Hey Nonprofits!

Most fundraising galas leave money on the table for reasons the people running them never see. Chris Hensley and Brett Higgins, two of the most in-demand fundraising auctioneers in the country, join Trevor to work through five of the sharpest questions raised at the recent Chicago Gala Playbook event. What separates the organizations that consistently overperform from the ones that stay stuck at l...

Most nonprofits spend months curating the perfect live auction lineup — and then assume their guests will figure it out when they get to the event. Claire Murad of Murad Auctions joins Trevor to make the case that this is leaving serious money on the table. With 26 years in the auction space, Claire breaks down what she calls the 6-touch rule: your guests need to see your live auction items at lea...

Most nonprofits have a storytelling problem they don't know they have. They've been so close to the mission for so long they can't see what's actually moving about it anymore. Lucas Hunt, president of Hunt Auctioneers, former literary agent, and one of the more thoughtful voices in the fundraising auctioneer world, joins Trevor to break down why the people running your organization...

Brittany Pilcher, Director of Development at Quest Inc., joins Trevor to walk through exactly how her team added a Golden Ticket Raffle to WineQuest , a $500,000 two-night gala in Orlando and sold out 100 tickets in 72 hours. Brittany doesn't sugarcoat the hesitation. She talks through why she almost didn't do it, the moment she decided to pull the trigger three weeks out, and how the raff...

Most fundraising problems aren't fundraising problems. They're board problems. Elise Woodworth — VMI alum, Air Force veteran, and author of Business Not Battle — joins Trevor to unpack why so many nonprofit boards stall out, and what to actually do about it. She came to this work through a back door (the VMI Foundation made her their first female and youngest-ever trustee), and her approac...

Most fundraisers treat events like the finish line. Kristen Bowles treats them like the starting point. In this episode, Trevor sits down with Kristen — a development pro who's worked across the YMCA, Boys & Girls Club, peer-to-peer fundraising, and now the National MS Society — to unpack why sponsorship sales isn't transactional. It's strategic matchmaking. We get into: Why "...

What if the timing of your "ask" is costing your nonprofit thousands? Matt Roben — the Kilted Auctioneer, former circus performer, and police officer turned fundraising auctioneer, joins Trevor to break down the neuroscience behind why people give, and why most galas are leaving money on the table by asking too late in the night. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:59 Introing Matt Roben 02:38 Unde...

Most nonprofits measure events by one number: how much they raised. Emily Preble thinks that's the wrong starting point. Emily is a fundraising consultant and professional auctioneer based in Austin, and in this episode she walks through the question she asks every client before planning an event — and it has nothing to do with the goal. Trevor and Emily get into why more attendees doesn't...

Most nonprofits think more silent auction items = more money. Phil Sanger has spent 15+ years proving the opposite. In this episode, Phil, founder of HelloFund and an OG in the fundraising tech space since 2009, joins Trevor to break down what's actually working at galas right now and what's quietly killing revenue. We cover: → Why the "espresso machine in the silent auction" min...

Rob Giardinelli has attended over 2,000 fundraising galas. In this episode, he breaks down what actually moves donors to give more, why "events are dead" is bad advice, and the guest experience details most nonprofits completely miss. Rob is the founder of robgiardinelli.com and host of the Fun in Fundraising podcast. After 15 years chronicling top galas across Texas and the country, he...

Max Wolf has spent nearly a decade auctioneering fundraising events, and he's seen the patterns that separate the galas that crush it from the ones that fall flat. In this episode, Max and Trevor get into: – How one event lost 65% of its fundraising by replacing the paddle raise with self-checkout text-to-give – The question every nonprofit needs to answer honestly: "Is this a party or a...

Are consignment items hurting your nonprofit auction — or are you leaving serious money on the table by not using them? In this episode, Trevor Nelson sits down with fundraising auctioneer Dan Lyles to set the record straight about consignment travel packages in nonprofit fundraising. Together they break down what actually works, what to avoid, and how to double (or even triple) your live auction...

Most nonprofit events run too long — and it's costing you donations. In this webinar, event strategist Reggie Rivers and expert auctioneer Matt Roben break down why shorter, more focused events consistently raise more money than marathon galas. Reggie shares the neuroscience behind donor attention spans, why 9 PM is the critical cutoff for fundraising asks, and how his organization increased r...

Hey Nonprofits is the ONLY podcast specifically focused on event fundraising and auction strategy — because someone has to stand up for the gala. This is Part 2 of the Timed to Perfection Series — a 6-part webinar series built entirely around the #1 question we get from nonprofit event fundraisers: "How do we nail the timing of our event?" In this episode, we go deeper into the strategie...

Hey Nonprofits is the ONLY podcast specifically focused on event fundraising and auction strategy — because someone has to stand up for the gala. This is Part 1 of the Timed to Perfection Series — a 6-part webinar series built entirely around the #1 question we get from nonprofit event fundraisers: "How do we nail the timing of our event?" In this episode, two of the most in-demand fundraising auc...

Hey Nonprofits is the only podcast specifically focused on event fundraising and auction strategy- because someone has to stand up for the gala. But great events alone won't save your organization if your financial foundation is broken. In this episode Matt Gardner, Co-founder and CEO of Hiline and host of the Fiscally Awesome podcast, makes the case that nonprofit financial infrastructure isn...

Hey Nonprofits is the ONLY podcast specifically focused on event fundraising and auction strategy — because someone has to stand up for the gala. Raise more money with our Tuscany auction packages: https://hgafundraising.com/tuscany/ and https://hgafundraising.com/tuscany-villa-for-10/ Nobody understands the gala stage better than Jordan Campbell — Scottish auctioneer, 4-language speaker, gala emc...

Most nonprofits are leaving serious money on the table because they're skipping critical pre-event steps that result in fundraising success - like hiring a great auctioneer https://charityauctioneerswelove.com/ That's why we had HGA co-founder, Trevor Nelson, sit down with benefit auctioneer Keith McLane to break down the 3 pre-event pillars you should focus on in order to raise more money...

Your best donors aren't strangers—they're the people who already gave to you but stopped. In this [re-uploaded] episode of Hey Nonprofits! fundraising expert Julie Ordoñez breaks down why chasing new donors is harder than winning back old donors, and shares the exact approach to have those awkward "we miss you" conversations that actually work. Check out Julie's episode about...

Trevor sits down with DonorDock's CMO, Rob Burke, to talk about the realities of working in nonprofit fundraising—the stuff that doesn't always make it into the how-to guides. *Raise $10,000+ with the Golden Ticket:* https://hgafundraising.com/golden-ticket/ We cover a lot of ground here: why recurring giving programs are under-utilized by fundraisers, how stewardship keeps falling to the...

Shannon Eason from Everything Gala shares her fundraising event secrets - everything from auction timing, how to just 'go for it' and ask donors for more, building relationships, and the power of video. During this episode, you'll learn: - How to overcome the fear of 'the ask' - Which should come first: the fund a need or live auction - How to communicate and negotiate with don...

Nikki DeFalco, Vice President of Fundraising at the MS Society, shares how fundraising events are still the best way to build donor pipelines. There has been a surge recently in the following question: are events still worth it? The answer is, absolutely! Nikki and Trevor met on the podcast to discuss how community engagement, localization, and creating enjoyable experiences for attendees can lead...

This was our podcast with Rob Burke from the Fundraising Lab podcast by Donor Dock. Check out their channel for more fundraising podcasts and powerful conversations like this one. Watch the original episode here https://youtu.be/1M8WcUAsx_c?si=pZ5WnJ9i-i64BxL7 Rob Burke and Trevor Nelson unpack the real truth behind successful fundraising events, why “fundraising is an AND game, not an OR game,” a...

Dan Lyles shares how he has been selling multiples consistently in live auction by using one magic phrase: "who else wants one?". Reserve the ¡Fiesta en Mexico! trip to use at your next live auction: https://hgafundraising.com/fiesta-en-mexico/ This podcast episode is perfect for auctioneers and nonprofit fundraisers looking to maximize their live auction revenue by getting the most out...

Join Tony, the Auction Guy, as he shares his personal journey into the world of auctioneering. From embracing van life to honing his skills through improv classes, Tony's story is one of continuous growth and exploration. This episode offers a unique glimpse into the life of an auctioneer, highlighting the importance of trying new things and building connections. Perfect for nonprofit fundrais...