Thousands of charities, schools and other nonprofits are raking in millions in additional fundraising revenue with the help of Charity Grow’s free online auction platform and charity event planning system.

Charity Grow has revolutionized auction fundraising yet again. The organization best known for its diverse offering of charity auction items has entered a new age with its entry into the fundraising technology space. In addition to the organization’s current offerings, Charity Grow now offers online auctions and mobile bidding, as well as turnkey online event planning. What makes these additions truly unique is that the company offers them to all its charity partners as a value-added services. That means Charity Grow’s comprehensive online toolkit is 100% free — no setup fees, no contracts, no commissions.

“The positive response from our charity partners has been overwhelming,” said Charity Grow’s Marian Amo. “The two things I hear most from the event planners we work with are, one, ‘it worked just how you said it was going to,’ and two, ‘I can’t believe this service is free!’ People have a hard time believing we’re giving this technology away, but it’s about giving something back in a realm where many tech-focused companies are charging huge commissions just for passively running an auction. We’re not a tech company, we’re a fundraising company, and we want to change the current model.”

Charity Grow’s exclusive online auction platform gives charity event planners the ability to host their virtual auctions via a simple interface with the assistance of in-house technical and marketing teams. Many early-adopting charities have integrated Charity Grow’s online auction technology with their in-person auctions, utilizing the company’s mobile bidding engine as a tool at their live events, rather than antiquated bidding with paper and pens.

“Not only do the nonprofits we work with get the full benefit of displaying their auction items on a custom, branded domain, they also get the convenience of having the entire site designed and managed for them — all completely free,” Amo said. “That way, planners can shift their focus toward bringing in more donations and making their supporters aware of their online auction. Charity Grow also helps create compelling, response-driven marketing materials for every auction we host. That’s just another thing we hope to take off their plates, so they can focus on engaging their audiences.”

Managing a charity event is made simple with the help of Charity Grow’s online event planning system. Event organizers can book, manage and close out their auction fundraisers all via one user-friendly, web-based system.

“Accessibility is everything in the online and mobile space,” said Charity Grow’s Sean Gallagher. “To develop solutions that truly cater to what our charity partners need — not just now, but in the next five, 10, 15 years — we have to be focused on accessibility, and that’s what we’ve done with these latest technology projects. We’ve built systems that are both easy to use and scalable, while vast in their breadth and speed. Charity Grow’s online auction platform was the first step in our larger strategy to deliver technology-driven fundraising solutions to our charity partners for many years to come. Our next step has been the online event planner, but we have much more on the horizon.”

Find out more about Charity Grow at CharityGrow.com or contact a charity fundraising specialist at (888) 232-2500 to learn how this cutting-edge organization can help your charity grow.

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Winter fundraising events are a challenge to plan and execute effectively, as the temperatures dip throughout much of the country. The experts at Charity Grow have compiled a brief list of fundraising ideas and tips for hosting events during these long, cold days of winter.

Especially during the holiday season, make your events fun for the whole family. If your event is family-oriented, the natural inclination many of your donors have to be family-focused themselves will lead to much more success for your fundraising.

1. Throw a Winter Carnival! Who said carnivals can only be in the summer months? Host a winter carnival indoors that will be fun for all ages. You can have games and face painting for the little ones and some great local foods for the adults.
2. Host an Ice Skating Party! Rent out your local rink for the evening and host a skating party. To keep your guests warm in the rink, serve hot cocoa and coffee, plus other holiday goodies. You can also hold a small silent auction for the grownups while the kids are skating!
3. Put on a Bake Sale or Cookie Party! Around the holidays, so many of your potential donors are already baking, so why not make it baking for a cause? There are two ways you can accomplish this, either a bake sale, where volunteers sell their baked goods, or a cookie party! Everyone must bring a platter of cookies with them and then charge a small cover ($5-$10). Then, guests can mingle, taste cookies, and at the end, make their own plates of everyone’s cookies to bring home and enjoy.
4. Organize a Holiday-themed Sale! These include wrapping paper sales, candle sales or poinsettia sales. During the holidays everyone is looking for wrapping paper to wrap presents, candles to give as gifts or poinsettias for their homes, so have a sale of these things to raise money for your organization while also providing supporters with holiday items they already need.

Don’t let the cold weather negatively affect your organization’s fundraising efforts. Know your target community and then cater to some warming events for them. It gives people a reason to get up and out of the house and all for a good cause.

5. Engage in good works outside your organization

It may seem a bit counter-intuitive to engage in nonprofit fundraising and charity events outside your own organization’s efforts, but no matter how big or small, nonprofits rely on the care of others. It’s this intrinsic aspect of their blueprint that makes it essential for nonprofits to promote one another. By taking the time to support causes other than your own, it allows for other people who may have a connection to your organization even though they may be primarily supporting a different charity to know of your work and become engaged. It builds rapport, credibility and an admirable reputation that goes beyond just your circle of influence. Much of brand building is referral and recognition. Reaching people you won’t normally interact with is a great way to expand the awareness of your organization.

4. Fundraise!
It goes without saying that the an organization’s lifeline lies in its nonprofit fundraising. Fundraising allows charities the opportunity to fund their projects and sustain their missions. Outside of government sponsored grants and in-kind donations by philanthropists, nonprofits depend on fundraising. There are many ways to fundraise, whether it’s a simple bake sale or an online charity auction. Fundraising is a great way to promote the good work your charity does and allow others to take part in building an organization that’s making a difference.

3. Be transparent regarding your allocation of funds

Since nonprofits run on the premise of caring more about doing good than traditional profits, it’s imperative that those who donate or participate in your nonprofit fundraising efforts understand  their money is truly going to the cause they care about. It’s easy to encounter public suspicion or resentment if the majority of funds raised for a cause end up in someone’s pocket rather than in building a well in an impoverished country, or providing books for underserved children. Nonprofits that are transparent about the allocation of their funds build trust with their donors and supporters. Establishing trust in your supporters helps to secure new ones who measure the efficiency of a nonprofit by its management of funds.

2. Engage the public through social media
Social media is a tool. It’s a medium for connecting with others, it’s an electronic mouthpiece for self expression, it’s an escape for entertainment, but more than anything else, it’s a tool for generating awareness and public knowledge. Nonprofits that don’t capitalize on the power of social media are missing out on a great tool to attract new supporters. Cultivating engagement on social media keeps supporters involved and builds momentum for a cause.

1. Think outside the box for campaigns

Events like Color Me Rad are perfect examples of creating campaigns that are outside the box. Creativity and innovation are essential in engaging potential new supporters. Unlike regular 5k runs, Color Me Rad is a 5k run through a spray painted obstacle course. It takes something as common as a run and makes it unique, fun and engaging. Another example of creative and innovative campaigns comes from Lifebeat, which helps fight HIV with music. Lifebeat created condoms that have a code printed on the wrapper that can be redeemed via the music streaming service, Spotify. They’re not just teaching safe sex, they’re making it entertaining to be safe. Thinking outside of the box draws attention that keeps supporters coming back with new ones.

Nonprofits are a reflection of humanity’s desire to serve one another and promote goodness all around. So get out there and start building support for your cause. It’s meeting a very important need!