I want to let you know why Brett Walkow should be your “go-to guy” for your next nonprofit fundraising event.
 

As background, I have worked in fundraising for the past 12 years and have been involved with planning and executing a gala event each of those years. In every case, the primary challenge is how to maximize revenue at the event, particularly through live auction items and the important cause appeal. This important job is entrusted to an auctioneer, most times someone who is trained, but not familiar with your organization. You try to find the best professional you can within your budget and do your best to educate the auctioneer about your organization, the event, and the attendees. When the live auction comes, you take a deep breath and hope and pray that all goes well.
 

This year our organization had the good fortunate to find Brett Walkow. We had phone interviews with three professionals and he was the stand-out. I did the final phone screening and knew immediately that Brett was a perfect fit. As a comedian, I knew he would be funny. But unlike other individuals we had spoken with, Brett was a good listener and was keenly interested in learning about our organization, which provides services and supports to individuals of all ages with special needs and their families. Brett had worked as a volunteer with children and adults with special needs and understood our mission. So in addition to the humor, there was kindness, compassion, and a true desire to help.
 

Fast forward to the night of our gala. Brett arrived early to familiarize himself with the venue, participate in our event run-through, and mix and mingle with guests during our VIP reception and cocktail hour. When it came time for the live auction, Brett had met many of our event attendees, including some of the individuals we serve. From the moment he stood on the podium and grabbed the microphone, Brett had everyone’s attention…and kept it for the next 30 minutes.  For the live auction items, Brett knew how to keep the energy in the room alive and understood the nuances of timing. A live auction can be painful for those not bidding, but Brett kept everyone’s interest. There was laughter and excitement and record bids. Our target revenue for the auction items was $20,000 and Brett helped us raise just shy of $32,000.
 

But it wasn’t time to breathe a sigh of relief yet, there was the cause appeal which would make or break our event. During the previous year, our organization had a post-2008 record high cause appeal of $95,000. Brett helped us shatter that number. After the bid paddle flurry was over, we had raised over $168,000 during the cause appeal. What followed that evening and in the days ahead was equally amazing. No auctioneer complaints, only Board requests to bring Brett back next year…which is what we plan to do! I can’t thank Brett enough for making what is usually the most stressful part of a fundraising event, lively, engaging, and tremendously successful.
 

Nancy Heller, Abilis