Obviously messaging matters!  The trouble is that at times you have no control over what is going to be said.  Two examples spring to mind:

In the last couple of weeks we have done fundraisers for three different enviromental groups.  Each event was introduced by a great speaker.  Two of the speakers worked for the organizations and were conscious that we would be moving from their speech into a fundraiser.  The third speaker has a national reputation and gave a condensed version of a speech he gives around the country.

I want to stress that all three speeches were riveting.  The difference was that at two of them, the two where the speaker was conscious that this was a fundraiser,  their presentation ended with an achievable call to action.  The national speaker, who was the scariest of the three, made the case that to save the environment requires a techtonic shift in our political consciousness and the commitment trillions of dollars.  While that may well be true, it reduces the audience to ineffective bystanders.

A very different example occurred several years ago.  We were doing a fundraiser for an arts organization, and before the auction they wanted to honor a very significant donor.  Whether it was from a fear of public speaking or from a natural proclivity, the significant donor had been hitting the cocktails.  He was also there without his wife who was, I suspect, the true supporter of this organization.  Upon being given his plaque, and the chance to address the audience, the donor took the microphone and started with the immortal words “I hate this **$$%&$%% organization”.  It went downhill from there.

There have been other incidents over the years. Performers who insist on performing a complete set when they have been specifically requested to keep it to 20 minutes.  Others have used obscenity on stage, told inappropriate jokes, or, and this is particularly insidious, just assumed that the audience had the same political sensibilities as themselves.

It’s your event.  The audience is going to assume that whatever is said from the stage has your tacit approval. The more formal or famous the speaker, the more importance will be attached to what is said.  To work effectively for your organization the speech or the presentation must end with a call to action that empowers the audience.  As we say to all our clients, part of their mission is to inform the donors how their donation has “moved the needle”.  you must insist on this.  If the speaker does not explicitly agree DO NOT LET THEM ON STAGE.

The 2009 Spring Season, which we arbitrarily assign from February to the beginning of June was bookended by two events that were visibly and dramatically down.  With those two glaring exceptions, most events with which we are familiar equalled or surpassed previous years.

The two events that tanked were the Naples Wine Auction and Auction Napa Valley.  Both of these events had raised millions of dollars in previous years and “tanked” is a relative term.  They both made $5 million in 2009. Still and amaxing return.

Naples was down because everyone was still tring to grasp the extent of the financial downturn and they are also located near the heart of Bernie Madoff country.

Auction Napa Valley shot itself in the foot.  Attempting to manage expectations they announced in advance that they would be happy with 50% less than the previous year.  Talk about a self-fulfilling prophesy!

The lesson everyone in fundraising needs to keep to the fore is that audiences are less forgiving.  If you give them an excuse NOT to give you money they will take it.  The well-to-do are being hit up for donations more than ever.  If they don’t make a donation to you, they are not going to keep the money, there is a whole list of potential charities out there waiting to earn that donation.

I BELIEVE THAT, TO A GREATER EXTENT THAN EVER BEFORE, YOUR EVENT HAS BECOME THE AUDITION THAT PROVES THE EFFICACY OF YOUR ORGANIZATION.

If you fail the audition they will find another cause.

I mentioned that most of our events this spring have equaled or surpassed last year.  This is bucking the National trend.  As far as I can tell most fundraising auctions are reporting a decline of 20-30%,  with the exception of school auctions which seem to be holding their own.

One reason our events are doing better than average is simple evolution.  We have been in this business for many years working with every concievable type and size of fundraising auction.  Every year over 80% of our events are repeat business (It would be even high except for bringing in new auctioneers).  If a charity has a problem with their event, bad sound for example, and hasn’t fixed it in two years, we will probably stop working with that event.  It turns out that we have been in the excuse reduction business all these years.

Do not be afraid of putting on your event.  It has all the potential it ever had.  It will just take hard work.  On the other hand it was never easy.

Like everywhere else, Sonoma charities are feeling the double pinch of an increase in demand at exactly the same time sources of funding are drying up.  Sonoma is being particularly hard hit because there are several major fundraising events that have taken a break in 2009.  Most of the cancellation or postponements were implemented before the economy tanked.

Sonoma Paradiso, the biggest fundraiser in the county simply posted a message on their website, with no indication of future plans.

The Hospices of Sonoma website says that they are rebranding as the Pinot Society Wine Auction with the plan of holding their first auction in early 2010.

The Sonoma County Showcase auction was merged with the Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction in 2008.

The Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction announced earlier this year that, in a break from past practises, they would ask their beneficiaries to apply for grants AFTER the auction.

In combination these events raised several million dollars for charity, particularly childrens’  charities, every year.  It is just happenstance that it all hit at once, but the combination of circumstances and the tough economy means harder times.

If there is any lesson to be learned, it is that it is always better to own your own event.  Raising money through an umbrella organization may leave you open to unexpected twists and turns.

After viewing one of the “Kitchen Sink Dramas” that ruled in the West End after WWII, Noel Coward was asked what he thought of an actor’s performance that was famed for it’s spontaneity and improvisation.  “The only improvisation I like”, Coward replied, “comes with three weeks of rehearsal.”

I was reminded of this recently.  I was just starting the Fund-A-Need pitch when the popular and charismatic Director of the Organization walked by the stage.  I called him up, and asked for his input.  After a few seconds it became apparent that he did not know the where the F-A-N money was going.   OUCH!  I backtracked and gave my original pitch.  I don’t think that it cost the organization any money but the director feels bad, I feel bad and the reputation of the organization was ever so slightly tarnished.

It was my fault.  I had forgotten the golden rule.  On stage everything matters.  What would be insignificant in casual conversation becomes heightened when said on stage.

Everything needs to be rehearsed or at least planned.  At one event I watched a local anchorman start to tell a joke, realize that it was inappropriate, try to back track, dig a deeper hole for himself, and eventually end up revealing some things  that I am sure he would rather have remained private.

A microphone without a script is a dangerous tool.  The classic was a big donor who was being honored by an organization.  On taking the stage to receive his plaque, the donor, who had obviously fully appreciated the free Martini Bar, proceeded to tell everyone that he hated the organization and only gave the money to placate his wife, who, unfortunately could not be there that evening.

One of rules at Reynolds & Buckley is that we avoid “gunslinger” events, where we just come in and do the auction without the prior consulting and planning.  I hope this portion of our service is of use to our clients, but I know for a fact that it is essential to us.  If we do not assimilate your message and goals, a process that takes time, and then practice repeating them in our own words, we will not be able to communicate them clearly and believably to your audience.

A great improv group creates spontaneity through playing theater games.  As a group you learn each others strengths and weaknesses.  You have the time to develop characters and skills that the group learns to depend on.

In other words improvisation can improve with three weeks of rehearsal.

Five simple questions to ask when interviewing a potential auctioneer.

1. How many charity auctions do you do a year?
2. How many years have you been doing this?
3. What is the range of auctions you do in financial terms, the size of the crowd and the types of organizations with which you work?
4. What is your longest run for doing an auction?
5. How many of this year’s auctions are repeats?

The answer to these five questions should reveal the essential facts about an auctioneer.  The first three questions deal with overall experience.  One of the challenges doing this work is that there are no rehearsal opportunities.  You learn in front of an audience.

It is really the last two questions that are most important.  There are several specific skills and characteristics that are either useful or essential for an auctioneer: a passion for a cause, a sense of humor and a facility with numbers are good examples.  But on top of those there is an indefinable quality that makes all the difference; THE ABILITY TO CONNECT WITH AN AUDIENCE.

The best metric of this quality is being invited back over a course of years.

I write while changing planes in Vegas on route back from Indianapolis.  We were there for Elegant Vintages, an auction benefiting the Indianapolis Zoo.  The event was a great success, and it appears that the auction at least matched last years, and may well have even exceeded the previous total.

Once again you have to look under the hood to see why this event has bucked the national trend.  Colleen and I agree that the secret strength of this event lies with the two chairs, T.J. Cole and Holly Banta.

They have been the Chairs prior to our becoming involved with this event, and that is least six years ago.  Apart from the obvious advantage of having two young, attractive, dynamic, food and wine loving individuals running the event, their continued involvement was particularly important this year.  They have a long term perspective, and know that the event is successful, though the totals may vary from year to year.  This removed the pressure to “out perform” the chairs of previous years.

Another advantage that comes with longevity is that they know what works.  Even though they were anticipating a drop in revenue, they insisted that the event maintained the same high quality that they were famous for in the past.  They knew that they would lose their audience if it was perceived that they had cut corners.  The wines for tasting during the evening were phenomenal!

Of course it is not realistic for most events to keep Chairs for anything like this period of time, and I am amazed at their generosity in taking on this role once again.  They both have full and busy careers, are in the midst of a major remodel and raise horses.  Thankfully they were helped some new lieutenants this year.

We just returned from Park City and the National Ability Center Auction.  I have not yet heard the final numbers, but I suspect that they may be ahead of last year.  As always it was a wonderful event, but there is no doubt in my mind that their focus on message explains their success.

The NAC helps people with disabilities to participate in the sports they love or learn to love.  This has a life-changing and life-affirming effect.

The event, named Red, White and Snow, brings over 20 wineries to Park City, Utah. There is the usual round of wine maker dinners and tastings, but the highlights of the weekend are the occasions where everyone, Vintners, Clients, Staff, Donors and Supporters get to interact on the slopes and socially.  Your heart would have to be made of stone not to be overwhelmed by the commitment, courage and dedication of everyone involved.

The night of the auction, Teague, one of the NAC atheletes who lost an arm and leg in a car accident as a child, introduces a video.  He starts by saying that he never expected to be an athelete, and the video ends with a clip of him completing the slalom course at an incredible speed.

My main challenge at the auction was simply to find a way to give the audience permission to make the donations they wished.  This is not an insignificant challenge in this time when “Frugality is the New Chic”.  I was definetly helped in this by the vintners who kept adding to their Lots.

The lesson from the weekend is that you have to fight for your organization.  The downturn in the economy has had a specific effect on potential wealthy supporters.  As a group they are attending fewer events.  Every organization is an a competition to make their event the most emotionally satisfying for their attendees to ensure long term success.

Last week a friend returned from a board meeting and announced that they were anticipating their event to be down 50% this year.  Talk about a self fulfilling prophecy!  If you are anticipating lower returns, TELL NO ONE!  It is one of those secrets that need to be whispered into a well at midnight.

As soon as they hear that you are planning on less, everyone from the lot donors to the lot buyers to the participants in the fund-a-need, will react accordingly.  This will create a downward trend that is hard to stop. On hearing that you anticipate 50% less revenue all the bidders will arrive planning to buy the same quality lots as last year for a big discount.  Unfortunately, in anticipation of lower bids, donors will have offered lesser lots.  Suddenly a planned 50% decrease becomes a 66% decrease.

If asked about your expectations you need a response.  A possible suggestion: While acknowledging the shape of the economy, we have very loyal supporters and so we hope the auction will be in the same range, give or take, as the last few years.

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.

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.