Greater Giving Blog

Webinar-Focusing on What’s Important: The Secret to Maximizing your Benefit Auction
2018-07-18 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Focusing on What’s Important: The Secret to Maximizing your Benefit Auction
Have you ever watched a novice swimmer in a freestyle race? Her desire to win is tremendous. Hundreds of calories expended. Splashing everywhere! But she’s not moving very fast through the water. Meanwhile, the swimmer in the lane next to her doesn’t look like she’s working very hard but glides across the pool with far less effort.
Does your benefit auction effort feel more splash than cash? Or at the very least, like it could be so much more efficient and effective? This webinar will focus on key strategies needed to increase your fundraising, turbo-charge your live auction, maximize your special appeal, and focus on what’s IMPORTANT, instead of what feels URGENT.
During this webinar, you will learn best practices for:

Which part of your fundraiser brings in the most money
Tips for drastically increasing your live auction revenue
How to craft your best special appeal strategy
How to tell your story to maximize impact
Tools to get you on track and ahead of the curve

Just a few elements virtually always comprise the lion’s share of benefit auction revenues. Let us share what we’ve learned over 2,000 auctions!

Live Webinar – Wednesday, July 18th, 2018
11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!
Your Presenter:
Keith McLane, BAS, KLM Auctions
Keith L. McLane, BAS, is one of the country’s preeminent fundraising auctioneers, special appeal/fund-a-need experts, and event-based fundraising educators. Since 1995, he has specialized in organizing and conducting charity and fundraising auctions for schools, charitable organizations, and nonprofit groups from Honolulu to New York City. Never the shy one, Keith has become well-known for his fun and entertaining auctioneering style that frequently takes him out from behind the podium and deep into the audience! Keith holds an MBA from The UCLA Anderson School of Management and is a graduate of the world-famous Missouri Auction School, which Newsweek magazine dubs “The Harvard of Auctioneering.” He is also one of only a small number of auctioneers in the country–and only 20 auctioneers in California–to have achieved the National Auctioneers Association’s prestigious Benefit Auction Specialist (BAS) designation.

Webinar-Year-End Fundraising: Double Donations with Matching Gifts
2018-10-18 11:00 - 12:00
Year-End Fundraising: Double Donations with Matching Gifts
As you make your year-end fundraising appeals, learn how to double those donations by incorporate matching gifts. The presenter will discuss the most effective ways to market matching gifts and boost your year-end fundraising as well as your Giving Tuesday results.
Live Webinar – Thursday, October 18th, 2018
11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!

Your Presenter:
Shelby Grossman, Double the Donation
Shelby is a Marketing Specialist for Double the Donation, the leading provider of tools to nonprofits helping them raise more money from corporate matching gift and volunteer grant programs. Shelby earned a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications from the University of Florida and studied writing at New York University.

Webinar: Board Engagement – How to Maximize Board Power for Your Next Special Event
2018-11-07 11:00 - 12:00
Board Engagement – How to Maximize Board Power for Your Next Special Event
Would you like your next special event to make more money? Have a powerful board presence? Leave you and your team feeling refreshed? Of course, you do!
Join Renee Jones, International Champion Auctioneer, and Certified Benefit Specialist as she takes you through proven techniques to increase revenue, reduce cost, energize supporters and make your next special event the best it can be. Come and get an insiders look from an auctioneer who hosts countless record-breaking auctions each year.
During the webinar, Renee will cover:

Board Dynamics – Understanding Strengths & Weaknesses
Social Math at Special Events – Mission & Vision Focuses Appeals
How to Convert Board Members into Year-Round Advocates

Live Webinar – Wednesday, November 7th, 2018
11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!

Your Presenter:
Renee Jones, CAI, AARE, BAS, CES, National Fundraising Solutions
Renee’s passion for fundraising was instilled in her by her parents who centered their family activities around volunteerism, fundraising and bettering the communities they lived in. Her first official fundraiser was when she joined forces with her childhood mentor to save and restore the Santa Fe Depot in the community her parents had retired in after leaving Houston. Renee was twelve at the time! The foundation of her charitable commitment was solidified before she graduated college and she has raised over 900 million dollars in the last three decades for deserving nonprofits across the United States. Renee currently serves on three boards in addition to teaching other development professionals techniques like you on how to take your next special event to the next level of success!

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End of Year Giving: How it Works
2018-12-05 11:00 - 12:00
We will be going over the basics of Giving Tuesday and End of The Year Giving.

Host David Foster will share 7 creative ways to boost end of year giving and a three-part plan for how to connect with donors. During the webinar, we will show how you can build a Virtual Food Drive using Greater Giving from start to finish. Post-webinar the recorded video will be added to help center for future viewing.

Wed, Dec 5th, 2018 11am – 12pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!

Webinar-The Art of the Special Appeal with Samantha Swaim
2018-12-12 11:00 - 12:00
This Webinar is available on-demand—watch it now!

The Art of the Special Appeal-Getting the Most Out of the Room

The special appeal is your biggest opportunity to raise funds the day of your event. Do you have a strategy in place for how to execute your special appeal?
In this webinar, we will take a look at the essential components of an effective appeal and delve into how to tell a compelling story to connect donors to your work in a way that will encourage them to give. We will also cover the logistics of an appeal the ensure that you capitalize on the moment and convert that into effective fundraising.
Learn to:

Effectively tell your story to engage donors
Place your appeal at the best point in your program to maximize donations
Leverage challenge gifts or grants
Identify giving levels
Prep your speakers
Set your starting levels
Work with your emcee and auctioneer for a fantastic appeal

Live Webinar – Wednesday, December 12th, 2018
11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!

Your Presenter:
Samantha Swaim, Swaim Strategies
With a background in fundraising and development, as well as theatre and television production, Samantha founded Swaim Strategies in 2004 because she believes in the power of bringing people together. By designing events that uniquely fit each organization’s mission, she captures both the fun and the funds. Samantha’s passion is implementing strategy and education to provide nonprofit leaders the tools they need to increase fundraising and reduce workload. As a teacher, her goal is to provide nonprofits with the tactics to yield results and reach goals.

Webinar: 5 Keys to Efficient Fundraising Event Setup
2019-01-16 10:00 - 11:00
5 Keys to Efficient Fundraising Event Setup
Join Greater Giving and Winspire as we share practical ways to set up a well-organized, efficient fundraising auction event.
The experience guests have when they first arrive is a “make or break” moment for your event.
When you’ve put months of preparation into your fundraising event, you want to ensure all guests enter and exit feeling impressed with how the night has been run.
To help, Winspire is teaming up with Siri Lippy, Senior Professional Event Services Manager at Greater Giving. Together we’ll share recommended best practices for setting up various aspects of your event in a strategic, efficient manner.
Covered in this session:

Pre-event Data Management
Optimize Event Space
Streamline Check-in and Registration
Train and Manage Volunteers
Item Pickup and Express Check-out

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or putting on a first-time event, there will be practical takeaways for you. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask fundraising event experts about your event during Q&A time. We hope to see you there!
Note: If you can’t make the live session but are still interested in the content, register anyway and receive a recording after the event.

Webinar-Donors vs. Dollars, How to Win in the Long Run with Alpenglow Benefits
2019-02-13 11:00 - 12:00
This Webinar is available on-demand—watch it now!

Donors vs. Dollars, How to Win in the Long Run
Donor-centric fundraising is not a new concept, but it is not the norm in today’s fundraising world. This webinar will cover the background and where the idea evolved from. How it has been successful for some organizations. How a few changes can make a definitive difference in your NPO’s relationship with its donors and help lower costs. Most importantly it can help shift the outlook of your shop to be less about chasing dollars and more about creating relationships that will over time benefit both the NPO and the individual donors.
During the webinar, Ailie will cover:

The high-level ideas of the concept
How you can incorporate donor-centric fundraising into your existing shop in small ways
How to cultivate your relationship with your donors for long term mutual success

Live Webinar – Wednesday, February 13th, 2018
11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!

Your Presenter:
Ailie F. Byers, President Alpenglow Benefits, NAA Director
Ailie Byers is President of Alpenglow Benefits. She is a second-generation auctioneer with a master’s degree in Public Administration/Policy from the University of Georgia. The fundraising and benefit auction company of Alpenglow works with clients to tailor fit a solution to their fundraising needs, all over the country and for various sized NPO’s. Ailie is an elected member of the National Auctioneers Association (NAA) Board of Directors. She is also an active member of several local non-profit boards. She has worked in the industry full time since 2012. Ailie prides herself on staying educated on relevant topics she needs for work and life and feels this helps her in her successes. Ailie is a fervent outdoor enthusiast. Growing up she spent most summers sailing and skiing in the winter, forming her love of outdoors. Living in North Conway for the past seven years, nowadays she bikes, rock & ice climbs, hikes runs, dives, and alpine, backcountry, and Nordic skis. If she has free time, she is probably outside with her two dogs! Fun Fact, Ailie has flown over 180,449 miles since starting her work as an auctioneer.

Webinar-Power Up Your Auction Revenue Through Creative and Strategic Refinement with Mission Limelight
2019-03-06 11:00 - 12:00
This Webinar is available on-demand—watch it now!

Power Up Your Auction Revenue Through Creative and Strategic Refinement
What if you could realize substantially more auction revenue by taking a fresh look at the way you approach your procurement strategies, and getting creative about how you leverage your resources?
Join us for a special webinar focused on detailed and specific actions you can take now to power up your next event!
In this 1 hour session, you will learn how to:

Evaluate your past auction results
Identify key holes in your auction line up, and what’s currently hot
How to approach potential donors with a win-win pitch
Make more money with auction packages that used to perform well, but have lost audience interest
Thread mission throughout your silent and live auction to inspire more giving

Live Webinar – Wednesday, March 6th, 2019
11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!

Your Presenter:
Talena Barker, CEO, Mission Limelight

Talena Barker has been working with non-profit organizations on fundraising strategy and events for 15 years, having raised millions of dollars for charities and their world-changing missions. She is passionate about philanthropy and designing tools to make it easier for businesses to give meaningfully and strategically and to lessen the barriers to success and mutual communication across the giving lifecycle for charities and donors alike.
Talena is Founder and CEO of the startup company, Mission Limelight. Mission Limelight provides a suite of solutions that help non-profits raise more money for their cause, and businesses drive greater success by dovetailing their philanthropic and marketing goals and telling the true story of how their giving has a social impact.
Mission Limelight recently launched their first solution online, the Mission Limelight Exchange, which helps non-profits raise more money by exchanging locally-sourced auction packages that fail to excite their local audiences, with other non-profits across the country. This powerful tool revamps fundraising auction lineups to build exponentially greater auction attendance, enthusiasm and fundraising capability.

Webinar: What's New at Greater Giving Spring 2019
2019-03-07 10:00 - 10:30
Spring 2019 “What’s New” Webinar
Our Spring “What’s New” webinar is set for Thursday, March 7th at 1 pm Eastern/10 am Pacific. Join us to review new features changes and enhancements from Greater Giving. Beyond just changes to Greater Giving’s products, we will share updates to resources and best practice guides. These updates are based on feedback from our fantastic partners and clients. Anyone who signs up for this webinar will be automatically sent the recording.
During this webinar we will cover:

New Resources and Guides
Top 3 new features for Spring 2019
Giving Board, Aggregate Reporting and Captcha
Raise More Tip: “Round Up” for the cause at Checkout
New Online Bidding Videos “Getting Started” and “How To Bid”
“Auction Item Ideas” contest

Webinar-Turn guests into raving fans and make more money at your next fundraiser with Tribe Table
2019-07-10 11:00 - 12:00
This Webinar is available on-demand—watch it now!

Turn guests into raving fans and make more money at your next fundraiser
Have you ever attended an event and found yourself wondering why you came in the first place? Maybe you didn’t connect with anyone else there, didn’t like the food, or just found the whole thing to be dull.
Now, have you ever attended an event that was energetic and lively? Where you met great people who shared your values and went home excited to see what they would do next?
Most people have been to both of these types of events. And while it’s easy to judge an event as a “good” or “bad” experience, it can be difficult to put your finger on exactly what makes an event fun or a flop.
The good news is that all successful events have a few core things in common. There is a certain system that can make any event great, no matter the size, theme, or budget. In this webinar, you’ll learn the best strategies to plan a fun, sustainable fundraiser that your guests will love and will grow in profit year after year.
Live Webinar – Wednesday, July 10th, 2019
11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!

Your Presenter:
Quierra Trammel, Fundraising Event Consultant, Tribe Table

Quierra helps people to plan successful, sustainable fundraising events with less stress and more profit. Her mission is to rid the world of events with dry chicken, boring speakers, and people waiting patiently to go home.
As a professional event planner and fundraising consultant, she’s done over 100 events ranging from intimate happy hours that keep donors engaged to galas with hundreds of attendees and 6-figure profits.
Her goal is to share what she’s learned about putting on successful fundraisers in order to make it easier for good people to positively impact their communities. She believes that we all have the privilege and the responsibility to give back in a way that is meaningful, fulfilling, and full of the magic that happens when people come together.
Whether you’re planning your first fundraiser or just looking to strengthen your skills so that you can better support your community through an event, Tribe Table can give you the tips, tools, and resources you need to help you along the way.

Webinar-Equity in Your Fundraising Events with Swaim Strategies
2019-08-14 11:00 - 12:00
This Webinar is available on-demand—watch it now!

Equity in Your Fundraising Events
Your events need to be accessible. Design them for your entire community with simple adjustments to your materials, program, and marketing to deepen your relationship with your supporters. Develop best practices for your event vendors for inclusive elements and build a team with a common mission. Engage all levels of supporters in your fundraising to develop sustainability for your work.
Live Webinar – Wednesday, August 14th, 2019
11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!

Your Presenter:
Samantha Swaim, Swaim Strategies
Samantha Swaim has more than 20 years of event planning and fundraising expertise. She founded Swaim Strategies, a fundraising event consultancy, in 2004, working internationally with nonprofit organizations to produce impactful events that move missions forward. Samantha is the co-author of “Planning a Successful Major Donor Event” and the founder of the annual Elevate fundraising event conference. She travels internationally to teach nonprofit professionals the tools they need to elevate their impact through events.

Webinar-How to manage and engage volunteers with Perry Consulting LLC
2019-10-09 11:00 - 12:00
This Webinar is available on-demand—watch it now!

How to manage and engage volunteers
Volunteerism is a universal construct and a critical resource for nonprofit organizations. It’s important to sustain the flow of your volunteer pool by implementing tools and processes that create a mutually beneficial relationship.
Attending this webinar you will:
1. Learn the 4 steps of the volunteer management cycle
2. Ensure your volunteer program is integrated throughout the organization
3. Ensure you are utilizing volunteers to their advantage (and yours)
Live Webinar – Wednesday, October 9th, 2019
11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!
Your Presenter:
Nicole V. Bennett, Owner – Perry Consulting LLC

Nicole V. Bennett has over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Nicole is currently the principal at Perry Consulting, providing event/meeting planning and executive coaching services to nonprofits and corporations. Nicole has a B.A. in Psychology, a Certificate in Business Administration and Management from Loyola Marymount University and is a trained Dispute Resolution Act Mediator (from Loyola Law School). Nicole has contributed to local publications and is a sought after speaker/trainer; most recently she spoke at the Arizona Summit on Volunteerism and Civic Engagement presented by the Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family.

Webinar: Auction Procurement - Maximizing Your ROI on Time and Effort with DonationMatch
2019-12-11 11:00 - 12:00
Auction Procurement – Maximizing Your ROI on Time and Effort: Lessons from 50+ Auctions and 200+ Conversations with Corporate Decision-Makers
Renee Zau knows how time-consuming auction planning can be. After serving on 50+ committees, she founded DonationMatch–an online platform that helps nonprofits secure in-kind gifts. Hear from the expert herself as she shares tips and tricks on setting up an auction for success from the very beginning. This webinar is a deep-dive into the first stage of the process–auction item procurement. After all, there’s no better way to generate excitement around your event than having awesome prizes up for grabs!
In this webinar, Renee will cover:

Prioritizing your donor outreach to save time and effort
Engaging your board and committee to maximize results
Reaching out to non-retail companies for auction sponsorships
Creating unique packages and auction prizes
And more!

Whether your event is one month or six months away, learn how to make the most of your remaining time and surpass your fundraising goals.
Live Webinar – Wednesday, December 11th, 2019
2:00 pm-3:00 pm Eastern / 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!

Your Presenter:
Renee Zau, Founder and CEO, DonationMatch

Renee started serving on fundraising committees nearly 20 years ago. All too familiar with the arduous process of securing auction donations, as well as the challenges on the giving side as a multiple-location business owner and mentor, she decided to launch DonationMatch, a self-service platform that streamlines how donor companies and nonprofit organizations connect. The first of its kind, DonationMatch has facilitated in-kind contributions worth more than $40 million to date. Each year, over 10,000 fundraising events rely on DonationMatch for easy, efficient donation procurement.
A native Californian, Renee resides in San Diego and is actively involved with several local organizations including San Diego Social Venture Partners, Startup San Diego, and the Parent Connection. In addition to running DonationMatch, Renee co-hosts the podcast Events with Benefits, serves as Outreach Director for San Diego AMA’s Cause Conference, and is the resident cause marketing guru at Hera Hub Sorrento Valley.

This Webinar is available on-demand—watch it now!

Webinar: Creating Sponsorship Partnerships that Last with Swaim Strategies
2020-01-15 11:00 - 12:00
This Webinar is available on-demand—watch it now!

Creating Sponsorship Partnerships that Last
Securing sponsors for your event is imperative for your fundraising success. Getting sponsors to say ‘yes’ to your proposal is just part of the work, however. Properly managing your relationship with your sponsors is essential. It’s the hard work that will make their experience of working with you beneficial to their organization and will help you more easily bring them on board year after year.
Creating a system of mindful stewardship will enable you to create the passionate support your mission and work deserve. We will discuss how to engage your sponsors and invest the resources to develop lasting partnerships.
In this webinar, Dwight will cover:

Design a sponsorship proposal
Prospect/map potential sponsors
Identify benefits to offer sponsors
Be a good partner
Manage sponsor relations

Live Webinar – Wednesday, January 15th, 2020
2:00 pm-3:00 pm Eastern / 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!

Your Presenter:
Dwight Adkins, Swaim Strategies
Dwight Adkins is the sponsorship whisperer. Dwight believes that relationships are the key and the more you invest in them the richer your community will be. He has more than 25 years of experience in development, fundraising and creating mission-centered events. He utilizes that vast expanse of knowledge to impact nonprofit clients through his work as Senior Project Manager at Swaim Strategies. He has spoken nationwide about sponsorship and the impact of a thoughtful fundraising strategy.

What's New Webinar | Greater Giving
2020-01-30 10:00 - 11:00
Join our “What’s New Webinar” on Thurs. 1/30 10am PST to find out about the latest Greater Giving release.
We’re excited to share new features that will maximize your sponsorship and revenue dollars, along with our latest market trend resources!

Webinar: The Truth About The Top 5 Auction Myths with Kilbreath Auctions
2020-02-12 11:00 - 12:00
This Webinar is available on-demand—watch it now!
The Truth About the Top 5 Auction Myths
One of the main things your auctioneer should be doing is consulting. Your auctioneer does 50, 75, 100 events a year – so they should be taking information from those events and helping you decide best practices for your event. 80% of what the auctioneer does should be spent before your event – making sure the plan is set for you to raise the most money possible for your organization. We know how difficult it is to plan an event, and in this webinar, we will debunk common auction myths.
During the webinar, Stephen will cover:

Do more auction items and more guests mean more money?
Can you predict how much money you will make at your event?
Does it really matter who the auctioneer is?

Live Webinar – Wednesday, February 12th, 2020
2:00 pm-3:00 pm Eastern / 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!

Your Presenter:
Stephen Kilbreath. Kilbreath Auctions
Stephen has been a fundraising auctioneer since the early 90s, calling hundreds of auctions and raising millions of dollars. Stephen’s sincerity, authenticity and a terrific understanding of benefit auctions make him stand out. His style is entertaining and conversational-making it an enjoyable and memorable evening for your guests. Stephen excels at connecting and reading his audiences, all resulting in generating the most revenue possible for his auction clients.
He has taught classes, and has mentored auctioneers across the country and has earned the rare Benefit Auction Specialist designation through the National Auctioneers Association. Less than 1% of auctioneers nationally have achieved that designation!
Not only is Stephen a top benefit auctioneer in the Northwest-his name may be familiar because of his long broadcasting career. He was on the morning radio for more than 20 years. Currently, he can be seen on KING-5 television.
Stephen lives in Snoqualmie, WA where he enjoys his two boys Ben (13), and Jack (9).

Webinar: Embracing the Moment – A practical guide for executing a virtual fundraising auction
2020-04-08 10:00 - 11:00
These are unprecedented times but it doesn’t mean you have to cancel your event.
Embrace the moment and go virtual with your auction. It sounds scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Virtual events are not new and you are likely already working with vendors that have the expertise you need to execute a virtual auction for your organization. Much of the strategy you’ve built to fundraise for your organization stays the same, you just have to switch tactics to move away from a live event and into the virtual world.
This webinar with Beth Sandefur Events will cover the following topics:

What elements of your fundraising auction stay the same when you switch to a virtual format?
What elements of your auction change?
Adapting the pace of an auction to fit a virtual model
Key vendors for virtual auctions
Virtual auction solutions for every budget
Tips on how to create online engagement opportunities during a virtual auction

About Beth Sandefur:
Beth is a seasoned event planner with a strong background in development and hands-on experience with theatrical production. Her efforts focus on planning and execution of fundraising galas, typically with a large auction component. As a planner, she believes in working with clients to find the inefficiencies and redundancies in their systems to create a streamlined approach, keeping the organizational mission in the forefront, while still throwing a great party. She also works as a consultant to help clients integrate their annual fundraising event into year-round donor development through auction data collection & analysis as well as creating comprehensive sponsorship proposal strategies.

Webinar: 5 Steps to a "Guest Experience on Steroids" with Shannon Mays
2020-05-13 11:00 - 12:00
This Webinar is available on-demand—watch it now!

5 Steps to a “Guest Experience on Steroids”
Do you want your guests telling all of their friends what a great time they had at your event? And of course, you want to hear them say they spent more than they intended, but got so wrapped up in the fun they couldn’t help themselves! This webinar will bypass the obvious and go straight to the “over the top” things your committee can do to elevate the evening and guarantee a fun-filled yet mission-focused night! Want to make your live auction involve the entire room instead of just a few bidders? We’ll show you how. Your attendees will leave with their hearts filled and your committee will be smiling all the way to the bank!
Live Webinar – Wednesday, May 13th, 2020
2:00 pm-3:00 pm Eastern / 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!
Your Presenter:
Shannon Mays, CAI, AARE, BAS Raising Paddles
International Auctioneer Champion, Shannon Mays, travels the United States captivating audiences with her limitless energy, communication skills and infectious smile. She has raised millions of dollars in the for profit and not for profit industries. With over 30 years of experience, she brings a long list of attributes to the table. As a leader in the industry, she is an instructor for World Wide College of Auctioneering as well as the Professional Ringmen’s Institute (PRI) and also conducts one-on-one instruction. As a consultant, she travels coast to coast conducting seminars and educational training events for organizations as well as her peers. Shannon is among less than 5% of the nation’s auctioneers with her certification from the Certified Auctioneer’s Institute and the Benefit Auction Specialist designation that few auctioneer’s nationwide have attained.
Just a few of her current clients include the American Heart Association, The American Cancer Society, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, private schools, hospital/health awareness groups, as well as women’s and children’s empowerment organizations. Her daughter, Lauren, is in medical school, and her son, Landon, is a senior at the University of Arkansas. Shannon can be contacted online at www.shannonmays.com.

Get the Data for Virtual Events + Online Auctions
2020-05-20 10:00 - 11:00
Wednesday, May 20, 2020 | 1-2 PM EDT | 10-11 AM PDT
Greater Giving is excited to host a panel of experts who have successfully hosted virtual fundraising events over the past few weeks. They’ve collected great data to share and some evolving expectations around upcoming fall fundraising. Let us know what you’re most curious to learn more about by registering below!
Our Panelists:

Beven Byrnes, Bridges Middle School
Taylor Gibson, Children’s Book Bank
Brian Harris, The AV Department
Tracey Lorts, Greater Giving
Samantha Swaim, Swaim Strategies

Registration is limited on the Zoom call. If you are unable to join, we will also be streaming the session live to the Greater Giving Facebook page.

Webinar-Benefit Auctions in 2020. The Return to Normal or the NEW Normal? with Auction Brio, LLC
2020-06-10 11:00 - 12:00
Benefit Auctions in 2020. The Return to Normal or the NEW Normal?
This Webinar is available on-demand—watch it now!

In the abrupt & unexpected postponement, rescheduling, or even the cancellation of thousands of benefit auctions across the country, what will happen when it all resumes? Will there be smaller gatherings? Will some events include a live stream auction? Will donations have to become more creative due to the loss of supporting businesses from these drastic closures & layoffs? The answer to all of these is yes, yes, yes. If we plan now, the best organizations will be ready to resume. If not, there will be great losses. This is an ideal opportunity to face what is happening now and produce fresh resolutions.
Listeners will be well prepared to replace live auction packages that may have or could be falling apart due to the loss of supporting businesses like restaurants, chef dinners, airline tickets, vacation destinations, etc. This webinar will tell listeners how to assess a situation and to become creative with ideas to generate value to their live auction. In addition, they will learn to ease the pain of donors of the Fund-a-Need ask so those supporters can continue to provide the opportunity to those who love their cause.
Live Webinar – Wednesday, June 10th, 2020
2:00 pm-3:00 pm Eastern / 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!
Your Presenter:
Mark Schroeder CAI, BAS, CES of Auction brio LLC

Mark Schroeder CAI, BAS, CES is a benefit auction strategist. His San Antonio, Texas-based benefit auction company, Auction brio llc., teams with clients to share money-generating ideas that create enhanced value to auction fundraising up to a year prior to the event. Mark creatively infuses entertainment through presentation and sales celebrations at the event that engages donors and increases giving. His award-winning video production career and infused original strategies adhere the donor to the mission of the organization. In thirteen short years, Mark has raised over $122-million dollars for non-profit clients.
Mark is one of the first 30 professional auctioneers to earn the Benefit Auctioneer (BAS) certification. Mark carries the elite CAI designation. Less than 1% of all auctioneers hold the distinguished Certified Auctioneer’s Institute (CAI) certification.
Mark spent twenty-three years as a television Sports Anchor with CBS-TV and FOX- TV networks in Cleveland, Ohio, and for the Fox NFL broadcasts. Nominated thirty- one times for Emmy Awards, he has collected high honors for his production creativity and for his on-air sports anchoring, including winning multiple Emmy Awards, a prestigious international Telly Award, and Sportscaster of the Year honors. Mark has earned an Emmy Award and a Telly Award as an auctioneer in a commercial spot for Sportstime Ohio.

Webinar- Event 180°: Renovate your event with these 7 trend-worthy ideas
2020-09-16 11:00 - 12:00
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Event 180°: Renovate your event with these 7 trend-worthy ideas
Each December after the books are closed on nearly 100 events in 20 states, a master document is created to record the best and brightest ideas used at cutting-edge galas. As someone who works on stage at these events, I find myself spending Saturday nights at the most trendsetting fundraisers imaginable – the events every other nonprofit in town seeks to copy. In this session, you’ll get the skinny on the 7 most original ideas I’ve witnessed when it comes to auctions, mission-driven messaging, and/or fund a needs.
Live Webinar – Wednesday, September 16th, 2020
2:00 pm-3:00 pm Eastern / 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!
Your Presenter:
Sherry Truhlar, Red Apple Auctions
Sherry Truhlar is President of Red Apple Auctions, an auction firm focused on nonprofit galas. Since 2005, she’s been a cheeky auctioneer onstage, and a trusted resource offstage for those seeking to improve the profitability of their fundraising gala. You might have seen her onstage working an auction, heard her speak at an AFP regional events (Planet Philanthropy or Bridge Conference) or read her insights in The NonProfit Times, Florida’s Sun Sentinel, Town & Country, The Washington Post Magazine, Missouri Meetings & Events, Vineyard Gazette, or many of the other papers who have quoted her advice. Though based in the Washington, D.C. area, she maintains her bliss by sidestepping the political scene.

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Webinar-Raise Six Figures with The Fearless and Joyful ASK
2020-10-14 11:00 - 12:00
Raise Six Figures with The Fearless and Joyful ASK –For expert fundraisers who love what they do but hate to ASK!
SPECIAL GUEST: Dee Dee Kiesow, Award-winning Fundraiser and founder of The Six Figure ASK Formula
Are you tired of asking the same people for money? Are you sometimes hesitant, nervous, or afraid to be the asker? Do you just not know when and what to ask for? Join Dee Dee Kiesow and discover your power within to change your world by unleashing the ASKER within. Maximize your Minutes with a new amazing YOU.
In this action-packed session, you’ll learn:
• Simple no-cost things you can do instantly to double or triple your fundraising efforts
• Six proven steps to the ASK
• The secret to inspiring someone to give now…without asking for money.
• And most important, how to inspire joyful givers to bring awareness and wealth to what you care about.
It is a disservice to let interested donors walk away without the opportunity to partner with you to serve humankind in a way to bring joy to all parties.
Live Webinar – Wednesday, October 14th, 2020
2:00 pm-3:00 pm Eastern / 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!
Your Presenter:
DeeDee Kiesow, Six Figure Fundraising
After 25 years of award-winning fundraising and millions raised in the non-profit sector, Dee Dee was raced with meeting the demand of numerous charities needing her help in event fundraising. Many clients had doubled their event fundraising – others saw paydays up to 600% over goal with her unique system and demand was growing. She founded Benevent – Six-Figure Fundraising.
Her mission: To teach non-profit leaders how to raise maximum dollars per minute at events while engaging long term donor partnerships.
In a few short years, this former for-profit business owner, non-profit founder, executive director, community organizer and major gifts officer had raised millions more using a combination of her strategies and asking skills. She has appeared nationwide in both USA Today and The Business Journal bringing her proven Silicon Valley Business approach to modern fundraising. She is a speaker and instructor for The National Auctioneers Association and has served as a board member and Master Level Instructor for The Association of Fundraising Professionals. Her unique system is changing fundraising in the US and Europe. As six-figure fundraising client Maria Nicolocoudis put it, “After 20 years working with event planners, Dee Dee is everything in one. “

This Webinar is available on-demand—watch it now!

Webinar: From Virtual to Hybrid-Planning into 2021 and Ahead
2020-12-02 11:00 - 12:00
From Virtual to Hybrid-Planning into 2021 and Ahead
SPECIAL GUEST: Samantha Swaim, Swaim Strategies
What has the world of online virtual events taught us, what do we carry into the future and how do we plan for the return of the gala? This webinar will look at some of the key findings from virtual events and help you plan your calendar. Learn how to execute a hybrid event and create a plan for managing the unknown turns ahead.
Live Webinar – Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020
2:00 pm-3:00 pm Eastern / 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!
Your Presenter:
Samantha Swaim, Swaim Strategies
Samantha Swaim has more than 20 years of event planning and fundraising expertise. She founded Swaim Strategies, a fundraising event consultancy, in 2004, working internationally with nonprofit organizations to produce impactful events that move missions forward. Samantha is the co-author of “Planning a Successful Major Donor Event” and the founder of the annual Elevate fundraising event conference. She travels internationally to teach nonprofit professionals the tools they need to elevate their impact through events.

This Webinar is available on-demand—watch it now!

Webinar- Virtual Gala 2.0: Taking Virtual Galas to the Next Level in 2021 with Stellar Fundraising Auctions
2021-01-13 11:00 - 12:00
Virtual Gala 2.0: Taking Virtual Galas to the Next Level in 2021
SPECIAL GUEST: Greg Quiroga, Stellar Fundraising Auctions
Learn best practices for conducting a virtual gala in 2021. Whether you did a virtual gala this past year or will be conducting your first virtual gala in 2021, come learn proven techniques for creating a virtual event that will engage and entertain your crowd.
We saw the rise of the virtual gala as the primary means of conducting fundraising auctions and fund-a-needs in 2020, and spent the last year inventing, developing and fine-tuning best practices. Learn when you should open your live auction for bidding, how long you should leave open your fund-a-need, where you should place your fund-a-need, how much of your event needs to be live and more.
Live Webinar – Wednesday, January 13th, 2021
2:00 pm-3:00 pm Eastern / 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!
Your Presenter:
Greg Quiroga, Stellar Fundraising Auctions
Greg Quiroga is the San Francisco Bay Area’s premier fundraising auctioneer and has been conducting fundraising auctions for non-profit organizations across the United States since 2004. In a normal year, he works with over 50 non-profits, schools, foundations, arts organizations, and charities to help raise over $15 million.
With the outbreak of Covid-19 and the advent of social distancing protocols that shut down in-person event fundraising, Greg shifted his focus to virtual fundraising opportunities. He quickly became one of the thought leaders in the virtual event space. His bi-weekly “How to Implement a Virtual Gala” webinar series consistently attracted 100 attendees in real-time and continues to be his most popular videos online.
Greg has conducted over 30 virtual galas since March of 2020 and helped non-profits raise over $6,750,000 online. His virtual events have run the gamut from low-fi self-produced webinars to high-end, in-studio productions and have included donors from San Francisco, Texas, New York, London, Beirut, and Hong Kong.
The founder of Stellar Fundraising Auctions (www.StellarSF.com), Greg, and his wife live in San Francisco with their teenage son.

This Webinar is available on-demand—watch it now!

Webinar: Fundraising as it Evolves - What’s Next and Beyond
2021-02-24 09:00 - 12:00
Here’s a webinar we are having with Raising Paddles that provides a forward-thinking approach to diversify your fundraising efforts in any space.
This webinar will highlight new and unique special event strategies, a “What’s Next?” perspective to help you differentiate. Having navigated the challenges of 2020, we have assembled a line-up of visionary presenters to share new capabilities that will grow your organization’s reach and impact. Prepare yourself for a holistic view of fundraising that captures new best practices of event planning, donor cultivation, audience centric programs, stewardship and cause-based selling of your mission.
3 Interactive Energizing Sessions:

The “Ins & Outs” of Fundraising as it evolves – how to plan your events, how to increase attendance & motivate greater giving, how to build a program your audience will enjoy.
Caused Based Selling – Cultivating potential & existing donors, stewardship, mission focused strategic planning, board & volunteer led fundraising.
Using Up-to-Date Technology and latest Solutions as a Competitive Advantage – What’s Next on the Horizon, and what can I do to stand out to target audiences?

Peer professional fundraisers will share their experience in each of these areas. Tune into their stories of failure and success as they give their perspective of their fears and their witness to change and growth. You will hear from and interact with subject matter experts who will share insight to new and unique fundraising strategies. Q&A panel discussions will be offered at the end of each session.
Once you register, we will send you a pre-event survey which will give you influence over content we deliver the day of, so that it will cater to your specific needs and interests.
Cost: $30 per attendee, $60 per organization up to 3 team members
Registration provides access to advanced materials, discounts on future services, chances to win several prizes including trips and experiences & gift cards. Also included is a $15 Uber Eats gift card for lunch for each registered attendee.
Wednesday, February 24th, 2021
10:00 AM-1:00 PM Central (11am EST, 9am PST, 10am MST)

Webinar: The Why of Giving with Raising Paddles
2021-03-10 11:00 - 12:00
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The Why of Giving
SPECIAL GUEST: Dan Campbell of Raising Paddles
This session will break down the why in giving….why give anything, why give now, and why give to YOUR organization. Once you understand these principles, you can be more effective in donor development.
Learn strategies to analyze giving from your donors, with a simple 1 or 2 sentence vision of why donors will give to your organization at this time.
Live Webinar – Wednesday, March 10th, 2021
2:00 pm-3:00 pm Eastern / 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!
Your Presenter:
Dan Campbell, Raising Paddles
Dan Campbell is the President and Founder of Raising Paddles, a fundraising auctioneer and consulting firm that has a national reach. Serving hundreds of clients mostly in the Midwest, Raising Paddles auctioneers have helped raise over $120 million at their client’s fundraising galas. Raising Paddles also hosts educational workshops all over the country, some of which are now virtual events to accommodate more NPOs. Most recently, Raising Paddles has become the preeminent go-to auction team for virtual and hybrid events, serving clients all over the US. Raising Paddles recently added CFRE certification to provide their NPO clients with strategic consulting beyond events and to perform a partnership with NPOs who are striving to not only survive but thrive in this economy. Dan comes from a family of auctioneers, and is a graduate of the Missouri Auction School, and is also one of only 300 Benefit Auction Specialists in the world. Dan has been married for 30 years and has a son with special needs, is a cancer survivor, and enjoys golf in his spare time.

Webinar-Virtual Fundraising Hosting, Technology and Streaming, - A Live Panel and Q&A
2021-04-14 11:00 - 12:00
Virtual Fundraising Hosting, Technology, and Streaming, – A Live Panel and Q&A
SPECIAL GUESTS: Stephen Kilbreath, Kilbreath Auctions, Pavel Verbovski, PNTA/SeattleLives, and Siri Lippy, Greater Giving
You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers! We’re partnering up with live streaming and virtual fundraising event gurus Stephen Kilbreath of Kilbreath Auction Services, Pavel Verbovski of PNTA/SeattleLives and Siri Lippy of Greater Giving to discuss the biggest trends, pitfalls to avoid, and ways to make your organization’s virtual fundraising event a success in 2021.
Leave your desk with new ideas to make your virtual event stand out in the crowd and get your top questions answered all in less than an hour! Register to join us today.
Live Webinar – Wednesday, April 14th, 2021
2:00 pm-3:00 pm Eastern / 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!
Have a question ready for our panel? Email it to marketing@greatergiving.com and we will do our best to answer it live!
Your Presenters:
Stephen Kilbreath, Kilbreath Auctions
Stephen has been a fundraising auctioneer since the early 90s, calling hundreds of auctions and raising millions of dollars. Stephen’s sincerity, authenticity and a terrific understanding of benefit auctions make him stand out. His style is entertaining and conversational-making it an enjoyable and memorable evening for your guests. Stephen excels at connecting and reading his audiences, all resulting in generating the most revenue possible for his auction clients.
He has taught classes, and has mentored auctioneers across the country and has earned the rare Benefit Auction Specialist designation through the National Auctioneers Association. Less than 1% of auctioneers nationally have achieved that designation!
Not only is Stephen a top benefit auctioneer in the Northwest-his name may be familiar because of his long broadcasting career. He was on the morning radio for more than 20 years. Currently, he can be seen on KING-5 television.
Stephen lives in Snoqualmie, WA where he enjoys his two boys Ben (13), and Jack (9).

Siri Lippy, Greater Giving
Siri has provided event services for more than 800 client events and has consulted on fundraising best practices with thousands of nonprofits. She trains new Greater Giving event staff in best practices for running both automated and manual benefit auctions, and is passionate about helping organizations run smooth, sensational, profitable events.

Pavel Verbovski, SeattleLives
With over a decade in the fundraising space, Pavel has worked with a variety of non-profits helping them execute their visions and present well to audiences and stakeholders. Pavel and the SeattleLives team have helped guide over 40 nonprofits through the pandemic consistently meeting goals or exceeding board expectations.

This Webinar is available on-demand—watch it now!

Webinar-Redefining the Future of Fundraising Events with Raise Agent
2021-05-12 11:00 - 12:00
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Redefining the Future of Fundraising Events with Raise Agent
SPECIAL GUEST: Lauren Dully Clark, Raise Agent
As we plan for hybrid events and a return to in-person events, this session will share innovative fundraising solutions to blend strategies that create seamless giving experiences.
Live Webinar – Wednesday, May 12th, 2021
2:00 pm-3:00 pm Eastern / 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
*Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!
Your Presenter:
Lauren Dully Clark, Raise Agent
Lauren is passionately engaged with nonprofits to produce fundraising events that
weave creativity and storytelling. She launched Raise Agent to support, guide, and
celebrate nonprofit fundraising. For over 25 years, she has helped hundreds of
organizations become more mission-capable raising millions of dollars for essential
programs. As an innovator and strategist, she has helped organizations from all over
the country pivot to virtual events and is diving into the exciting evolution of hybrid
events.

Fusion Fundraising Webinar - A Hybrid Event Variations Best Practice Experience
2021-06-02 10:00 - 11:00
We’re thrilled to again partner with our friends at Marquam Auction Agency for another innovative Hybrid Fusion Fundraising event webinar. This webinar will showcase hybrid event variations, best practices, and a LIVE FAUX-auction event demonstrating it all including Greater Giving’s Mobile Bidding software.
REGISTER, ATTEND and BID to be entered to win unique travel experiences to Vegas, Cabo, Bali, and Mexico – compliments of generous consignment partners: AuctionPackages, Sojourn Ventures, Charity Booster, Go Charity, and HGA Fundraising!
Misty Marquam, Founder, and Principal will be joined by some of the nation’s leading fundraising experts & Benefit Auctioneer Specialists:

Amanda Valley, BAS – Marquam Auction Agency
Annie M Luthro, BAS – Marquam Auction Agency
Christine DeCastro, BAS – Marquam Auction Agency
Dan Newman, BAS – Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals
Eva Ponce, BAS – Marquam Auction Agency
Misty Marquam, BAS – Marquam Auction Agency
Naomi Lewis, BAS – Naomi T Lewis Auctions
Nelson Jay, BAS – Gavelo Auctions
Scott Robertson, BAS – Scott Robertson Auctioneers
TiWanna Kenney, BAS – Astounding Auctions
Zan Aufderheide, BAS – Zan Auctions

This engaging and info-packed event will address the future of fundraising events:
– Is a Hybrid Fusion Fundraiser in your future? If so, what format/variation?
– In-depth discussions on Fusion event variations and format differences
– Hybrid Fusion Event Variation Demonstrations
+Much More – including a live Q&A session answering all your burning questions!

To be considered for prizes and vacation drawings, you must:

REGISTER for the webinar
ATTEND the webinar event LIVE
BID during the faux-tion (mock event)

*You will automatically be registered for a ‘faux’ mobile bidding account and a link to bid will be sent to you via email.
*No actual money will be exchanged. All mobile bidding is done in a test environment

When? June 2nd at 1 pm EST/10 am PST
REGISTER even if you can’t make it. We’ll send you the recording!

Webinar - Fundraising Events Post COVID with Swaim Strategies
2021-06-09 09:30 - 10:30
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Fundraising Events Post COVID with Swaim Strategies
SPECIAL GUEST: Samantha Swaim, Swaim Strategies
We have been living in a state of deprivation through a pandemic and as people gather again there is a deeper need for authentic connection than ever before. In this session, we’ll ask the question… what if every time you gathered people, they were immersed in your mission? Learn to design fundraising events for a post COVID era, meeting donors’ needs and engaging them deeper in purpose.
Live Webinar – Wednesday, June 9th, 2021
12:30 pm-1:30 pm Eastern / 9:30 am – 10:30 am Pacific
*One LIVE attendee will win a full admission to the Elevate Conference on June 14th & 15th, a $68 value!
Can’t attend live? Register anyway and receive the recording after the webinar!
Your Presenter:
Samantha Swaim, Swaim Strategies
Samantha Swaim has more than 20 years of event planning and fundraising expertise. She founded Swaim Strategies, a fundraising event consultancy, in 2004, working internationally with nonprofit organizations to produce impactful events that move missions forward. Samantha is the co-author of “Planning a Successful Major Donor Event” and the founder of the annual Elevate fundraising event conference. She travels internationally to teach nonprofit professionals the tools they need to elevate their impact through events.
