According to Keith McLane, Founder and Lead Auctioneer at KLM Auctions, there are “five basic programming elements, at a minimum, that every fundraising event needs to have.”

Number one, he says, is Event 101. This is the “Welcome, Thanks for coming, Thanks to the sponsors.” These are the foundational remarks that kick off the event and set the tone.

Number two is the Informational Appeal. “'Here's who we are. Here's what we do. Here's how we've effectively spent your money in the past. Here's what we want to do with your money going forward. And basically, here's how we're planning to spend your money very carefully on things you care deeply about'," says McLane.

After a quick dinner break, the event moves into number three, the Live Auction—a high-energy segment that gets guests engaged and competitively bidding - much of the actual funds of the evening are raised in this portion.

Number four is the Emotional Appeal, which McLane describes as “the most important three to five minutes of your night.” This can take the form of a speaker or a compelling video. “That's where we really try to move the emotional needle and build on the information people have to get people feeling something.”

Number five is when the auctioneer takes center stage, in which you have “The live auctioneer, in a skilled way, doing the fund-a-need - doing the 'ask', the 'appeal', the 'call to the heart', the 'pledge', the 'raise the paddle.'”

Depending on the event, it can also be beneficial to add supplementary slideshows, awards, keynote speakers, games or entertainment. But these five elements, McLane emphasizes, form the core of any successful fundraising program.

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What’s the best way to secure commitments from well-to-do, potentially generous donors before your Fund-a-Need even begins?

“Everybody knows that to start your fund-a-need, it's just incredibly advantageous to have one or several people who are pre-committed to making a big donation at the top, says Keith McLane, Founder and Lead Auctioneer at KLM Auctions.

McLane recommends starting with your most likely prospects: “you want to approach your people who have donated in the past--your high net worth people, your people with capacity--and ask them if they can make this donation.”

The way you frame the ask can make all the difference. “I always tell people to use my four favorite words, 'honorary donor, leadership gift.'”

According to McLane, “Giving fancy titles to those things can really make a difference when people are considering what they want to do for you.”

“Probably no one's ever asked them to be THE 'honorary donor' or to make THE 'leadership gift'. I found that this can be really helpful language to encourage people to make those kickoff donations.”

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At a live event, how can you quiet a noisy room without killing the vibe?

It’s a common problem at large auctions and fundraising events: the energy in the room is high, but no one in the audience is listening to what’s happening on stage.

According to KLM Auctions Founder and Lead Auctioneer auctioneer Keith McLane, there are two key strategies for bringing the volume down and keeping the program moving without creating an awkward moment.

“First, you need to make sure the sound system is loud enough,” Keith says. Clear, strong audio is essential to command attention. But it’s not just about decibels—it’s just much about delivery. “Two, you want to do a friendly, funny, quiet-the-room,” he explains.

The worst approach? Pleading with the crowd. “What you don’t want to do is be the guy on stage going, ‘Excuse me, excuse me. Can everyone please quiet down?’ Everybody hates that. Don’t do that.”

Instead, try a tone that’s warm and playful: “Hey, if everybody could just drop the noise level about 10%, we can keep moving forward here.” This light-touch approach resets the room without scolding the audience or derailing the momentum.

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One of the biggest time delayers at fundraising events is trying to get guests to transition from the cocktail area to the main dining area when starting the program. According to KLM Auctions Founder and Lead Auctioneer Keith McLane, there’s really only one approach that works—and it’s not fancy.“I’ve tried this a million ways here,” Keith says of crowd management. “The only way that works is to have an army of volunteers going up to people, breaking up individual conversations by saying something like, ‘Hey folks, we’re about to start our main program. If you could just make your way into the main dining area, we can get started.’”But here’s the catch: the volunteer has to stay put until guests actually migrate.“The key is—they’ve got to stand there like an idiot until the people start moving,” Keith explains. “Otherwise, if you ask them to move and then move on yourself, they won’t do it.”It’s a simple, solution that works because it creates gentle social pressure. When someone’s standing there expectantly, guests feel more compelled to act—quickly - and you can keep the evening event moving.This approach consistently gets the room seated in 5 to 10 minutes, without needing to bark at the crowd or delay the program.Watch KLM Auctions on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KLMAuctionsContact KLM Auctions here: https://www.klmauctions.com/contact-us#fundaneed #benefitauction #fundraisingstrategy #nonprofitfundraising #liveevent #charityevent #KLMauctions #friendswithbenefitauctions #crowdwork #crowdmanagement

If your gala guests show up thinking they’re just attending a fun party — and not a fundraising event — that’s not on them. That’s on you.According to Keith McLane, Founder and Lead Auctioneer at KLM Auctions, being clear and upfront about your event’s purpose--raising money for the organization--is one of the most critical things you can do for fundraising success. “We always say that if people show up to your event not expecting to give you more money, that's not their fault. That's your fault.”In this clip, Keith shares why the language you use to market your event matters just as much as the planning that goes into it. Calling your event something like a “Fundraising Gala” or a “Gala and Auction” helps set the tone early — and ensures your guests arrive with the right expectations (and generosity) in mind.Watch KLM Auctions on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KLMAuctions

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“One of the topics that's debated a lot in the industry now is where to put your live auction relative to the fund-a-need,” says Keith McLane, Founder and Lead Auctioneer at KLM Auctions.“Do we put the live auction before the fund-a-need? Should we put the fund-a-need in the middle of the live auction? Or should we put the fund-a-need after the live auction?” According to McLane, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. “If you talk to 10 different auctioneers, you'll get 10 answers on this.”But based on years of experience, he has a strong preference for most events. “My take is for the most part when you have eight or maybe even 10 or fewer packages, I like putting the live auction before the fund-a-need.”Why? Because of the energy and connection it builds in the room. “I think the live auction creates wonderful momentum so that when we get to the fund-a-need, the audience has already built a lot of trust with the auctioneer.”Contact KLM Auctions: https://www.klmauctions.com/contact-usWatch KLM Auctions on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KLMAuctions

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Hiring a professional auctioneer for a charity or benefit event increases the chances of meeting or exceeding fundraising goals, says Kristi Maryman, Senior Manager at the Sacramento SPCA.For many nonprofits, revenue from annual galas and auctions is essential to achieving their quarterly or yearly fundraising targets. The auctioneer plays a crucial role in this success. “A professional auctioneer is a key revenue generator for the event,” says Maryman. “We don’t want to leave it up to chance. We want someone that we know has extensive experience.”Beyond being engaging on stage, a skilled auctioneer can elevate the event’s overall effectiveness. A fundraising event needs “somebody who really understands how to command an audience, how to engage with an audience, how to read the room, when to push and when to back off,” Maryman explains.She also stresses the importance of hiring someone with the expertise to not only perform well during the event but also assist nonprofit executives in the planning process.The Sacramento SPCA has used professional auctioneers for years, even before Maryman joined as Senior Manager. She has personally relied on them for her last eight galas. The results have been clear. “The SPCA’s event revenue has increased year over year,” she says. “I definitely think a professional auctioneer makes such a difference. The proof is in the pudding, as they say.”- - - - -“Friends With Benefit Auctions” is a new video-podcast talking all things auctions, benefit fundraising and live charity events. This clip is from Episode 1 of KLM Auctions’ new video podcast 'Friends with Benefit Auctions', featuring an expert conversation with Taylor Beveridge, Kristi Maryman, and Rachel Schmidt.Watch the full discussion on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KLMAuctions/shortsKLM Auctions is the nation’s premier provider of event-based fundraising advisory services and professional charity/benefit auctioneers. Get in touch with us here:https://www.klmauctions.com/contact-us#benefitauction #auction #fundraising #nonprofit #KLMauctions #gala #liveauction #professionalauctioneer

At high-rolling events, an auctioneer’s quick thinking and ability to be present in the room can lead to fun payoffs for a nonprofit or charity group - sometimes even raising $1,500 cash in a few seconds.“Being flexible and being able to go off-the-cuff” is one of the most valuable attributes of an experienced professional auctioneer, says Taylor Beveridge, Director of Philanthropy at Carlsbad Educational Foundation.Auctioneers often also serve as hosts, emcees, and hype-people at an event, and must be lithe on their feet, present in the moment, and good on a mic. This often is the difference between a duller, less-profitable event and an exciting one. Rachel Schmidt, Director of Marketing and Events at English in Action, says that “Bringing the energy and being able to shift as needed is a key element to having a professional run your auction.”Schmidt details one such example at their event last year, when Keith was encouraging donations during the Fund-A-Need and suggested that people donate an equivalent of cash in their wallets - that “change” that people might have forgotten about and haven’t used in a while could do a lot to serve the organization’s mission. Maybe they had a ‘C-note’ in their pocket that’s been there a while - wouldn’t it be more worthwhile to leave that money here tonight with the organization?To some surprise, one bidder pulled out an actual $100 bill from his wallet and offered it up. Audience members saw this and began doing the same - as it turned out, many were carrying cash they were willing to part with for a good cause.Keith realized what was happening and jumped on the opportunity, accepting the money and building on the energy by encouraging the audience to do the same. Simply by asking if anyone in the room had “a C-note in their pocket”, KLM Auctions was able to take advantage of an unexpected moment, raising $1,500 in cash for the organization from one off-the-cuff suggestion.Schmidt notes of hiring a professional auctioneer: “The advantages are… working the room, feeling the energy and reading the energy, and being able to pivot when needed.” You never know when an opportunity to turn someone’s reaction into a donation will arise, and being able to capitalize on those moments, as was the case for English in Action, is key.- - -“Friends With Benefit Auctions” is a new video-podcast talking all things auctions, benefit fundraising and live charity events. This clip is from Episode 1 of KLM Auctions’ new video podcast 'Friends with Benefit Auctions', featuring an expert conversation with Taylor Beveridge, Kristi Maryman, and Rachel Schmidt.And follow KLM auctions on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/63hyjlFUUYkRucubl0zJRU?si=23f8da286d4e4c20KLM Auctions is the nation’s premier provider of event-based fundraising advisory services and professional charity/benefit auctioneers.Get in touch with us here:https://www.klmauctions.com/contact-us#benefitauction #auction #fundraising #nonprofit #KLMauctions #fundaneed #liveauction #pivot

Allowing people to get to know the auctioneer and their personality during the Live Auction, before he or she asks the audience for donations in the Fund-A-Need, is crucial to building trust, momentum, and reparté with the audience at a live event, according to Keith McLane, Founder and Lead Auctioneer at KLM Auctions. “I’ve always felt that a Live Auction does a really nice job building momentum into the Fund-A-Need,” he says. McLane recommends doing at least part of the live auction before the Fund-A-Need so that audiences are familiarized with the auctioneer before the most critical part of the evening. He notes, “It’s a very intimate thing - coming up and saying, ‘Folks, this is why we’re here’” and asking for money.When the time does come to ask for flat-out donations, notes McLane, the audience should already be familiar with the auctioneer and be able to say, “‘Oh I like this guy - he’s funny’ or ‘this is engaging,’” making them more enthusiastic to donate.McLane points out that this tactic is often more effective than appearing in front of an audience for the first time and saying, “Alright, you’ve never seen me before, but now I’m gonna be asking you to give the organization $10,000.” Going straight into the Fund-A-Need without giving the audience a chance to get to know the auctioneer first can feel a bit “standoffish”, he says.For optimal results, McLane recommends putting the Fund-A-Need at the very end of the program for an event with 6-8 Live Auction packages or less. For groups with 8-12 or more Live Auction packages, putting the Fund-A-Need two-thirds of the way through is ideal.This way, depending on the number of packages being sold, the audience has a chance to become familiar with the auctioneer before the Fund-A-Need without any portion of the event feeling too drawn-out.- - -“Friends With Benefit Auctions” is a new video-podcast talking all things auction, benefit fundraising and live charity events. This clip is from Episode 1 of KLM Auctions’ new video podcast 'Friends with Benefit Auctions', featuring an expert conversation with Taylor Beveridge, Kristi Maryman, and Rachel Schmidt. Watch the full episode on Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@KLMAuctionsKLM Auctions is the nation’s premier provider of event-based fundraising advisory services and professional charity/benefit auctioneers.Get in touch with us here:https://www.klmauctions.com/contact-us#benefitauction #auction #fundraising #nonprofit #friendswithbenefitauctions #KLMauctions #fundaneed #liveauction

If your benefit auction is your organization’s Super Bowl of annual fundraising, then auctioneers “take the ball the last three yards” into the endzone, says Keith McLane, Founder and Lead Auctioneer at KLM Auctions.