People sometimes question the need for a mission statement, but an accurate, effective mission statement is essential to your nonprofit organization. Why? It’s the most widely used nonprofit marketing piece, and it’s your first and most concise tool to win public understanding. 

What’s included in a mission statement?

A mission statement encompasses the following:

• Explains why your organization exists
• Defines what you do
• Sets your priorities
• Motivates your activities

However, the purpose of a mission statement is not to give all your program descriptions, because you want to keep it short. A mission statement serves as a blueprint of your activities, so it should be clear, uncluttered, and not full of adjectives – just stick to the facts.

How should you use your mission statement?

You should include your mission statement on all your publications, in your press releases, and everywhere you say something about your organization. You can even put it on your fax cover sheets. It serves as a brief introduction for those who don’t know you and a reminder for those who do.

How does my mission statement relate to my goals?

Your success as a nonprofit organization can be measured by how effectively you perform to achieve the mission you’ve outlined. Therefore, any projects your organization chooses to undertake should be compatible with the mission statement you have already established. A mission statement serves as a yardstick for deciding what programs your organization can and should undertake. Even if a program is valuable and interesting, if it is not relevant to your organization’s mission, it is likely better suited to another organization.

More and more organizations are using charity auctions to supplement their fundraising. Charity auctions can be profitable and fun, however to ensure success organizational administrators must undertake careful planning and maintain an eye for details. The amount of time necessary to plan such an event will vary depending on how large scale an auction your organization wants to undertake. For a major event with widespread awareness, a minimum of 6 to 9 months is required.

Before beginning, it must be determined that the organization possesses adequate funding to cover up-front costs associated with the auction. These will include items such as invitations, advertising, food, drinks, decorations, location, entertainment, lighting, gift bags, the auctioneer, and more. Once the budget is set, a fundraising goal should be calculated. The fundraising goal should include the costs associated with the event, as well as the additional amount that is needed to be raised to cover necessary program expenses.

Volunteers will need to be recruited to be responsible for decorations, publicity, coordinating volunteers, the auction itself, cleaning up after the event, and of course procuring items for the auction. Without exciting items on auction, the chances of you reaching your fundraising goal are slim. Event coordinators should try to put together packages and items that are unique-something you can’t find just anywhere. Make sure the items will appeal to the audience you are inviting. Use whatever connections you and your constituents have to bring in quality items for your auction.

One major contributor to a successful charity auction is publicity. Publicize! The more people hear about your charity auction and get excited about it, the better your chances of selling more tickets and reaching your goals. Depending on the budget, you can utilize direct mailing, TV ads, radio ads, newspaper ads, or anything else that will reach your target audience. Reach out to local media to utilize free PSA time.

Keep in mind that to be successful you’ll also need to concentrate on drawing an appropriate crowd. If you expect quality people to attend your auction every year and donate to your organization, you need to make it an event worth attending. It should be referred to as “the party of the season”, or “the event not to be missed!” Stay focused on the guest list. You don’t have to convince your core supporters to attend since they will always be there for you. Rather, you are after the “swing” attendees in the community – the movers and shakers who make the rounds to the best events. These people are going to attend someone’s party; they just haven’t decided whose. All things being equal, they tend to focus on the fundraiser that offers something better than the rest. Create an atmosphere that is impossible to resist, and they’ll arrive ready to spend.

Finally, be prepared to give quality information to your donors about their contribution. Donors who purchase items at a charity auction may claim a charitable contribution deduction for the excess of the purchase price paid for an item over its fair market value. The donor must be able to show, however, that he or she knew that the value of the item was less than the amount paid. For example, a charity may publish a catalog, given to each person who attends an auction, providing a good faith estimate of items that will be available for bidding. Assuming the donor has no reason to doubt the accuracy of the published estimate, if he or she pays more than the published value, the difference between the amount paid and the published value may constitute a charitable contribution deduction.