COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE
The benefits of gaming
Benefit auctioneer utilizes gamification strategies to boost engagement and giving By James Myers
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AUCTIONEERS.ORG
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enefit auctioneers are experts at creating a fun atmosphere where donors are engaged, excited, feel a sense of urgency, and ultimately are motivated to give to a good cause and have a blast doing it. If you’re a benefit auctioneer who has yet to include gamification in your strategy, take it from someone who has done it many times and reaped the benefits. Freddie Silveria, CAS, BAS; owner of FSA Auctions, has conducted over 250 auctions, fundraising over $30 million. He partners with big names like Make-A-Wish Sacramento, Habitat for Humanity Sacramento, and many other well-known organizations to provide strategic planning consultations and create stellar events. He’s a huge proponent of using games at auctions to inject even more excitement while boosting funds for the client. In most games, there are winners, and there are losers. However, adding value to a benefit auction includes games where every participating donor gets something. For example, Silveria has employed a game called “balloon pop,” where donors buy balloons containing prizes inside them, but only one of which includes a grand prize. “This one is not the easiest, but it is fun and engaging,” he said, adding that it can take some planning to track. Silveria has partnered with a jeweler who put up a $4,000 pair of earrings for the balloon pop game. Donors bought a balloon for $100, but each contained a $100 gift certificate they could redeem on an item at the jeweler’s store. Once all 100 balloons are sold, the donors pop them simultaneously, revealing the big winner. “Many jewelers want to be part of your event,” Silveria says of his experience, adding that the cost per balloon and size of the prize can be customized based on the auction/number of donors. One of Silveria’s “go-to” games is called “lucky card draw,” where donors buy a poker card, of which there are 52 in a deck, and can be sold for whatever is appropriate for the auction. When all the cards are sold, the donors are asked to stand. At this point, the auctioneer will ask for anyone with a specific suit, color, or number to remain standing, and everyone else sits. By the end of the
