A Stylish Shift: How the Salvation Army Took Fundraising to the Next Level with GalaBid

With a fresh format and the help of GalaBid’s easy-to-use digital tools, the Salvation Army's Women of Distinction Fashion Show brought community spirit and fundraising success together—online and in style.

The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte held its third annual Women of Distinction Fashion Show, celebrating local women who’ve made a real difference in the community. Run by the dedicated volunteers of the Women’s Auxiliary, the event featured a high-energy fashion show, heartfelt speeches, and an online silent auction. One honoree, just 17 years old, wowed guests with her story of launching a nonprofit at age nine.

Prompted by the disruption brought by COVID and after years of paper-based events, the team turned to GalaBid for a digital upgrade in 2021. The new set-up made fundraising easier, bidding more accessible, and the entire experience smoother for everyone involved.

We chatted to the Salvation Army's Major Bethany Burns about the fundraising experience using GalaBid.

The Women's Auxiliary provides scholarships for kids, many of whom don’t have a lot of options for college. With two years of no fundraising, we had to make sure we could raise enough money. It was also our first time using this platform and holding the event at a new location, so we wanted to keep costs as low as possible. Major Bethany Burns, Salvation Army

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The Event
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Key Achievements

• Moved from paper-based auctions to a smooth digital setup, cutting down admin time and stress
• Reached more donors by opening bidding early and allowing participation from anywhere
• Raised important funds to support scholarships and local community programs
• Made giving easy and enjoyable with real-time updates and simple donation options

Event Goals

• Raise funds for essential Salvation Army programs, especially scholarships for under-served youth, while keeping costs low
• Boost donor engagement by highlighting inspiring stories from honorees and the community
• Make the silent auction more profitable by enabling early and remote bidding
• Cut down on manual tasks and simplify event logistics with a digital-first approach

Products Used

• Digital silent auction platform to manage and display items
• Early bidding access via email invites
• Real-time bidding alerts to keep donors in the loop
• Easy-to-use donation button built into the auction experience
• Secure online payments to replace checks and manual processing
• Follow-up messages for non-winning bidders, inviting donations instead
• Custom donation levels to show exactly where funds will help
• Pre-authorization on credit cards to ensure smooth transactions
• On-demand support for quick fixes and questions

Key Fundraising Event Challenges

• Paper-based auctions required a lot of time, staff, and volunteer effort
• Some volunteers found digital tools unfamiliar and tricky at first
• In-person bidding limited participation to those physically at the event
• Tracking payments was messy and time-consuming with cash and checks
• Donor communication was harder to manage with traditional methods
• Maximize fundraising without incurring large overhead costs

GalaBid Solutions

• Replaced paper bidding with an all-in-one digital auction system
• Provided an intuitive platform that volunteers could quickly learn
• Allowed early and remote bidding, boosting reach and participation
• Enabled smooth, secure donations and card payments in one place
• Improved donor engagement with real-time updates and flexible communication tools
• Delivered over 100 features within the free GalaBid platform to help boost fundraising while keeping costs low

Another thing I love about GalaBid is the support. I can always reach someone when I run into an issue, like when I had trouble with a photo upload. It’s so helpful to get quick answers, especially when you're in the middle of something. Major Bethany Burns, Salvation Army

Ideas for Future Events

Building on the success if the fashion show fundraiser, we looked at other GalaBid features the Salvation Army could use for future events:

1. Create a Donation Widget Page for Themed Giving Levels

What: Set up a widget page dedicated to donation levels tied to specific causes (e.g. “Provide study supplies to a disadvantaged student” or “Support a family with shelter”). Each level can be a separate donation item with a clear impact description.

Benefit:

• Makes giving more tangible and emotionally resonant for donors.
• Organizes donation options into a visually branded, user-friendly section—ideal for mirroring messaging from physical materials like table tents.
• Encourages higher participation by allowing donors to easily choose a cause and amount that resonates with them.

2. Add GalaBid Auction Items to Boost Prize Options

What: The Salvation Army had used GalaBid's risk-free fundraising items in previous campaigns. GalaBid's item service means fundraisers can easily access marquee items, such as luxury holidays or exclusive memorabilia, without incurring risk or cost.

Benefit

• Allows fundraisers to include attractive prizes in their events without any upfront costs. If an item doesn’t sell, it can be returned free of charge.
• By offering premium items, fundraisers can boost bidder engagement and increase proceeds, all while keeping their fundraising cost-effective and low-risk.

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GalaBid's fundraising item service has been really handy—just having these other options where we literally just click a box and all of a sudden there’s new items in our auction. Last year we were pretty successful with the trips. The woman who won the Bali trip actually saw our chairperson at another event and went out of her way to say that trip was amazing. And the chairperson herself actually bid on one of the trips last year! Major Bethany Burns, Salvation Army.

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3. Utilize the Free Platform 10% Tip-Back

What: When using GalaBid's free fundraising platform, GalaBid returns 10% of all suggested tips back to the fundraiser.
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Benefit:

• Fundraisers can run auctions, raffles, and donation campaigns at no cost using GalaBid’s user-friendly platform, making it an accessible solution for organisations of all sizes.
• GalaBid returns 10% of suggested tips back to the fundraiser, providing an additional stream of income to help maximize fundraising result

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4. Use GalaBid for Future Event Ticketing

What: GalaBid's seamless event ticketing service

Benefit:

• By combining ticketing with auction or raffle on a single platform, you streamline participation and increase opportunities for guests to contribute, driving higher overall fundraising outcomes.
• Manage ticket sales, guest lists, and payments all in one place—then easily transition guests into your auction or raffle for a smooth and engaging event journey.

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Conclusion

The Women of Distinction Fashion Show brought together heart, style, and purpose—while meeting its fundraising goals with less hassle than ever before. What once took a small army of volunteers to manage on paper became streamlined and stress-free with GalaBid.

By making it easier for people to bid, donate, and get involved—whether in-person or from home—the event team raised vital funds and gave supporters a more enjoyable experience. Thanks to GalaBid, the Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte could focus more on impact and less on paperwork—making every dollar and every story count.

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