Oscar Gown Auction Extended until May 1 !!!!

We just got word that the Keira Knightley Oscar Dress auction that we wrote about has been extended until May 1. When an auction of this calibre is extended it shows that there is a tremendous interest inside and outside the eBay Community

We received a question from Mary today....


Dear Richard:

I am new to this Web site and blog, so am not sure if this is appropriate, but I have a question:

Where can I find a template or document describing administrative policies and procedures for auctions? Our board is doing a small auction as part of a gala event (just 4 lots) and I want to make sure that when bids are made, we have the appropriate: bid/pledge Form, communication about restrictions (such as airfare blackout dates; expiration date on services.), documentation of in-kind gifts/services and acknowledgement letters; and fulfillment procedures. Any other legal or financial management information that is relevant – even if the auction is small.

Thanks so much for any help you can provide.

Sincerely,

Mary


Mary, I have passed your email on to Annie and our readers, as they will be the best resource in providing you with what they use for forms or templates. I don't want to give you incorrect advice- but I would recommend that you talk to a lawyer about what you need to make the bids legal and binding, your organizations responsibilities and the donor's responsibilities.

If you have any other questions or concerns- feel free to post- and I will pass on any info our readers provide.

Thanks and Welcome!!!

TORONTO, April 14 / Hockey fans wanting a rare piece of Team Canada hockey history can skate over to eBay.ca to bid on one of five exclusive framed sets of McDonald's Team Canada Hockey Mini-Jerseys. Each Mini-Jersey in the sets is individually autographed by the player and comes complete in the display stand, which includes a connector card featuring Wayne Gretzky,Executive Director of Canada's Men's Hockey Team, along with a signed letter from the Great One himself.

Funds raised from the sale of each set will bedonated to Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) to help children in need andtheir families. Auction details can be found at eBay Canada(http://members.ebay.ca/aboutme/mini-jerseys)

"As a long-time supporter of Canada's favourite pastime, McDonald'sCanada joined Canadians in cheering on Team Canada in Torino," says LaurieLaykish, Vice President of National Marketing, McDonald's Restaurants ofCanada Limited. "Now those same fans can support RMHC by bidding on one offive autographed mini-jersey sets, a coveted piece of Olympic memorabilia."

The complete line-up includes autographed Mini-Jerseys from:
- Joe Sakic (Black) - Sakic had one goal and two assists during the tournament. He was captain of Team Canada at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino.
- Jarome Iginla (White) - Iginla had a total of three points, including two goals and one assist during tournament play in Torino.
- Rick Nash (Red) - Nash had one helper during his first Olympic appearance.
- Vincent Lecavalier (White) - Lecavalier racked up three points in Torino with three assists.
- Martin Brodeur (Red) - Brodeur had a .915 save percentage at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, with 179 saves and two wins.
- Joe Thornton (Black) - In Thornton's first Olympic experience, he scored one goal with two assists.

"With the generous support of McDonald's and Hockey Canada, the fundsraised through these auctions will allow RMHC to support projects that benefitspecial kids and their families across Canada," explained Rem Langan,President, RMHC. "This will help fulfill RMHC's objective of helping improvethe physical and emotional well-being of children in need."

Musicians on Call Auction raises $$$ in 2nd Annual Event

From Roger Friedman at Foxnews.com
- At the 2nd annual Musicians on Call Concert and Auction- 2 out of town couples bid fast and furiously but only one won the winning bid of $14, 500 for the opportunity to be in a Maroon 5 recording session.
The losing couple (on the Maroon 5 auction)- wound up with a winning bid $15,000 to do the same thing with Rob Thomas.
A third couple, from New York, plunked down another $15,000 for an autographed Bruce Springsteen electric guitar, a signed reissued 1952 Telecaster.

The event, at Sothebys , raised money for the charity which sends musicians to the bedsides of the very ill, incapacitated or those being treated for serious diseases.

The group has also created 88 CD pharmacies in the tri-state areas, sending out music libraries and disc players to be used by patients.

Pride and Prejudice Nominee puts Oscar Gown up for Auction!!

This press release came across my desk and I felt it was newsworth enough to post- I just love when Actor, Actresses, personalities, and public figures give back to a cause so freely!
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Keira Knightley has generously agreed to donate her custom-made Vera Wang gown from the 2006 Academy Awards to Oxfam’s auction. All proceeds will support Oxfam’s life-saving work in East Africa.

The Vera Wang bordeaux silk taffeta draped one-shoulder gown with grand bottom flounce was worn to the Oscars by Knightley, who was nominated this year for Best Actress for her role in “Pride and Prejudice.” The dress will be on exhibit in New York City at the Vera Wang Flagship store on 991 Madison Avenue from April 19th until the end of the auction on April 30th.

“This is such an amazing dress and I am really pleased to be able to donate it to Oxfam,” said Knightley. “I have seen the TV reports on the horrendous drought in East Africa and I know how desperate things have become, so I am happy to be able to do something to help.”

“Keira represents the essence of youth, intelligence and beauty! She is a young woman with a conscience. I am thrilled this gown can support such an important cause,” says Vera Wang.

Bidding will begin at 12 Noon EST on April 21 and end at 12 Noon EST on April 30. All proceeds will go to Oxfam’s East Africa Food crisis appeal. With $10,000, Oxfam could provide food for 500 children for 30 days. To bid for a piece of Oscar fashion history, see: www.OscarDress4Oxfam.org

"Millions of people across Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Tanzania are at risk of starvation in one of the harshest droughts the region has ever faced,” said Paul Smith-Lomas, Oxfam’s director for East Africa. “Young children are those most at risk, and there are already reports of child deaths as a result of malnutrition. Oxfam is helping over 500,000 people – carrying out food distributions, providing water, and offering livelihoods support. Donations like this will help to fund this vital work. We hope the public will get behind this auction so that it is a great success."


Oxfam American is a non-profit organization that works to end global poverty through saving lives, strengthening communities, and campaigning for change. More information at www.oxfamamerica.org

In Ethiopia, Oxfam is distributing water and food for both herders and livestock in Borena zone and Somali region, while also paying herders to improve ponds and other water-collection systems.

In Kenya, Oxfam has been responding to the crisis for many months, providing extra food, water, and cash to more than 250,000 people in the worst-affected areas of Turkana and Wajir.

In Somalia, Oxfam is trucking water to communities in the southern districts and repairing boreholes to keep them functioning until the rainy season begins.

In Tanzania, Oxfam is distributing seed to 20,000 households and is planning to deliver food, veterinary services, and an expanded school feeding program.

Tour For the Cure- Off and Running in Your Areas

Don't know if Annie picked this up- but Tour for the Cure is underway to benefit the Dana- Farber Foundation for Cancer Research and The Jimmy Fund- Visiting 180 stadiums across the USA- this cause is unique in its approach to fundraising- Our good friend Ina Steiner from Auctionbytes turned us on to this event, and we are happy to pass it on to Fundraisers.com auction bloggers as we believe that some of the regional events are having auction type events.
For more information
http://www.tourforthecure.org/

From Motortrend online:

A German man who made a tidy $216,000 profit last year on a used Volkswagen that turned out once to have belonged to the pope said Tuesday he has used 18,000.00 of the money to start a foundation for terminally ill children- the Glimmer of Hope Foundation

Benjamin Halbe bought the 1999 VW Golf that once belonged to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, for $12,000 in January last year.

He sold it last May on eBay to the Golden Palace online casino of Austin, Texas, for $228,000 after discovering the gray hatchback's heritage.

The foundation, started in December, helps terminally ill children and their families.

Halbe said it was his way of passing along of some of his good fortune to those in need.
"I had a lot of luck," he said in a telephone interview.

Firms that don't want you selling donated items online

Some corporations don't appreciate their gift cards, or gift certificates being sold online- whether it is for charity on non-charity. If you receive donations from corporations in that form- they may have a non-publicized caveat not to be "resold". Before putting a gift card or certificate up online- you may want to check with the issuer to make sure the item can be resold for charity. A customer service number is usually on the gift card or certificate. We found this out first hand- and wanted to pass the info on to fundraiser blog readers. If you run into these types of experiences, email me richard@fundraisers.com , I would like to hear about it.

Cure for Cancer

I was surfing thru eBay tonight and found some great items at Cure For Cancer Charity Auctions. Cure for Cancer is a non-profit 501c3 Charity dedicated to raising awareness, funding research, and assisting those afflicted with cancer. Take a look at these auctions and you too can see what is available for your cause- all you need to do is ask!

Congratulations to Cure For Cancer and their eBay celebrity auctions!

To see the items up for auction and bid, visit... Cure For Cancer Celebrity Auction

Geo. Clooney Oscar Swag Nets United Way 45K

It's great to see a United Way Board of Directors member give back so freely. In a statement, the United Way praised George Clooney for the continued focus on the long term needs of the areas of the Gulf coast that were devistated by the destruction of Hurricane Katrina.

Among the items in the bag were a Frette cashmere and leather-trimmed travel blanket, a Kaye Unger vintage silk kimono, and a Tara cultured Tahitian pearl necklace. Other items included a two-night culinary escape at the Bernardus Lodge in Carmel, Calif., a six-night stay in a luxurious suite at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort and Spa, and a Fairmont Hotels and Resorts vacation package at one of three destinations.

As a personal note- it would be great to see more entertainment industry folks donating their "goodie" bags for fundraising auctions. I know some do, and in the weeks and months to come we will hopefully highlight some of them.

NASCAR's Tony Stewart Auctions Firesuit

NASCAR Champion Tony Stewart Gives the Firesuit Off His Back to Jeff Gordon Online Charity Auction

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart surprised fellow driver and NASCAR Cup Series champ Jeff Gordon, by autographing and donating an authentic, race-used Home Depot uniform to an online charity auction that benefits The Jeff Gordon Foundation. The auction also features rare movie props and other memorabilia autographed by Hollywood celebrities and legendary athletes.

To place a bid on this item and others go to GoMotorBids.com

Read more about The Jeff Gordon Foundation