Great oppurtunity!!

[KOZeta]

Hello GC

My Zeta chapter is currently planning a charity auction to raise money for Susan G Koemen. We have 37 members (biggest on campus!) and this project is a little overwhelming at the moment!
I was hoping to get some assistance from you ladies on a few matters:

1.) Advice! This is our first major undertaking as a new chapter, and we could certainly use a voice of experience

2.) Ideas on companies or individuals who we could contact for donations, or celebrities who might consider donating an item or contributing.

3.) We need an auctionneer! This is a huge expense, and the money is not there for us to front.

4.) If anyone has anything they would like to donate to this auction, please do let me know

And finally, if you live in the area (Andover, MA) and would like to attend this fabulous evening, please let me know

(I know asking these things on a message board is unrealistic, but I'm an optimist )

Please please please email me

everydayangelad@msn.com

Zeta Love,
Annemarie

[PenguinTrax]

1.) Advice! This is our first major undertaking as a new chapter, and we could certainly use a voice of experience .

<<I would do a silent auction for the majority of items and only do a live auction for items that have a high value ($75-100 and up). Run the silent auction for an hour, then close it down and serve dessert or something while the live auction is running. Afterwards, people can 'check out' and pick up their auction winnings and leave.

2.) Ideas on companies or individuals who we could contact for donations, or celebrities who might consider donating an item or contributing.

<<Write up a request for donation letter and personally go out to businesses in your area requesting donations. Contact beauty salons, gift shops, massage studios, health food stores, local bookstores, etc. After the auction has ended, be sure to send each and every donor a thank-you note which includes the value of the item they donated (for tax purposes). I have sample letters I can send you if you like. Just e-mail me.>>


3.) We need an auctionneer! This is a huge expense, and the money is not there for us to front.


<<I wouldn't hire a professional auctioneer - put your money someplace else. You can probably get someone's father or mother to do the job, or even a professor on campus that's popular. Select someone lively and funny, one that can cajole the audience.>>

4.) If anyone has anything they would like to donate to this auction, please do let me know

<<I can donate one of my basic ZTA bracelets if you like. Click my personal link below to see them.>>

I used to work at Linens N' Things and they usually donate items. If you contact them by letter and you have one in your area, then, contact them. They always have fun stuff.

[radioZTA]

You may be able to get a mobile d.j. to lower his/her costs. These people are usually pretty good at speaking to crowds and may be able to do double duty as the auctioneer.

Local radio stations may send out a d.j., too, to act as celebrity guest/emcee/auctioneer.

Good luck!

[KOZeta]

Thank you!

~any more help from any other of you capable ladies out there would be fabulous

[FSUZeta]

ask your members to make a list of businesses they have personal contact with(work there, patronize, etc), and make a central list for possible donors. assign sisters to the businesses they have a personal relationship with, and then divide up the rest of the list equally. do have a letter to give them, that explains
our sorority, the susan g. komen foundation and tells about the auction. who will attend the auction? if it is mostly college students, then the businesses you solicit for donations will probably be different than if it is attended by mostly people out of college(interests and needs are different), so know your target audience. if your auction is open to the public, as you solicit for donations, ask permission to put a notice of the auction in the window of the business. call the local radio stations and see if they will put out a blurb about the auction-go for the free publicity. back to the list: if you keep a list of possible donors and who is going to contact them, then donors will not be contacted twice, which can be very embarassing! tell the sisters that they must check with you(or whom ever is in charge of the list) before they contact a business. the thank you notes are key and smooth the way for contacting them again next year. keep good notes about who would not contribute, who did and what they contributed. this will be helpful for next years committee. best of luck!!

[KOZeta]

Thank you!

[RMUamieZTA]

hey, the auction is a really good idea to raise money. I remember a few years ago, one of my classes sponsored a family, and since i worked at a gift shop-- my manager donated a lot of gifts for the family. (we had calanders, candles, games etc..) and also, my dad works at a radio station, and they usually have extra cd's (like singles) or t-shirts that can be given away.. (you could even ask the radio station to sign the shirt by the dj's (that would raise more money)).... and like radioZTA said, sometimes the dj's will go out and do charity events and promote it on the radio... that would get a lot more people there... also try the college bookstore to see if they could donate gift cards, or other items like t-shirts or sweatshirts... good luck!!!

[KOZeta]

I never thought about the school store, that is a great idea!

Just an update- we are doing really well, the sisters have all of Christmas break to find donations. Then the real work begins

In other news, Kappa Omicron Chapter has two transfer sisters, putting us at 38 members, BEFORE spring recruitment...I know to some of you that's tiny, but we are the largest org. on campus, and 38 is huge for Merrimack


Thank you all for your suggestions, and anyone else can feel free to email me or post- we are always looking for a helping hand!

[pinkyphimu]

i thought that you might be from merrimack! one of your faculty advisors is a phi mu. i am the phi mu rep to the boston alum panhel. anyway, good luck. i don't know if i will be there yet. it depends on how march looks, but maybe i will see you there!

[KOZeta]

You must mean Liz?
She has been such an amazing resource for us with this auction
I hope to see you there, it is shaping up to be quite the event!

Still looking for items if anyone is feeling generous

Zeta Love,
Annemarie

[alsparky]

I wanted to share the good news with everyone, since Annemarie hasn't yet, that Kappa Omicron raised $5500 with thier Think Pink! Auction!!!!!!

I am very proud of them, as are all of the Bay State Alumnae!

Congrats Kappa Omicron!!

ZLAM
Allison

[ztabchbum]

That's wonderful news! Congrats go out to Kappa Omicron! Way to go girls!!!!

[ZTAngel]

That's awesome! Congratulations to Kappa Omicron!

[pinkyphimu]

what good news! i wasn't able to attend due to a scheduling conflict, and i hadn't heard how it turned out! i am glad your event was so successful.