We have used the Balloon rides they have been hot and cold...The one person ride is all profit but you must offer the other rides also. You do not have to sell them to get the free ride. Make sure your members understand the starting bid is at least your cost!! One year a "helper" marked down the items that were not getting a starting bid...The Balloon ride that I had to pay $450 for, should have sold for arround $600, sold for the "NEW" minimum bid of $100 instead of $475. To keep the buyer happy we made up the difference....
Is anyone else having a really hard time trying to get plane tickets? We keep getting turned down even as a 501 c 3. I don't know if its the economy, being the end of the year, or something in our wording.
Joliu,
I propose two: a quick one now; longer one later (with sale results)
For how-to information on writing a letter and sending, you can search Google for the following title:
1. "Red Apple Auctions" "Benefit auction ideas: The “correct” way to thank donors"
2. "Red Apple Auctions" "Don’t re-use last year’s charity auction letters to donors"
A big THANK YOU to all who participate on this Board. I am a first-year auction chair and am overwhelmed by it all. (Never got the co-chair I was promised!) I have had much luck with all the ideas listed. I have also called around bookstores to get signed books of popular children's authors. I pay list price, but I know they will go for more (check eBay first!).
Meanwhile, when do you send out thank you letters? Our past auction chairs sent them out after the event. I am reading, though, that many send out thank you's as donations come in. What are you doing? Our event is in March.
