Thursday, March 13, 2014

General Information On Fundraising Art Auctions

By Jaclyn Hurley


Arrange an art auction for fundraising purposes is important and done for many different reasons. It is often the approach that non-profits take when they are in need of money, artists use as a way to gain publicity by donating their art, and bidders participate in to get access to high art at less expensive prices. Fundraising art auctions are help across the globe and are beneficial for bidders, donors and non-profit organizations.

There are certain pointers that can help everyone who is involved. These pointers can ensure people have a good time and realize their goals at these auctions, regardless of whether they are donating, selling or buying. Ultimately, the goal of auctions is to earn money to go toward a good cause.

For artists, the best fundraisers to donate to are those that support arts organizations and attract members of visual art communities, particularly collectors. This makes for a better opportunity for work to be seen and your name to get out there. Donations to non-art related fundraisers are also a good idea, but should be for an established auction in which you believe in the goals of the organizations and not to further your career.

Artists who are not familiar with the organization requesting art should research it to find more details. When donating a piece, it is encouraged that they choose something that displays their true talent and generosity. Donors should also include a short bio and their contact info with the piece, and make sure to closely communicate with event organizers.

Bidders should look over all the available art at auctions, if possible. These events can be a place to discover artists and learn more about the art itself. Find out more about the artists of each work before bidding on their pieces, and take care when bidding. If you look around, you might be able to meet and interact with artists who are often present and standing by their pieces.

People in charge of putting these events together should set the guidelines for submitting for donors. These posts might also feature pointers so they know what type of art is expected to do the best, the price range that is ideal for most bidders, and how the artists can best represent their work and themselves. Be sure to include details on how the event is bring promoted, how publicity will benefit them and the number of attendees expected to see the art. Contributors may be urged to set their selling and bidding prices at a reasonable number.

Organizers should also publish a catalogue including the basic info about every artist and their work that is for sale. Mail this out to the attendees once they have paid for tickets. The more time they have to think about the art and familiarize themselves with it, the easier it will be for them to bid. Choose a place that has plenty of room for displays, as well as good ventilation.

Admission cost should include complimentary food and drink. Active bidders should be granted preferred seats. Make sure to hire an auctioneer with experience in fundraiser auctions, as these are not the same as ordinary ones in which moving the merchandise fast is the objective. A good auctioneer for these events can make all the difference. Display the art that is up for sale prominently and make sure that all bidders have access to artist information.




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Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Understanding How To Hold An Auction Fundraiser

By Jaclyn Hurley


When the funds available is way below what is budgeted for and other options like taking a loan are not viable, the management team have to be creative in the way they are going to meet the deficit. The simplest and perhaps the safest way is to arrange an auction fundraiser. Although this practice has been in existence for many years, many people still do not know how to hold an auction fundraiser.

It all starts with proper planning with the first consideration being the goals in terms how much is expected. This gives idea on the targeted participants and the items to be used in the event. With rough estimation on the number of people expected to attend, the venue of the event can then be determined.

The rule of the thumb is that the item always goes to the highest bidder. In order to get the best deal out of this, the item needs to be unique and decent. As much as possible, the item should be unique and rare as this encourages participants to fight for the possession giving out extra cash in the process. The other trick is to auction items from celebrities. If the participants are informed in advance that the items to be auctioned comes from notable celebrities, their curiosity increases and more people are likely to attend with more cash.

Major expenses related to hall rental, beverages, food, decorations, sound system and all printing and fees if any must be estimated with the goal of ensuring that they are far below amount expected to be raised. In order to increase income, options available include charging admission, soliciting sponsorship, selling signature drinks, holding raffles or even balloon pops among several other activities that may increase income.

The targeted participants in particular must be invited 90 days before the D-day in person if possible. Taking advantage of mainstream media may also help in promotion. Social media pages like Facebook and Twitter can also provide a good platform to quickly spread the message given that it is accessible to very many people and comes completely free.

The most important aspect during preparation is proper promotion. The events will only be attended by those who get to know about it in advance. It is therefore important to take advantage of available media to create awareness. For the same purpose, social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter can be very helpful as they help reach many people.

With such a large gathering and money being transferred, security becomes a top priority. The people attending the fundraising event want to be as secure as possible. At the same time, you may not know how to judge whether those in attendance have good intention and asking the locale authority for security is the least an organizer can do.

The other things to consider include setting up seating arrangement, setting up a checkout system and assigning different people assignments in advance. Lastly, adequate security arrangement must be in place to ensure that everything runs smooth as planned.




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