Question 1

Is this only for Benefit Auctioneers?

Accepted Answer

No. The Lab is designed around Fund-a-Need/FAN fundraising, so it is most immediately useful to auctioneers who already conduct benefit events. But if you are a general auctioneer who wants to add benefit auctions to your business, this will give you a much stronger understanding of the strategy behind the ask—not just what to say on stage.You do not need to identify as a “benefit auctioneer” to attend.

Question 2

I’m an experienced benefit auctioneer. Is this going to be too basic for me?

Accepted Answer

No. This is not a “how to conduct a paddle raise” class.We are going deeper into questions experienced auctioneers regularly have to answer:What should this FAN realistically raise?How do I know whether the result was actually strong?What does participation tell me that the final total doesn’t?Where did giving outperform or underperform?What should I recommend to the client next year?If you already know how to run a room, that experience will make the Lab more useful—not less.

Question 3

I mostly do commercial, estate, auto, livestock, or traditional auctions. Will this help me break into benefit auctions?

Accepted Answer

Yes—if benefit auctions are a market you genuinely want to pursue.Benefit auctioneering requires a different way of thinking. You are not primarily selling an asset to the highest bidder; you are helping an organization create the conditions for voluntary philanthropic giving.The Lab will help you understand Fund-a-Need strategy, donor behavior, fundraising goals, participation, and client consultation—areas that traditional auction training may not cover in depth.It is not, however, a complete “start your benefit auction business” course.

Question 4

Do I need to bring data from one of my events?

Accepted Answer

No.If you have results from a recent Fund-a-Need, bring them. You'll probably start seeing your own events differently during the workshop.But you do not need historical data to participate. We will use real-world examples and case data in the Lab so everyone can practice the framework.

Question 5

What kind of data are we talking about? Do I need a complicated spreadsheet?

Accepted Answer

Definitely not.We are working with practical information most auctioneers and nonprofits can reasonably obtain: attendance, giving levels, number of gifts, participation, prior FAN results, goals, and similar event information.The purpose is not to turn you into a data analyst.The purpose is to help you recognize which numbers matter, what they mean, and what decisions they can help you make.

Question 6

I hate spreadsheets. Is this still for me?

Accepted Answer

Yes.If you can look at a list of gifts and understand that ten people gave $1,000, you have enough math skill for this workshop.The calculations and tools are designed to do the heavy lifting. Your job is learning how to interpret the information and use it to make better fundraising decisions.

Question 7

Will you teach me exactly what donation levels I should use in a Fund-a-Need?

Accepted Answer

We'll teach you how to make that decision rather than hand you one universal ladder.A $25,000 opening level might be completely appropriate in one room and disastrous in another.You'll learn how audience capacity, historical giving, event goals, donor behavior, and the overall opportunity in the room should inform your starting level and giving structure.

Question 8

Will this help me set a FAN goal when my client has no idea what the goal should be?

Accepted Answer

Yes. That's one of the central problems we solve.We'll use a Basic / Stretch / Dream framework so you can move beyond simply asking, “What would you like to raise?”You'll learn how to establish goals that reflect both the organization's expectations and the actual fundraising opportunity.

Question 9

What if my clients don’t track very much data?

Accepted Answer

That's extremely common.Part of becoming better at this work is knowing what information to ask for.You’ll learn which pieces of information are most useful before and after an event, so you can gradually improve the quality of the data available to you without handing your client a giant reporting assignment.Even imperfect data can tell us quite a bit.

Question 10

Is this a bid-calling or stage-performance workshop?

Accepted Answer

No.We may talk about what happens in the room when it relates to FAN performance, but this is not a bid-calling class, voice workshop, stage-presence class, or script training.FAN Performance Lab focuses on the strategy, goals, measurement, interpretation, and decision-making behind the Fund-a-Need.

Question 11

Does this apply if my clients call it a Paddle Raise, Raise the Paddle, Special Appeal, Mission Moment, or Direct Ask?

Accepted Answer

Yes.Different organizations and auctioneers use different terminology. I use Fund-a-Need (FAN) as the umbrella term for the live philanthropic appeal where guests make direct donations at established giving levels.If you're conducting that kind of fundraising ask, the methodology applies.

Question 12

What if the nonprofit has a very small FAN—or a very large one?

Accepted Answer

The framework is intentionally not tied to one fundraising level.A school trying to raise $20,000 and a major nonprofit trying to raise $500,000 need different goals and strategies, but many of the same performance questions apply:Who participated? At what levels? How did the result compare with the opportunity? Where did momentum change? What should happen differently next time?The scale changes. The thinking holds up.

Question 13

Will this tell me whether I personally did a “good job” as the auctioneer?

Accepted Answer

It will help you evaluate your work more intelligently, but it will not pretend that the auctioneer controls every fundraising outcome.Fund-a-Need performance is affected by the audience, mission, cultivation, program, ask structure, donor capacity, timing, event design, and many other variables.The goal is not to create an “auctioneer score.”The goal is to understand what happened well enough to identify what you could influence, what the organization could influence, and what you should recommend next.

Question 14

What will I actually be able to do differently after 90 minutes?

Accepted Answer

You should leave able to take a Fund-a-Need and approach it with a much clearer process:Before: establish meaningful Basic, Stretch, and Dream targets.During: know which signals and results matter.After: evaluate more than the final dollar total.With the client: explain what happened and make more defensible recommendations for the next event.And you'll have the tools to repeat that process without rebuilding it yourself.

Question 15

What should I bring to the workshop?

Accepted Answer

Bring your auctioneer brain and, if possible, one recent benefit event.Useful information might include:Number of guestsFAN totalGiving levelsNumber of gifts at each levelPrior-year resultsThe organization's stated goalIf you don't have any of it, come anyway. You will still be able to participate fully.

Question 16

What if I attend and don’t think the Lab was worth the registration fee?

Accepted Answer

Come to the workshop, participate, and put the framework to the test.If you genuinely don't believe you received at least the value of your registration in practical information you can use in your auction work, let me know and I'll refund your registration.The point is for you to leave with something you can actually use—not simply another webinar you've attended.

Call or Text 510.929.1066

A great Fund-a-Need shouldn't just feel successful.

Stop walking away from a Fund-a-Need wondering if you actually maximized the room.

90 minutes. Live on Zoom. Get tools + live demo of how real-time FAN data can change what you do while you're still in the room.

Set a FAN goal you can defend. Know what you need, when you can do something about it. Walk into your client debrief with facts, not feelings.

Imagine finishing your next FAN actually knowing

Go from running the FAN to understanding the FAN and be the Fundraising Expert your clients deserve.

A big total doesn't necessarily mean a great FAN.

Was the goal appropriate?

What was the participation rate?

Where did giving stall?

Did you maximize the available opportunity?

What would you change next year?

The FAN Performance Lab gives you the tools and understanding you need to truly understand every FAN you run. Simple. Repeatable. Reliable.

01

SET THE TARGET

02

WATCH THE PERFORMANCE

03

DIAGNOSE THE RESULT

04

RECOMMEND WHAT'S NEXT

Get the tools. Use them at your next event.

90 minutes

No multi-week course

No statistics degree

No system to build

Choose your workshop date

After the Lab you'll be able to...

Apply a proven goal-setting methodology

Set defensible Basic/Stretch/Dream goals

Diagnose the data behind the FAN total

Give evidence-based client recommendations

Quantify your value

WORKSHOP ATTENDEE RECEIVE:

FAN Goal Builder Auctioneer FAN Cheat-Sheet Debrief Framework

Information you can take directly into a client debrief.

FROM EVENT NIGHT CLIENT INTELLIGENCE.

Built from the work - not for the program.

I built the methodology from one question:

"How can we determine FAN performance in the moment that matters most?"

SINCE

EVENTS

RAISED

2008

300+

$60M+

I'm Emily Quinn (aka Auction Emily). I'm excited to share my methodology and software with Benefit Auctioneers ready to stand out.

You won't just hear the method. You'll use it and take it with you.

CASE LAB: 350 guests $175k FAN 82 donors What happened? Where was there opportunity? What would you tell the client?

Chose Your Live Workshop Date

Join now or watch later.

The FAN Performance Lab Value Guarantee

Come to the lab. Participate. Put the framework to the test. If you genuinely don't believe you received at least $99 in practical value for your work as a Benefit Auctioneer, tell me within 48 hours and I'll refund your registration. (Guarantee only available to live-attendees)

Stop winging it.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is this only for Benefit Auctioneers?

I’m an experienced benefit auctioneer. Is this going to be too basic for me?

I mostly do commercial, estate, auto, livestock, or traditional auctions. Will this help me break into benefit auctions?

Do I need to bring data from one of my events?

What kind of data are we talking about? Do I need a complicated spreadsheet?

I hate spreadsheets. Is this still for me?

Will you teach me exactly what donation levels I should use in a Fund-a-Need?

Will this help me set a FAN goal when my client has no idea what the goal should be?

What if my clients don’t track very much data?

Is this a bid-calling or stage-performance workshop?

Does this apply if my clients call it a Paddle Raise, Raise the Paddle, Special Appeal, Mission Moment, or Direct Ask?

What if the nonprofit has a very small FAN—or a very large one?

Will this tell me whether I personally did a “good job” as the auctioneer?

What will I actually be able to do differently after 90 minutes?

What should I bring to the workshop?

What if I attend and don’t think the Lab was worth the registration fee?

Your next FAN will give you data. Know what to do with it.

Normally $149. Introductory price of $99.

FAN Performance Lab is a live, practical workshop for auctioneers who want to replace "I think that went well" with a repeatable system for understanding - and improving - Fund-a-Need Performance.​ Take your FAN to the next level. Stand out as an Auctioneer. Deliver measurable results.

90 minutes. Live on Zoom.
Get tools + live demo of how real-time FAN data can change what you do while you're still in the room.

Set a FAN goal you can defend.

Know what you need, when you can do something about it.

Walk into your client debrief with facts, not feelings.

A big total doesn't necessarily mean
a great FAN.

The FAN Performance Lab gives you the tools and understanding you need to truly understand every FAN you run.

Simple. Repeatable. Reliable.

SET THE
TARGET

DIAGNOSE THE
RESULT

Get the tools.
Use them at your next event.

FAN Goal Builder
Auctioneer FAN Cheat-Sheet
Debrief Framework

You won't just hear the method.
You'll use it and take it with you.

CASE LAB:
350 guests
$175k FAN
82 donors

What happened?
Where was there opportunity?
What would you tell the client?

Come to the lab. Participate. Put the framework to the test.

If you genuinely don't believe you received at least $99 in practical value for your work as a Benefit Auctioneer, tell me within 48 hours and I'll refund your registration.

(Guarantee only available to live-attendees)

FAN Performance Lab is a live, practical workshop for auctioneers who want to replace "I think that went well" with a repeatable system for understanding - and improving - Fund-a-Need Performance.

Take your FAN to the next level.

Stand out as an Auctioneer.

Deliver measurable results.