Donate to the WLA Foundation Silent Auction!
This popular WLA Foundation event will be back at the 2010 WLA Conference (with a new twist – some items will be available to bid online for those not able to attend the Fall WLA Conference at the Kalahari and share in the excitement that the onsite auction has generated at past Conferences ). Proceeds will once again benefit the Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries.
To make the auction a success, we need your help! Do you have a piece of lovely art, in good shape, that doesn’t match your décor any longer? Do you find yourself creating handcrafted items that you don’t have room for at home? Why not donate these items to the WLAF Auction – we’d love to put your items out for bids! The following guidelines apply for contributed items:
- Please donate items that are $50 or higher in value
- Items are tax-deductible as charitable contributions at their actual value
- WLAF owns the items once contributed
Donated items that have created bidding excitement at past auctions include (but are not limited to –creativity is appreciated!):
- Fine arts, including jewelry, paintings, sculpture, pottery
- Products or services that a library or librarians would find useful (story hour, consulting)
- Entertainment packages (theater or sporting event tickets, golf packages)
- Hotel packages (e.g., weekend getaways with one or more meals included)
- Theme baskets (a great and economical gift donation for library staff to create collectively!)
- Trips inside or outside Wisconsin
- Collectibles, antiques and memorabilia
In addition to the satisfaction of raising money to support the Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries and adding to the fun of Silent Auction bidders, those who donate auction items will benefit by:
- Having your name listed on the bid sheet and on the receipt provided to the winning bidder.
- Name recognition on the conference Web site auction information
- Receiving recognition in the WLA Newsletter (Oct/Nov/Dec 2010 or Jan/Feb/Mar 2011)
How to Contribute:
Step 1:
Please let us know in advance (no later than October 31, 2010) what you will be contributing by completing and returning a copy of the Auction Contribution Form. If you are contributing more than one auction item, please include a separate Auction Contribution Form for each item. If possible, including a digital photo of your auction item(s) would be a real bonus! Your completed form(s) can be mailed to: WLA Foundation, 4610 South Biltmore Lane, Suite 100, Madison, WI 53718-2153 OR emailed to eschmann@scls.lib.wi.us
Step 2:
- As for getting your generous donations to the Silent Auction, the preferred method is to bring your item(s) with you to the Conference, as many of you did last year. Our new WLA office facility is much smaller than the space we occupied previously, so even though our gratitude for your donations is HUGE, space for storing them is now, unfortunately, at a bare minimum! For those of you who do bring your items to the Conference, please be sure and send us the completed Auction Contribution Form(s) by October 1st. Advance notice of the auction items we will be receiving at the Kalahari is a great help for Auction administration purposes.
- For those who cannot bring their items to the Conference, you can also deliver your contribution to the WLA office personally, through the statewide library network delivery system, or via USPS.
Step 3:
WLAF will mail receipts to all contributors after completion of the auction.
The Wisconsin Library Foundation’s Online Auction period is fast approaching --- with the auction Web site officially open for bidding on –
Tuesday, October 26, 2010, at 8:00 AM!
View the site to get a peak at the variety of items that will be available for both WLA Conference attendees AND non-attendees (state and nationwide) to bid on once the auction goes “live” on October 26 (online bidding will close on Tuesday, November 9, 2010, at 10:00 PM)
We hope you find this an exciting and fun way to assist the WLA Foundation in its mission to support all Wisconsin libraries – while giving you a chance to bid on (and WIN!) outstanding items.
Here’s how you can help make this online auction a success!
- Visit the auction Web site and register to become an online bidder (click on the Register To Bid link located directly beneath the Foundation logo so you’ll be ready to bid when this auction begins on Tuesday, October 26).
- Once the auction officially opens, use the Refer a Friend feature to support the cause. The Refer Friends feature is a fast and easy way to get your friends, family, and colleagues involved. You'll raise awareness for Wisconsin libraries as you drive bidders to the Foundation’s site. Give your friends the chance to shop for great discounts while supporting our organization.
- Become a Sponsor! Contact us at WLAF@biddingforgood.org or 608-245-3645 to take advantage of promotional opportunities for your business or to pledge your individual support.After careful research, we have chosen to work with Bidding For Good to hold this first ever online auction. If you have questions about the privacy of your information, how the auction works, payment for winning items, etc, the “Help” feature on both the Bidding For Good and WLA Foundation Auction website are useful and should answer any questions you might have about the company and the auction process.
Once our auction officially opens on Tuesday, October 26, any and all Bidding For Good registered site visitors will be able to browse, view, and bid on the WLA Foundation items.
We invite you to … REGISTER for bidding ... WATCH the site once it goes live on October 26 ... BID on those “must have” items ... and HAVE FUN helping the WLA Foundation in its mission to support Wisconsin’s dynamic libraries and librarians!
BERNIE BELLIN
2010 SILENT AUCTION CHAIR