Hey Nonprofits!

Your Auctioneer Just Added 200%

The question that costs nonprofits the most money at their gala is "are the bid spotters really necessary?" The answer is yes, and the reason is arithmetic. Four trained

This Question Turns a $20K Gala Into $1M Gala

Fundraising events don't plateau because the market got harder. They plateau because the organization goes quiet for twelve months and then asks for a table. In this epis

Celebrities Aren't the Problem...Your Ask Is Terrible

Most nonprofits chase a celebrity two months before their gala, email an agent, ask about money, and wonder why they get ghosted.Afam Onyema has spent 19 years doing the

Getting Donors to Give Again

Most nonprofits lose donors after the first gift and blame it on competition or a tight economy. It's usually neither. It's follow-up.Trevor Nelson sits down with philant

The 85-Asset Rule: How Top Nonprofits Actually Market Their Galas | Laurie Hochman

Most nonprofits think they're over-marketing their gala. They're not even close.Laurie from Auctria joins Trevor to break down what she calls the 85-Asset Rule — the numb

The Silent Auction Playbook | Claire Murad

Every year it's the same fire drill - cold-calling local businesses, guessing at starting bids, and crossing your fingers that this year's silent auction table looks bett

The Auctioneer Mistake That's Killing Your Fundraiser | Jordan Agolli

Four nonprofits in a row told Jordan Agolli the same thing about their previous auctioneer: they felt like the person with the microphone cared more about themselves than

Why Your Check-In Line Is Costing You Donors | Chris O'Shea & Livia Christensen

Most fundraisers think of check-in as a hospitality problem. Livia Christensen and Chris O'Shea of C2 Auctions think it's a fundraising problem and they have the data to

Hollywood Playbook for Fundraising Galas | Rick Toone

Most fundraising events are planned like logistics problems. Rick Toone plans them like Hollywood shoots them. Rick spent 20 years in Los Angeles as an art director and

A 10-Year CEO, a $1.2M Gala, and a Board With 100% Give | Christy Casey-Moore

Most CEOs of nonprofits have opinions about boards. Christy Casey-Moore has a 100% give rate and a $1.2M gala to back hers up. Christy is the CEO of Heart Gift, a global

What Two Auctioneers Wish Every Nonprofit Knew Before Their Gala | Chris Hensley & Brett Higgins

Most fundraising galas leave money on the table for reasons the people running them never see. Chris Hensley and Brett Higgins, two of the most in-demand fundraising auc

How to Market Your Live Auction Before the Event | Claire Murad

Most nonprofits spend months curating the perfect live auction lineup — and then assume their guests will figure it out when they get to the event. Claire Murad of Murad

The Theater of Giving: How to Move Donors From Information to Emotion | Lucas Hunt

Most nonprofits have a storytelling problem they don't know they have. They've been so close to the mission for so long they can't see what's actually moving about it any

Easiest $10K You Can Add to Your Next Event | Brittany Pilcher

Brittany Pilcher, Director of Development at Quest Inc., joins Trevor to walk through exactly how her team added a Golden Ticket Raffle to WineQuest , a $500,000 two-nigh

Your Board Won't Fundraise? Stop Asking Them To | Elise Woodworth

Most fundraising problems aren't fundraising problems. They're board problems. Elise Woodworth — VMI alum, Air Force veteran, and author of Business Not Battle — joins T

Events are the Vehicle, Not the Destination | Kristen Bowles

Most fundraisers treat events like the finish line. Kristen Bowles treats them like the starting point. In this episode, Trevor sits down with Kristen — a development pr

The Neuroscience of Why People Give | Matt Roben

What if the timing of your "ask" is costing your nonprofit thousands? Matt Roben — the Kilted Auctioneer, former circus performer, and police officer turned fundraising

Why 3 Events in a Row Creates Lifelong Donors | Emily Preble

Most nonprofits measure events by one number: how much they raised. Emily Preble thinks that's the wrong starting point.Emily is a fundraising consultant and professional

The Silent Auction Mistake Costing You Revenue | Phil Sanger

Most nonprofits think more silent auction items = more money. Phil Sanger has spent 15+ years proving the opposite. In this episode, Phil, founder of HelloFund and an OG

After 2,000 Galas, Here's What Actually Makes Donors Give More | Rob Giardinelli

Rob Giardinelli has attended over 2,000 fundraising galas. In this episode, he breaks down what actually moves donors to give more, why "events are dead" is bad advice, a