A Fundraiser’s Place in Heaven
Table Of Contents:
A man knocked at the heavenly gates,
His face was scarred and old.
He stood before the man of fate
For admission to the fold.
‘What have you done,’ St. Peter asked,
‘to gain admission here?’
‘I’ve been a fundraiser, Sir,’ he said,
‘For many and many a year.’
The pearly gates swung open wide;
St. Peter rang his bell.
‘Come in and choose your harp,’ he said,
‘You’ve had your share of Hell.’
Introduction
Holding a celebrity autograph auction is a great way to raise funds for your organization.
Celebrities love to donate autographed photos and memorabilia to worthy causes, especially if it is close to their hearts.
This exclusive report will show you how to plan, implement and hold a successful celebrity autograph auction.
Experts say the most common reasons people contribute to nonprofits are:
- Wanting to feel generous
- Wanting to change the world
- Wanting to be compassionate
- Wanting a sense of belonging (or acting out a sense of duty)
- Wanting to feel well-being
- Wanting to be recognized
6 Reasons Why People Donate to Nonprofits
Remember these six reasons when crafting your donation requests to donors and celebrities.
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Writing a Solicitation Letter
To begin creating your solicitation letter, write a couple of paragraphs about:
- The history of your organization
- Services that your organization offers
- Key accomplishments of your organization
- Testimonials, reviews, or quotes from others who have benefited from your organization
Then write about each of the following topics:
- Your organization’s philosophy or mantra (how and why it provides service)
- How your organization relates to or with other organizations (locally, nationally, or internationally)
You can also add the following:
- Photos of your organization’s work
- Charts or maps showing your organization’s growth
- An overview of your organization’s budget and finances, especially if they are healthy
- Anything else that’s information about your organization, including awards received, publications it has appeared in, etc.
Finally, you must clearly state how someone can give to your organization by:
- Donating an autographed item to be used in the auction
- Serving as an auctioneer or guest speaker at the auction
- Contributing publicity, radio blurbs, written testimonials, etc., to help advertise and get attention for the auction and organization
You should also mention what the celebrity will receive after donating, such as:
- A mention in your organization’s newsletter or Web site
- A listing as a sponsor in the auction’s program
- A coffee mug, t-shirt, award, etc., given as a token of thanks
- Positive mentions to the press by the organization about the celebrity’s help
Requesting Autographed Items by Mail
First, you’ll need an accurate source of celebrity contact information like Contact Any Celebrity.
Their site features a fully searchable online database of contact information for over 59,000+ celebrities, including the agent, manager, publicist, production company, attorney, business manager, and charitable causes for each one.
If you can’t find the celebrity you’re looking for, they will research it for free and let you know when the information has been updated in their database.
They’ll even refund you fifty-five cents for every returned letter you get in the mail if you get any.
(They employ full-time researchers who update the database daily).
The celebrity’s publicist is the best contact to send your solicitation letter.
If the celebrity doesn’t have a publicist, your next best bet is the manager, then the agent, as a last resort.
Also See: Knowing Who Does What
The publicist is responsible for getting positive celebrity exposure, such as linking them with a worthy cause (yours!).
The manager advises on career choices (and sometimes handles publicity as well).
Conversely, the agent is only concerned with getting the celebrity paid work, such as a movie role, TV show, live appearance, book deal, etc.
Be sure to send your solicitation letter on your organization’s official letterhead.
It’s also best to include a 9×12 self-addressed stamped envelope.
This makes it much easier for the celebrity to respond promptly.
You can ask for an autographed photo of your organization’s auction or send your unsigned photo to be autographed.
So how do you begin a direct-mail effort? Here’s an overview:
1. The Envelope
What will make the celebrity (or the celebrity’s assistant) want to open it?
Is there an intriguing headline or a photo on it?
Does it mention a gift?
The recipient’s name printed in large letters is supposed to attract attention.
A real stamp (even a nonprofit bulk rate stamp) makes the letter look more personal.
The point is to get those envelopes opened!
2. The Letter
A direct-mail letter should be clear and timely.
It shouldn’t be melodramatic but should generate an emotional response.
To do so, include anecdotes and stories about real people (or animals, or whatever your cause is about).
Combine long and short paragraphs and sentences.
Follow a long paragraph with a one-liner in bold and maybe even underlined.
This technique draws the reader’s attention to the points you want to emphasize.
You want readers to understand that your nonprofit has an urgent yet reasonable and attainable goal. You want the reader to know that by joining your cause, he or she is joining a winner.
Include a P.S. after the signature.
Marketing experts say that most people read the P.S. before they read the letter’s opening line!
Event Budgeting
The point of holding a celebrity autograph auction is to make enough money to exceed your total cost — by a lot, you hope!
How do you make sure this happens?
Below are some ideas:
It is important to start the planning process early, as much as a year before the event. You should begin writing celebrities to secure autographed items as soon as you or your committee decides that having a celebrity autograph auction is a good and profitable idea.
How To Figure The Income Side
Try to create your celebrity autograph auction to produce income in multiple ways.
For example, selling tickets to the auction and advertising in the printed programs, sponsorships at the event, etc.
Standard event income categories include:
- Individual ticket sales
- Table of group sales
- Benefactor, patron, or sponsor donations (for which donors receive special recognition in return for contributing higher amounts than a basic table or seat would cost)
- Food and beverage sales at the event
- Sales of goods and services
- Advertising sales (in printed programs, banners, signs, etc.)
- Purchasing a chance (raffle ticket, door prizes, etc.).
How To Capture All Expenses
Events produce expenses in a variety of ways.
A great way to save money is to try and get as many of the items below donated by local companies in exchange for a sponsor listing in your program and a mention at the event:
- Building/facility/location (space rental, site use permits, security detail, portable toilets, tents, clean-up costs, etc.)
- Advertising and promotion (posters, invitations, publicity costs, postage, Web site development, etc.)
- Production (lighting and sound equipment, technical labor, stage managers, DJs, MCs, auctioneers, etc.)
- Travel and per diem (hotel rooms, limos, etc., for celebrities who will be making an appearance)
- Insurance (liability in case someone should get hurt due to your organization’s negligence or shipping insurance to protect valuable donated goods)
- Food and beverages (including permits for the sale and serving of alcohol, if necessary)
- Decor (flowers, awards, tents, name tags, signs, banners, t-shirts, etc.)
- Office expenses (letter writing, mailing list management, press release creation and distribution, postage, etc.)
- Staff expenses (volunteers, etc.)
Despite your careful planning, certain expenses can appear unexpectedly and cause you to exceed your budget.
If you plan to serve food at your event, keep these tips in mind so you can avoid surprise charges:
- Confirm whether or not all service and preparation charges are included in the catering budget.
- If you need to add meals at the last minute, determine what your caterer charges.
- If the meals you ordered are not eaten, you will likely still need to pay for them. But check to see if there’s a way out (unopened beverages, etc.)
- If some of the wine you’ve purchased is not consumed, ask if the wine store will buy it back.
- If the wine has been donated to your event, serving it may not be completely free. Find out whether your caterer charges ‘corkage’ fees for opening and serving it.
Non-food-related expenses can sneak up on you too.
Be sure to:
- Confirm whether or not you’re expected to pay for the shipping costs of the items donated to your event.
- Ask whether tax or delivery is included with printing costs.
How To Treat Celebrities & VIPs
Your auction depends heavily on donated goods from celebrities.
Remember to treat them well so you’ll feel comfortable asking them to donate items again.
This not only includes sending thank you acknowledgments, but if you’re also having a celebrity serve as auctioneer, guest speaker, or entertainer, here are some other things to consider:
- Have flowers waiting for them in their hotel room.
- Find out in advance what foods or beverages they like to have backstage in their dressing rooms.
- Plan a place to escape the crowd if they want to rest and have privacy.
- Double-check your sound and lighting equipment with them to ensure they are presented optimally so the celebrity feels comfortable.
- If your honored guest is elderly or has a disability, double-check that any hotel, restaurant, or event site is fully accessible and that all elevators and other necessary aids are working.
Again, many of the items above, such as flowers, food, beverages, etc., can be donated by a local company.
Ensure the owner knows that the celebrity (mentioned by name) will see or use their product!
How To Pick A Date & Location
Check around your community to ensure you’re not planning to hold your celebrity autograph auction on the same date as another nonprofit.
Competing for the same audience on the same date — or even dates close to each other — hurts both organizations’ results.
Also, avoid dates close to holidays, as most people will likely be out of town or too busy to attend.
Sample Celebrity Live & Silent Autograph Auction Timeline
Although events vary greatly in size and complexity, we recommend you work against a six-month schedule.
The following outlines a sample schedule for a celebrity autograph auction:
12-14 weeks before the auction
- Assemble committee and co-chairs
- Find and confirm the location for the event (or earlier if possible)
- Assign subcommittee responsibilities in the following areas — securing auction items, auction operations, food and refreshments, invitations, and promotions.
10-12 weeks before the auction:
8-10 weeks before the auction:
- Write and design auction invitation
- Do follow-up calls for auction items
- Secure services of an auctioneer
- Solicit donated food and refreshments and meet with the caterer
- Begin compiling the invitation list
6-8 weeks before the auction:
- Begin writing auction program (Assign smaller auction items for the silent auction, bigger items for the live auction, usually no more than 10 to 12 items per live auction)
- Send invitations to the printer
- Recruit volunteers for the following jobs: check-in guests on the night of the auction, set up auction tables, decorate and arrange auction items, act as big spotters for the live auction, prepare food if not catered, to take payments after the auction, to clean up after the event.
4-5 weeks before the auction:
- Recruit volunteers to address and mail invitations
- Finalize your auction program to include with the invitation
- Mail media releases to local news outlets
3-4 weeks before the auction:
- Address and mail invitations with the program
- Make follow-up calls to potential donors of food and wine if you’re seeking them
- Tour the auction location and discuss any special requirements or potential problems
1-2 weeks before the auction:
- Prepare bidder’s cards (assign each guest a number for use to record bids)
- Prepare silent auction bid sheets (assign a minimum bid for each item)
- Confirm auctioneer
- Confirm volunteers to work on the day of the event
One week before the auction:
- Visit the venue to make final arrangements for decorating
- Purchase decorations
- Create attendance lists for the check-in table
- Arrange for the drop-off of auction items
Day of event:
- Decorate venue
- Set up auction tables with silent auction items and bid sheets
- Set up refreshment/drink tables
- Set up check-in tables
- Be sure volunteers are in place and understand the tasks assigned
Final Checklist & Tips
- Ask the auctioneer or MC to encourage bidding on silent auction items
- Set a firm time for closing silent auction bids and announce the time remaining at 5-minute intervals
- Be prepared at the end of the auction for buyers who want to pay and receive their items all at the same time
You may think no one will rain on your parade, but you’ll want to have emergency backup plans anyway.
What if your performer becomes ill, a blizzard shuts down roadways, or your permits are not approved on time?
You’ll need to move, replace, reschedule, or cancel your program quickly.
The faster you can communicate any changes, the better your constituents will feel about sticking with you and your cause.
How To Issue A Memorable Invitation
Make your invitation something that your potential guests will open and remember.
Addressing the envelope by hand and using real stamps rather than a meter or printed postage makes it look more personal.
An intriguing phrase, logo, or personalization on the outside gives it a greater chance of being opened.
Full-color printing on the outside envelope can catch your guest’s eye if you can afford the increased cost.
What do recipients first see when the invitation is opened?
Most invitations comprise an outer fold piece, a reply card, and a reply envelope.
Want more attention?
What if some confetti or glitter fell out of the envelope when opened?
If you have a small number of invitees, roll your invitation into a small mailing tube or even send it in a box like a gift to be opened.
Ensure that your invitation’s recipient can easily see who is extending it, what time the event is, where and when it is being held, how much it costs, and how to RSVP.
Print the address where your guests should respond somewhere on the reply card, even though it is also printed on the reply envelope.
Sometimes pieces of the invitation become separated.
You want your guest to know where to send his or her reply easily.
How To Package Your Autographed Items
When it comes time for your celebrity autograph auction, package your items nicely for maximum effect.
For example, cover your display table with a colorful tablecloth, sprinkle confetti on it, and prop your items up so they can be seen easily.
Put your items in a cellophane-wrapped gift basket, frame autographed photos in nice frames (be sure to prop them up on the table!), and package multiple items together (such as an autographed photo with other memorabilia from the same celebrity).
About The Author
Jordan McAuley is the author of ‘Celebrity Leverage: Insider Secrets to Getting Celebrity Endorsements, Instant Credibility & Star-Powered Publicity,’ ‘Secrets to Contacting Celebrities: 101 Ways to Reach the Rich & Famous,’ & ‘The Celebrity Black Book: Over 56,000+ Verified Celebrity Addresses‘. He is featured by American Express OPEN Forum, CBS News, CNN, E! News, Entrepreneur Magazine, Fast Company, Forbes, FOX News, New York Post, USA Today, The Guardian, Tim Ferriss‘ The 4-Hour Workweek, The Mirror UK, The Wrap & more. He graduated from the University of Miami with degrees in Film Business, English Literature, and Communication. Jordan is a former 90s highschool video store clerk who has has lived and worked in Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles, and New York City.
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