What to Do with Bidders Who Went Home Empty Handed

They Raised Their Paddle. Did You Call Them Back? Your Underbidders Already Told You Their Number Somebody at your last gala bid $2,800 on a package that sold for $3,200. They were ready to give, and they told you so in front of the whole room. Then they went home with nothing but a paddle and a dessert they didn’t finish. And unless someone pulls their name from the bid history, they’ll get the same generic thank-you as the 200 other people in the room. Jason Ledlow and Trevor Nelson of HGA Fundraising are spending a half hour on the donors hiding in your bid history. They’ll cover how to find them, what to say, and how much to ask for. In this episode: Why underbidders are the warmest names on your post-event list. They’ve already shown you what they’re willing to spend and what they care about. Most organizations never look. How to build an ask around the item they lost. Their own bid tells you the right number, so it’s smarter than your standard giving tiers. The Golden Ticket as a donor-finder. A smaller ask can surface the first-time givers who never picked up a bid sheet. About Jason Ledlow Jason is the CEO of HGA Fundraising. He works directly with nonprofits on their event strategy, and he offers free one-on-one coaching for organizations that want a second set of eyes on their fundraising. About Trevor Nelson Trevor is a co-founder of HGA Fundraising and the host of Hey Nonprofits!. This week he’s in the hot seat alongside Jason instead of just asking the questions. 30 minutes of strategy, then Overtime Q&A for as long as the chat keeps going.