Auction Of Promises

[Guest]

My pre school will make a £10,000. loss this year. We run 5 mornings per week are able to take 16 children per session but only have 6!. Looking ahead next Sept 07 we will be running very close to full capacity. (Have lots on waiting list)

 

I'm sure that there are lots of pre-schools like us. Having to cut the staff working hours, reduce staff completely or like myself go voluntary.

 

I do lots of fundraising for the pre-school from selling my own childrens toys/videos which they have grown out of to organising raffles, sponsors and doing village fetes. This latest one is a Promise of Autions.

 

Our local pub is holding this event on their premises which is great.

We will be selling tickets at £25.00 per head which includes a 3 course meal and half a bottle of wine per person. The pub has a great reputation for good food and is always sold out so we know that we can sell the tickets.

 

To people who have already done this kind of event I would like to ask you for help. I would like to put together a thank you letter for all donators which also includes them signing a confirmation slip of exactly what they are promising.

 

The committee have said that we should invite VIP's (people who will spend money) from the neighboroughing villages. I feel checky in sending letters inviting them which also goes into telling them that they have to purchase a ticket.

 

Again has anyone done this sort of thing before. I would be sat at my computer for hours trying to type a letter (not that I'm not already sitting at my computer for hours putting details of this auction together on top of the paper work for the pre-school).

 

I would appreciate any views on this matter.

[beth1]

Sorry I can help but good luck with your fundrasing!!!

 

 

Beth

[Guest]

Don't worry about inviting the VIP's to spend money I expect they are used to it. Can't help you with the letter though I would write it out and get some one else to read it so that they get a different perspective on it. Write from the heart and I'm sure it will come across fine. good luck with the fundraising.

[Guest]

Yes, you have been at the comptutor for a while, haven't you, a Promise of Auctions sounds very interesting

 

 

I haven't done this before but as a skeleton outline, the Thank you for offering to donate letter could detail what the money raised will go to, your terms in that once the 'promise' has been allocated it is their responsibility to honour it and that the organisation of when / how the bidders get / receive their 'promise' is dealt with between giver and receiver. ( and not the preschool)

 

Offer them 1st refusal of a ticket to the function ( as they will sell like hot cakes) and maybe word it this way to any VIP's too.

 

good luck and sorry to hear about your sustainability issues, at least the future does look brighter for next year

 

Peggy

 

ooh, just another thought, let the donaters know that you will be listing all the details of the event in your newsletter, thus publicity for them, and if possible get them further publicity through detailing the event, including sponsors, in the local media, although this coverage cannot be guarenteed.

 

Peggy

[hali]

we did one year before last and are doing one again this year on 10th nov. We un ours by sending out letters to companies to ask for things for which we get an excellent responce, then we send out letters to parents asking them to donate either items or things like 1hrs babysitting, gardening etc... we give out tickets to parents to attend and then they buy drinks and nibbles once here. We are a small pre schiool of about 50 on the register and last time we raised well over £1000 and had the most fantastic evening. The most funny thing is the more the men drink the more they bid for things you wouldnt believe what a box of mars bars sold for the last time....cannot wait....good luck with yours, its well worth doing !!!!!

[Guest]

I emailed someone I know about this a couple of months ago, as she has either been to them or done them herself. This was her email reply:

 

I have attended a couple of auctions - quite different. The first one was actually held at a nursery setting and was in aid of CLIC. This was quite informal - everyone bought a ticket which entitled them to a glass of wine and nibbles (if they wanted more to drink they were requested to bring their own). This was like an auction of promises where people were asked to pledge something ie babysitting, dog walking, gardening, garden design, sports massage - really tapping into the skills people could offer rather than physical objects like donation of books. The person raising the money was the auctioneer and it was all quite informal.

 

The other one, however, was more organised:

letters sent out explaining what the proceeds of the auction was for

and making a request for 'something' that they might like to donate

for auction

personal visits/contact explaining about the auction and again

requests made

marketing - posters produced and programme (see below) distributed

programme produced - catalogue of items for the auction - to include

venue, date, time, auctioneer,bar/refreshment details etc,

no entry charge - someone taking details on entry to the auction room

and issuing a number to be used for bidding

for viewing prior to the start of the autction an area was set aside

for the details of items for auction - these were written on cards

and displayed on a wall together with the actual products, where

applicable, displayed on a table below

auctioneer ran the event with each card/product being held up as each

item was auctioned off - where people had given something like dog

grooming it was a card given by the donator stating how much/what

they were offering

someone noted the numbers down for each purchase and at the end of

the evening people went to them, paid up and took their goods/card in

envelope detailing what they had bought.

 

Local firms were contacted as well as using personal contacts of

those involved in organising the event. A varied range of items were

donated: tickets to events/places, balloon ride, chocolate

experience, VIP visit to naval base, products - books, paintings,

animal care products, clothing, services: dog grooming, cleaning

windows, hair cuts, to name a few. I think they were contacted 2/3

months in advance for this one and not so long for the first one.

 

It was very successful and raised a lot of money. Hope this helps to

be going on with.

[Deb]

We did this some years ago, excellent advice given already.

 

I would add make it clear what it's for, the large gap in funding you have to fill, despite people working voluntarily, just a stop gap as next year is looking better.

 

We have low numbers as well, forecast to be in the region of £5,000 to £6,000, so feel for you.

 

We've had several slave auctions in our village where the men dress up or remove their clothing as appropriate (I still have visions of a leopard skin thong from the plumber!) offering their services such as ironing, plumbing, trip on a yacht, gardening, and a really popular one is to cook a meal for up to 6/8 people. Makes quite a lot of money if they've got the, shall I say courage, to do it! Goes down a storm!

 

Good Luck, hope you make lots of money.