The Challenge:
Envision Children’s Annual Red Carpet Casino Night held on October 19, 2018 is a fundraising event benefiting under-served children in the Greater Cincinnati Area. This year, Envision Children’s Executive Director Matt Hughes focused on fewer auction items, but with higher-level giving return. A knowledgeable and experienced non-profit developer, Matt understood that one higher priced auction item could take the place of ten small auction items and offering the right item at the right price point could generate thousands more for a non-profit with a lot less coordination and logistics. However, Matt knew he needed to help his board see the value in consignment auction items and select the right items that would appeal to donors, and potentially sell multiple times.
The Solution:
A current partner of Giveback Sports, Envision Children had seen success with a Giveback Sports’ Italy package at its April fundraiser earlier in the year. As Matt was preparing for the Casino Night’s auction, he recalled the interest he saw from donors for that particular experience. Understanding Giveback Sports’ flexibility in adding its experiences to events the day of and the ability to sell multiple times, Matt decided to add the Italy package at the last minute by simply printing the display used in the spring and placing it on a bid table. During the event that night, Matt became aware of a momentum picking up around the Italy experience, as several donors attempted to outbid one another for the package. Matt was able to take advantage of this positive situation and sell the trip FOUR times at the highest price point.
The Results:
The addition of the Italy experience package the day of the event allowed Envision Children to raise a third of its total revenue at the Casino Night, excluding sponsorship and ticket sales. Envision Children’s knowledge of its donor base, as well as Giveback Sports’ risk-free guarantee and capacity to sell items multiple times proved to be extremely beneficial and contributed to the success of the fundraiser. The Italy package was proof to the board that although there is an associated cost if an item sells, the profit outweighed the price and generated higher return than donated items.
“Prior to our event, we discussed using consignment items to raise money. The Board ultimately decided to add these type of items to our auction because they would help raise more money and help move our mission forward. The Giveback Sports’ experiences allowed us to provide seven additional students with educational tutoring services for an entire year. Seven lives will be changed dramatically because of these funds.” – Matt Hughes, Executive Director