Roaring Fork Conservancy
Founded in November 1996 through a unique public-private partnership, Roaring Fork Conservancy has become one of the most respected watershed conservation organizations in Colorado. Their mission is to inspire people to explore, value, and protect the Roaring Fork Watershed, which is located in central Colorado on the west side of the Continental Divide and contributes 306 billion gallons of water each year to the Colorado River. The Conservancy is currently funded through individual donations, grants, special events, and program fees. In 2000, Roaring Fork Conservancy formed the Rivers Council to help raise support for the organization's five program areas: watershed education, land conservation, river stewardship, water resources research, and water quality monitoring. In 2003, Roaring Fork Conservancy co-founded the Roaring Fork Watershed Collaborative Water Committee, an ad-hoc committee of over 50 governments, agencies, nonprofits and citizens that proactively addresses water issues in the watershed.
Highlights
- 2009 was one of The Conservancy’s best auctions due to the excitement generated by the Auction Booster packages in the live auction — which added $38,450 in additional revenue for the cause.
- Due to the momentum of the live auction, two high-end experience packages were donated and sold at the last minute.
- Having software that could exchange data between the three databases enabled The Conservancy to reconcile all three platforms in weeks instead of 3-4 months.
Challenge
The economy had been tough in 2009, and the staff at Roaring Fork Conservancy knew they needed to somehow trim event expenses and still reach their fundraising goal for the year. For some reason, their hottest live auction items – the fishing, golf trips and outdoor adventures – had been declining in popularity over the past few years. They knew they needed to procure some more exciting experience packages, but how, they wondered, when so many other non-profits were competing for similar items?
From an operational perspective, Rick Lofaro, Roaring Fork Conservancy’s Executive Director, saw that reconciliation and close after their fundraising events, including balancing accounts receivable and their eTapestry donor management system records, was taking months -- far too long. The group needed to streamline and re-energize their auction and its post-event operations, while keeping within a limited budget.
Solution
Roaring Fork has been holding its benefit auction for 10 years. It is the primary fundraising event for the group and represents about 33% of their total annual income. For years the group had a staff member who managed the event logistics using spreadsheets. When that staff member left, the group decided to utilize the talents of a professional event planner, who suggested Greater Giving Event Software to help them better coordinate their item donations, catalog, and all the details it takes to pull off a large outdoor event for 300 people and 30 volunteers.
The Conservancy’s team also decided to rethink their procurement strategy. First, they asked their previous donors for sponsorship dollars or a monetary donation, rather than just an auction item. Second, they chose to offer the most exciting and unique adventure packages they could find at their Live Auction —achieved by reserving Greater Giving’s Auction Booster “Fighter Pilot for a Day” and “Open Wheel Racing” packages. Auction Booster was a perfect solution because it allowed the team to obtain unique items at no risk, with all the marketing materials provided free of charge. The packages could also be sold multiple times, which their auctioneer hoped to promote and leverage.
Lofaro said, “If we are going to bring something new and exciting to our auction, let’s blow it out of the water!”
Tips from Roaring Fork Conservancy
- A professional benefit auctioneer is key to helping you get the most out of your live auction. He can take unexpected, serendipitous coincidences and turn them into significant money-making opportunities on the spot.
- Use your connections to get donated or reduced venues and other items for the night of event.
- Momentum gained during a live auction can create significant fundraising opportunities. Again, hiring a professional benefit auctioneer can make the difference between a good auction and a great auction.
Results
Lofaro says that the Roaring Fork Conservancy staff really enjoys using Greater Giving Event Software. The software has solved some the internal challenges using separate databases: eTapestry, Quickbooks, and Greater Giving Event Software. Because Event Software can exchange data between the three platforms, it has enabled The Conservancy staff to reconcile all three databases in a few weeks instead of 3-4 months. Plus the solution expedites check-in and check-out at their auction. Lofaro enthused, “The integration was lightening fast – I’m thrilled at how quickly everything was buttoned up after the event!”
The most exciting result, however, was the introduction of the Auction Booster packages into their 2009 live auction. Lofaro says that from the beginning, the bidding was fierce and the energy in the room was electric. Having a professional benefit auctioneer who knew the crowd was key. As the bidding for the “Fighter Pilot for a Day” package began to wind down, the auctioneer asked the top bidders if they would each buy the package at the top bid. Because of that wise move, two packages sold at $14,000 each! After that, the crowd went wild. Next up in the bid order was the “Open Wheel Racing” package. In a moment of serendipity, guests, staff, and auctioneer discovered that the owner of the auction venue, who was also a guest at the auction, was co-designer of the racing car in the Booster package. Completely unplanned, he stood up when the bidding began and gave the crowd a testimonial about how he helped design the car they would drive, and they would never experience anything like it. The crowd was ecstatic, and the auctioneer seized the opportunity to sell four racing packages! The Booster packages alone added $38,450 in additional revenue for the cause.
The momentum of the Booster sales carried through the remainder of the event and established a theme of generosity for the evening. In fact, attendees got so carried away that the auctioneer had an on-the-spot donation from their band – “Buy the Band” – and a guest who owned a resort in Florida threw a 3-night-two-day stay and a charter fishing trip donation into the bidding. Lofaro noted the importance of having an auctioneer who can handle changes like these on the fly, and the fact that with Event Software, the packages could be created and sold in minutes, taking advantage of terrific momentum.
Lofaro stated that “2009 was the best auction we had in 10 years.” The Conservancy exceeded their earning goal by 15% by a combination of cutting costs and taking a fresh approach to their auction.
Said Lofaro, “The Auction Booster packages single-handedly made this auction.” The buzz in town lasted a long time after the event and Lofaro says “It was the perfect live auction – could not have gone any better – the Board of Directors and everyone involved were dumbfounded how successful the event was in spite of the economy.”