It’s that time of year again — Oscar Trivia Time! Last year we held our inaugural Oscar Trivia Contest for our Facebook fans, and we’re doing it again this year. Our phones rang off the hook all that week from contestants calling in to see when our next trivia question would be posted and what the daily prize would be. Well, this blog will give you a sneak peak of this year’s prizes and could possibly provide a helpful hint or two for your trivia success!

Every day next week from February 20 through February 24 we’ll post one tough trivia question. (For those of you on the West Coast, don’t worry we’ll wait until you’re up! The trivia questions posted every day may or may not have to do with the fundraising item being given away, but it will be helpful to brush up on a few facts about them.

Here’s just a taste of what we are giving away…

One item features the autograph of a prominent American actress and director noted for promoting humanitarian causes. She has three adopted children and three biological children with one of the hottest actors around.

Another item is autographed by an actor who was raised in England, Portugal and California and was the seventh actor to play Batman (aka: Bruce Wayne) in a live-action film.

A well-known actor who formerly held the World Record for Most Weight Gained for a Movie autographed another piece up for grabs. He gained over 60 pounds for this role!

That’s just a taste of the fundraising items we’re giving away next week, but you have to be a fan of Autograph Store Charity Fundraising on Facebook to participate in next week’s Trivia Contest. Remember to check frequently throughout each day for our daily trivia question to pop up, and make sure you’re the first to answer correctly. And, don’t forget to share this blog on Facebook, Twitter and Google+, so you can play against your friends and they can get in on the action! Good luck next week!

By LisaMarie Ianuzzi, Charity Fundraising Assistant

Google+

Despite the initial buzz and anticipation that’s built up around Google+, it appears this network will still take some time before it comes anywhere near overthrowing the more well-established networks, like Facebook and Twitter. But remember, Google is a powerhouse on the Web, so now’s a perfect time to get your organization started with an entity page. Cool, new features from Google+, like video hangouts and “circles” won’t fly under the radar for long. Since it’s synced up with Google Calendar, Google Docs, and other unique Google-operated programs, Google+ may prove to be a very effective and useful outlet in due time.

Twitter

If you’re trying to spread the word about your upcoming charity auction, what more could you ask for than real-time updates? Twitter constantly features live streaming updates to let the entire world know exactly where you are, what you’re doing, what you’re thinking, and so on. A great way to get the buzz going around the community is to promote your event on Twitter through daily posts highlighting all of the great fundraising ideas you’ve incorporated into your event. This will be sure to engage your potential attendees, as well as boost attendance and anticipation as the date draws closer.

Facebook

Last, but certainly not least… Over 500 million users are on Facebook every day, which means this is your ultimate opportunity to promote your organization’s next major charity auction. By creating Facebook groups, events, and fan pages for your organization, you can easily draw attention toward any upcoming events you have planned. Facebook is constantly striving to create the ultimate social networking platform, and there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t use it to help your event reach it’s maximum potential.

We hope these helpful hints on implementing social media into your event promotion plan prove useful. Utilize these unique (and free!) resources to get the most out of your latest and greatest fundraising ideas, and don’t forget to add Autograph Store Charity Fundraising to your circles on Google+, follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook!

By Devin Noonan, Social Media Coordinator

We may not have been as busy as Santa and his elves, but we’ve been working around the clock the past few months to ensure we can help spread hope and happiness throughout the holiday season. Our charity auction experts have been assisting charities around the globe help bring some incredible auction items to their biggest supporters. Even Santa can’t get his hands on some of the unique fundraising items our charity partners can!

Whether you’ve been the lucky recipient of one of our unique auction items, one of our valued charity partners, or just one of our devoted followers, we’d like to take this time to send our warmest wishes to you and your family this holiday season. We hope you can help join us in spreading the holiday spirit to those in need.

By Devin Noonan, Social Media Coordinator

SpineHope was founded in 2008 in an effort to combat spinal disorders through an increase in education and awareness, expansion of research, and transformational surgeries for children in need. Since their founding, SpineHope has helped assess hundreds of patients with spinal disorders, providing many with critical surgery and a better way of living.

This past year they held their Inaugural Fundraising Event in Chicago, which treated family, friends and supporters to a night full of live entertainment and fun. Our fundraising specialist Heller Pool was thrilled to help kick start SpineHope’s first major event with some incredible fundraising items.

“I absolutely loved Heller,” said Beth Felker, event coordinator for SpineHope. “She was clear, upbeat, enthusiastic, and most importantly, she helped us meet all of our deadlines. I would love to use Autograph Store Charity Fundraising again.”

Some of the popular items at SpineHope’s inaugural event included items autographed by music icons Billy Joel, Bob Seger, and Pearl Jam. With the combined efforts of SpineHope, donors, and Autograph Store Charity Fundraising, their first-ever fundraising event brought in over $40,000. For Felker and company, this was a large accomplishment that far exceeded her expectations, but that wasn’t even the best part.

“The most important goal for us was to raise visibility and support for our cause while thanking all of our loyal supporters,” Felker said. “All of the money that we raised from our charity auction was simply a bonus.”

The amazing doctors and their medical team volunteers at SpineHope just completed a trip earlier in November, where they provided children in need with life-changing surgery. They’re now eagerly awaiting their next big trip this December, where they’ll embark on a mission to help provide individuals in need with life-changing surgery. To find out how you can help support this great cause, visit SpineHope online at http://www.spinehope.org.

By Devin Noonan, Social Media Coordinator

A far cry from our time in school when the letter “F” brought on feelings of dread, Thanksgiving is a time to cherish the letter, focusing on the importance of friends, family, food, and for some of us, football. This year, we ask you to remember another “F” as well, fundraising. Day in and day out we help our charity partners with their efforts to raise money and awareness for great causes around the world. In a hope to inspire and fuel some charitable gestures on this day of giving, we ask that each end every person perform just one act of good faith. Whether you invite a lonesome friend over for Thanksgiving Dinner, offer some free time to a local soup kitchen, or simply donate a few dollars online, we simply ask that you help keep the spirit of giving alive. After all, isn’t that what Thanksgiving is really about?

We have a lot to be thankful for here at Autograph Store Charity Fundraising, and we’d like to take the time to specifically thank our dedicated friends and charity partners who continue to work tirelessly to make this world a better place. From all of us here at Autograph Store Charity Fundraising, we hope you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving surrounded by good food, great friends and a loving family. And don’t forget the newest “F” during this wonderful season of giving!

By Devin Noonan, Social Media Coordinator

Today’s video blog serves up a very special treat from our hardworking charity fundraising interns, Britney Sachs, Bryttnee Parris and Brittany Nardolillo (our three Britneys!). Our cameras left the safety of the Autograph Store offices and hit the mean streets of The Big Apple to record what your donors had to say about why they support the charities they do. What do you think about what they had to say? Leave your comments here, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and become our fan on Facebook!

Produced by Brittany Nardolillo, Charity Fundraising Intern

We’re talking about vending machines. That’s right, you heard right — vending machines. The same machines that deliver you your favorite candy bars and sugary beverages now provide hungry and thirsty consumers around the world the opportunity to make charitable donations while consuming. First introduced in Japan, this fundraising idea has made its way overseas to Brazil, and is expected to make an impact in major cities all over the world soon.

More than 10 million people commute via public transportation each and every day in New York City. Imagine what might happen if just 1-percent of those commuters donated a single dollar each day. In just one day, $100,000 would be raised, without anyone having to go out of his or her way.

That’s exactly what happened in Japan when a local Coca-Cola bottling company teamed up with the Japanese Red Cross to encourage post-tsunami support. Consumers were provided the opportunity to offer a charitable contribution to the Japanese Red Cross, along with or instead of their beverage purchase, earning them a thank you from an automated system upon completing their transactions. And, if that wasn’t enough, the Coca-Cola Company also donated a percentage of its beverage sales directly to the Japanese Red Cross, further supporting the program.

In São Paulo, Brazil, the city’s public transportation systems have also become accustomed to this innovative, new fundraising idea. Vending machines in their subway system now include simple thank you cards, which are earned by making charitable donations that help keep local children off the streets.

With such a large market that relies on public transportation in major cities across North America and Europe, it’s only a matter of time before this groundbreaking fundraising idea reaches its full potential here in the U.S. and beyond. For many major nonprofits out there, this may be the first of many alternative fundraising techniques that arise from ongoing technological advancements.

By Devin Noonan, Social Media Coordinator

The Manitowoc County Chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters works closely with over 300 kids annually, meeting with them each week to help each child excel and develop throughout their young lives. This year, the chapter held their Fourteenth Annual Golf Fundraiser, hosting over 200 community golfers who participated in a fun-filled day of lunch, golf, dinner, and a blockbuster charity auction to top the whole thing off.

“It keeps getting bigger each year,” said Dan Scharnhorst, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Manitowoc County. “We try to host an event that features really unique auction items, and that’s what we liked about Autograph Store Charity Fundraising. They gave us the opportunity to get our hands on some amazing items that we never would have otherwise been able to get.”

The weather on the day of the event held up and the turnout was phenomenal, making the organization’s second largest fundraiser of the year a huge success. Some of the featured items included an autographed Rolling Stones Guitar, a hand-drawn sketch from Charles Schulz, and a “Rocky” boxing glove signed by Sylvester Stallone himself. The Autograph Store Charity Fundraising team is proud to have helped Big Brothers Big Sisters of Manitowoc County’s charity auction rake in nearly $46,000!

“The staff was super easy to work with,” Scharnhorst said. “All of the products came two weeks before the event, shipped in perfect shape. We sold almost everything, and the few things we had to return were extremely easy to send back.”

As planning begins for their next big event, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Manitowoc County would like to give a special thanks to everyone who helped make their recent golf fundraiser such a great success. All the hardworking staff and volunteers at this incredible organization deserve thanks, too, for making such an important, positive impact on the youth of our nation. Learn more about how you can help at http://www.bbbsmantycounty.org.

By Devin Noonan, Social Media Coordinator

What’s the Risk?

Because of all of the scams in this world, it’s common for people to be hesitant before making a new purchase or committing to a new venture. With consigned fundraising items from Autograph Store Charity Fundraising, we incur all the costs and risks associated with consignment, while consigning our items well below retail value. We even cover all shipping expenses along the way. This zero-risk, all-reward fundraising program provides our charity partners with a worry-free opportunity to profit from their events. And, they don’t have to worry if an item doesn’t sell, since they can simply send it back to us at our expense — again, totally free of charge.

Donations Have Limitations

Visiting or calling local businesses to ask for donations is always a great idea; anything you can get for free is a plus for your organization. But, according to our charity partners, the majority of items your organization will receive are going to be gift cards, which only yield a specific monetary value. Although offering profit for your organization, a $50 gift card to your favorite local restaurant will not sell in a charity auction for more than its face value.

Consignment Offers Opportunity

Earlier this year, our friends from Home Away from Homelessness worked with our charity fundraising director, Anthony Nurse. Nurse suggested they take two Rolling Stones guitars for their live auction with the idea of selling the second one to the under-bidder. Not only did these two consignment items sell at their charity auction, they sold for an incredible $28,000, yielding a profit of $24,400 for Home Away from Homelessness from those two items alone! This is just one of hundreds of examples of how effective consigned fundraising items can truly be in bringing tremendous profit to our charity partners.

We hope we brought to light some of the myths about consignment items, while not slighting the idea of using donated items at the same time. Keep in mind, anything donated to your organization is a huge plus, but consigning fundraising items will really help bring a “wow factor” to your next charity auction. Good luck on your item hunt, and don’t forget to ask your friends at Autograph Store Charity Fundraising for help along the way!

The mission of this pledge is clear-cut: Give back excessive wealth in an effort to make an real difference in the world. Buffet and Gates haven’t asked for these funds to go to any charity specifically, nor have they asked for any kind of signed contract. All they’ve asked for is a moral commitment to donate to any charitable organization that each individual feels passionate about. Buffet himself has decided to donate over 99-percent of his entire fortune to charity, leaving the less than 1-percent remaining to his family. Some people may call him crazy, but the way Buffet looks at it, if he’d left any more money to his family, it would not enhance their well being or way of life in any genuine way. But, by giving up so much, he can effectively improve the health and well being of so many other people in this world with one simple act of kindness.

Prominent men and women, like Buffet and Gates, have earned their fortunes through years of hard work and passion. Now, it’s time to turn that passion into compassion, a direction that puts the world on a path to a better future. The cry for charity hasn’t extended beyond the U.S. borders quite yet, but this ingenious fundraising idea is sure to spread its wings in due time to billionaires around the world. As the saying goes, there’s strength in numbers. And, every time another billionaire pledges to charity, that strength and those numbers grow exponentially, bringing more hope to a world that desperately needs it.