Matching gifts are one of the fastest ways to grow event revenue—without asking donors for more than they’ve already given. Colleen Carroll from Double the Donation breaks down how employer matching works, why up to $4–$7B goes unclaimed every year, and simple ways to bake matching into your pre-event, night-of, and post-event workflow. We also cover the Handbid ↔︎ Double the Donation integration and how automated reminders do the heavy lifting for busy teams.

Who this episode is for

Nonprofit leaders, development directors, event planners, and board members who want to increase net revenue without scaling workload.

In this episode (highlights)

• Matching gifts 101: what counts as employer matching, volunteer grants, payroll giving—and how “workplace fundraising” ties it all together.
• Eligibility without HR: use a searchable database so donors can check their company’s rules, minimums/maximums, and submit forms in minutes.
• Automation that converts: a proven reminder cadence (Day 1, Day 3, Day 30) to nudge donors to complete their match—politely and effectively.
• The revenue gap: $4–$7B in matches go unclaimed annually; roughly 10% of the U.S. workforce is eligible—your donors are in there.
• Pre-event momentum: add employer field + company search to forms, prime donors in invites/confirmations, and identify likely matching employers by region.
• On-stage moment: give matching a two-minute spotlight; peer testimony from a donor who’s used matching is the fastest way to drive action.
• Post-event plays: trigger automated emails, then personally follow up on top gifts (call or short video) to secure high-value matches.
• Board & major donor strategy: structure annual giving to maximize match caps and deadlines; set calendar reminders so matches don’t expire.
• ROI math: with entry tiers around ~$1K/yr (varies by org), a couple of matched gifts can cover the cost—and the rest is upside.
• Handbid ↔︎ Double the Donation: surface “Find a corporate match” in Handbid flows, pass donors to the right company form, and track completion.

Resources & links

• https://doublethedonation.com/ 
• Colleen Carroll on LinkedIn 
• Third-Party Integrations with Handbid
  
  

CTA

If you’re ready to unlock matching dollars, Handbid makes it easy to sell tickets, run mobile bidding, and capture employer matches—all in one place. Subscribe to Elevate Your Event for weekly, real-world tactics that raise more (and feel more fun).

Episode summary

’Tis the season… to plan smarter. The Home Team swap holiday menu takes (turkey wars!) and then get practical about running fundraising events between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. From low-lift “open house” formats to creative themes and revenue add-ons, they break down how to cut through a crowded calendar, boost attendance, and tie event moments to year-end giving without turning it into a hard ask.

Who this episode is for

Fundraisers, event planners, and nonprofit marketers looking to host a December event, drive last-minute donations, and leave donors smiling (and subscribed).

In this episode (highlights)

• Why timing matters: avoid Thu–Sat nights; try Tue/Wed evenings or a Sunday matinee.
• A low-stress format that works: drop-in donor open house with light bites, festive vibes, and a short auction that can close later in the Handbid app.
• Theme ideas that actually draw a crowd: ugly-sweater social, outdoor movie night, après-ski/Northern Lights party, rooftop glow-night, karaoke, and more.
• Family-friendly revenue plays: gingerbread house contest with $1 per vote, “Taste-Of” sample stations with ticket voting, pay-to-play mini-games.
• Tree magic: themed Christmas tree auction (include delivery/setup/take-down in the package).
• Ticketing tactics: “Buy One, Gift One” to bring new faces; couples ticket with 2 comp tickets for first-time guests.
• Light-touch giving: giving tree / envelope wall; food or toy drive tie-ins; corporate match prompts via Handbid’s Double the Donation integration.
• Data with a purpose: capture emails—and actually follow up in January.

Actionable playbook

1. Pick the slot: Tue/Wed evening 6–8pm or Sun 2–4pm.
2. Choose a format: Open house + mini auction (mobile bidding stays open until Sun 5pm).
3. Anchor a theme (choose one):
   • Ugly Sweater Social at a brewery/warehouse
   • Holiday Movie Matinee (blankets, cocoa, popcorn)
   • Après-Ski / Northern Lights tent party
   • Rooftop Glow Night (DJ, light-up dance floor)
4. Add revenue stations:
   • Gingerbread Build-Off: $1 = 1 vote; team “bets” on winners
   • Taste-Of tables with vote tickets
   • Pay-to-play quick games; festive karaoke showdown
5. Spotlight one showcase lot: Themed Christmas tree with delivery, setup, and post-season removal.

6. Lower the ask, raise the match: Prompt employer match on every ticket/donation checkout.

7. Grow the list: Run “Buy One, Gift One” tickets for new-to-org attendees; collect email + SMS consent.

8. Aftercare: Schedule a warm “thanks + impact + match reminder” touch the first week of January.

Sample run-of-show (open house)

• 6:00p Doors + check-in | cocoa, cider, photo corner
• 6:15p Soft open of auction (mobile)
• 6:45p 5-minute welcome + impact story + match reminder
• 7:15p Gingerbread/Taste-Of voting closes
• 7:50p Raffle pull / tree auction highlight
• 8:00p Guests depart; auction remains open until Sun 5:00p for remote bidders

Ideas mentioned (quick list)

• Donor Open House (drop-in)
• Gingerbread House Contest ($1 votes)
• Taste-Of mini-bites with vote tickets
• Karaoke Showdown
• Outdoor Movie Night (Elf, Home Alone, Die Hard)
• Themed Tree Auction (with delivery/setup/take-down)
• Buy One, Gift One tickets (first-time guests)
• Giving Tree / Envelope Wall
• Food/Toy Drive add-on
• Corporate Match prompts at checkout

Resources & links

• Handbid (tickets, mobile bidding, checkout)
• Double the Donation integration for employer matches (in Handbid ticket/donation flows)

CTA

If you’re planning a December event or want to layer a mini-auction onto your year-end campaign, Handbid makes it easy to sell tickets, run mobile bidding, and capture matches—all in one place. Subscribe to Elevate Your Event for weekly, real-world tactics that raise more (and feel more fun).

Adapt or Die: Keeping Your Fundraising Events Fresh and Engaging

Welcome to Elevate Your Event—the ultimate podcast for fundraisers, event planners, and nonprofit pros who want to take their events to the next level. Hosted by the team at Handbid, this show dives into real-world fundraising strategies, auction best practices, donor engagement tips, event tech trends, and stories from the people making it happen.

This week on Elevate Your Event, the Home Team—Jeff Porter, Elise Druckenmiller, and Mark Labriola II—dives into a topic every event planner should care about: Adapt or Die.

Events are living things. And just like any good cause, they have to evolve to survive. The team talks about what happens when your fundraiser starts feeling stale—declining ticket sales, bored guests, and the dreaded “we’ve always done it this way” mindset—and how to breathe new life into your event before it flatlines.

From switching up venues and formats to rethinking your audience and price points, they cover what it really takes to stay fresh, relevant, and engaging year after year. You’ll hear stories from real events that took bold chances—some that paid off big, and others that didn’t—and learn how to adapt without alienating your loyal supporters.

If your event feels stuck on repeat, this episode is your wake-up call: change doesn’t have to be scary. It can be the reason your fundraiser thrives.

Learn more at https://handbid.com

Creating an Immersive Event Experience: Art, Music, and Guest Magic with Sky Madden

This week on Elevate Your Event, we are joined by Sky Madden—owner of Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre and Executive Director of the Museum of Outdoor Arts in Greenwood Village, CO—for a conversation about creating events that are anything but ordinary. 

Fiddler’s isn’t just a concert venue—it’s a piece of living art, a 17,000-seat amphitheater born from sculpture, sound, and thoughtful design. From the venue’s rich history to the 37,000-flower living mural, Sky shares how the team behind Fiddler’s has made art part of everyday life—and how that approach can transform any event.

They talk about why Red Rocks isn’t always the best guest experience, how Marjorie Park (once a detention pond) became a premier outdoor venue, and what event planners can learn from creating immersive, unexpected experiences—from fire pits and LED sponsor walls to champagne dresses and caviar on kettle chips. 

If you’ve ever been stuck in the ballroom rut, this episode is your permission slip to think differently. Because when you design for experience first, everything else—including fundraising—gets better.

Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre: 

• https://fiddlersgreenamp.com

Museum of Outdoor Arts: 

• https://moaonline.org

Welcome back to Elevate Your Event!
This week, the Handbid Home Team digs into a topic every auction planner needs to hear: why some items soar—and others totally flop. Spoiler alert: it all comes down to knowing your crowd. Whether you're tossing in zoo passes, weekend getaways, or a family photo session, what works for one event could bomb at another.

The team brings stories from real events, data-backed strategies, and a few laughs along the way (yes, someone really did donate a vasectomy). It's an honest, behind-the-scenes look at how to make auction items matter—and how to avoid wasting space on the silent auction table.

In This Episode:

• Why “know your audience” is the golden rule for auction success
• Common item flops: overpriced services, stale gift cards, and awkward experiences
• How bundling, presentation, and pricing can transform boring into bidding war
• Creative ways to use gift cards, wine pulls, and raffles
• The danger of overpricing based on inflated FMV (and how to fix it)
• How data reports like Handbid’s category performance can guide smarter decisions
• Bonus: what to fix first when an event just isn’t working

Why It Matters:
Putting the wrong items in your auction not only wastes space—it costs you revenue. When you know your audience and use data to guide your strategy, you can craft an auction that truly excites your bidders and delivers real fundraising results.

Key Takeaways:

• “One-size-fits-all” items rarely work—tailor to your audience every year
• Presentation and pricing are just as important as the item itself
• Gift cards and small items can shine when packaged creatively
• Use data from past events to make smart, strategic choices
• Event flow, check-in process, and volunteer roles matter more than you think

Final Thought:
Great auctions aren’t about throwing everything into the mix—they’re about curating the right mix for the people in the room. If you know your crowd, you can turn even simple items into major wins. And if you're not sure where to start? The Handbid Home Team is here to help.

Elevate Your Event Podcast | Powered by Handbid

Welcome to Elevate Your Event, the ultimate podcast for fundraisers, event planners, and nonprofit professionals looking to take their events to the next level! Hosted by the team at Handbid, this podcast dives into fundraising strategies, auction best practices, donor engagement tips, event technology trends, and nonprofit success stories.

🎧 What You’ll Learn:
✅ How to run a successful online, live, or hybrid auction
✅ Best practices for mobile bidding and fundraising software
✅ Creative donor engagement strategies
✅ Event marketing tips to maximize attendance and donations
✅ Expert insights from top fundraisers and nonprofit leaders

Whether you're organizing a gala, charity auction, school fundraiser, corporate event, or virtual fundraising campaign, we’ve got you covered with actionable advice to increase participation, boost donations, and create unforgettable experiences.

🌐 Learn More & Get Started with Handbid:
🚀 Visit our website: https://www.handbid.com
📖 Read our most popular blog post: "50+ Top Silent Auction Items & Ideas for Your Next Event" https://www.handbid.com/blog/silent-auction-items
📖 More event fundraising tips: https://www.handbid.com/blog

🔔 Subscribe & Stay Updated
Don’t miss out on the latest fundraising tips, event tech trends, and nonprofit success stories! Subscribe now and join a community of event fundraising professionals working to make an impact.

📲 Follow Handbid for More Event Fundraising Insights:
🔹 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handbid
🔹 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/handbid
🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/handbid
🔹 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Handbid

#Handbid #ElevateYourEvent #FundraisingPodcast #EventFundraising #SilentAuctions #NonprofitFundraising #CharityAuctions #MobileBidding #AuctionSoftware #FundraisingTips #EventPlanning #DonorEngagement #FundraisingEvents #CharityEventPlanning #FundraisingSuccess #GalaAuctions #fundraisingideas 

Welcome back to Elevate Your Event!

This week, Jeff Porter sits down with Shilpa Alva, founder and executive director of Search for Water. What started as a party-loving 20-something’s social gatherings grew into a global nonprofit tackling water access, sanitation, hygiene, and menstrual health in Haiti, Uganda, and Indonesia. Shilpa’s journey shows how a single event can spark an international mission—and why events remain central to her organization’s impact today.

In This Episode:
How Shilpa’s very first event at the Weisman Art Museum launched Search for Water
The creative, scrappy, and manual ways early events came together—think hand-swiped credit cards and DIY branding
Why ticket sales aren’t your biggest revenue driver (and where to focus instead)
The unique two-part event model Shilpa uses today: VIP dinner + high-energy afterparty
Smart uses of technology—and what nonprofits really need next from their platforms
The annual silent auction debate: Keep it or kill it? Shilpa’s surprising perspective

Why It Matters:
Shilpa’s story is proof that you don’t need a huge budget or fancy tools to make a lasting impact. With creativity, persistence, and the right people, even small events can drive big change—locally and globally.

Key Takeaways:
Think beyond ticket sales—other revenue streams can outpace them
Your first event doesn’t need to be perfect to be powerful
Tech can save time and improve guest experiences when paired with solid processes
Creative event formats can keep supporters coming back year after year

Final Thought:
From swiping cards by hand to running high-tech, high-impact events, Shilpa Alva proves that the heart of fundraising is about connection, creativity, and vision. Your next event could be the start of something bigger than you ever imagined.

Welcome back to Elevate Your Event!

We’ve hit triple digits—and we're celebrating big. In this 100th episode, Jeff and Mark reflect on the journey so far, revisit fan-favorite moments, and take you behind the scenes with hilarious stories, heartfelt lessons, and a brutally funny AI-generated roast of Handbid's own Jeff Porter.

In This Episode:

• A nostalgic look back at standout episodes and special guests
• An AI-written roast that pulls no punches (boots, bourbon, and all)
• What Chick-fil-A, Disney, and concert venues can teach us about arrival experiences
• Real event mishaps—from inebriated honorees to impromptu Heimlich maneuvers
• The evolution of check-in, mobile bidding, and creating frictionless guest experiences

Why It Matters:

100 episodes isn't just a number—it's a testament to the creativity, resilience, and humor required to thrive in the fundraising world. Whether you're planning your first gala or your 50th, the stories and insights in this episode are a reminder that the event must go on—and it can be awesome.

Key Takeaways:

• Arrival experiences start in the parking lot—plan accordingly
• You can’t prevent every hiccup, but you can be ready to adapt
• Tech empowers your team—especially when paired with good processes
• The best stories (and solutions) often come from the most chaotic moments

Final Thought:

Here’s to 100 episodes of elevating fundraising, solving real-world challenges, and laughing through the madness. Thanks for being on this journey with us—we can’t wait to bring you the next 100.

Welcome back to Elevate Your Event! In this behind-the-scenes episode, Jeff sits down with David Farmer, Area Director for FCA South Denver, to explore how intentional event design, bold decisions, and donor-focused experiences have transformed FCA’s fundraising efforts.

In This Episode:

• The early days of FCA South Denver events—from small golf tournaments to first attempts at galas
• Why cultivating donor relationships takes more than one big event a year
• The power of “micro-events” like Conversations with Champions to engage the community
• How upgrading venues, raising ticket prices, and rethinking sponsorship levels can elevate both the guest experience and your fundraising
• Lessons learned from event hiccups (and why nobody noticed the auctioneer missed the paddle raise!)

Why It Matters:

Fundraising events aren’t just about raising money—they’re about building relationships, telling your story, and creating an experience people want to support. David’s journey shows how taking risks, elevating the experience, and leaning on the right team can turn average events into impactful ones that drive long-term support.

Key Takeaways:

• Elevating your event often means elevating your venue, pricing, and expectations
• Don’t overlook the small “relationship-building” events that lead to bigger donations
• Strategic sponsorship tiers can unlock more high-level support
• You can’t do it alone—surround yourself with experts, volunteers, and a plan
• Great donor experiences come from attention to detail—and a willingness to learn from mistakes

Final Thought:

If your events feel stuck in neutral, maybe it’s time to elevate your strategy. Tune in for real-world lessons on risk, relationships, and building events that grow both your donor base and your mission.

Welcome back to Elevate Your Event! In this episode, Jeff and Elise sit down with Dan Donovan from Stratoscope to unpack the often-overlooked world of event security—and why getting it right is critical for both guest experience and event success.

In This Episode:

• How decades of experience at the Olympics, Formula One Las Vegas, Dreamforce, and other major events shaped Dan’s approach to security
• Why event security isn’t just about safety—it’s about protecting your brand and reputation
• Practical, budget-friendly steps smaller events can take to improve security
• The critical role of access control, perimeter management, and vetting vendors
• Why communication tools like radios (yes, even at small events!) are a game-changer for safety

Why It Matters:

Security can feel like an afterthought—until something goes wrong. Whether it’s a large-scale festival or a small charity gala, every event has vulnerabilities. This episode explores how thoughtful planning, the right staffing, and simple precautions can reduce risks while keeping the guest experience smooth and welcoming.

Key Takeaways:

• Even small events should consider security as part of the guest experience, not separate from it
• Visual deterrents like law enforcement presence can dramatically increase peace of mind
• Access control, credentials, and staff awareness are your first line of defense
• Radios beat text threads every time when quick, coordinated action is needed
• You can elevate security and keep the event fun—it's all about balance

Final Thought:

No event is too small to be a target. From lost auction items to major safety risks, proactive security planning protects your guests, your reputation, and your peace of mind. Tune in for real-world advice from someone who’s seen it all—and learn how to make safety a seamless part of your event.

Connect with Donovan:
https://stratoscope.com
https://stratosk9.com/
https://ingressotek.com/

Welcome back to Elevate Your Event! In this episode, Jeff, Elise, and the Handbid team come together for an insider conversation on what’s coming next for Handbid and the most requested features from clients and the team alike.

In This Episode:

• The top feature requests from Handbid clients—what’s coming and why it matters
• How custom questions for for-sale items can simplify merchandise sales
• The demand for scheduled broadcast messages and how they can improve event communication
• Why purchase add-ons for tickets are a game-changer for upsells and guest convenience
• Sneak peeks into new features: multi-guest lists, DocuSign integration, Stripe Identity, and more
• How Handbid’s redesign and tech upgrades aim to simplify the event experience
• Behind-the-scenes chatter on real client use cases and feedback

Why It Matters:

Great technology doesn’t just show up—it evolves through real-world feedback and constant improvement. This episode gives you a transparent look at how the Handbid team listens to users, prioritizes new features, and keeps innovating to make fundraising events smoother, faster, and more successful.

Key Takeaways:

• Scheduled broadcasts, ticket add-ons, and multi-guest lists are all high-priority features in development
• DocuSign and Stripe Identity will help streamline bidder verification and agreement processes
• Handbid’s upcoming interface updates are focused on usability and guest experience
• AI-powered image resizing, customizable emails, and white-label options are enhancing both branding and efficiency
• The team’s philosophy: Solve real problems with smart, intentional feature updates

Final Thought:

Whether you're running a school auction, charity gala, or massive corporate event, the tools you use should work with you—not against you. Stay tuned to hear how Handbid is building the next wave of features to help elevate your event.