Greater Giving Blog

Winspire Conference - The Future of FUNDRAISING is Now
2021-10-14 09:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
October 14th “The Future of Fundraising is Now” Winspire’s Virtual Conference will feature some of the best-known movers and shakers in the nonprofit world.
Mr. Dan Pallotta will be our keynote speaker and other notable names such as Jarrett Ransom, Danielle Snelson, Robin Thompson, and more.
With education at the top of mind, with impactful sessions supporting and nurturing our nonprofit leader’s professional and personal growth while navigating a post-pandemic fundraising environment from donor cultivations, finding your inner rock star, building a solid media voice, and moving your mission into the future.
Interested in joining us, Thursday, October 14th from 9:00 AM-4:00 PM Pacific? Register today and use the code “GREATERGIVING” for $25 off a VIP ticket!
You don’t want to miss this stellar lineup and fully LIVE virtual conference!

Webinar - Navigating the Hybrid Fundraising Event with Tolo Events
2021-09-15 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
﻿﻿
Navigating the Hybrid Fundraising Event with Tolo Events
SPECIAL GUEST: Shelly Tolo, Tolo Events
As we move from virtual to hybrid fundraising events, what might our options be? Explore various scenarios of maintaining the best of virtual while re-introducing the in-person experience.
Listeners will learn various options for how a hybrid event can be formatted to be engaging for both the in-person and virtual guest. This is unchartered territory, so there is a lot to consider.
Live Webinar – Wednesday, September 15th, 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:
Shelly Tolo, Tolo Events
Shelly Tolo launched Tolo Events in 2002 after a 12-year career as a development officer and event planner for nonprofit organizations. Her business mission is to maximize events through strategic planning and creating fabulous atmospheres and programs. She holds a master’s degree in Public Management from Carnegie Mellon University with a concentration in nonprofit organizations. In addition to her business savvy, Shelly has a keen eye for design and is recognized as a leading event designer in the industry. When asked what she hopes a potential client would say about her after an interview, Shelly responded, “more than anything I would hope they’d say she’s really nice – we want to work with her!”. Did you know Shelly was a synchronized swimmer in high school, considers herself an Olympics junkie and loves to binge-watch Naked and Afraid?
﻿

Rocky Mountain Philanthropy Institute
2021-09-09 - 2021-09-10
Premiere Colorado Conference for Fundraisers
Attend Rocky Mountain Philanthropy Institute (RMPI), the annual conference hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Colorado Chapter on September 9-10. Themed “Purpose and Possibility”, RMPI 2021 will provide nonprofit professionals the opportunity to brush up on fundraising skills, network, and set intentions for a post-pandemic era where a world of possibility lies ahead.
RMPI 2021 will kick off with an action-packed afternoon on Thursday, September 9th, leading up to the main events on Friday, September 10th. In addition to a selection of engaging and informative plenary sessions, you’ll have the opportunity to join us for an enlightening fireside chat and Q&A with keynote speaker, Edgar Villanueva, the globally recognized racial justice activist, philanthropist, and author of “Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance.”
Building upon the success of last year’s virtual conference, RMPI 2021 will be brought to you again wherever you access the internet, with opportunities for in-person connection through optional conference pods and networking happy hours based on your own comfort level and location. Wherever you attend, RMPI 2021 promises to be immersive, inspiring, and collaborative.
To learn more about how attending RMPI can help you make even greater change in your community visit http://bit.ly/RMPI2021.

Thought Leadership Virtual Summit 2021
2021-08-10 - 2021-08-12
A virtual conference to connect trailblazing fundraisers!
Join us for the 2021 Thought Leadership Virtual Summit presented by Artisan Auctions on August 10th, 11th, and 12th. Each day will have three hours of live-streamed content along with opportunities for networking and roundtable discussions.
Based on the success of our virtual conference in 2020, we will be hosting the summit in a completely virtual format once again in 2021. Since 2014, this event has been a prime time for nonprofit organizations to hone their skills for in-person and virtual fundraising events.
The conference is open to all nonprofit professionals looking to learn more about fundraising trends, deepen their understanding of the industry, share their knowledge and provide feedback.
VIP Attendee $99
*Only 50 spots available!
Standard Admission $29
Learn more and register today!

Further Your Fundraising Virtual Workshop - Hosted by Raising Paddles
2021-08-05
Welcome to Further Your Fundraising Virtual Workshop!
August 5, 2021 10 a.m. CST

Hi, we’re Raising Paddles, Fundraising Auctioneers, and Consultants. Our experienced team of professionals supports over 100 nonprofits a year across the country to achieve fundraising goals and create memorable donor experiences. In the past twelve months, we have helped nonprofits navigate virtual fundraising events resulting in amazing success. Going forward many fundraising events are returning to an in-person model and much has changed in the culture of philanthropy. Through this virtual workshop, our team of experts will present best practices and strategies to help you capitalize on emerging trends. This will be an interactive workshop with ample opportunity to ask questions and learn from others as well as network. Attendees will have a chance to win prizes to be used as revenue generators at your nonprofit’s next event.
What to Expect
Two experience options, one virtual workshop.
Professional’s Experience – $49 per attendee

Session 1 – Back to Live
Session 2 – Audience Development
Session 3- Event Planning
Vendor Introductions
Q&A/Panel Discussion
Entry in attendance raffles

VIP Experience (space is limited to 24) $99.00 per attendee.
Created for Development Directors and Executive Directors
Choose your 3 sessions

Grant Writing
Donor Stewardship
Board Evaluation & Engagement
Back to Live
Audience Development
Event Planning
Vendor Introductions
Q&A/Panel Discussion
Entry in attendance raffles

Elevate: A Conference for Fundraising Events
2021-06-14 - 2021-06-15
We work every day to provide solutions to help nonprofits meet event fundraising goals. Built on a foundation of trust and through leadership, Greater Giving’s extensive community partnerships are here to provide even more resources to help elevate fundraising event needs. That’s why this year we are partnering with Elevate: A Conference for Fundraising Events at Swaim Strategies to demo our latest text-to-donate tool and showcase what’s possible for the future of fundraising events.
We hope you’ll join us virtually Monday and Tuesday, June 14–15, for Elevate 2021—to get a deep dive into the world of fundraising events. Elevate 2021 will be packed with tips, tricks and tools you’ll need to effectively navigate the future of events. We will hear from keynote speakers Priya Parker and Shari Dunn about the transformation of the nonprofit landscape and focus on what we learned from gathering in a pandemic to reimagine the future of fundraising events.
We believe in connecting communities, and this is one of the many ways we follow through with this commitment.
To register and learn more about our partnership, visit elevatenonprofit.com

Elevate: A Conference for Fundraising Events – add to your calendar!
June 14 Pre-Conference, 11AM–12:30PM (PT)
June 15 Conference, 9AM–3PM (PT)
Pricing*: $68 General Admission
elevatenonprofit.com
Live captions in English will be provided, with translation to Spanish through live captions. ASL interpretation or translation into any other language beyond English/Spanish is available upon request. Please indicate requests during registration and Swaim Strategies will email you directly to confirm.
*Swaim Strategies has teamed up with corporate partners to remove cost barriers to participation and will be offering FREE participation to all culturally specific organizations serving Black, Indigenous and Communities of Color with BIPOC leadership.

Webinar - Fundraising Events Post COVID with Swaim Strategies
2021-06-09 09:30 - 10:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
﻿
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.

Fusion Fundraising Webinar - A Hybrid Event Variations Best Practice Experience
2021-06-02 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
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-Redefining the Future of Fundraising Events with Raise Agent
2021-05-12 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
﻿
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.

Webinar-Virtual Fundraising Hosting, Technology and Streaming, - A Live Panel and Q&A
2021-04-14 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
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: The Why of Giving with Raising Paddles
2021-03-10 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
﻿
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: Fundraising as it Evolves - What’s Next and Beyond
2021-02-24 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
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- Virtual Gala 2.0: Taking Virtual Galas to the Next Level in 2021 with Stellar Fundraising Auctions
2021-01-13 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
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: From Virtual to Hybrid-Planning into 2021 and Ahead
2020-12-02 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
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!

#GivingTuesday and Year-End Giving
2020-12-01
Submit your GivingTuesday or Year-End Giving donation page that is built using Greater Giving Online Payments and our team will share it on our social media channels. Just tag @GreaterGiving and use the #GivingTuesday or #YearEndGiving hashtags! You can also submit your page through this form for our team to share out.
Option 1: #GivingTuesday – Use our pre-built #GivingTuesday template or create your own within Greater Giving.
Option 2: Year-End Giving Campaign – Use our pre-built Year-End giving themed campaign template or create your own within Greater Giving.
Help us, help you promote your donation page!
This year has been harder than normal for our nonprofit clients across the country. Greater Giving is here to help you promote your #GivingTuesday or Year-End donation page.
For more information visit our Giving Tuesday page.

Webinar-Raise Six Figures with The Fearless and Joyful ASK
2020-10-14 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
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- Event 180°: Renovate your event with these 7 trend-worthy ideas
2020-09-16 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
﻿
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.

﻿

Rocky Mountain Philanthropy Institute-Virtual Conference
2020-09-11
The first-ever virtual Rocky Mountain Philanthropy Institute (RMPI) takes place on September 11th. Thanks to sponsors In the Know – Fundraising Strategy Coaching and the Animal Assistance Foundation, RMPI scholarships make this premier conference available to fundraisers with all levels of experience, across the entire state, and from every sector and background.

RMPI is the best way to get the professional toolkit you need to be a change-maker in today’s world.

Greater Giving is once again proud to be the Online Bidding Sponsor for the auction event and will be exhibiting in the virtual tradeshow. Stop by and you’ll be entered in a drawing for our Revenue Enhancer book and possibly win $250 donation for your organization!

Thought Leadership Virtual Summit
2020-08-25 - 2020-08-27 | OR, United States
Thought Leadership Summit 2020
Presented by Artisan Auctions

We’re going virtual!
Connecting remarkable fundraisers to collaborate, learn, and become inspired.
August 25th-27th, 2020
The Thought Leadership Summit is three packed days of networking, discussions, and powerful training. Since 2014, this event has been a prime opportunity for our clients to deepen their relationship with Greater Giving and for our team members to create powerful connections with trailblazers in nonprofit fundraising.
The event is open to all current Greater Giving clients looking to learn more about fundraising trends, advance their skills, share their knowledge and provide feedback.
Interested? Watch this 2-minute video to learn more…

Reasons to Attend
Make connections with like-minded professionals
A small, intimate setting with key Greater Giving stakeholders
Engaging roundtable discussions on the future direction of fundraising
In-depth discussions on how Greater Giving can better meet your needs

Elevate: A Conference for Fundraising Events
2020-08-12
Greater Giving is excited to sponsor this conference! Join us in August.
Elevate 2020 is going virtual! COVID-19 has made it necessary to reimagine what event fundraising looks like, so we’ve planned a full day of digital content to answer your questions and give you the tools you need to effectively move forward. Our goal is to address what to do about fall 2020 and spring 2021 fundraising events. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a virtual fundraising event to experience the format for themselves.
Conference content will be offered via the Whova virtual event app where there will be a library of recorded content and a schedule of interactive panels, discussions and demo events to participate in on August 12. We are offering a single registration price for everyone on your team so that you can #keepfundraising.
Additionally, we anticipate that fundraising events in 2021 will be a hybrid of both small, in-person gatherings and digital virtual content. So, we’re excited to offer a discounted package rate to participate in Elevate 2020 virtually and Elevate 2021 either in-person or virtually, as we will be offering a hybrid Elevate conference in 2021 on June 14-15 in Portland, OR and online.

Virtual 71st International Auctioneers Conference & Show
2020-07-14 - 2020-07-16
The National Auctioneers Association is celebrating 71 years of auction excellence at their Virtual 71st International Auctioneers Conference and Show, July 14-16, 2020. The COVID-19 crisis has made hosting an in-person event implausible. With regulations in California unknown at this time and your health and safety of utmost importance to us, the NAA Board of Directors made the decision to go virtual in order to deliver the most value to Conference & Show attendees.
Greater Giving is exhibiting at the event and will be offering a virtual session from 12:00 – 1:00 pm CDT each day via zoom. Check your conference program for the link.
July 14 – Brian Lehman of The AV Department will be speaking on “Virtual Fundraising: Instilling Confidence in the End User” and answering your technical questions.
July 15 – Kelly Russell, Artisan Auctions, and Samantha Swaim of Swaim Strategies will present on “Get the Data for Virtual and Online Fundraising Events”. They will hang out after for questions as well.
July 16 – Greater Giving is proud to be the service sponsor for the mobile portion of the National Auctioneers Foundation meeting. Drop-in and be sure we have your cell phone for the Pass It Forward portion of the meeting.
Register for the Conference at https://auctioneers.org/CS2020/Registration/register-for-conference/CS2020/Registration/register-for-conference.aspx?hkey=[REDACTED]

Raising Paddles Virtual Conference
2020-06-23 10:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | NM, United States
Register today to join us for a day of learning at your desk!

Come join us for an exciting day as we provide informative sessions on all things gala both live and virtual. Our goal is to provide an entertaining event that will give you access to subject matter from experts on aspects of live/virtual gala planning. Our focus will be on a full guest experience, so you can enjoy the day as an attendee, including a virtual photo booth, new fundraising mechanisms, entertainment, and a full guest experience from check-in to check-out. Over $20,000 in valued giveaways will be up for grabs to our attendees. Three professional auctioneers will be leading the sessions, each with over 20 years of experience in the fundraising space. This workshop will cover all aspects of fundraising for your live/virtual gala or fundraiser, from the planning phase to the execution of a successful event.
We will have lunch ($15 Uber Eats Gift Card), Live Entertainment, and Prizes!
Tuesday, June 23rd
10:00 AM-3:00 PM Central
9:00 AM-2:00 PM Mountain
8:00 AM-1:00 PM Pacific
$35 Per Person
Register today!

Webinar-Benefit Auctions in 2020. The Return to Normal or the NEW Normal? with Auction Brio, LLC
2020-06-10 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
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.

Get the Data for Virtual Events + Online Auctions
2020-05-20 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
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: 5 Steps to a "Guest Experience on Steroids" with Shannon Mays
2020-05-13 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
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.

Webinar: Embracing the Moment – A practical guide for executing a virtual fundraising auction
2020-04-08 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
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.

Super Fundraising Auction Seminar - Fayetteville, NC
2020-03-18 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Volta Space, 114 Otis F. Jones Parkway, Fayetteville, NC, 28301, United States
Super Fundraising Auction Seminar
Reaching Your Goals with Seven Super Revenue Streams
Wednesday, March 18, 2020 – Fayetteville, NC

Presented by Parker Benefit Auctions

Location:
Volta Space
114 Otis F. Jones Parkway
Fayetteville, NC 28301

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Taught by World Class Benefit Auction Specialists and Fundraising Consultants:
Michael and Carol Parker of Parker Benefit Auctions

During the seminar…

Learn the secret techniques professional event fundraisers use to meet your fundraising goals
Learn a new strategic way to plan your fundraiser
Learn how to set Fundraising goals
Learn how to use the 7 Super Revenue Streams to meet your goals

Early Bird Price through March 14th! $29.95114 Otis F. Jnorth
Regular Price $49.95

Register Now!

Super Fundraising Auction Seminar - Charlotte, NC
2020-03-04 11:30 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Hygge CoWorking at Camp North End, 330 Camp Road, Charlotte, NC, 28206, United States
Super Fundraising Auction Seminar
Reaching Your Goals with Seven Super Revenue Streams
Wednesday, March 4, 2020 – Charlotte, NC

Presented by Parker Benefit Auctions & Star Insurance Group

Location:
Hygge CoWorking at Camp North End
330 Camp Road
Charlotte, NC 28206

11:30 AM – 1:30 PM

Taught by World Class Benefit Auction Specialists and Fundraising Consultants:
Michael and Carol Parker of Parker Benefit Auctions

During the seminar…

Learn the secret techniques professional event fundraisers use to meet your fundraising goals
Learn a new strategic way to plan your fundraiser
Learn how to set Fundraising goals
Learn how to use the 7 Super Revenue Streams to meet your goals

Early Bird Price through February 28! $29.95
Regular Price $49.95

Register Now!

Raising Paddles 2020 - Chicago, IL
2020-02-20 09:00 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Maggiano’s Streets of Woodfield, 1901 Woodfield Road, Schaumburg, IL, 60173, United States
Register today to join us for a day of learning in Chicago!

Come join us for an exciting day as we provide informative sessions on all things gala. Our goal is to provide an entertaining event that will give you access to subject matter experts on aspects of gala planning. Our focus will be on full guest experience, so you can enjoy the day as an attendee, including a mock auction, entertainment, and full guest experience from check-in to check-out. Three professional auctioneers will be leading the sessions, each with over 20 years of experience in the fundraising space. This workshop will cover all aspects of fundraising for your gala or fundraiser, from the planning phase to the execution of a successful event.

Thursday, February 20th
9:00 AM-3:00 PM

Maggiano’s
Streets of Woodfield
1901 Woodfield Road
Schaumburg, IL 60173

$50 Per Person

Included in your admission: Seminar, lunch, entertainment, chance to win over $20k in prizes for your next event, meet & greet with event sponsors.
Featured Topics: Event Planning, Audience Development, Board Engagement, Revenue Enhancement, and Donor Stewardship

Register today!

Raising Paddles 2020 - St. Louis, MO
2020-02-19 09:00 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Maggiano’s, 2 The Blvd, Richmond Heights, MO, 63117, United States
Register today to join us for a day of learning in St. Louis!

Come join us for an exciting day as we provide informative sessions on all things gala. Our goal is to provide an entertaining event that will give you access to subject matter experts on aspects of gala planning. Our focus will be on full guest experience, so you can enjoy the day as an attendee, including a mock auction, entertainment, and full guest experience from check-in to check-out. Three professional auctioneers will be leading the sessions, each with over 20 years of experience in the fundraising space. This workshop will cover all aspects of fundraising for your gala or fundraiser, from the planning phase to the execution of a successful event.

Wednesday, February 19, 2020
9:00 AM-3:00 PM

Maggiano’s
2 The Blvd
Richmond Heights, MO 63117

$50 Per Person

Included in your admission: Seminar, lunch, entertainment, chance to win over $20k in prizes for your next event, meet & greet with event sponsors.
Featured Topics: Event Planning, Audience Development, Board Engagement, Revenue Enhancement, and Donor Stewardship

Register today!
