Help
Membership
Q: Once I’m a member of the Charity Auction Calendar, what’s next?
You can immediately begin creating relationships with nonprofits in your area.
As professional auctioneers, we have skills and training as ambassadors, performers, marketers and consultants to help groups put on more polished and profitable events. When fundraising specialists partner with worthy causes, absolutely everyone benefits – the nonprofit, its beneficiaries, the event’s attendees, as well as the individual auctioneers and their families.
We’re excited for the record-breaking auction matches in your future!
Q: What can I do with my current membership level?
FEATURED FUNDRAISERS have a listing on the Find An Auctioneer page, can search auctions coming up in the next 5 months, and can send an e-mail from our system to the organization contact when available.
PREMIER AUCTIONEERS can showcase robust Profiles with video link, logo and photo, phone and e-mail listings, as well as highlight your professional experience, services, qualifications and education. Promote yourself with a profile on the main page of the Charity Auction Calendar. PREMIER AUCTIONEERS can also search all auctions coming up and those held in the past 12 months. Premier Auctioneers receive added visibility and recognition because their logos rotate through the Home page.
Q: I want to see more events. How can I upgrade my membership?
Just message us or call if you want to upgrade. It just takes a minute to get a whole bunch of new benefits!
Searching the Auctions
Q: How do I use the Search options effectively?
There are 2 Search types: Upcoming and Past (events in the past year)
Featured Fundraiser members can search auctions scheduled for the next few months. Premier Auctioneer members can search ALL auctions in their area, from early last year to more than a year in advance.
Q: Why would I want to search events that already happened?
One of the biggest benefits of the Premier Auctioneer membership is the ability to see all the auctions year-round, not just the ones in the next couple of months. Since most of these events recur each year, searching the Spring of 2015 auctions gives you a very good idea of who’s likely to be planning another auction in Spring 2016. Also, knowing who just finished their auction 1-6 months ago allows Premier Auctioneer members reach out to those groups first, before anyone else can even see them on the Calendar. This is just one of the ways it pays to be Premier!
Q: How can I narrow down my results?
Whether you are searching upcoming events or those recently held (Past Auctions option), on the right-hand side you can target your search by
Type of Auction
Month
Day of the Week
Ticket Price
Venue
City
Zip Code
You can select more than one way to filter your search results.
Q: Why would I want to search by
-Type of Auction?
Because you’ll have the best auction when what you offer is the best match for the client’s needs! Whether you rock the stage or design the displays, the Charity Auction Calendar features all kinds of benefit auctions.
When charities are looking to retain an auctioneer for their event, that usually means someone to conduct the Live Auction portion of the fundraising.
If you also specialize in the Fund-a-Need appeal for donations, you may want to prioritize groups already doing this kind of “ask”.
Similarly, if you offer silent auction services as well as live auction fundraising, then you might reach out first to those groups with both silent and live auctions. By providing solutions for both live and silent auctions, you may be able to charge more for the value you’re offering.
Or, if you specialize in the details and design of fabulous silent auctions, you may want to target events that don’t plan to have a live auction.
Why would I want to search by
-Month?
One of the very best parts of a benefit auction career is the ability to plan your auctions around your life! Want to block out December and January for family time? Sure, just add a couple events in September or November. Or is your schedule for May of next year still looking a little light? Focus on the events that happened that time last year, as many of them are likely to be recurring (annual) events.
Why would I want to search by
-Day of the Week?
Are all of your available Saturdays already booked by clients months in advance? Then search Thursday or Friday events to add to your bookings.
Or, if you want weekends free from events so that you can be around more for your family, build your business on Sunday to Thursday charity auctions. You might even offer a weekday or “off-peak” discount!
Why would I want to search by
-Ticket Price?
Ticket price is a great way to see what the hosting organization is expecting from the event! Typically, lower ticket prices indicate an event meant to be affordable for all supporters, offering a way for most everyone to be part of the party. The total dollars raised may be secondary to the entertainment aspects of the event.
Higher ticket prices, on the other hand, indicate a focus on fundraising and set the expectation that guests will be asked to spend or donate in addition to their ticket or sponsorship. In some cities, there is great prestige attached to the highest priced events in town.
Generally speaking, high ticket prices indicate high financial goals and a willingness to design optimal settings for fundraising, typically through silent auction, live auction, online auction, text bidding, Fund-A-Need appeal for donations, gaming, raffles, chance to win drawings, envelopes, pledges and more.
Why would I want to search by
-Venue?
It’s handy to know what types of events (and how many) are being held at the popular hotels and other venues around town. You can use this to help your current clients select the best site for their event, and you can also reach out to managers at those popular venues and see if you can become their preferred auctioneer referral!
Why would I want to search by
-City or Zip Code?
We’re in the process of cataloging every charity auction in America, and some of our metro areas could take 2 hours to commute across! You can search by suburbs or neighborhoods to chose events most convenient for you.
Q: How often are auctions on the Calendar updated?
We’re cataloging events every single day, and the Charity Auction Calendar is twice a month with more silent and live auctions. Premier Auctioneers will have already received all of these auction details via weekly “Auctions In My Inbox” e-mails.
Q: I’m seeing auctions that I currently conduct. How did they get included on the Charity Auction Calendar?
Every single day, our proprietary methods are compiling details about charity fundraising auctions. We’ve already channeled literally thousands of sources, and we add hundreds more each month.
But know this: we’ve made a commitment from day one to purposely exclude auctioneers’ websites. If an auction you’ve conducted appears on the Calendar, we didn’t find out about it from you!
Our goal at the Charity Auction Calendar is simple:
to find every fundraising auction in America.
Inevitably, as we compile more and more existing benefit auctions, some are going to be conducted by you or someone you know. In fact, many of the auctions I do are now viewable on the Charity Auction Calendar too! The information about all of our events is already out there on the Internet somewhere – we’re just putting it in one place. No matter how many auctions you’re already doing, there are thousands upon thousands of great events currently using a volunteer, the DJ, the Board president or a celebrity to do their auction. Your membership in the Charity Auction Calendar opens up a vast new world of potential clients, and we’re adding more all the time.
Q: I see an error on the Calendar. How can I alert you?
In the lower right corner of your screen, you will seen a little black question mark. You can message us directly from within the Charity Auction Calendar – no need to text or e-mail. If you want to reach us by phone, it’s toll free at 877-425-2411.
We’re seeking an auctioneer
Q: We need an auctioneer for our upcoming event. How do we find one?
Helping you find the right auctioneer is one of the reasons we created the Charity Auction Calendar! For the first time, you can go to the “Find an Auctioneer” tab on the website menu bar and see photos and website links for auctioneers who specifically want to use their talents for fundraising. You can also see Premier Auctioneer profiles on the Home page. These individuals focus all or a significant portion of their time and energy on nonprofit fundraising auctions.
Q: How do we choose an auctioneer?
You only have this 1 night, once a year to gather your supporters for this event, so you want to choose the very best person to be in the spotlight as your auctioneer. For a fundraising event, you want someone who is equal parts entertainer, ambassador and marketer. Check out the video links for Premier Auctioneers, or visit the websites of Featured Fundraisers. Read testimonials, ask for references from events similar to yours, and then choose the person who you can envision adding value to your event.
Q: How much does an auctioneer cost?
There isn’t one national standard, nor is there one way auctioneers get paid. However, most every professional will either suggest ways you can work together or have several compensation options to choose from. Many can also show you clearly how they can pay for themselves with just one revenue-generating idea. Fundraising specialists typically have a proven track record of doubling or tripling a client’s auction results. You are investing in the success of your event, and everyone will benefit from a more polished, professional and more profitable evening. It doesn’t cost to hire a professional, it pays!
Q: Can I get an auctioneer for free?
There are multiple ways that professional auctioneers generate many times more revenue than the compensation they receive. Just like a doctor, lawyer, or dentist, and auctioneer is an investment in a professional you trust to use his or her skills for your protection and welfare. Your choice of auctioneer – good or bad – will affect how much money you raise. Choose wisely and invest for success.
We’re planning a fundraiser
Q: How can I add our upcoming event to the Charity Auction Calendar?
We’d love to add your event to the Charity Auction Calendar. Just e-mail us at Admin@CharityAuctionCalendar.com or call 877-425-2411. All events must benefit a cause and include an auction or appeal for donations. Events are subject to approval.
Q: We’re looking at dates for our fundraiser. Can I find out when other events are scheduled?
We can help with that too! Official representatives of a nonprofit or fundraising group can call us and we’ll look at the entire city’s calendar of events to help you work around possible conflicts.
Q: Do you have help and resources to be more successful?
Absolutely! Any of the Premier Auctioneers or Featured Fundraisers have specialized training or experience in fundraising. Many offer seminars or have helpful blogs. If you’re looking for even more information, we’ll match you to a great resource at Admin@CharityAuctionCalendar.com or call 877-425-2411.
Our Auction Listing
Q: How did our event get included?
At Charity Auction Calendar, we love nonprofit organizations and want to help more people find your event and support your cause.
We’re on a mission to put every silent and live auction fundraising event in America in one central place! For each event, we’ve assembled a visual cue (thumbnail logo), along with the information to help others find and support your event, such as the date, venue, ticket price and link to your homepage.
This listing is free, and you can update or change it at any time by contacting us.
Q: Some information is missing, outdated or incorrect in our listing. How can I update it?
Thank you for letting us know! We want to provide an accurate, helpful listing. Send us corrects at Admin@CharityAuctionCalendar.com or call 877-425-2411.
Q: How can we remove or hide our event?
If for any reason you as the organization’s official representative would like your event temporarily hidden or removed, simply let us know at Admin@CharityAuctionCalendar.com or call 877-425-2411.
Q: Can I personalize our event listing to add more information?
Very soon we’re adding features which enhance your listing to help more attendees, volunteers and service professionals get to know you.
Q: I see a charity event on the Charity Auction Calendar that looks like fun. How can I get tickets?
When you click the link for the event name, you will be direct to the event’s home page. In most cases you’ll find a ticket link there, or a number you can call. Have fun out there!
Q: I know of a charity event with a silent or live auction that’s not on the Charity Auction Calendar. How can I add it?
Have an authorized representative of the organization contact us to add an event at
Admin@CharityAuctionCalendar.com or call 877-425-2411.