reconciliation that has historically made large DAF gifts difficult to close in real time. The ability to collect a major gift in the room the night of the event is a significant development for the industry.Your Own Donor Data Is the Only Data That Matters
Dean Crownover brought the summit home with a sharp observation: the most valuable thing any organization can do right now is mine their own data. Who gives in the fund-a-need and buys in the live auction? Who only gives in the fund-a-need? Who only bids? Those participation rates and patterns are unique to your donor base. Studying them, understanding them, and building strategy around them is how you grow giving year over year. No one else's numbers tell your story.Hire a Benefit Auctioneer Specialist, Not Just Anyone with a Microphone
Beth Sandifer closed things out with a pointed recommendation: she is now writing into her contracts that she will only work with benefit auctioneers who carry the professional designation. A benefit auctioneer specialist knows how to read the room, hold silence, carry the mission through the event, and make the evening about the cause rather than about themselves. The difference between a specialist and the funny uncle is not just style. It is outcomes.
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Bobby D.:
Hey there everyone. Bobby D here with the Auction Is Action with You in It podcast. I am here inside the Benefit Auction Summit and this is year two of the Auction Is Action podcast coming from this event. We have a room full of fundraising auctioneers just like myself, all here to develop skills, grow our businesses, and find ways to help nonprofits like yours raise more money. I am going to go around the room and get some industry leaders to share their ideas with you. Here we go.
Bobby D. to Seth Winer:
Hey there everyone. I am here with Seth Winer, your rocker. Seth, what are some of the things you are going to see coming up in the next year?
Seth Winer:
We are going to see a lot of giving and a lot of creative ways of giving and a lot more stewardship. People are going to really start connecting with their donors throughout the year and not just at their event.
Bobby D.:
How can a nonprofit client build stewardship within their event?
Seth:
Very simple. If someone is giving money to you, thank them. Not just during the gala, but thank them a couple of months after and do not ask them for a thing. Just a thank you. Show them where their money went. It does not matter if it was $50 or $1,000 or $5,000. Let them know: you gave during our paddle raise and this is what it did. Thank you. That is it.
Bobby D.:
Thank you, Seth.
Bobby D. to Aaron, Eric, and Stephen:
Hey there everyone. I am here with Aaron, Eric, and Stephen. What do you think is coming up in the next year in regards to fundraising events?
Aaron:
I think we are going to continue to see more people buying experiences and travel, and really putting together some cool packages with meals, local chefs, and things like that.
Bobby D.:
Speaking of which, we have one of my favorite vendors and providers of experiences and travel right here: Eric with Mission First.
Eric:
We are seeing trends with more couples traveling together, looking for bigger accommodations: five couples, four couples. And all-inclusives are still coming back strong. When it is cold outside, people want to go to the beach. Portugal is the big destination this year. Ireland is big too. But I also want to touch on what we are seeing in fundraising: the mission-focused and tighter, shorter programs. Remarks, not speeches.
Bobby D.:
Love it. Thank you, gentlemen.
Bobby D. to Aaron Ward:
Hey there everyone. I am here with my favorite auctioneer and my wife, Aaron Ward. Aaron, what do you think we need to be seeing in fundraising events in this upcoming year?
Aaron Ward:
Authenticity. Authenticity all the way. Everything from your welcome speech at the gala to who is presenting, what gifts are coming in, what levels are coming in, how many of them are coming in: all of that will change the trajectory of the percentage of people that are participating. I think we are going to see more people giving. Authenticity.
Bobby D.:
I love it. And I love you.
Aaron Ward:
I love you too.
Bobby D. to Bazto and Lucas Hunt:
Hey there everyone. I am here with fellow New Yorkers, Bazto and Lucas Hunt. What trends are we going to see in fundraising events in the coming year?
Bazto:
Somewhat smaller, more intimate events. Also more giving options.
Lucas Hunt:
I am thinking MSG: multiple seed gifts. I think organizations are going to be securing more donors walking into the room because they know they will create critical mass at the event. If they can have a show of support, get the big dominoes going, multiple seed gifts will lead to greater giving in the room. Look out for that this fall.
Bobby D.:
Beautiful. Thanks, gentlemen.
Bobby D. to Scott Robertson:
Hey everybody. I am here with Scott Robertson, one of my favorite auctioneers and a mentor of mine. Scott, what do you think is coming up in the next year for fundraising events?
Scott Robertson:
I think one of the main things you are going to see is donor advised funds. We are going to see more and more of that because it is a real thing. It is a tax advantage and it is going to be happening. Be ready when it happens because it is happening.
Bobby D.:
Donor advised funds. Thanks, Scott.
Bobby D. to Sher Tuller:
Hey there. I am here with Sher Tuller of Red Apple Auctions. What do we need to tell our nonprofit clients that they should be doing to have better fundraising?
Sher Tuller:
Two things: one that we learned and one that we did not hear anything about. The first thing is critical: the earlier in the evening we do the fundraising, the more money is raised. There is actual data on that, even within a window as short as 8:05 to 8:55. And secondly, what we heard nothing about was silent auctions. Why were we not talking about silent auctions?
Bobby D.:
I guess they are just not the best way to raise money.
Sher:
Actually one thing was mentioned: for every moment you spend on your silent auction, thinking about it and working on it, you should spend ten on your fund-a-need or live auction.
Bobby D.:
Amen. Thanks, Sher.
Bobby D. to Candace:
Hey everyone. I am here with Candace with Knockout Fundraising. What can we do to help our nonprofit friends?
Candace:
Utilizing all the different resources out there, including software. Software is getting more and more developed and the competition is great. These platforms are coming up with ways to turn what used to take 30 seconds to a minute per guest at check-in into 10 to 15 seconds, because of the resources you have to capture cards and information beforehand. That is probably the biggest shift I have seen in the last few years: utilizing technology to make it easier. Partner with the softwares and programs that make your job easier and do less of the work manually. AI is huge too.
Bobby D.:
Thank you, Candace.
Bobby D. to Sam Swain:
Hey everyone. I am here with the one and only Sam Swain of Swim Strategies and Elevate Conference. Love it by the way: go to it, it is awesome. Sam, what is your tip for our nonprofit friends?
Sam Swain:
First: go to Elevate, March 2nd and 3rd. But the big news right now is DAF Pay. Do you know about DAF Pay?
Bobby D.:
A little. We have not talked about it yet.
Sam:
DAF Pay is a new payment type being added to all the major platforms: Greater Giving, OneCause, and others. It allows your big DAF donors or small DAF donors to pay that night at the event. You no longer have to do all the tracking and follow-up and solicitation to get your big gifts reconciled. You can get it that night with DAF Pay.
Bobby D.:
Mic drop. Thank you, Sam.
Bobby D. to Dean Crownover:
Hey there everyone. I am here with one of my best buddies, Dean Crownover. What do we take away from this summit that we can share with our nonprofit friends?
Dean Crownover:
There is always a theme and this theme is data. Mining the data. We have always talked about it, but mining the data of participation rates in the fund-a-need. Looking at who gives in the fund-a-need and buys in the live auction, who only does the fund-a-need. Just those two data points give you a very clear picture of your particular group. I am beginning to think that is the most valuable thing you can start looking at: those percentages and how to build them.
Bobby D.:
And that data is so valuable because that is how you grow your donor base and start being strategic about it.
Dean:
Everybody's donor base is different. All you need to know about is how does yours give. Look at those numbers and grow it. That is all that matters.
Bobby D.:
Right on. Thanks, Dean.
Bobby D. to Aaron Kinsel:
Hey there everyone. Here with Aaron Kinsel of Giving for Good Auctions and Fundraising. Aaron, what is your biggest takeaway from the summit that we can give to our nonprofit friends?
Aaron Kinsel:
We learned so much good stuff. For me, my biggest takeaway is something I already knew but was reinforced: the value of seed gifts. It is always about momentum, but the way it was framed here was around restructuring the framework of the room. This is who we are. This is what we do. And having not just one seed gift per level but multiple will tumble down to the lower levels and create more participation.
Bobby D.:
More participation. That is what it is all about. Thank you, Aaron.
Bobby D. to Beth Sandifer:
Hey there everyone. I am here with Beth Sandifer of Beth Sandifer Events and my co-founder at Gala Toolbox. Check it out at galatoolbox.com. Beth, what did you get from the Benefit Auction Summit?
Beth Sandifer:
It was great to see all my auctioneer friends in the same place and meet a lot of new people. I picked up a couple of tips. One: if I have not worked with an auctioneer before, I am going to start planning to have a meeting with them in advance. And I also picked up a tip from Sam Swain about starting to write into my contracts that I will only work with benefit auctioneers who have the designation.
Bobby D.:
It is important to hire a benefit auctioneer specialist. What is the biggest difference between a benefit auctioneer specialist and the funny uncle?
Beth:
You need someone who understands how to read the room, let there be silence, and carry the message through the event. Not make it the funny uncle show.
Bobby D.:
There we are. The Benefit Auction Summit, 140 fundraising auctioneers together in beautiful Napa, California, all talking about how to help nonprofit fundraising event clients raise more money and make a bigger impact.
I hope you learned something from this episode today. Thank you all so much for investing your time in making better events. You are the ones that make these events happen and the work you are doing is commendable. Do not forget to like and subscribe. And thank you to our sponsors: calltoauction.com, your fundraising partner for events, and galatoolbox.com, where you can download the free blueprint. All the links are below. Thank you again for watching.
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.