Does your Special Appeal need a little jazzing up? Need a new way to generate excitement for that special project? Try mobile bidding to increase engagement for your cause.
The Special Appeal (aka “fund-a-cause,” “fund-a-need,” “fund-an-item,” “paddle-raise,” or “dedicated pledge”) can be a highlight of your auction or even a stand-alone campaign. The idea is to generate funds for something specific like modernizing a kitchen in a homeless shelter; hiring a Math Specialist for the advanced students in your school; or developing a training program for the unemployed. The great thing is that even if your guests aren’t interested in any of your auction items, they can still participate by donating to the Special Appeal.
Once you’ve planned your Special Appeal, you can increase your chances of raising more by incorporating mobile bidding into the process. Below are several effective ways to utilize mobile bidding for your cause.
Customize Your Donate Button
The mobile bidding app includes a “Donate” button, so guests can donate directly to your cause at any time. You can customize the label of this button to highlight your Special Appeal. Here are some examples:
- “Support our kitchen remodel”
- “Help us bring books to the classroom”
- “Help us hire a math teacher”
- “Donate to our job training program”
Augment Your Paddle Raise
Your auctioneer is no doubt familiar with the process of the Paddle Raise and will engage your guests by calling out the dollar levels at which people can donate. Once that process is done, you can have your auctioneer announce if anyone wants to donate at a different level (higher or lower) to pull out their phones and click on the “Donate” button and enter the amount they wish to donate. This simple call to action could result in thousands of dollars that may have been left sitting on the table.
Encourage Remote Donations
Scheduling events is a challenge and invariably some of your supporters will have a prior commitment that evening. By offering mobile bidding, you can make it possible for all your supporters to donate to your Special Appeal. Customizing the “Donate” button makes it even easier for people to see exactly what they are supporting.
Display Your Results – In Real Time
Put your leaderboards to use during your Special Appeal with a real-time “thermometer” that shows the total funds raised. You’ll generate excitement and help drive up giving levels.
By including mobile bidding in your Special Appeal strategy, you not only make your Special Appeal more visible and more fun for your guests, you can generate more enthusiasm and funds for your cause!
For more tips on engaging your entire audience, check out this webinar.
