Any Brit will recognize the line from the Morecambe and Wise Show.  The correct answer was “Rubbish”.

That pretty well covers my attitude to 2009. As far as I can tell, fundraising auctions are down about 33.3%.  That is the average and as such paints a pretty useless picture.  A more accurate description is that auctions are all over the place.  A few have even exceeded previous years totals, but more are down.  Some are down two thirds.

Any input from other events would be much appreciated.

Reynolds & Buckley will be conducting a workshop entitled Fundraising Auctions in Hard Times on Tuesday, February 24th at the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County. Company founder and nationally recognized fundraising expert David Reynolds will be on hand to discuss the challenges facing anyone conducting a fundraising auction today, along with associates Greg Quiroga and Ed Gold.

This is the third year we’ve partnered with the Sonoma Volunteer Center to offer a workshop, and this workshop couldn’t come at a more relevant and important time. We will discuss emerging trends in fundraising auctions, share insights from the 50+ events we’ve done since the recession “officially” began last fall, and touch on the ever-important fundamentals:

• Laser beaming your message
• Donor development
• Bidder recruitment
• Audience empowerment

Then we’ll break up into roundtable discussion groups led by David, Greg and Ed to address the specific concerns of each organization’s event. Whether you are considering starting an auction or have a well-established event, you are certain to gain a wealth of tips and ideas.

Date: Tuesday, February 24
Time: 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
Place: Volunteer Center of Sonoma County, 153 Stony Circle, Suite 100, Santa Rosa, CA
Fee: $45 for members of the Volunteer Center of Sonoma; $65 for non-members
For: Executive directors, board members, development staff and other volunteers involved with fundraising auctions

Click here to register online for this Reynolds & Buckley workshop at the Sonoma Volunteer Center.

I feel compelled to note that all of the fees associated with this workshop cover costs for the Sonoma Volunteer Center and its programs.

I have just fielded a couple of calls from clients accusing me of being too blase about the decline in the returns from the Naples Wine Auction.  I agree that it reflects a significant decrease.  $16.4 million in 2007, $14 Million in 2008 and a reported $5 million in 2009.

I believe that we need more time to pass judgment.  So many factors can affect the totals, if indeed the $5 million amount is accurate.  These are some we have encountered over the years:

• Missing bidders.  At one of the early Sonoma Valley Wine Auctions we sold a package for 4 or 8 to attend the US Tennis Open.  The trouble is that it takes place on the same weekend as the Sonoma Auction.  We lost our two top bidders the following year.
• Unforeseen circumstances.  The beloved chair of an event had a heart attack the night before the auction.
• Force of Nature.  At Livermore one year, the entire West Coast power grid collapsed. Fires, Floods and earthquakes have also had their effects.
• Personal Relationships.   A couple divorced during their year as chair.  “He” inherited the auction, “Her” friends became determined that it would fail.

In other word it is too early to extrapolate from the brief news I have had from Naples concerning the trands for auctions as a whole.

My first reaction on seeing that the Naples Wine Auction raised $5,000,000 this year is that every thing is a matter of perspective.  It all depends on whether you see money as absolute or relative.

Naples raises $5 million sounds really good.

Naples auction down by two-thirds sounds really bad.

I suspect that we will hear all sort of explanations of the downturn in the next few weeks, but regardless, everyone in the fundraising business knows how hard you have to work to raise any sum of money, and $5 million  is worth celebrating!