Benefit Auction Specialist

Class rewritten in 2021!

If you’re serious about fundraising and benefit auctions as a professional service, this three-day, 24-hour class will provide the professional development you need to set yourself above the rest and prove the value you provide your clients. The fundraising and benefit auction world is changing, and auction professionals must adapt and grow to remain relevant, secure business, and retain clients. This class goes beyond the basics to teach you the advanced benefits of in-person, virtual, and hybrid events; client consultation skills and practices; and best practices for conducting a successful benefit auction and fundraising event to enhance revenue and engage the audience. You will learn marketing and communication methods, business development and management tips, and how to determine your value and charge for it. When you complete this class and the designation requirements, you will have a professional network and resources to promote your value, make more money, and accelerate the fundraising success of your clients.

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Upon completing this class, you will be able to:

1. Network with your peers for professional development and advancement opportunities in the benefit auction and fundraising industry
2. Guide clients through consultation resulting in a successful event and building your value
3. Differentiate yourself as an educated professional with specialized benefit auction training
4. Identify methods to communicate your professional value to committees, foundations, CEOs, and other influencers to secure new or recurring business
5. Promote your service and specialized training to find clients and grow your business, including digital and video marketing
6. Discuss strategies for developing and managing a successful fundraising benefit auction business
7. Serve as the auctioneer for a successful fundraising benefit auction event with an effective stage/screen performance
8. Demonstrate effective special appeal methodology and best practice
9. Discuss and maximize revenue streams and fundraising potential for multiple event types, including revenue generators and revenue enhancers
10. Describe the pros and cons of in-person, virtual, hybrid, and online only fundraising events for various purposes
11. Identify the technology and audio-visual best practices for each event type
12. Create a run-of-show (ROS) with your client that reinforces and supports fundraising as the event goal
13. Define the service level options available for you to offer in your business (i.e.: consultant, auctioneer, bid assistant, in-person, hybrid, virtual, etc.)
14. Complete the additional requirements for earning your Benefit Auction Specialist (BAS) designation and digital badge

Requirements for the BAS Designation

• Be a member of the NAA
• Register and attend all 24 hours of the BAS designation class
• Complete and submit a Designation Application
• Within three* years of completing the class, submit proof of involvement in six** benefit auctions or fundraising events (due to COVID-19, these may have taken place as far back as 2018 and prior to your completion of the BAS class) and a written auction summary report for one auction as described in the BAS Auction Summary Rubric
  • *The two-year period for completing the designation requirements has been extended due to the impact of the COVID-19 on the benefit auction industry
  • **The benefit auctions or fundraising events may be either in-person, virtual, or hybrid events
• To maintain the designation you must:
  • Be a member of the NAA
  • Pay the annual designation dues of $50 ($25 if also hold CAI) by October 31
  • Complete 24 hours of continuing education (CE) every three years

What BAS can do for you

Earning any designation demonstrates your commitment to continuing education both to the public and members of the industry. It also enables members to network with like-minded individuals in the classroom and through additional networking events, but here are some specific benefits of a BAS designation.

“Earning the BAS designation allows benefit auctioneers a chance to jump start their benefit auction business. Whether you are a new auctioneer or an auctioneer with several years’ experience, the program will provide you with many techniques and proven methods to increase your charities profits” Says Lance Walker, BAS, CAI, CES.

Trisha Brauer, CAI, BAS describes this class as helping you learn how to strategically grow your business, learn strategies to best service your clients, and understand how charity auctions are different from traditional auctions.

BAS will help increase your skills significantly because you will learn the most recent trends that successful benefit auctioneers are implementing with their clients. By the end of this class you will be able to conduct a benefit auction seminar for potential clients, help them develop an event timeline, suggest proven items and incorporate additional fundraising activities to produce fun filled profitable events.

BAS Instructors