Fundraisers.com: Auction Blog

FOX TV's 'House' Sells Tees for a Good Cause a Charity Auction

2007-04-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

Hugh Laurie as House on Fox TV never holds back his opinion as most of us know...
Now you too can proudly sport sayings from Dr. Gregory House, television's most misanthropic doctor.

T-shirts emblazoned with "Everybody Lies" -- the "House" catchphrase that sums up his rather cynical bedside manner -- are on sale for a limited time at www.housecharitytees.com. Plus, tees, DVDs and other items autographed by the cast will be auctioned May 1-8 on the site. All proceeds go to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

The shirts ($19.95 each) are made by American Apparel.

The Food Network hosting 4 Day Live Events with Silent & Live Charity Auctions!!!

2007-02-06T15:33:00.000-08:00

What better combination but Good Food, Wine, and Live and Silent Auctions?????

A live and online silent auction at this year's Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival is poised to be one of the most talked about events at the four day affair. With last year's auction raising over a quarter million dollars, and this year it is expected to soar to new, record breaking numbers.

Net proceeds from the auction benefit Florida International University's School of Hospitality & Tourism Management Teaching Restaurant and its Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center.

The Food Network's South Beach Wine & Food Festival ( in it's 6th year)presented by Food & Wine Magazine , takes place on Thursday, February 22nd to Sunday, February 25th, 2007. Alex Durant, Auction Coordinator, says this auction is becoming a star studded event, with donations from Hollywood, the wine and food industry majors, local businesses, technology and fashion. Imagine bidding on dining and concert experiences with Martha Stewart, Rachel Ray, and Billy Joel. Wow what great auction items just in time for Valentines Day.

The online auction has reached over 250,000 people nationwide: www.sobeauction.cmarket.com

If you are in the area -other events during this weekend include: the Fontainebleau Resort Presents Wine Spectator's Best of the Best Sponsored by Bank of America, Moet & Chandon BubbleQ Hosted by Al Roker and Friends, Kellogg's Kidz Kitchen, the Publix Grand Tasting Village with culinary seminars hosted by Martha Stewart, Rachael Ray, Emeril Lagasse, Paula Deen, Tyler Florence and more, the Tribute Dinner in Honor of Eric Ripert and Maguy Le Coze, and the Amstel Light Burger Bash.

Visit www.sobewineandfoodfest.com for more festival information

Mens Vogue Premiers Charity Auctions of Rare Sports Items for Ninemillion.org

2007-01-26T18:05:00.000-08:00

This auction caught my eye, since I yearn for the days when i could have graced the pages of MENS VOGUE (cough, cough).

Men's Vogue has commissioned a handful of one-of-a-kind sports-themed items (some featured in their Jan/Feb issue) that are being auctioned at igavel.com to benefit Ninemillion.org, a UN Refugee Agency-led campaign to raise awareness and funds for educational and sports programs for refugee youth.

Items include:
Baseball Mitt: One custom-made baseball mitt (in any one of a range of colors, for any position -- catcher's mitt, first baseman's glove, etc.-- MENS VOGUE asked them to design a fire-engine red glove lined in cashmere!) from Nakona. Estimated value of $200 (starting bid is $50).

Bill Amberg Cricket Bat: A cricket bat by famed Notting Hill designer Bill Amberg. The core is solid willow tree wood; the leather is hand-stitched English-bridle quality. One of only six bats (and the last available) especially produced for customers as a sign of Amberg's appreciation. Estimated value of $1000 to $1500 (starting bid is $350).

Football and medicine ball: One custom, handmade football and one handmade leather medicine ball, each of chrome-tanned glove leather, designed by the Lineaus Athletic Company. Estimated value of $200 (starting bid is $75 each).

Ultimate Cell Phone: A limited-edition sports-themed cell phone (LE of less then 1,000) from Vertu. Assembled by hand with a sapphire crystal screen and keypad constructed from a ceramic similar to the kind used on space shuttle hulls. Engraved with symbols of one of the world's premier racetracks in stainless steel or gold. Estimated value of $6,000 (starting bid of $2,000).

New Timex TX Sports Watches: Once promoted as "the watch that takes a licking and keeps on ticking,” Timex has just introduced the new TX, a new collection that combines Italian design and German engineering at an affordable price, $400-$600, compared to other similar luxury watches priced at $1,000 or more. Choose from cases made of steel, rose gold, or titanium and straps of leather, rubbery resin, or metal, all designed to withstand the rigors of active use (starting bids of $125 and $175).

The auction begins Monday, January 22, through Monday, February 12th.

Go to iGavel.com or visit mensvogue.com for more information. Items can be viewed by visiting:http://auction.igavel.com/ClientInfo.taf?source=mv&_function=info&skip=1&id=1796

Proceeds are to benefit Ninemillion.org, a UN Refugee Agency-led campaign to raise awareness and funds for educational and sports programs for refugee youth.

Check out some of the items, they are unique, and can surely give fundraisers some ideas to generate bids for future items.

Keep submitting those charity auctions for us to showcase..... richard@fundraisers.com

Earnhardt NASCAR Driven Cars to benefit Arkansas Children's Hospital

2006-10-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

2 NASCAR Cars driven by Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are being auctioned off separately to benefit the Arakansas Children's Hospital. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the only pediatric medical center in Arkansas, named one of the best hospitals for pediatric care 2 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report. For more information visit www.archildrens.org

The eBay auctions are:

http://digbig.com/4nekr
http://digbig.com/4neks

cMarket Launches Biddingforgood.com for Cause Conscious Auction Shoppers

2006-12-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

cMarket has launched a new site that helps shoppers find gifts that benefit charitable causes. BiddingForGood.com aggregates the items from cMarket's non-profit clients into one site. Cause-conscious shoppers can then search the site by item, organization, cause category or geography.

cMarket has over 2000 clients, and this site aggregates their clients to one specific web address.
Some interesting items up for bid......
Take a look
www.biddingforgood.com

auctiontalkradio.com is on the air to help charity auctions

2006-11-15T14:21:00.000-08:00

Auctiontalkradio.com is "on the air". A Good friend and colleague of ours recently launched auctiontalkradio.com and this weekly podcast ( and most recently a segment on KNX 1070 Money Talk program ) is a potpourri of Auction related news and issues. But integrated within the content are stories about current charity auctions- and I am advising all cause marketing PR folks to get their information into auctiontalkradio.com so they can expose the causes and auctions to their growing audience base. Check out auctiontalkradio.com !

www.auctiontalkradio.com

Don't Duck a Breast Exam inspires Celebrity Auctions!!!!

2006-10-10T16:38:00.000-07:00

October being Breast Cancer awareness month, Project Pink from Munchkin Inc. has invited celebrities to decorate the Project Pink Rubber Duckie- Current auctions include eBay's Meg Whitman, Former WWE Diva Stacey Keibler, and most notably Former First Lady Barbara Bush. There are many more celebrity decorated ducks being launched throughout the month.

Link to all the auctions is: http://digbig.com/4ngke
and be sure to check out the price on the Barbara Bush Duck- WOW!!!

Kudos to the folks at Munchkin, whose "Don't Duck a Breast Exam" has taken on new meaning with this fundraising effort!!!

NBC HOT HIT - HEROES - HOSTS CELEBRITY AUCTION FOR PEDIATRIC EPILEPSY PROJECT!!!

2006-11-01T14:07:00.000-08:00

The cast of NBC's hit Sci-Fi series Heroes will host an online charity auction starting Nov. 6 to benefit co-star Greg Grunberg's Pediatric Epilepsy Project , a charity that supports the Division of Pediatric Neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Grunberg, who plays mind-reading cop Matt Parker on the superhero series, has a son, Jake, who suffers from the neurological condition.

The auction, which runs through Nov. 27, will feature autographed character illustrations by each cast member, as well as a limited-edition Heroes promotional items autographed by comic-book artist Tim Sale, who also does the paintings and illustrations for the show. Bids will start at $20.

Cast members contributing items include Santiago Cabrera, Tawny Cypress, Noah Gray-Cabey, Grunberg, Ali Larter, Masi Oka, Adrian Pasdar, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Leonard Roberts and Milo Ventimiglia. The Pediatric Epilepsy Project at UCLA was formed to raise funds, provide financial support and increase community awareness to help sustain the Division of Pediatric Neurology at UCLA.

www.heroesauction.com
http://www.4pep.org/

Heroes airs Monday Nights at 9pm on NBC and is the breakout TV hit of the season!

Australian Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Auctions a day with them for Cystic Fibrosis!!!

2006-07-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

a more unusual auction story.....The Comanchero Motorcycle Club is auctioning off a day in the life of a biker, including a visit to the infamous site of a shootout with a rival gang that left six people dead. The group has advertised in on the Ebay.au site for a chance to spend eight hours with three from the gang visiting the site of one of the country's bloodiest biker wars- the 1984 Milperra Massacre.six bikers from two gangs were killed in 1984.

The auction has a reserve price of 2,000 Australian dollars (US$1,500), and the club has pledged to donate half the final bid to the cystic fibrosis unit of The Children's Hospital at Westmead as one of the members daughters is stricken with CF.

With 2 days left there were no bids- here is the link to this highly unusual auction.
http://digbig.com/4mcax

Online Auctions increase value of Celebrity Auctions for Fundraisers!!!!

2006-09-02T21:38:00.000-07:00

A September 3 story from the NY Times Web site bears reading by all fundraisers-

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/03/us/03buffett.html

The story deals with the increase in value and final bids for celebrity auction items when charities when they use online auctions to "exploit" their items and events.

I would expect that you may see fundraisers going to a two tier system for celebrity items- the first tier will be celebrity items that can be bid on at a "brick and mortar"(for lack of a better term) event. The second tier will be celebrity items up for auction in a virtual world.

From experience I have found that local fundraising event patrons want items, 50/50 raffles etc- where you need to be present to win. This is in addition to community or virtual participation where you need not be present to win.

Remember to watch the Labor Day Telethon with Jerry Lewis.... a tradition in our home for over 35 years.

No Risk Opportunity for Fundraising Auction Planners

2006-08-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

Our friend Ina Steiner over at Auctionbytes just posted this and I thought it could be beneficial to our many fundraising auction coordinators:

cMarket, a leading provider of online auctions to support nonprofit causes, has teamed with Steiner Sports to supply non-profit auction planners with exclusive sports memorabilia and once-in-a-lifetime experiences to increase their auction revenue.

Steiner Sports works with 1,700 athletes and carries exclusive autograph deals with David Ortiz and Curt Schilling of the Red Sox, Yankees captain Derek Jeter, five-time NBA all-star Jason Kidd, New York Giants running back Tiki Barber, and others. Steiner Sports can arrange for signings to be personalized for the winning auction bidder or a designated recipient and can arrange unique meet-and-greets with professional athletes, sports clinics and presentations for cMarket clients.

Items are available at no risk to non-profits. If the item doesn't sell at or above cost, there is no financial loss to the non-profit.

Emmy Swag Bag Auctions Anyone???????

2006-08-24T20:47:00.000-07:00

With the Emmy Awards happening this Sunday, and the I.R.S. clamping down on those recipients of "Swag Bags" I will be keeping an eye out for those recipients who take their goody bag and put it up for a charity auction. That way the stars won't have to shell out about 10k to Uncle Sam- especially since the bag has over 30K worth of Goodies.

Stay Tuned. and if you see a link or read about an Emmy Swag Bag auction- email me
richard@fundraisers.com

Sorry, been out of touch for a while. the dog day...

2006-08-23T18:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry, been out of touch for a while. the dog days of summer.
Found this

The Michael Andretti Foundation will be auctioning off a VIPpackage on eBay beginning August 23rd until August 30th. As a special guest of Michael Andretti, MAFand Andretti Green Racing, the winner and a guest will be invited to attend a weekend at the PalmsCasino Resort in Las Vegas, NV to enjoy the team’s post season celebration weekend.

All proceeds from the package will benefit the Father Tom Fratus Foundationand the Franciscan Outreach Association in Chicago, IL

The VIP Package will be auctioned on eBay until Wednesday, August 30th. The package is available byvisiting http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290021975683

About Franciscan Outreach Association:
The Father Tom Fratus Foundation and the Franciscan Outreach Association reaches out to thehomeless by providing food, shelter and practical help to guide them to a better life. Further informationon this foundation is available at www.franoutreach.org

Ellen Barkin auctioning off 2 million of estranged hubby-Ron Perelman's luxurious Jewelry!!!

2006-07-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

Actress Ellen Barkin is selling over $2 million worth of diamonds and emeralds to billionaire estranged husband Ron Perelman gave her.

Barkin is auctioning off the treasure trove of necklaces and rings for charity to rid herself of any reminder of the marriage.

The 52-year-old, who reportedly walked away from the marriage with a $20 million divorce settlement, will put her jewelry up for auction at Christie's in London on October 10.

She told Vogue Magazine , "As exquisite as the collection is, they're just not memories I want to wear out every day. For other people, they're pieces of jewelry -- for me, they have history.
"I'll take a break from the jewelled trophy-wife look."

If any reader knows the Charity...let us know....I feel like Page six with this blog...

BJ's launches impressive 2006 Charity Online Auction !!!

2006-07-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

Interested in Autographed Sports Memorabilia, Vacation Packages, Electronics and Diamond Jewelry? Check out BJ's 2006 Charity Championship online auction. BJ's is a giving company, and BJ's Charitable Foundation earlier this year gave a $150,000 grant for funding the outdoor playground at Children's Hospital Boston. Hosting this online auction for BJ's is cMarket, though BJ's is handling all communications for the auction with their millions of customers.

For additional information - check out http://bjs.cmarket.com

Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth Private Paramount Screening Auction- WOW!!!

2006-06-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

Found this interesting fundraising auction.
A private screening of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth at Paramount Studios in Hollywood to benefit The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

It's an eBay giving works auction- and airfare and hotel accomodations aren't included- but 20 personally inscribed Books of An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore will go to the auction winner.

http://digbig.com/4kkyh

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee brings good people and good causes together to help ensure both the excellent stewardship of donor funds and the wise investment of grants in the 40 counties of Middle Tennessee that we serve. The Community Foundation puts the joy back in giving by making it comfortable, convenient and cost-effective to give, and by harnessing the flexibility available through The Foundation to create a giving vehicle best suited to a donor’s goals

Warren Buffett's Lunch earns Much Bucks for Glide Foundation

2006-06-30T16:15:00.000-07:00

Alot of press on the winning bid of 620,100.00 on eBay ( to benefit the Glide Foundation) to have lunch with Berkshire Hathaway's Chairman, Warren Buffett. The winning bidder a silicon valley resident, plans to ask members of his family to join him for lunch at a NYC Steakhouse, which donated their services.

Last year, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle autographed by celebrities and offered by talk-show host Jay Leno fetched $800,100 on eBay to benefit tsunami victims- that is the highest non-profit auction on eBay. The 2006 Lunch with Warren Buffett is the second highest.

Once again, it is refreshing to see high profile celebs and business people doing good for non-profits.

Newsweeks - 15 People who Make America Great Highlight Target Corp.

2006-07-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

May I take a moment to reflect on Newsweeks Current issue.....I am not a man to cry in public- but as I was reading this issue- while bicycling at the 24 hour fitness on Sunday- the tears flowed - as I was enthralled by the Cover Story, 15 People who make America Great to the point of tears.....reading about all the giving that goes so unnoticed day after day, week after week by so many in this world.

I must single out Target Corporation for their work with local, national and international causes- They are there in a time of need- and quite frankly, reading about how they handle themselves- makes me want to support them more than ever. But giving starts at the grass roots level. When I was a kid, I went around on Halloween at President Gardens in Kansas City, MO with my Orange UNICEF Can asking for change- not understanding fully the lesson my mom wanted to teach me of helping needy children.

To all the givers out there thank you....and to Annie- thanks for creating this web site. Knowing you...and to the masses that visit the site on a weekly basis- thank-you too....the best is yet to come..

Have a great Independence Day

Link to Newsweek article http://digbig.com/4krwm

Matthew McConaughey's 1971 Corvette Convertible auction to benefit Oprah Winfrey's Angel Network's Hurricane Rita and Katrina Fund

2006-07-20T12:47:00.000-07:00

Once again Oprah's Angel Network is the recipient of an auction poised to generate interest and $$$$. Hollywood Movie Celebrity Matthew McConaughey's is auctioning his 1971 Corvette Convertible thru ebay to benefit Oprah Winfrey's Angel Network. This 10 day auction ends on July 27, and as of today with 7 days left the bidding is up to $42,800 with over 34 bids so far.

Matthew McConaughey will donate 100% of the proceeds from this auction to Oprah's Angel Network's Hurricanes Katrina and Rita recovery efforts. Oprah's Angel Network is dedicated to inspiring people to make a difference in the lives of others. It grants awards to organizations and operate projects in under-served communities that provide educational initiatives as well as assist people in fulfilling basic human needs and regaining dignity. To learn more, visit oprahsangelnetwork.org.

To view the auction and the history of this most beautiful Corvette- http://digbig.com/4mbbm

Sexiest Woman Jessica Biel to help raise funds for Denver Teen

2006-07-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

Esquire Magazine's sexiest Woman, Jessica Biel is allowing a date with her to be auctioned to benefit Molly Bloom, who lost her leg in a prom night limousine accident on May 13 of this year. Ms Beil has recorded an audio appeal available on her web site to entice would-be bidders.

The event dubbed "Mollypalooza" to help Molly Bloom's family with medical expenses is scheduled for Tuesday at the Rock Island Club, organizers told The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. The News described the date as a lunch date.

For additional information on this worthy fundraiser to pay for Medical Expenses for Molly, go to: http://www.jessebiel.com/html/news.php or http://www.mollypalooza.net/ or better yet- this link- http://www.dosomethingthatmatters.com/

eBay auctions eBay CEO to Benefit Lukemia & Lymphoma Society

2006-05-13T21:07:00.000-07:00

Just came across this eBay auction - Win Lunch with Bill Cobb President of eBay North America to benefit the Silicon Valley and Monterey Chapter of the Lukemia & Lymphoma Society.....

Know of someone who wished they could chat with an executive that’s been a part of multiple Fortune 500 companies in a power lunch situation? This is the chance they’ve been waiting for. Bill is the President of eBay North America and oversees the marketing, strategic planning, and business development for all of eBay's North American businesses. Bill earned his MBA at the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, so this lunch hour event is the “best gift you can’t wrap” for the prospective MBA student or up-and-coming high tech executive.

With 4 days left- the bid was up to 1,225.00. To review the auction- http://digbig.com/4hprs

Remember if you want us to talk about your auctions- you have to contact us. If I hadn't been surfing eBay, I would not have been able to publicize it to our readers.

Feel in a giving mood- then why not checkout eBay'...

2006-06-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

Feel in a giving mood- then why not checkout eBay's Giving Works area- where you can bid and see all the charity auctions on eBay within one area.

eBay Giving Works is the dedicated program for charity listings where you can buy items to support nonprofit organizations.

as of writing this blog - ebay giving works auctions total 23007 auctions- currently.

http://givingworks.ebay.com/

From Ebay Live- Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Foundation!!!

2006-06-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

What a great day. Walking for miles at eBay Live- all I needed to do was walk into the press room to find that A Custom Chopper from Michael Goddard is being auctioned on eBay for the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. Sharon and I have been friends since she first arrived in the states in 1976- and I am happy to be able to blog about this auction!!! The unique auction runs on eBay beginning June 13.

For more information www.godardchopper.com

While working out today- (Yes -I go to the gym for...

2006-06-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

While working out today- (Yes -I go to the gym for cardiac workouts) I came across an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition about local schools auctioning off summer internships with major corporations at school auctions. That's correct! Parents are investing thousands for their kid to work for little or nothing at companies like Nuveen Investment, Morgan Stanley, NBC, Miramax and others (to get them a foot in the door)- they are bidding for these internships at school auctions- the article itself looks into fairness- but that an issue that we will let the ethics people discuss.

Has the light gone on for all you fundraisers out there? Thinking of all the parents you can send those emails, or hard copies letters to? This is, once again, thinking outside the box, and that is what you can expect from fundraisers.com. We aren't just another static fundraising site. We are the Giving!

The link to the Wall Street Journal Article is:
http://digbig.com/4jdkj

Going to Vegas for eBay Live this - and I will be perusing the aisles of the exhibit hall and going to conferences to report back what is happening in the eBay world of online auctions.

BTW- We had our Cabrito House Fundraiser last nite- and the Chinese Auction did great. We were able to generate additional revenue for the Men's recovery home- that we never thought was possible.

Have a great week

Check out the advance promotion on this upcoming auction.

2006-05-27T22:08:00.000-07:00

As I was browsing the web tonite- I came across a very professional auction site for Cal Recreation and Cal Alumini- the fact they have begun to promote these auctions so early, suggests that this type of premarketing works.

Check out the design and layout – not to mention the result of last years auctions- a site like this is a teaser for bidders. Building interest months before the auction starts. .

http://digbig.com/4htwr

Cal Online Auction Beneficiaries:

1. Cal Recreational Sports Development Fund - Benefitting Youth Summer Camp Scholarships for deserving area families and Recreational Sports memberships for UC Berkeley Pell Grant students. Cal Recreational Sports

2. Cal Alumni Association - Funding programs and services that directly support our great public university. Among these are Cal Advocacy, career services, lifelong learning, student services and much more. Cal Alumni Association