The summer has arrived, and now is the perfect time to start thinking about your organization’s charity fundraising events! Follow these five simple steps to find volunteers for your upcoming fundraisers.

1. Social Networking

Networking, whether one-on-one or via the Web, is the consistent, go-to resource to successful volunteer sourcing. If you don’t already have a social media presence already, create Facebook and Twitter accounts for your organization. When looking for volunteers using Facebook, post information that include keywords such as: Charity, Fundraiser, Volunteer, Community Service, and other similar terms. You can also post in public Facebook groups to optimize the number of people viewing your posts. When looking for volunteers using Twitter, use hashtags, which are topic-specific keywords that help your potential volunteers search for information on things they’re interested in. Using social media networking is a great way to create awareness about your cause, and cultivate volunteers for your charity fundraisers.

2. Document and Exhibit Accomplishments

Show off awards or any other documented achievements that would be appealing to potential volunteers. Also, prominently promote the volunteer opportunities your organization has to offer. This will make it clear you’re looking for volunteers, encouraging volunteers to join your fundraising team.

3. Participate in Recruitment Conventions

Visit local high schools and colleges, and give an informational talk about your organization. Make sure to give the students ideas about how they might be able to contribute as a volunteers, and what they could gain from the experience at your organization. You can also set up stands at local fairs and music festivals to help recruit volunteers and spread the word about the work you do for the community.

4. Advertise Your Organization Locally

Make flyers advertising your interest in finding volunteers, and post them in public places. You can post these flyers in coffee shops, grocery stores, local retail stores, parks and many other venues. You should post your flyers anywhere where they will be available to the eye of the public — your potential volunteers!

5. Promote the Benefits to Volunteering

If you have some funds budgeted for finding new volunteers, consider throwing a party, a meet-and-greet or some other type of small gathering, so the people who might be interested in volunteering can meet you and the rest of your team. Potential volunteers will see the community you’ve developed and have an opportunity to learn about the opportunities you have available in a more casual meeting.

By Michael Kuznetsov, Charity Fundraising Intern

With the summer fundraising season closing in fast, now’s the time to start thinking about your next golf auction fundraiser. Take the auction portion of your summer golf tournament to the next level by following these five helpful tips from A. S. Charity Fundraising. Fore!

1) Make sure your silent auction table is sufficiently illuminated, and be sure to provide a proper microphone and sound system to promote the auction items up for bid. These aspects are basic, yet crucial components to a successful auction. Don’t forget to complete the necessary sound and lighting checks before the day of your event!

2) Be sure to enlist plenty of volunteers to manage and draw attention to your auction. It’s important that your volunteers are knowledgeable about your auction items, so they can answer any questions your guests may have. For a live auction, consider hiring a professional auctioneer. The right live auctioneer will be able to effectively read your crowd and entice bidding. He or she will also ensure your live auction is an enjoyable and memorable experience for all your guests.

3) Setup your silent auction in an area that’s expected to receive a large amount of foot traffic. This ensures your guests will know where the auction is, which is especially important at a golf fundraiser, since the auction won’t be the only activity taking place at your event. Display your auction items prominently in this area, so potential bidders can clearly see what items you have to offer.

4)  In order to help to promote an auction, big-ticket items should be used to advertise your event. Promoting with your items will help increase attendance, since big-ticket items can attract a large crowd! It also helps if a list of items being sold is handed out at the entrance prior to the auction starting.

5)  Lastly, make your auction exciting! There should be an increase in the value of your auction items as the event progresses. Keep your level of excitement high, and sure enough, high bids will follow.

For help planning your next golf auction fundraiser, contact A. S. Charity Fundraising at (888) 232-2500 or info@ascharityfundraising.com.

By Chris Barry, Charity Fundraising Intern

A. S. Charity Fundraising’s newest autographed Mini Movie Posters will be the perfect addition to your next charity auction or fundraiser!

One of our coolest pieces is our Limited Edition poster from this year’s hottest film: “The Great Gastby.” This piece from the film that just opened in theaters nationwide is an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel of the same name, and was co-written and directed by Baz Luhrmann. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as millionaire Jay Gatsby, and Tobey Maguire as Gatsby’s neighbor Nick Carraway, and our auction item features autographs from an incredible nine cast members!

This brand new poster is signed by Leonardo DiCaprio, Baz Luhrmann, Tobey Maguire, Jay Z, Carey Mulligan, Amitabh Bachchan, Isla Fisher, Joel Edgerton and Adelaide Clemens.

Another one of our awesome, best-selling auction items is a poster from “Django Unchained,” which was nominated for five Academy Awards this year, including Best Picture! Set in the antebellum era of the Deep South and Old West, this is writer and director Quentin Tarantino’s highest grossing film to date.

This piece features the signatures of Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Quentin Tarantino, Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz, Kerry Washington and Don Johnson.

Nominated for 12 Academy Awards, the movie “Lincoln” was a huge box office success. Check out this incredible piece of autographed memorabilia for charity, which features autographs from Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day Lewis, who won the “Best Actor” Oscar for his performance as Abraham Lincoln.

Our incredible Mini Movie Posters are going fast, so book yours for your next auction fundraiser while supplies last!

For help with your next auction fundraising event, contact A. S. Charity Fundraising at (888) 232-2500 or info@ascharityfundraising.com.

By Deandra Gomes, Charity Fundraising Assistant

A few weeks ago, A. S. Charity Fundraising helped provide auction items for a Multiple Sclerosis (MS) fundraiser event in Columbus, Ohio, and the outcome was fantastic! Our charity fundraising specialist, Devin Noonan, helped coordinate the silent auction event, which was held at the popular McCasky’s Grille. The goal was to raise awareness about MS and 100% of the proceeds were sent to the Ohio Buckeye Chapter of the National MS Society. The fundraiser was a huge success with the help of A. S. Charity Fundraising’s auction items.

A. S. Charity Fundraising is so proud to have played a role in creating awareness for MS in the Columbus area, and we are so pleased to have been a part of this exciting event for such a great cause.

Take a look at our letter from Kristin Doty, sales and marketing manager at McCasky’s Grille:

If you have an auction event or fundraiser coming up and need cool memorabilia items and travel and experience packages, we’d love to help you, too! Give us a call today at (888) 232-2500 to speak with one of our helpful charity fundraising specialists.

By Deandra Gomes, Charity Fundraising Assistant

Just a few short weeks ago, A. S. Charity Fundraising’s Heller Pool, left the snowy Northeast behind and headed for sunny Florida to help with the Leta Lindley Prader-Wili Classic held at the PGA National Resort & Spa. Held during the weekend of January 18-19, 2013, the event was a huge success, and fundraising items from A. S. Charity Fundraising were a hit among the hundreds of attendees. Pool and the team at A. S. Charity Fundraising couldn’t be more pleased our charity auction items helped contribute to the organization’s mission to find a cure and effective treatment for Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS).

PWS is the most common known genetic cause of life-threatening obesity in children. Approximately one in 10,000 babies is born with PWS, and the disorder occurs in males and females equally and in all races. PWS typically causes low muscle tone, short stature if not treated with growth hormones, incomplete sexual development, and a chronic feeling of hunger that, coupled with a metabolism that utilizes drastically fewer calories that normally can lead to excessive eating and obesity.

Enjoying a hands-on approach to helping plan and provide fundraising items to this year’s event, Pool truly enjoyed her week in the Sunshine State.
“It was so amazing to see everyone come together to plan this event,” Pool said. “I was so honored to have had the opportunity to be a part of this fundraiser! It’s incredibly rewarding to see how much can be done when you put your mind to doing something good for the larger community.”

This year, The Prader-Willi Classic was held in honor of Josilyn Faith Levine and Harold Wilkinson IV, and took place in conjunction with the 9th Annual Pro-Am Tournament. All the proceeds generated by this extremely successful event were used to fund The Prader-Willi Research Fellowship at the Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Fla.

The season for golf tournaments is upon us, so if you need help with charity auction items for your next golf tourney or other fundraising event, contact one of A. S. Charity Fundraising’s helpful specialists today at (888) 232-2500 or info@ascharityfundraising.com. We also invite you to visit us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest to keep up with the many incredible causes A. S. Charity Fundraising supports.

By Deandra Gomes, Charity Fundraising Assistant