Dudes for Dads is a volunteer-run nonprofit supporting children who have lost a father or grown up without one.
Working across Washington DC, New York, Miami and Ann Arbor, Michigan, the organization focuses on academics, athletics and grief support. Its programs include college scholarships, sponsorship of local sports teams and professional counselling for children dealing with bereavement.
For the past two years, Dudes for Dads has brought 400 to 500 supporters together for an annual gala in the New York City area. The evening includes speeches, recognition of the community’s support, a silent auction and a raffle.
The first gala relied on paper bids, cash and checks. It raised money, but left the volunteer team with a difficult job: tracking winners, collecting payments, managing funds after the event and gathering the details needed to send prizes.
For the next gala, the team moved its silent auction and raffle to GalaBid.
The change produced a clear result. Dudes for Dads raised nearly twice as much as it had with the paper-based approach and delivered prizes within a week, rather than the several months it had taken the previous year.
Christian Cleaveland from Dudes for Dads spoke to GalaBid about why the organization changed its approach, how it chose a pricing model and what it learned from running a large auction and raffle with an all-volunteer team.
When Pen and Paper Became Too Much to Manage
At the first gala, volunteers recorded bids by hand and then had to find winners, collect payments and reconcile cash and checks. Those tasks continued after guests had left and the team was already cleaning up.
“Last year, we did it old-school, pen-and-paper style, and it was just a nightmare to keep track of everything, track people down when they’d won, and receive payments.”
Prize fulfilment created another long tail of work. The team had to collect addresses and shipping details after the event, and it took several months to get every item to its winner.
Fundraiser takeaway When reviewing an event process, count the work that happens after the venue closes. Winner follow-up, payment collection and prize delivery can consume far more volunteer time than the bidding itself.
A Digital Process from Bidding to Fulfilment
The team searched online for a fundraising platform that could manage both the silent auction and raffle. After an initial conversation with GalaBid and several check-in calls while building the campaign, it had a system that matched the event’s needs.
“They described the exact solution that we were looking for. It kind of seemed like a no-brainer.”
The benefits continued after gala night. Winners received the items they had bought or won within one week, compared with several months under the previous system. With payment and participant information captured digitally, the team no longer had to reconstruct those details afterwards.
Fundraiser takeaway: Choose a platform for the full event workflow, not only the moment when someone bids. Payments, winner details and fulfilment should form one connected process.
Nearly Twice the Fundraising Result!
Moving online helped Dudes for Dads raise nearly twice as much through the gala’s silent auction and raffle as it had with pen and paper. Christian also reported that the event ran smoothly and that the team expects to use GalaBid again for its next gala.
“It went a lot smoother, and I’m certain we’re going to be using GalaBid for next year’s gala.”
Fundraiser takeaway: A digital system can improve more than administration. Making it easier to bid, pay and complete a transaction can support a stronger fundraising result.
Choosing a Pricing Model to Fit the Event
Dudes for Dads compared several platforms and selected GalaBid’s flat-fee option. The team wanted confidence that if it exceeded its fundraising target, most of the additional money would remain with the cause.
“Having the flat-fee option was really nice because it gives peace of mind that if we exceed our fundraising goal, we’re able to keep most of the money for the cause.”
Transparency for guests also shaped the decision. Gala tickets had already been sold through a separate platform that added fees at checkout. The team did not want auction and raffle participants to face another unexpected addition after choosing how much to give.
“We didn’t want to have the added-on fee or have people be confused by, ‘I clicked this amount, but then I’m seeing this amount being charged.’”
Fundraiser takeaway: Compare pricing models against the amount you expect to raise and the checkout experience you want supporters to have. The lowest upfront cost is not automatically the best fit for every event.
Preparing Auction Items Without Drowning in Email
The team begins asking for donated items around six months before the gala, but many items are only confirmed close to the event. For the most recent gala, most arrived during the final two weeks. That compressed the work of writing listings, gathering photographs and checking details into a short period.
“You put together most of the website in that last two weeks. It’s keeping track of dozens of email threads and trying to make sure that you’re capturing all the stuff that’s being sent.”
Christian saw value in collecting listing information as soon as a donor commits, even if the physical item will not arrive until later. Starting the item page early spread the workload and reduced the risk of details being lost across email threads.
Fundraiser takeaway: Ask donors for the item description, photographs, restrictions and fulfilment details as soon as they commit. Build draft listings early, even when the physical item will arrive later.
Key Lessons for Fundraisers
Look beyond bidding
Consider payments, winner records and prize fulfilment when choosing an auction platform.
Replace manual follow up
Capture bidder and payment details digitally so volunteers do not have to reconstruct them after the event.
Choose pricing for your event
Compare expected fundraising, platform costs and the experience supporters will have at checkout.
Keep charges clear
Make sure participants understand what they will pay before they confirm a bid, raffle entry or donation.
Collect item details early
Request descriptions, photographs and restrictions when a donor commits, even if delivery comes later.
A Successful Model for the Next Gala
For Dudes for Dads, moving the silent auction and raffle online changed both the result and the workload.
The gala raised nearly twice as much, winners received their items within a week and volunteers avoided months of payment and fulfilment follow-up. With a digital process now established, the team can plan its next gala around growing participation rather than rebuilding the administration from scratch.