READ MORE From Beth Markley

BOISE, Idaho, January 14, 2012 -The red and black of the Idaho Stampede will change to pink.

The Idaho Stampede have announced a partnership with St. Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute and Boise’s own AuctionFrogs.org to help raise money for breast cancer awareness. The State of Idaho ranks last in the U.S. in mammogram screening – with this auction, all money raised will be funneled to St. Luke’s in hopes of raising awareness in the state, saving the lives of countless women, mothers, daughters, sisters and friends.

The Stampede are holding an online auction on the website, which includes items from the Stampede such as merchandise and once-in-a-lifetime experiences, along with items from the team’s sponsors. The spotlight items will be pink jerseys the team will wear for Feb. 3 and 4 home games against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Fans can bid on the jerseys while at CenturyLink Arena during the games by finding the auction kiosk, but the auction will finish online the next night at midnight.

To view the auction and make bids, go to idahostampede.afrogs.org.

• Use your organization’s Facebook page, and your supporters’ personal Facebook pages, to drive more traffic to your auction.
• Use Facebook as a touchstone for this auction and future fundraising efforts.
• Thank donors for their generosity and get their supporters to notice your auction. Supportive comments are like gold and businesses remember who thanks them publicly. Showing thanks makes everyone feel good and raises your stock as an organization.
Here are some simple ways to get the ball rolling. These are good techniques to increase your organization’s social media presence – even after the auction is over. A few of these are more advanced techniques, but most of these ideas are fairly easy for anyone with basic experience in Facebook.
Each social medium has a different vibe. LinkedIn is like a business meeting, Facebook is like a neighborhood barbecue, Twitter is like a cocktail party and MySpace is like the smokers in the alley. Consider which social media are appropriate to your event and use them!

BEFORE THE EVENT:
• If possible, designate a volunteer or staff person to assist with social media promotion before, during and after the online auction and, if applicable, the live auction event.
• If you are your organization’s FB page admin, go to your page and click “Use Facebook as page” on the right. You will need to do this to use your organization’s page fully – just make sure to switch back to yourself when you are done.
• Create an event attached to your organization’s FB page. Go to www.facebook.com/events, and follow the directions. The event should be called something like “Online Auction to Support NAME.”
• Using FB as you personally, return the event page, and under the event profile picture, choose Select Guests to Invite; invite any friends you think might be interested. Ask your friends to invite their friends to the event. But do this judiciously as you don’t want to pester people.
• “Share” the event on your wall. At the top of the event page, click “share” and say something about the auction and your organization. This will post a link to the event on your wall for all your friends to see. Have your friends and supporters do this as well.
• When you visit your Auction Frogs page, there will be a FB logo to “like” the auction. If you click this, a link will show up on your personal wall to the auction site, saying that you “liked” this auction.
• Write on donors’ FB walls. To do this, use FB as your page, find their page on FB and “Like” their page. Then write a comment thanking them for their generosity and put up a link to the Auction Frogs auction page that features their donation.
• When you are using FB as your organization’s page, your comments will show up as your organization – not you personally. But there’s nothing wrong with switching back to using FB as you and leaving ANOTHER sweet comment on the business’s wall as you personally! Ask your staff and supporters to do the same. Businesses appreciate – and remember – who thanks them publicly.
• While you’re still FB as your organization, notice on the left, under your profile picture, where it says “Wall-Hidden Posts.” Check this often as FB may be hiding good comments from supporters, mistakenly assuming they are spam.
• Tag donor businesses in posts on your organization’s FB page. To tag a business, your page must “Like” it first. Then say something like, “We’d like to thank XYZ Corporation for supporting our fundraising driving by donating three thingamajigs.” Type the “@” symbol and choose the XYZ Corporation. The post will simultaneously show up on the donor’s FB wall (assuming their page’s spam filter hasn’t trapped it, in which case you might want to do them the favor of letting them know they aren’t seeing nice comments on their wall.)
• If you have a real event (wine dinner, live auction, etc.) in tandem with the Auction Frogs online auction, publicize that as well. Remember to take photos of people having fun at your event and put them on FB and them (you have to be friends with someone to tag them).
• When the auction is done, thank the high bidders (whether people or businesses) by writing on their walls. You have to be friends with a person, or a fan of the business, to write on their walls.
• If you are having a live auction, gala or similar event, make sure to include links to your FB business and event pages and invite people to go there.
• If you are able to find out who bought tickets to the event, put their names on your FB business and event pages and thank these people. It’s not possible to tag people on a business page.
• If your organization has a Twitter account, link it to your FB page so all FB updated are automatically Tweeted. Search Twitter with Tweetdeck or similar program to find out what people are saying about your event and organization.
• If your organization has a presence on LinkedIn, set up a discussion group for it and use that to get the word out in a business setting.
• Set up your event as a venue on Foursquare. Announce a prize for whoever is the Mayor at the end of the event.

DURING AND AFTER THE LIVE AUCTION EVENT (IF APPLICABLE):
• Make sure you have a wireless network accessible to your guests at the event.
• Create a photo gallery for the event on your business page. Take pictures of the event, people having fun, in groups, at tables, etc. Post them immediately to FB gallery and tag people in the photos who are your friends.
• Set up a computer and projector and display your organization’s FB page. Encourage those at the event to write on the wall/tag your organization in their status updates from the event.
• Invite people to Tweet about the event, upload to Twitpic, etc. Create a hashtag for the event to make it easy to find on Twitter. Send out regular updates from your personal and business Twitter account.
• Encourage guests to check in on Foursquare and Facebook.
• Put social media badges on the evening’s printed programs, banners, signs, etc. The MC should occasionally remind people to use Twitter, FB and other social media.
• Take video of the event and put it up on your organization’s YouTube channel, if you have one, shortly after the event to sustain good feelings. Get the video on your FB page too. If you don’t have a YouTube channel, just upload the video to FB.
• Offer a prize for whoever posts the best photo, best status update, most Tweets, etc.
• Use good judgment when photographing, videoing or writing about others. You want your social media to document the good times and good deeds of your supporters; avoid anything that could potentially embarrass anyone and immediately remove pictures and tags on request.

For more information about this article or Alexander and Associates, contact Martin Johncox at martin@alexanderandassociates.com or visit them at

I by far prefer Auction Tracker. There are many reasons, but to simplify – you pay once for the software, their support is great, you can literally in 5 minutes move your items to the online auction and move the information back. Having helped organize over 30 auctions since 2000, I know that you’re going to find lots of ways things can be done for auctions, but I’ve never had a client go back who has opted for Auction Tracker and their new connection with Auction Frogs. Do I like this match up, yes, as I was priveledged enough to do the first test auction for these two companies with Rainier Christian Schools in 2009. Since I’m very familiar with auctions in general, I was allowed to give feedback and input. They always listen and answer my questions when I ask. Do I get everything done “my way”… no, but they explain the restrictions available if there are any and they let me know if it’s something they can work on in the future.

As far as experiences of the users, I’ve had no negative feedback in three auctions with Auction Tracker/Auction Frogs. We used another online auction service at the school district in 2006, I believe, and they charged a fee to register so you could bid. Auction Tracker/Auction Frogs does rather charge the organization a fee for the sales. Do I think one is better than the other? No. And I’ve never encouraged handling fees, though many organizations do so to cover these types of fees.

TO summarize, once you buy Auction Tracker, you have paid entirely for your software. We’ve ran A.T. since 2003 at Rainier Christian School and only paid $300, I think, when Northwest Software revamped the entire program a few years ago and we required an entire new software package. They didn’t make us spend another $1595 or $1795 or whatever it costs now to buy it again. They instead gave their current clients a rate that helped them cover their expenses of the program upgrade and our receiving new CD and stuff to upgrade.

You have my 100.5% support of Auction Tracker and Auction Frogs. Let me know if you want to ask further questions, but I have an event that I must get ready for.

Thank you!!!
Kristine

D. Clark
Frequent bidder

More features rolling out soon, stay tuned!

I have “won” several times, with different auctions and have never had any form of problem.  The website sends you a message saying you were highest bidder and what to do next.  It also lets you know if you’re not the highest bidder any longer, so you can bid higher if that’s what you choose to do.  I have found Auction Frogs to be one of the easiest websites to navigate.

I truly enjoy looking and bidding on auction frogs because I help non-profit organizations when I buy the items and I get some really great deals.  I feel Auction Frogs supplies a needed fundraising tool for organizations and the public.

Thanks, Shannon C.

The end of the online silent auctions signified an exciting end to the Auction Frogs’ Corporate Volunteer Challenge that paired two teams of volunteers head-to-head raising money for their nonprofit; the Fighting Craigs team raising a whopping $13,000 for the Ronald McDonald House and Chai Yo! team raising a generous $5,000 for Junior Achievement of Idaho. The challenge  consisted of four weeks of challenges, with a winning team each week, culminating in a 10 day online benefit auction for each nonprofit.

“The most critical part of the competition was the way the teams came together, made a clear plan for their nonprofit’s benefit auction and executed it in just four weeks,” said Kristi Saucerman, Auction Frogs Founder. “These teams have laid a foundation that will help many organizations raise funds in the future.”

The Ronald McDonald House team was declared the overall winner of the Corporate Volunteer Challenge at a celebration on Friday. They were awarded a $2,500 by Jeff Banks from Western Capital Bank and the Junior Achievement team was also presented with a $500 award for their great work in the competition.

“The friends that the Ronald McDonald House has gained through the course of the volunteer challenge will be valuable for years to come,” said Ellie Pharis Director of Development, Ronald McDonald House. “I have to thank our team; without them we would have never been able to do this in such a short time.”

Proceeds from the Ronald McDonald House online benefit auction will benefit future operations of the Idaho Ronald McDonald House, a home-away-from-home for families of ill or injured children receiving medical treatment in Boise.

“Many organizations are timid about online auctions but it was the best way for us to get great results in such a short time.  We developed business relations, networked, and engaged our board,” said Catie Wiseman President, Junior Achievement of Idaho. “We also increased our Facebook following by 30 percent.”

Proceeds from the Junior Achievement online benefit auction will support Junior Achievement programs that inspire students to dream big and reach their potential. Their focus is on entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy. Volunteers from the business community teach the five, one-hour classroom sessions. To implement a program the cost is $300 per elementary classroom, or roughly $11 per student. They reach 2,500 students each year and have a waiting list of classrooms wanting the Junior Achievement services; the funds raised will help them reach these classrooms.

About The Corporate Volunteer Challenge

The Corporate Volunteer Challenge Spring 2011 is the first of many Auction Frogs sponsored events designed to help nonprofits overcome many common pitfalls normally experienced while fundraising and maximize their fundraising potential. While boasting some friendly competition, these events are all focused on helping good causes and putting the “FUN” back in FUNdraising.

Learn more about the Auction Frogs Corporate Volunteer Challenge at www.auctionfrogs.org

About Auction Frogs

Auction Frogs recognizes the challenges and pitfalls of “selling” donations at a fundraising event and has developed a web-based application that takes the silent auction efforts to a whole new level for the nonprofit organization. They provide a web-based tool for nonprofit organizations to upload their donated items for their audience to bid on through a customized and hosted site. As a result, the bidding audience increases and the time frame for bidding is much longer which results in higher revenue. For more information on Auction Frogs visit www.auctionfrogs.org or call 208.321.5515.

The end of the online silent auctions signified an exciting end to the Auction Frogs’ Corporate Volunteer Challenge that paired two teams of volunteers head-to-head raising money for their nonprofit; the Fighting Craigs team raising a whopping $13,219 for the Ronald McDonald House and Chai Yo! team raising a generous $4,614 for Junior Achievement of Idaho. The challenge has consisted of four weeks of challenges, with a winning team each week, culminating in a 10 day online benefit auction for each nonprofit.

“This final week challenge goes to the Fighting Craigs and the Ronald McDonald House based on this week’s ‘Feet on the Street’ challenge and a radio promotion,” said Kristi Saucerman, Auction Frogs Founder.

The Fighting Craigs got their “Feet on the Street” by heading to the  Boise State University quad reaching hundreds of student s and their feature on 94.1 the Voice reached listeners all over the valley, informing them about the Ronald McDonald House charity and recruiting bidders for the online benefit auction.

Fighting Craig team members were awarded with Melaleuca products presented by Christy Davis, a real estate appraiser and Melaleuca product reseller. The team also received Starbucks gift cards and Dillard’s exclusive Southern Living Ultimate Christmas Cookbook for their weekly challenge win.

Proceeds from the Ronald McDonald House online benefit auction will benefit future operations of the Idaho Ronald McDonald House, a home-away-from-home for families of ill or injured children receiving medical treatment in Boise.

Proceeds from the JA online benefit auction will support JA programs that inspire students to dream big and reach their potential. Their focus is on entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy. Volunteers from the business community teach the five, one-hour classroom sessions. To implement a program the cost is $300 per elementary classroom, or roughly $11 per student. They reach 2,500 students each year and have a waiting list of classrooms wanting the JA services; the funds raised will help them reach these classrooms.

Now that the online benefit auctions are complete the two teams are busy collecting and tallying funds. A winner of the entire Auction Frog’s Corporate Volunteer Challenge will be determined and announced at a celebration March 18. A generous cash prize will be awarded, by sponsor Western Capital Bank, to the winning team’s charity.

About The Corporate Volunteer Challenge

The Corporate Volunteer Challenge Spring 2011 is the first of many Auction Frogs sponsored events designed to help nonprofits overcome many common pitfalls normally experienced while fundraising and maximize their fundraising potential. While boasting some friendly competition, these events are all focused on helping good causes and putting the “FUN” back in FUNdraising.

Learn more about the Auction Frogs Corporate Volunteer Challenge at www.auctionfrogs.org

About Auction Frogs

Auction Frogs recognizes the challenges and pitfalls of “selling” donations at a fundraising event and has developed a web-based application that takes the silent auction efforts to a whole new level for the nonprofit organization. They provide a web-based tool for nonprofit organizations to upload their donated items for their audience to bid on through a customized and hosted site. As a result, the bidding audience increases and the time frame for bidding is much longer which results in higher revenue. For more information on Auction Frogs visit www.auctionfrogs.org or call 208.321.5515.