Charity Auctions: Using a Cash Call

Auctions are a great way to raise money for worthy causes. They are also a social event valued by people who enjoy attending them, whether they are directly involved with the cause or charity, or just people from the community who like to go and participate in these events. Whatever the reason, you can achieve a much more successful outcome in your live or silent auction by using a cash call, also called a Special Appeal, Fund-A-Need, Emotional Appeal, Bid for a Cause, or Bid for a Priest.

The Cash Call is part of the evening’s agenda, which is separate from the live or silent auction, but which aims to raise money for the same cause. It is a very common event that attendees often look forward to. The way it works is that someone from the organization doing the fundraising will make a passionate appeal to audience members for direct donations. When done correctly, a cash call can, in fact, generate as much or more money than your live or silent auction.

Most professional auctioneers will be very familiar with Cash Call, which is why they are an excellent resource for keeping energy levels high and for continuing to refer to this special appeal. By doing this, they can solicit more participation from audience members who may be actively bidding on items. If an audience member doesn’t win an item, they can choose to donate the money they would have spent directly on it. Professional auctioneers are extremely adept at engaging audiences and keeping events moving smoothly, and injecting fun, humor, and structure into your auction.

So the next time you’re raising money for a worthy cause, be sure to include a Cash Call in addition to your live and silent auction events, and watch the count rise.