Auction Power Guide

My idea might be WAY out there… But the thing is, a few years ago, I was extremely hard up for money, renting a room from someone who could care less about me or my kids, being a single parent is HARD. I needed a refrigerator to keep in my room, and couldn’t afford to buy one. I posted a random ad online, and a lady actually responded, found one for sale, and bought me the $65 dollar fridge. Ever since then I have been a member of wish upon a hero, and I do what I can when I can, but being a single parent still, I can’t do it as much as I would like. I would love to raise money to give to people in need more often. I was browsing Ebay and came across a few celebrity things. I had this crazy idea to try and Email certain people asking if they had anything to donate that could be sold on Ebay for a profit to donate clothing and food to people in need. Obviously I’m not a business, and people would just think "Yeah right, your REALLY gonna donate the money" So I’m wondering if there is any way to make this official. I really only want to give back what I received in the past. Money comes and goes like that.. But there is nothing like giving a child a pair of comfortable shoes, or a jacket, and giving the mother the feeling that there is a little hope.

You first need a business plan, in writing:
* What services will this nonprofit provide?
* What statistics and testimonials do you have that prove this organization is needed?
* Will the organization charge for these services? If so, how much?
* What will these services achieve? How will you prove those achievements?
* How much will providing these services costs — rental space, computer, registration as a nonprofit with the federal and state, paying staff or consultants, equipment, etc.?
* How will the organization account for donations, income earned and expenses?
* What will be done to protect your clients, volunteers, staff members and others from exploitation of any kind?
* What will you do to ensure your organization is free from corruption and mismanagement, beyond just promises and assurances?

After you have written this business plan, you recruit a board of directors — people over 18 who are willing to be fiscally and legally responsible for your organization, willing to provide some of the start up costs (even a token amount), and willing to put their reputations on the line to say this organization should exist. Then you file your official paperwork with the correct government body. Also, open a bank account in the name of your nonprofit business.

If it all sounds like too much, then why not find an existing organization that assists people in need and volunteer for them?

I’m going to a car auction tomorrow morning and have no idea what to expect. My nanny needs a car and has about $2000 in cash to spend.

Depending on the auction, you may or may not have a chance to hear the car run. ou want to get there early, and be sure that you understand all the terms and conditions of the sale. There may be a buyers fee (a percentage of the selling price that is added to the final bid price) so be sure you allow for that. Most auction sales are final, there is no changing your mind for whatever reason, and the cars are sold "as is" "where is" "how is" and any other "is" you can think of.

Understand that most vehicles being sold at auction are there for a reason. They may be cars that were donated to charity, or they may be cars that dealers do not want to sell on their retail lots.

Bring someone knowledgeable about cars, to look for signs of major problems, but figure that you will need to spend some money for repairs to make the vehicle road worthy.

I am trying to plan a silent auction fundraiser… but my mom says that I’m not being realistic and that it takes like a mountain of people to pull that off. The fundraiser is for the Make-a-Wish Foundation

I don’t know that it requires a "mountain" of people…but certainly, you’ll want help. Having done this myself in the past, I’d suggest a committee with the following positions:

Advertising: Need someone to get the info (date, time, charity, etc.) into the places where people will see it. You’ll want to have this in your school newspaper, PTA newsletter, local newspaper, and chamber of commerce calendar (and get it published as many times as you can in each publication).

Donations: Someone to go around to folks in the community to get the things to be auctioned. This is a tough job, because it involves begging, and a lot of people have trouble with this. It also takes a lot of follow-up, as a common response to the initial inquiry is, "Let me look into it and get back to you." Your school and/or PTA will probably have lists of local companies who have been generous in the past…this is probably a good place to start. But in theory, every local organization should be contacted. Retail stores are good, as are corporations – many times the corporations will have established social services funds, which means they can give you a cash donation. You’ll want to go to them with a plan of how you’d spend their money…often, it can work for them to subsidize the dinner/lunch/appetizers you’re serving at the event, or even the location fee, if you have one. Additionally, many corporations have the ability to donate things like tickets to a local sporting event or concert.

Treasury: Someone needs to keep track of how much money you’re earning, and how much will have to be paid out.

Forms: Someone needs to prepare the auction forms…It’s pretty simple, but it can take a bit of time. For this, you really only need a space for their name, as well as their bid. It’s also likely that you’ll need "promo sheets" for some items. For example, if you have a pair of concert tickets, you really don’t want to leave them out on the table where they could easily be pocketed. Instead, put together a simple sheet that explains the event (including time and date). If possible, pictures of the artist/item are handy, as is a paragraph telling the bidder why they want the item (gotta use your sales tactics here!!).

Set-up: You may need a couple of people to help set up. It’s good to have these folks see the event location in advance, so they know what to expect once they get there. They’ll need to set out each auction item, along with the auction forms & pencils so that the guests can easily submit their bids.

You & your friends could totally pull this off…Feel free to email me if you need any advice!