Perhaps you have heard of a "Raise the Paddle" or "The Emotional Appeal" or a similiar term.  What exactly is the appeal?  What is it's purpose?

The appeal is an activity that is held during your live auction that raises money to go toward a specific project or cause.  The appeal generally will be the top selling or revenue generating item in your live auction activity.  The appeal needs to be as specific as possible to be effective.  It should also benefit a wide range of people, or in the case of a school something that the entire student body will benefit from. 

Some examples of appeal items are structural improvements to buildings, buses, computers for the classrooms, science rooms, scholarships, medical and relief aid, and so on.  Any worthwhile cause or project will make a great appeal item.

An appeal can be conducted at your fundraising event no matter what the goal is.  We have been involved with appeals that raised a goal of $2,000 to one that raised over $3.5 million dollars, and all inbetween.  No matter what the size or scope of your event and its financial goals, an appeal can work if it is planned and conducted properly. 

What really makes the magic work is how it is presented to your audience, the timing of when to do the appeal, and an effective auctioneer to lead this activity.  Check out the following video for a great example of how a properly run appeal will work.

Red Derby C&F can show you how to implement the appeal into your fundraising efforts, or show you how to make the appeal work more effectivily for you. If you have not implemented the appeal into your fundraising event, you are losing potentially thousands of dollars that will walk out of the door.  Let us show YOU how the magic works!