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Staff the Lead Positions
You may have a number of tasks that will require a large time commitment and attention to detail. You should consider assigning a person to each of these. This lead person can that can concentrate on their specific efforts and ensure they are done well.

 
This section presents some of these tasks, and the responsibilities a person leading the efforts may have. Note that even if the tasks themselves don’t need to start immediately, these positions should be staffed early. In this way, the people who staff them can be consulted as decisions are made about other parts of the event. This will also give them plenty of time to plan their work.


Procurement Lead
Your procurement staff and volunteers are responsible for soliciting donations to support your event. Even for relatively small events, this can be a daunting task, requiring a lot of coordination. The procurement lead’s responsibilities might include:


Recruitment of solicitors

 
Development of a "wants list" of items to be procured, including those that were popular at past events
 
Development of a "don’t wants" list of items to avoid
 
Development (with Chairperson) of underwriting limits to be observed (i.e., the amount the auction will reimburse for items purchased for specific projects)
 
Creation and distribution of solicitation letters and/or packets
 
Coordination of solicitation efforts
 
Collection and filing of donation receipts
 
Donation data entry to auction management software
 
Coordination of secure storage for donations
 
Periodic reporting of procurement progress to the chairperson
 
Creation and distribution of thank you letters to all donors


Special Projects Coordinator
Special projects are items that will have special, possibly sentimental, meaning to your event attendees. An elementary school, for example, might have each class create some project, built and signed by the kids in the class. You can be sure the parents of those children will be bidding on those items!

Even for a small, kindergarten through 8th grade school, this amounts to nine special projects being worked on. You may want to appoint someone just to keep track of these projects. Using this example, their responsibilities might include:


Aiding in the definition of the project for each class. (i.e., seeing that they fit the theme of the event, defining acceptable underwriting amounts, etc.)
 
Solicitation of donations or purchasing of items with which to create the projects
 
Collection of donation receipts, and entry to auction management software
 
Tracking the progress of each project, helping to ensure they will be ready in time for the event
 
Recruitment of volunteers to help with the projects


PR & Advertising
Advertising and promotion ensures that people know about your event. If your event is large enough, this job can be more than enough work to justify assigning someone to it. They should coordinate their efforts with the chairperson and decorations person, so the event theme can be consistently presented. Other responsibilities might include:


Creation and posting of signs and posters. This might be just around your own organization, or may include placement in the windows of local businesses
 
Publication of fliers and newsletters
 
Creation of displays and bulletin boards
 
Updating of the event page on your organizations website
 
Finding volunteers to help with the effort


Decorations
Decorations play an important part in setting the mood for your event. A large venue or inclusion of meal seating at your event can make this a big job. The responsibilities of the leader of this effort might include:


Design of decorations that follow the chosen theme of the event
 
Decoration of silent auction tables
 
Coordination of special decoration projects (perhaps made by school children)
 
Creation of dinner table centerpieces
 
Creation of signs for the sale tables, registration, checkout, and item pick up
 
Decorations for the auctioneer’s stage area
 
Coordination of the decorations’ setup at the event
 
Recruitment of volunteers to help with the effort


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  Introduction
    About This Guide
The Rules
Help Make This Guide Better
  Before You Start
    Should You Hold an Auction
Should You Use Software
  Staffing
    Select a Chairperson
Staff the Lead Positions
Staff the Lead Positions (2)
Pre-event Volunteer Needs
Event Day Volunteer Needs
Post-event Volunteer Needs
  Getting Started
    Develop a Budget
Select a Target Date
Develop an Event Schedule
Select a Venue and Caterer
Select an Auctioneer
Select an Emcee
Select a Theme
Book Entertainment
Arrange Storage Space
Design & Print Tickets
  Ongoing Tasks
    Procurement of Donations
Procurement of Donations (2)
Promotion & Advertising
Decorations
Selling Tickets
Create a Slideshow
  Just Before the Event
    Create Packages
Print Item Number Stickers
    for Packages
Design, Print, &
    Distribute Catalog
Print Gift Certificates
Dinner Seating Assignment
Print Bid Sheets
Print Item Display Cards
Print Live Auction
    Reporting Slips
Pre-event Coordination
    with Auctioneer
Train Registration
    and Checkout Staff
Get Auction Sponsored Gifts
  Event-Day Tasks
    Setup
Event Day Coordination With
Emcee And Auctioneer
Check In And Registration
Bid Sheet Pick-up
And Data Entry
Check Out
Item Pick-up
Clean-up
  Post-event Tasks
    Thank You Letters
Leftover Items
Close Financial Books & Release the Results
  Raffles
  Games
    Wine Raffle
Wine Grab
Blackout Bingo
Balloons
50/50 Raffle
Animal Raffle
Simple Drawing
Tootsie Roll Drawing
Free Dress Passes
Star Bingo
Scratch Cards
Prize Balloons
Dinner Seating Plate Prizes