Bite-Sized Case Study: Big House Theatre

The Cause

The Big House Theatre is a theatre-based organisation that gives opportunity, confidence and purpose to young people who have been through the UK care system and are finding life difficult. "The Big House is a place where people who may have given up on themselves gain the skills and confidence to turn their lives around."

The Event

Big House held their 2017 fundraising event in London Fields on March 6. The Big House Gala Dinner was attended by 150 people. Guests included legendary actor and comic, Sir Lenny Henry, and Deadpool's (the movie) Ed Skrein.

The Fundraiser

Big House ran a silent auction and live auction in support of the fundraiser Gala. Prizes included lunch with Ed Skrein, a signed script from Ken Loach's cult film Kes and a holiday in a Tuscan villa. Galabid provided on-site support on the Gala night. It was Big House's first fundraising auction and they wanted the peace of mind that would come with having technical and logistical support at the event. The organisation did opt to self-build the auction platform, which they found straight forward to and easy to manage.

Things We Loved 

Big House launched the silent auction two weeks in advance of the Gala night. By the time doors opened on March 6, the event had already raised £5,000! It was a great way to start the night and to generate some early buzz around the auction. ♥ Guests at the event received tickets to a forthcoming Big House Theatre production. Performers completed a snippet of the show at the Gala. It was a clever an effective way to showcase the organisation's achievements and to connect guests to Big House, not only on the night but into the future too.

What they Said

"Excellent customer service from Henry Hall, he was always on hand to help with a wonderful response time. He was absolutely fantastic on the night of our Gala providing fantastic service to all of our guests and was a valued member of the on the night team. I would highly recommend GalaBid and Henry."

Takeaways

1. Celebrity endorsements and presence can give your fundraiser a huge boost in terms of attendee numbers and event profile
2. Finding unique ways to demonstrate your cause or charity in action strengthens the bond between your organisation and its supporters
3. Launching a silent auction ahead of the event will raise more revenue and create valuable momentum on the day of the event