“Mobile bidding is the most exciting development in fundraising in years,” explains Auction Frogs Chief Technology Officer Scoti Hahn. “It engages attendees in powerful new ways and that means more energy and more dollars.”
For Junior League of Boise volunteer Larisa Haytmanek, Auction Frogs’ mobile bidding meant increased fundraising revenues.
“If you were bidding on an item and someone outbid you, you got notified immediately by text. If you and a friend got into a bidding war, you could keep up from across the room. And if you really wanted an item, you got a text to tell you when the auction “If you were bidding on an item and someone outbid you, you got notified immediately by text. If you and a friend got into a bidding war, you could keep up from across the room. And if you really wanted an item, you got a text to tell you when the auction was closing.”
The result, according to Haytmanek, was higher selling prices on auction items, which for her nearly 400-member all-volunteer organization translated into more dollars they could use to fund women’s and children’s causes in their local community.
“We exceeded our fundraising goal by 50%,” Haytmanek grins. “It was great.”
About Auction Frogs
Founded in 2007 by Kristi Saucerman, Auction Frogs is a leader in online auction technology. Auction Frogs’ web-based technology reduces the hassle and volunteer time it takes to run a successful auction while simultaneously increasing net revenue for its nonprofit clients. The company offers a range of products and services, including self-service and full-service auction management. More information is available at www.auctionfrogs.org.
Auction Frogs’ mobile bidding works by utilizing smartphones or tablets instead of paper bid sheets to allow event attendees to securely browse, bid, and even pay for auction items. The items can be posted on an online auction that begins before the live event, or held for either live or silent auctions during the event. The result is more excitement and often more attendees.
“People had a lot of fun,” says Haytmanek. “We had really good feedback.”
Whenever the auction items are open, Auction Frogs’ mobile bidding can be customized to send notifications for any number of actions, from when you are outbid to when a new item is added.
For Cara Jessen, a volunteer for Hidden Springs Elementary School’s parent organization, the technology was nice, but it was the support of Auction Frogs that made the real difference.
“We are all volunteers,” Jesse says. “Having someone that has been there, done that many times before was a real plus. It was just so easy.”
Customer support has been a cornerstone of the Auction Frogs approach since it launched in 2007. The company assists organizations in every aspect, from providing tips and tricks on how to solicit donations and write descriptions that sell, to building customized promotional auction websites.
“Running fundraising events is not easy,” says Auction Frogs’ Hahn. “But we’re passionate about helping organizations be even more successful with their fundraising efforts. To accomplish that, we live in their world. We know the pitfalls and we make sure our clients avoid them.”
Even more importantly, Hahn points out, this technology increases attendee engagement and reduces the number of volunteer hours it takes to manage the event.
“Most of these events are run by volunteers who work so hard to raise funds for truly worthy causes,” Hahn says. “It’s wonderful to see how the technology we’ve developed can help make their jobs easier and their events event more successful.”
Auction Frogs Mobile Bidding At-A-Glance
- Web-based mobile-bidding technology designed to increase engagement of attendees at live events
- Works with any smartphone or tablet with internet service
- Sends users out-bid notices immediately via text
- Available with other Auction Frogs services
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