I’ve spent years talking to nonprofit leaders about fundraising. I’ve sat in boardrooms, walked through strategy sessions, and heard firsthand what works—and what doesn’t. But a few weeks ago, I got a completely different perspective.
I was on the auction floor—not as a vendor or software executive, but as a volunteer and co-chair of my kids’ school fundraiser. That experience gave me something I hadn’t had before: a front-row seat to the complexity, pressure, and precision required to execute a truly successful nonprofit event.
The event—SPIRIT—has been around for 27 years and supports a parish and school community of thousands of families. This year, we set an ambitious fundraising goal of $650,000 and ultimately raised just over $900,000.
That result was absolutely a team effort. I was lucky to work alongside an incredible group of co-chairs—especially the wives (shoutout to my wife Preston), who carried so much of the planning, detail work, and heart behind the event—as well as the St. Patrick’s staff, whose leadership and execution made the whole night possible. Nights like that don’t happen because of one person. They happen because a lot of people go all in.
What stuck with me most wasn’t just the result. It was everything required to get there. An event at this scale demands hundreds of small decisions, constant coordination, and the ability to spot problems before they become visible to anyone else. It’s not just about raising money. It’s about creating an experience where donors feel confident, engaged, and ready to give.
I’ve always respected the work nonprofit teams do. But being in the middle of it gave me a much deeper appreciation for how hard it is to get all of those elements right at the same time. When an event runs smoothly, people assume it was simple. It wasn’t.
Running an auction at this scale is a lot more complex than it looks. You’re trying to create an environment where donors feel energized, not frustrated; volunteers feel prepared, not overwhelmed; and the organization can actually maximize the moment. Balancing all three is what separates a good event from a great one.
One of the biggest lessons for me was how much the experience matters. Small moments—like how quickly someone can check in, place a bid, or check out—have an outsized impact on how people feel throughout the night. We focused heavily on removing friction by collecting more than 300 payment methods in advance and registering attendees ahead of time, which eliminated long lines and allowed the event to flow smoothly.
That attention to detail created momentum. When donors aren’t dealing with logistical headaches, they stay engaged. And engaged donors give.
Another big lesson: the event doesn’t start when people walk through the door. It starts days—or even weeks—earlier.
We opened the silent auction early and saw more than 1,000 bids placed before the event even began. By the time guests arrived, they weren’t figuring out how to participate—they were already in it. That early engagement created energy that carried through the night and pushed bids higher across the board.
It reinforced something I’ve seen across our customers as well: when you meet donors where they are and make it easy to engage early, you build momentum that compounds. Fundraising becomes less about a single ask and more about a connected experience.
Using Bloomerang Fundraising’s auctions platform didn’t make the event feel less personal—it made it more engaging. Donors could track items, receive notifications, and jump back in when they were outbid, which turned passive attendees into active participants.
At the same time, the backend visibility helped our team stay agile. We could see what was working, spot items that needed attention, and adjust in real time. In a fast-moving event, that kind of visibility matters.
That’s how I think about technology in fundraising. It shouldn’t replace the human element. It should remove friction, increase participation, and give teams the tools to execute with confidence.
If there’s one theme that kept coming up for me, it’s that many organizations limit themselves without realizing it. Not because they lack commitment, but because they’re operating inside assumptions they haven’t challenged in a while.
We made a series of decisions that challenged those assumptions. We invested in transforming the venue, expanded the bar setup to reduce lines, leaned into mobile bidding, and pushed harder on sponsorships. None of those decisions happened by accident. Each one required us to rethink cost, effort, and what donors actually expect from a great event.
On their own, those choices may seem small. Together, they created an experience that signaled this event—and this mission—mattered. That signal builds confidence. And confidence drives generosity.
The most effective organizations I’ve encountered share a common trait: they sweat the details. Every interaction, every handoff, every decision has a purpose.
You can feel it in how donors are welcomed, how the experience flows, and how clearly the organization communicates impact. That creates trust that extends well beyond a single night.
I saw firsthand how powerful that is. When donors feel that level of care and thoughtfulness, they don’t just give more confidently—they engage more deeply. They become part of the mission, not just attendees at an event.
This experience reinforced something we talk about often at Bloomerang: nonprofits don’t need to settle for “good enough.”
Great fundraising events don’t happen because people care more. They happen because teams remove friction, create momentum, and sweat the details. That’s what we saw firsthand at SPIRIT.
When the experience is smooth, donors stay engaged. When momentum starts before the doors open, energy builds. And when every detail signals professionalism, care, and purpose, trust grows.
That trust matters. Because donors don’t just respond to the mission — they respond to the experience around it.
Get those things right, and donors won’t just show up. They’ll show up bigger.
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