Benefit Auction & Fundraising Event FAQs

Yes and No!

YES: If your organization is paying a professional to organize, arrange, or conduct your live auction, that individual should be properly licensed as an auctioneer in the State of Ohio.

NO: Ohio law provides an exception for qualifying 501(c)(3) charitable, religious, and civic organizations, as well as certain schools, when no person in the business of organizing, arranging, or conducting the auction receives compensation from the proceeds of the auction. In other words, a qualifying charitable organization may have an uncompensated individual conduct its fundraising auction under this exception.

A word of caution: Auction laws can be confusing, and it is important for your organization to understand the requirements before hiring someone to conduct your live auction. When considering a paid professional auctioneer, simply ask whether they are currently licensed in Ohio and request their license number.

For the most current requirements or questions about your specific situation, contact the Ohio Department of Agriculture or review Ohio Revised Code Section 4707.02.

Yes! Your organization puts countless hours into planning its fundraising event, and an experienced professional benefit auctioneer can help you make the most of all that hard work. 

A benefit auctioneer brings much more to your event than the ability to call bids. Experience matters when determining the order and timing of your live auction, structuring your Special Appeal (Fund-a-Need), keeping guests engaged, reading the room, maintaining momentum, and knowing when to keep pushing—and when it’s time to say “Sold!”

Just as importantly, take advantage of your auctioneer’s experience before event night. An experienced benefit auctioneer has seen what works, what doesn’t, and the seemingly small decisions that can significantly impact fundraising results and the guest experience. 

Bob Hale has personally conducted more than 1,785 charitable events during his 30-plus-year career. That experience allows him to help organizations anticipate potential problems, make informed decisions, and develop a fundraising program that engages guests while maximizing giving.

Start by looking for an auctioneer with extensive experience working specifically with charitable organizations and fundraising events. Benefit auctions are very different from real estate, estate, automobile, equipment, livestock, and other types of auctions—and each specialty requires its own skills and experience.

A professional benefit auctioneer should bring much more than a great auction chant. Look for someone who understands fundraising strategy, can help structure your live auction and Special Appeal (Fund-a-Need), communicates clearly with your guests, reads the room, keeps the program moving, and knows how to make fundraising both successful and enjoyable.

Just as important, choose someone who understands that your donors and guests matter. Your auctioneer will be representing your organization in front of some of its most important supporters. Ask yourself: Will this person treat our donors, staff, and volunteers with respect? Will our guests understand them? Will they entertain and engage the room without making anyone uncomfortable? Are they someone our team will enjoy working with?

Finally, ask about experience, references, licensing requirements, pre-event consultation, and how involved the auctioneer will be in helping you prepare. The right benefit auctioneer shouldn't simply show up on event night—they should become a trusted part of your fundraising team.

A Special Appeal—also commonly called a Fund-a-Need, Paddle Raise, Call to the Heart, or Mission Moment—is not a traditional live auction where guests compete against one another by advancing bids. Because guests are making charitable contributions rather than bidding to purchase an item, organizations have greater flexibility in choosing who conducts this portion of the program.

But the better question may be: Who should conduct it?

For many organizations, the Special Appeal is one of the most important—and potentially most profitable—fundraising moments of the entire evening. After investing months of work into your event, this is not the time to leave one of your greatest fundraising opportunities to chance.

An experienced benefit auctioneer understands how to structure the giving levels, establish momentum, read the room, recognize donors, allow the appropriate amount of time at each level, and encourage additional participation without making guests feel pressured or uncomfortable.

Your volunteers, board members, and emcee may be wonderful advocates for your organization and its mission. Let them do what they do best: tell your story, share your mission, and inspire your guests. Then allow an experienced fundraising professional to take that emotion and inspiration and guide your audience through the giving process.

A successful Special Appeal isn't simply about asking for donations. It's about creating a moment when your mission, your guests, and the opportunity to make a difference all come together.

A proper sound system can make or break a fundraising event. Your organization can plan an incredible evening, but if your guests can’t clearly hear your emcee, videos, speakers, Special Appeal, or live auction, they can quickly become disengaged—and that can directly affect your fundraising results.

Bob has seen this happen far too many times. Imagine 300 guests enjoying themselves in a ballroom while the organization relies on a single speaker from the jazz trio to convey its message to the entire room. It may sound extreme, but situations like this really happen—and an undersized sound system simply cannot overcome a large room filled with hundreds of people talking, eating, and socializing.

The right sound system should provide clear, even coverage throughout the entire venue. A guest seated in the back corner should be able to hear and understand your program just as clearly as someone seated near the stage. This becomes especially important during your live auction and Special Appeal (Fund-a-Need), when every guest needs to hear, understand, and remain engaged with what is happening.

After more than 30 years in fundraising events—and 26 years working professionally with PA systems—Bob considers proper sound one of the most important investments an organization can make in its event. If your guests can’t hear your message, they can’t respond to it.

As soon as you have a potential event date!

Experienced professional benefit auctioneers are in high demand, and their calendars—especially during the busiest fundraising seasons—can fill quickly. Once your organization has identified a potential date, contact your preferred benefit auctioneer to check availability before finalizing your plans.

Don’t wait until your venue, entertainment, and other details are completely settled. If having the right benefit auctioneer is important to your event, make that call early. The sooner you reach out, the better your chances of securing your preferred auctioneer and your preferred date.

There is no magic number!

You may have heard recommendations that a benefit auction should include no more than five, six, or seven live auction items. After more than 30 years of conducting charitable auctions, Bob takes a very different approach.

Every fundraising event is different, and the right number of live auction items should be determined by your event—not by an arbitrary industry rule. Your audience, Run of Show, fundraising goals, auction items, and overall event strategy all need to be considered.

This is one of those questions where experience really matters. Before eliminating great live auction items simply because someone told you that you have “too many,” talk with Bob. He'll help you determine what makes sense for your particular event—and the answer may surprise you.

There is no one-size-fits-all formula for a successful Special Appeal (Fund-a-Need).

When Bob dedicated his career exclusively to charitable events in 1996, Special Appeals were rarely part of fundraising galas. As they became more common, the strategies and approaches used to conduct them continued to evolve. Today, the Special Appeal—also known as a Fund-a-Need, Paddle Raise, Call to the Heart, or Mission Moment—can be one of the most important fundraising opportunities of the evening.

But not every organization should structure its Special Appeal the same way. In fact, not every fundraising event should necessarily have one.

The right approach depends on your organization, mission, audience, giving history, fundraising goals, program, and many other factors. Giving levels, timing, messaging, momentum, and how the appeal fits into the overall evening all deserve careful consideration.

This is one area where Bob strongly recommends a conversation rather than following a generic formula. After more than 30 years of watching Special Appeals evolve, he can help your organization determine an approach tailored to your event, donors, and mission.

Fundraising events have changed considerably over the years. When Bob began specializing exclusively in charitable events in 1996, it was common for an evening’s program to pause until every guest had finished dinner—and even dessert—before beginning the second half and fundraising portion of the program. Today, Bob recommends a much different approach.

Once the final tables have received their meals, allow those guests a few moments to get comfortable and begin eating. Then it’s time to move into the second half of your evening. Speeches, awards, the live auction, Special Appeal (Fund-a-Need), raffle drawings, and the celebration that follows can all be part of a well-planned, smoothly flowing program.

But exactly when should the live auction and Special Appeal occur within that program? That's where experience and planning become important.

Some events benefit from conducting the Special Appeal before the live auction; others are better served by reversing that order. Bob's own approach has evolved over the years as fundraising events, audiences, technology, and donor expectations have changed. There is no single order that is right for every event.

The answer becomes clearer once Bob understands your audience, Run of Show, silent auction, speakers, awards, live auction, Special Appeal, raffles, entertainment, and overall fundraising goals. The objective isn't to follow a traditional formula—it's to create the right flow for your particular event while keeping your guests engaged from beginning to end.

Not necessarily!

While Bob is frequently hired to serve as both emcee and benefit auctioneer, he doesn't believe every organization needs its auctioneer to emcee the entire evening. In fact, whenever possible, Bob encourages organizations to involve someone closely connected to their mission—such as the Executive Director, Board President, or another recognizable representative. A local celebrity or experienced emcee can also be an excellent choice.

Why? Your donors and guests need to see and get to know the people behind your organization. Your fundraising event provides a wonderful opportunity to put your leadership front and center, share your personality and passion, and strengthen the relationship between your organization and the people who support it.

Bob especially encourages the Executive Director, Board President, or other key organizational leaders to be integral to the live auction and Special Appeal (Fund-a-Need). Their connection to the mission brings an authenticity that an outside professional simply cannot replace.

When Bob is not the official emcee, he can still help guide the evening with announcements, transitions, and fundraising segments while working closely with your chosen emcee. The goal isn't for Bob to have the most time on stage—it's to put the right people on stage at the right moments to best represent your mission and engage your donors.

As early as possible!

One of the biggest mistakes Bob sees organizations make is waiting too long to involve their benefit auctioneer in the planning process. An experienced benefit auctioneer brings much more to your event than what happens behind the microphone on event night.

Think about it: Bob has personally conducted more than 1,785 charitable events. Along the way, he has seen what works, what doesn't, what keeps guests engaged, and what seemingly small decisions can have a significant impact on fundraising results.

Take advantage of that experience! Involving your benefit auctioneer early provides another experienced voice when discussing your Run of Show, live auction, Special Appeal (Fund-a-Need), raffles, timing, sound, guest engagement, and other important elements of your fundraising program.

Don't simply hire an experienced benefit auctioneer—use their experience. Don't overlook this incredible wealth of knowledge and experience. Work together as a team to identify potential “red flags,” strengthen your plans, and create an event that's a big win for the people who matter most—your donors and guests.