Greetings Pacific Primary Families… Auction 2015 Has Arrived!!!!
On behalf of Auction Co-chairs Mary Rose Fernandez and Jane Stafford, we’re thrilled to welcome you, our families, to Pacific Primary this year as we kick off family participation for our extraordinary annual Auction - the most significant fundraising event of the school year.
Our big day is Saturday, March 7, 2015, and we need your help to make it a success.
The Auction is organized each year entirely by Pacific Primary parents - a true community event. Last year, the Auction raised over $160,000 for the school, which funded a large portion of our Tuition Assistance program (which ensures socioeconomic diversity, as well as the salaries of our Creative Arts specialists). The school simply would not be able to carry out its mission without the funds that the Auction generates.
Parent participation in the Auction is thus required, and we hope you will find it a fun and rewarding process. In addition to working on an Auction Committee, each family must contribute in the following three ways:
- 2 Auction Donation Items: Due no later than January 23rd, 2015
- 2 Catalog Ads and 2 Teacher/Staff Greetings: Due by January 23rd, 2015
- 1 Bottle of Wine for the Wine Raffle: Due no later than February 13th, 2015
The success of the Auction depends on our parent community. We need 100% participation from every family in securing donations, catalog ads, and staff greetings in a timely manner. As the instructions below relay, the Auction website contains an easy process for all families to submit Auction Donation Forms, Ads, and Greetings electronically.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at: auction@pacificprimary.org.
We’re delighted to be working with you and look forward to a great third year at our new Auction venue – the Event Center at St. Mary’s Cathedral at 1111 Gough Street --- on March 7, 2015.
To the left, you will find:
-
Auction Donor Form (ADF)- For the two required donations from current Pacific Primary families.
- Business Item Donation - For businesses donating directly to the school.
- Ads & Greetings - a link to the page for submitting artwork and text for Catalog Ads and Staff Greetings.
Pacific Primary Auction ’15
Auction Donation Information
I.AUCTION DONATIONS - WHAT TO DONATE
Each Pacific Primary family is responsible for contributing a minimum of 2 items to the Auction. Completed Auction Donation Form (ADFs) – which we explain below – are due to the Sunroom or must be submitted using the online process on or BEFORE January 23rd, 2015.
In the past, families were asked to donate three items, but we’re going with less this year with the intention of focusing on quality rather than quantity. From gift certificates to Count-Me-In’s, suggested donations that have raised substantial money in the past are included below, but please do not be limited by these ideas. Your creativity is encouraged!
A.How Do I Come Up With Donations?
You can personally donate auction items, recruit friends and family to contribute donations, or request donations from the business community. We know that the challenge of asking for donations may seem daunting. However, with a little creativity, persistence, and perhaps your adorable child in tow, that neighborhood restaurant where you dine every Friday evening may donate a gift certificate or your uncle may agree to lend out his Tahoe house for the week. Consider utilizing your talents and interests when thinking about auction donations. Some of our most popular and successful donations are events created and executed by Pacific Primary family members – such as themed dinner parties, child-oriented parties, or game nights created and hosted by a parent. If you own a boat or a second home, or have a large kitchen that lends itself to a cooking-type event, go for it!
Try to think of what type of items you would be interested in bidding on in an auction. Chances are that others will be interested in those same items. What do you and your family enjoy doing on the weekends? What events have you been to that were particularly memorable? What items does your family use? Try creating donations around these ideas, because what is special and useful for you and your family will most likely inspire a purchase. While you are doing your holiday shopping, ask stores where you have purchased gifts if they would consider donating the same item as a “two for one” purchase.
The following are just a few donations from past years that have been popular. We suggest that you also review the Auction Categories and Suggestions for Donations page included in this packet to help you come up with ideas. Do not hesitate to approach local businesses, including Trader Joes, coffee shops, and restaurants, for gift certificates or other donations as well.
Food & Wine:
•A Moroccan Dinner Party for 10 in donor’s home with a belly dancing lesson
•A Gumbo Dinner Party for 12 in your home
•Cooking lessons from a local cooking school.
•A gift certificate for dinner for 4 at Pasta Pomodoro (or a favorite local brunch spot)
•A wine tasting for 10 featuring wines from Argentina at the donor’s home
•Wine Club membership for 1 year
•Special bottles and cases of wine
Travel & Leisure:
•A spa day for 2 at the Huntington Hotel’s Nob Hill Spa
•A Villa in Mexico that sleeps 8 people for 1 week
•A guided walking tour in a San Francisco neighborhood
•25,000 airline miles (domestic ticket) on airline of your choice
•Tickets to sporting events (Giants, 49ers, Warriors, etc.)
Children:
•A pancake breakfast and park outing for 10 children
•A scavenger hunt in Golden Gate Park with lunch for 12 children
•A gingerbread house decorating party for 6 children
•A handmade mitten and hat set
•Gift certificate for a birthday party for 15 at your favorite party location
B.How do I Obtain Auction Donations?
Solicitation Scripts and Letters
We’ve created a sample script for in-person solicitations as well as tips for phone and email solicitations. We also have a solicitation letter that you can copy to give or send to potential donors in support of your donation requests. You can find these materials at: https://pps.ejoinme.org/Auction2015, as well as hard copies in the OSS and YSS sunrooms.
Tips for Solicitations:
•The Auction committee has sent letters to donors that have contributed in the past. We will post this list of donors in the Sunroom. If you reach out to these donors, please politely reference the letter and gratefully acknowledge their past donation(s) during your conversation.
•Approach businesses where you are a regular customer (your favorite neighborhood restaurants, your longtime salon, etc.). Places where you spend money will be more inclined to be generous to you!
•Many businesses, even small storefronts, have a charitable donations budget, strategy and staff member responsible for managing donations. Rarely will a request catch a business “off guard.” They may say no, but no business will be surprised or offended by a polite request.
•When providing examples of donations, start big and work your way down!
•Let businesses know that supporting our auction is essentially free advertising. We have a strong parent and staff community that can lure customers.
•Complete as much of the ADF as you can – i.e., make this as easy as possible for the donors.
•Provide businesses with stamped return envelopes when they aren’t able to give you a completed ADF and item when you visit them. (The school does not supply these.)
•Finally, GOOD LUCK and HAVE FUN! The success of this Auction solely relies upon our parent community and these donations are the key to our success!
II. HOW TO SUBMIT AUCTION DONATIONS
A.Online Process to Submit Auction Donation Forms (ADFs)
With each item you donate, you must also submit an Auction Donation Form (ADF) to ensure that: 1) you get credit for your donation and 2) the person bidding on your item fully understands your donation’s parameters. The completed ADF will be positioned at the Auction with the actual item, so bidders will read your own description of your own item. This year, we are hoping many families can use our new online process to fill out and submit Auction Donation Forms. Please visit our auction website at https://pps.ejoinme.org/Auction2015, click the tab marked “Auction Donor Form” and follow the step-by-step instructions listed there. If you prefer, you can pick up paper copies of ADFs in the YSS and OSS Sunrooms, fill them out and leave in the boxes labeled “ADFs” in each Sunroom.
VERY IMPORTANT: Be sure to creatively describe your item, give your best estimate of the item’s value, and (most importantly) – list ANY and ALL restrictions that apply to your donation whether you complete the ADF on paper or online. For example: “Must be used within 1 year of the date on the certificate” or “Winning bidder must contact donor within 2 weeks after the Auction to discuss potential dates/games for which tickets apply” or “Birthday Fishing Trip applies to summer months only.”
All donated items will either be a part of the Auction on March 7, 2015 or dedicated to the Online Auction to take place later in March. Should you prefer that the item not be offered as a part of the Online Auction (see below), please indicate on the ADF that the donation is “For the Pacific Primary community only” at the appropriate place on the paper form or during the online process.
Last year our first Online Auction was a huge success, bringing in over $10,000!
B.Donation of Physical Items
If you are donating physical items or gift certificates, please bring your donations to the Intake Table in the OSS Sunroom during one of our Intake Days. Make sure either the paper ADF or the “transaction receipt” from the Online ADF process is attached to your item prior to drop off.
Dates and times for Intake Days are:
➢Tuesday, January 13, 4-6 PM
➢Wednesday, January 14, 8:30-10:30 AM
➢Tuesday, January 20, 4-6 PM
➢Wednesday, January 21, 8:30-10:30 AM
➢Thursday, January 22, 4-6 PM
➢Friday, January 23, 8:00-10:00AM and 3-5PM
** ADFs are due either online or in the Sunroom by January 23rd, 2015.**
SUGGESTED AUCTION DONATIONS
Travel
25,000 frequent flyer miles; Donated week of time for a family at a home in Sonoma, Napa, Tahoe, Santa Cruz; Hotel points for a four-night stay in New York; Sailing trip around the Bay; Harbin Hot Springs gift certificate; Week timeshare at a beach cottage in Southern California;
Health, Fitness & Beauty
Guided Mt. Tam trail run or hike; Spa massage; Yoga classes; Manicure certificates; Fitness class certificates; Gift certificates to retail stores
Kids & Family
Handmade baby quilt; Tea party for six children at winner’s home; Gingerbread decorating party for eight children; Tickets or memberships to museums
Entertainment & Events
Home cooked meal for 6-8 people, Progressive dinner party for 12 (hosted by 3-4 families); Tickets to symphony/theater/ballet; Cooking lessons at a local cooking school;
Sporting Events
Giants tickets; 49ers tickets; Warriors tickets; Autographed jersey,
Restaurants & Wine
Gift certificates to local restaurants; Special bottles of wine; Wine tours and tastings
“Count-Me-Ins”
“Count-Me-In” parties are a fun way for our Pacific Primary community to get together while raising funds for our school. We particularly encourage “Count-Me-In” donations because they are particularly successful Auction items that raise significant funds for a great cause, and they also allow multiple Pacific Primary families to enjoy winning an item at a reasonable cost.
These donations are similar in nature to the party/field trip donations listed above – except that multiple winners are permitted per item. These fun and creative parties are offered at a wide price range starting at $20 and include an amazing selection of parties for adults, families and children. From an adult-only cocktail party to a fun run, from a progressive dinner party to a children’s sleepover in a backyard, the ideas are endless.
Party hosts generously agree to assume full cost of the parties, so 100% of the proceeds benefit PP students! To donate a “Count-Me-In,” the donor specifies an activity s/he will lead (such as a kids’ craft party, a nature walk in Golden Gate Park, etc.), as well as the nature and number of participants the activity allows for and the cost for each participant. At the auction, the spaces for the activity are sold on an individual basis – much like “tickets” are sold to special events – thus allowing multiple families to purchase and participate in one “Count-Me-In.” This is a great way to get to know other Pacific Primary families - and these donations tend to raise the most collective money.
Example: Donor A would like to host a birdhouse-building party in his backyard for ten 4-5 year old children, including a picnic lunch. His “Count-Me-In” donation ADF would read “Count-Me-In – Birdhouse Building Party on April 8, 2014. Ten spots available for children ages 4-5 as of that date. Parents to drop children off at 10:00 a.m. and pick up at 1:00 p.m. Picnic lunch provided. $40 per child, materials included.” At the Auction, this donation would be auctioned off by party space, thus allowing ten children from different families to participate at a cost of $40 each. Once filled, the auction item would raise $400.
Pacific Primary Auction ’15
Catalog Ads & Greetings Information - Online Process
Each Pacific Primary family is responsible for contributing a minimum of 2 ads and 2 staff greetings to be published in the Auction Catalog. One purpose of the catalog is to salute the Pacific Primary Staff and thank all those who make it such a special community. Another purpose is to raise money. In the past, parents, grandparents and extended family have placed greetings and ads to support the school and their loved ones.
A minimum of 2 ads and 2 greetings per family are due to the school by Friday, January 23rd, 2015. All parents may visit the Auction website at https://pps.ejoinme.org/Auction2015, click on the “Ads and Greetings” tab on the left hand side of the page, and follow the instructions to submit greetings text, ad text, and upload ad photos online - a new process this year! To submit two ads, you will need to use the online process two times (one time for each ad). Your two Greetings may be submitted at the same time with either ad submission.
To pay for your Ads and Greetings, submit your check (for all Ads and all Greetings) directly to the Business Office after completing the online process. Please write your child’s name and classroom on the check.
Please Note: If you do not have access to a computer, prefer to submit self-designed ads, or you have solicited an ad from a business and plan to complete the ad submission for that business, please use the “Ads and Greetings Form - Self-Design Submission” found in the OSS and YSS Sunrooms and online at: https://pps.ejoinme.org/Auction2015. You can leave your completed form, along with payment, in the ADF box located in either Sunroom. If you have solicited an ad from a business, the ad artwork and payment may also be mailed directly to Pacific Primary School, Attention - Auction Ads.
Catalog Ads:
The auction catalog is a great way to share information about a business or service to the Pacific Primary Community. Previous ads published in the catalog have been business cards and/or descriptions of business services placed by parents, family or friends. Some ads celebrate a child’s growth at school or are a simple greeting of love and appreciation from the family. Ads are available from business card size to full-page spreads, and they can be personalized with your own photographs and artwork. For your convenience, sample ads are attached. Sample catalogs from past Auctions are also available for your perusal in the OSS and YSS Sunrooms.
Catalog Greetings:
The Catalog Committee will design the thank-you messages (group greetings) to various staff members and you can include the names of parents/friends/family who have sponsored the greeting. Group greetings are $15 each and the staff loves to see your appreciation and recognition in the catalog. To assist you in crafting language for your greeting, samples are attached.
Pacific Primary Auction ’15
Wine Raffle Information
Help us make year two of the Wine Raffle a great success!
The Wine Raffle occurs during the Auction, and because it was so successful last year, we are again asking all families to donate one (1) bottle of wine to be included in the Raffle. Tickets for the Wine Raffle are only sold during the Auction and cost $25 each, with two winners selected to divide the entire collection. (Last year, both winners left the Auction with over 50 bottles of wine!)
All proceeds from the Wine Raffle go directly to our Tuition Assistance Fund and/or the funding of our Expressive Arts and Music and Movement teachers’ salaries. Last year, the Wine Raffle raised over $7,000.
In early February, we will provide all families with instructions and a donation bag to submit their bottle of wine for the Wine Raffle. These items will be placed in your parent folders in the Sunroom; all wine should be returned by February 13, 2015 to Belann’s office at OSS or Lynn’s office at YSS, with the name of the donor family clearly indicated on the provided paperwork.
Questions
Email auction@pacificprimary.org