Thanks J. Durham for the photo! Remixed by Shari. Courtesy of MorgueFile.com
Thanks to Sherry Truhlar for another useful blog post containing five ideas for free online calendars to post your school auction on. Posting your event on these sites can increase your attendance, publicize your school, and improve your promotion for donors. (Edited by Shari Morfin)
Looking for free publicity in any shape and form? Here are a few places online you can list your gala charity auction so roaming eyeballs can find it.
CharityHappenings.org
This is an easy-to-use site. I like that it’s searchable by activity or by cause. For instance some of the categories are “cocktails,” “dancing,” “gala,” and your choice of cause could be “schools” “fine arts” “poverty,” and so forth.
Eventful.com
Free to post and the site itself is divided into many categories … fundraisers, performing arts, concerts, and the like. Users can also sign up for alerts so if you like a particular type of event, they’ll let you know when it’s available.
Vivanista.org
In 2010 San Francisco-based Vivanista added calendar functionality to their community. It’s an easy calendar to browse, it’s searchable, and the events listed are from all over the USA. As with CharityHappenings, you’ll need to register with the site to upload your event.
Idealist.org
This is an international database that lists every event from every nonprofit under the sun. You’ll find information that runs the gamut: from beekeeping classes to walk-a-thons.
Examiner.com
This newspaper has expanded and can now be found in several cities. If it’s in your area, you can likely list your event online. The downside is that it’s not an online form you can maintain yourself. You’ll send your submission via email to a generic email address. The address pops up when you click “Add an event.” Generic email addresses always worry me. Is anyone really at the other end of the email? And how long will it take before they post my event? Hmm.
Now that you’ve got this information, hand it over to your Public Relations volunteer. This is the kind of task (s)he can pop into his/her “to do” list and take care of before your next committee meeting.
It’s time for an online solution that simplifies soliciting school auction donations. Finally, there’s a fun way for your auctions to grow – AuctionGrow.com
Sherry Truhlar of Red Apple Auctions is a charity auction educator and onstage auctioneer, helping schools and nonprofits across the USA plan more profitable benefit auctions. Her advice is tapped by planners around the world who seek to improve their benefit auctions, and she’s been covered in Town & Country, The Washington Post Magazine, Auctioneer, and other publications. Her no-cost annual item guide is downloaded by thousands each year who seek to discover the latest creative items trending in fundraising auctions. Get your complementary guide filled with 100 auction ideas at www.RedAppleAuctions.com.
Those are some of Sherry’s auction adventures. How about yours?
What free online calendars have you used to publicize your school auction event?
In the SF Bay area, you can post a free event listing at sfgate.com. You can find auction events to attend here http://events.sfgate.com/san-francisco-ca/events/san+francisco+auction
Getting the word out so that random auction addicts can attend is a good idea! Here are some of those addicts now…http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/30Rauction.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0