Fundraising Blog

Bite-Sized Case Study: The Perfect Plant and Prize Mix

The Cause

Plantlife is an organisation dedicated to protecting the British wildlife. "Wild flowers, plants and fungi are the life support for all our wildlife and their colour and character light up our landscapes. But without our help, this priceless natural heritage is in danger of being lost."

The Event

Flower Power Dinner at The Royal Chelsea Hospital in London, UK. Plantlife hold their marquee fundraiser every four years. So when the time rolls around for the next event ALL the stops are pulled out! This year was no exception. One of the loveliest event set-ups we've seen included a room decorated with rare and native British flowers, plus trees and table arrangements that brought a beautiful countryside meadow indoors. The event was hosted by Plantlife President, and renowned Antiques Roadshow expert, Philip Mould OBE. The night also featured a video message from wildlife enthusiast Prince Charles.

The Fundraiser

The dinner included a silent and live auction. Plantlife launched the silent auction two weeks before the dinner. Advance bids made a significant contribution to the overall total. Plantlife wanted to move away from tablets on tables. We were able to save the organisation time and money by enabling guests to access the auction via their mobile devices.

The Prizes

A wonderful mix of wildlife and outdoor related prizes included: a lichen fossick, a private tour of Highgrove's gardens and Fen Orchid recovery on the Norfolk Broads.

Things We Loved

• Plantlife's auction was a brilliant example of the perfect prize mix. The prizes were on point in terms of relevance and supporter interest. There was also a good range of price points, items and experience.

• The beautiful room took our breath away! 

• The silent auction's early launch paid dividends in generating funds. 

• The event dress code dispensed with black tie and encouraged guests to use flowers as their sartorial inspiration. We saw some gorgeous outfits including one that looked like a giant dandelion!

Takeaways

1. Launch your auction early to get the competition fired-up and the bids rolling in.2. A thoughtful prize mix with multiple price points will go a long way to making your auction a success.

About GalaBid

GalaBid is CrowdComms’ fundraising software, developed inhouse, which facilitates bidding, donations, purchases, payment for and management of all fundraising activities before and during live fundraising events, galas, golf days etc.

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