Do you know what your organization’s biggest assets are when it comes to your live fundraising event?
At Bliss Auctions, we believe it’s your volunteers!
Volunteers, helpers, the generous folks that give their time to your live event for free- they are indeed some of our biggest assets and harnessing their energy and talents is your chance to honor their gift.
Your volunteers are often the backbones of your events: running tables, informing guests about silent auction items and selling tickets to the games and revenue enhancers built into the night. We don’t want these valuable assets to burn out, and we want them to attract more willing volunteers. By setting your team up for success, your volunteers will have both a fun and productive night.
You can apply the ideas below to both your adult and teen volunteers, depending on your situation. I wouldn’t suggest children under 13, but that can be determined on a case-by-case basis. There are some incredibly persuasive children out there, and you know them when you see them.
First and foremost, keep your volunteers fed and sober. Many times volunteers might be missing the main course, forcing them to gobble up food at a moments notice or taking every opportunity to grab an hors d’oeuvre while on the floor. Neither of these options makes the volunteer feel appreciated, so please set aside some time, and food, for your volunteers. They will appreciate you looking out for them and feel more like they are part of the team.
Before you give your volunteers their roles, you need to have an idea of their personality. Everyone can be useful, you just need to be where they can thrive. The social ones should be sent out into the crowd to sell your tickets and items. They know the guests and have no problem starting up a conversation. Have the shyer volunteers man the stations- they only need to be there and greet the people coming to them, and they’ll have a built-in conversation starter in whatever game they are supervising. Any tech-savvy volunteers can be utilized for check in, if you are using a bidding platform or other digital form of registration. If you play to their strengths, not only will your volunteers thrive, there’s a good chance they will return next year!
There are lots of other ways to deploy your volunteers, from escorting VIPs to recording the donations during the Fund A Need. Let us know if you’d like a comprehensive list!
Your volunteers need to be coached to always wear a smile around guests and to be approachable and engaging. Your team that is going to be approaching people should frame their pitch so that the guest feels like they are helping, not just spending. When it comes to the quick pitch, tell your guest how important their participation is, how fun it is, and most of all, how easy it is. “Hello, I hope you’re having a wonderful evening! We have this great opportunity for you to help us. Buying one of these tickets helps us get to our goal and we can’t do it without you. It’s only $20 to get in, and all I need from you is your bidder number.”
Providing training to your volunteers ahead of time will help them feel prepared and empowered to fulfill their duties. If you’ve made the choice to use a professional benefit auctioneer, this is something they can help you put together, or they may even be able to lead the training sessions for you!
Make sure to express your appreciation for the volunteers’ efforts, both the night of your event and afterwards. By emphasizing how impactful their contribution was, you are increasing the likelihood of their continued involvement in your organization’s mission.
The most important thing to remember is that your volunteers want to help and are doing this because they want to be there. Don’t spoil this gift that they are giving you… volunteers talk and they will let other donors know how they are treated!
