Before you plan this year’s gala, auction, or fundraising event, there’s one step most organizations skip—and it costs them real money.

In this episode of Auction Is Action, Bobby D. breaks down how to review last year’s revenue the right way so you can stop guessing and start planning with confidence. This isn’t about spreadsheets or shame. It’s about clarity, patterns, and making smarter decisions before you set goals for the year ahead.

You’ll learn:

• Which revenue numbers actually matter
• How to identify what truly drove giving at your last event
• Why missing a goal is data, not failure
• How to use last year’s results to shape this year’s strategy
• What to repeat, refine, or remove from your events
• How to align your board and team using real numbers

If you’re planning fundraising events without reviewing revenue first, you’re leaving growth to chance. This episode will help you turn last year’s results into a clear, actionable roadmap for the year ahead.

Subscribe to Auction Is Action for practical fundraising insights, event strategy, and real-world lessons from the stage.

If you want to review your revenue or looking for ways to strategize your fundraising event, please reach out at calltoauction.com

Recommended For

Nonprofit leaders
Development directors
Board members
Event planners
Fundraising committees
School, hospital, and foundation galas

Why do the best fundraising auctioneers often sound calmer, slower, and more intentional than everyone else in the room?

In this episode of Auction Is Action, Bobby D. pulls back the curtain on what’s really happening behind the microphone—and why speed and volume don’t raise money.

You’ll learn what a professional auctioneer is actually doing on stage, how pacing, tone, and timing influence donor behavior, and why commanding a room has nothing to do with shouting. Bobby breaks down why clear counting beats clever jokes, where many MCs and auctioneers blur roles, and how that confusion can quietly cost a gala thousands.

Whether you’re an auctioneer, MC, nonprofit leader, or event planner, this episode will change how you think about live fundraising moments—and why slowing down is often the fastest way to raise more money.

Auction isn’t noise.
Auction is action.

Recommended For

Nonprofit leaders
Development directors
Board members
Event planners
Fundraising committees
School, hospital, and foundation galas

What you do at the beginning of the year will determine how successful your fundraising gala is — not what happens on event night.

In this episode, professional fundraising auctioneer Bobby D. shares how nonprofits can set themselves up for a stronger, less stressful, and more profitable gala by planning with intention months before the room fills up.

If you have ever found yourself scrambling weeks before your event, hoping you will hit your goal, this episode is for you.

In this video, you will learn:

• Why gala success is decided long before event night
• How to set a clear, mission-driven fundraising goal
• How to define the true role of your gala in your annual fundraising strategy
• Why early board and leadership alignment matters
• How to design a donor experience, not just a run of show
• When to bring in expert partners to maximize results

This episode is built from real-world experience at hundreds of fundraising events and is designed for nonprofit executives, development directors, board members, and event planners.

Need help designing a high-performing fundraising gala?

Learn more about working with Call To Auction at
CallToAuction.com

Subscribe for more nonprofit fundraising strategy, paddle raise insights, and event planning best practices.
Share this episode with your board chair, development team, or event committee to get aligned early.

About Bobby D. and Call To Auction

Bobby D. is a professional fundraising auctioneer and founder of Call To Auction, helping nonprofits raise more money through intentional event design, powerful paddle raises, and mission-driven fundraising experiences.

Recommended For

Nonprofit leaders
Development directors
Board members
Event planners
Fundraising committees
School, hospital, and foundation galas