NEWS

Media Contact:
Diane Levine
Ph:  773-883-0243
diane@auction-results.org

Auctioneer Makes Career Out of Raising Money to Help Others
David Goodman helps charity organizations reach their goals when it comes to donations

(Chicago)- What if you had the talent to encourage people to spend thousands & thousands of dollars for charity and have the donors enjoy giving it at the same time? David A. Goodman of Auction Results has made a career out of getting Gala guests to reach into their pockets, donate money for a good cause and smile while doing it. For that reason, the 43-year-old founder and president of Chicago-based Auction Results has become one of the few auctioneers to work exclusively with charitable organizations. For Goodman, raising half-a-million dollars in 60 minutes is all in a night’s work.

Goodman has helped raise millions of dollars for charity through auction events around the United States. The company’s sole focus is on high-impact Auction Fundraising for 501(c) (3) Charitable Organizations.

“Many non-profit organizations used to hire a local celebrity to run their auctions.  Now they’re finding that my company can usually raise more money and provide more entertainment,” Goodman says.  “In my case, I’ve been able to increase auction revenues for many clients as much as tenfold.”

Goodman is tapping into a rich niche in the live auction business. In 2008, according to the National Auctioneers Association, charities accounted for $16.2 billion of the $270 billion in gross sales generated by live auctions in the U.S.  That haul was larger than the proceeds from auctioning personal property ($10 billion), art, antiques and collectibles ($14 billion), and even commercial and industrial estate ($15.7 billion).

Goodman appeals to organizations of all sizes. Whether it is a charity that is auctioning packages worth $2,500 or in excess of $200,000, his goal is to help that organization get to the next level of fundraising and continue to exceed that amount year after year.

Once an organization hires Goodman, he works with them as a key consultant to maximize their fundraising efforts through his proven-strategies that include donation development, coordinating the right guest list, training and motivating clients’ staff, assisting in marketing and promotion, and finding the right packages to be auctioned.

He has helped charitable organizations take their events to the next level, often increasing their raised funds, resulting in increases from $50,000 to over $250,000 from the prior year. For example by bringing Goodman on board, an organization that serves children with severe development disabilities increased its one-night take from $11,000 to $107,000 the first year and to $250,000 the next year.

Organizations are so pleased with Goodman’s results many continue to hire him year after year—including the Chicago Children’s Museum. Goodman began working for the Chicago Children’s Museum in 2006 and has quadrupled the amount they have made in live auction donations each year--bringing in more than $360,000 for them in 2007.

In addition to all the planning and preparation, Goodman is the Auctioneer/Entertainer at his client’s fundraising events keeping attendees entertained, engaged and most importantly donating their money.

Goodman’s high-roller results stem from a combination of experience and several of his talents.  At an early age he started to hone his performing skills as a talented magician taking the stage by age four and performing regularly up through college when he graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Communications.  After college he went to work in his families high-end retail liquidation business, learning the in and out’s of consumer luxury items.  While there, he decided to go to auction school in Missouri and then run the families auction division. When Goodman was offered the opportunity to raise money for a local church, he discovered he really enjoyed using his skills to help others. Shortly after, he helped another organization with their fundraiser and soon realized that this was his niche.  Twenty years later, Goodman has parlayed his experience, personality and education into one of the leading Fundraising Benefit Auction companies in the nation.

Goodman not only gets top dollar for packages such as a private party for 20 couples with a British musician ($200,000) or a dinner for 12 prepared in the winning bidder’s home by acclaimed chef Charlie Trotter ($50,000), but also has been able to reap big dividends from more humble fare such as school art projects.  Then there is his unique “Paddle Raiser” where he can raise $50,000 to over $250,000 in just five minutes, adding to the night’s gross, thanks in large part to the persuasiveness of his patter and his proven techniques.

“I’m raising money for schools that need funds for their playgrounds, organizations that work with developmentally disabled children and groups that campaign on behalf of issues ranging from epilepsy to civil liberties.” says Goodman. “If I’ve done my job well, everyone will have a smile on their face at the end of the evening.”

Almost every weekend, Goodman and his clients take that feeling all the way to the bank.

###