What do you do exactly?

A: Imagine the typical fundraiser your non-profit throws every year. See your staff printing, hand-stuffing, sealing and stamping thousands of envelopes. See the piles of donation items crowding up the office; see yourself under a pile of certificates trying to put them in some kind of order. See the event manifesting, trying to manage the silent and live auctions. Most importantly – visualize the chaos that happens when your attendees try to check out and pick up their items. Oh, and of course there are the days after back in your office – trying to track down the bidders who didn't pay, hand-entering in all of those credit card numbers, finding somewhere to put the items that were never picked up. Just when the madness it's over, it's time to plan next year's event.

Now that the image is good and clear – imagine this: none of that. We'll meet with you and talk about the event. We'll send out the solicitation mailing. We'll store the items. We'll keep track of them and send you a spreadsheet every week so you know exactly how the auction is shaping up. We'll even offer you a Catalog of amazing items that would be impossible to track down alone, that will really add sparkle to your event. We'll then package and write descriptions for all of the items with your input, and create a Catalog that you can send to guests before the event, to whet their appetites. We'll run your event, manage the auction, and take care of checkout and pick-up so you don't have to worry about it. If you choose, we'll even come to your office the next business day after your event to help you sort through everything.

Perhaps you don't want to do a huge gala – we understand. That's why we offer other options, such as our high profile eBay events. Want to know more? See our services.

Why throw an auction in the first place? Can't we get enough support through monetary donations?

A: Monetary donations are the best kind, of course. But what if you knew that there are literally thousands of businesses who want to help you, only they can't do so monetarily? Instead, they donate their services and products, and it provides great eye-candy for your guests at an event. While members of your crowd may hesitate about just pulling out their checkbooks and writing checks for hundreds or thousands of dollars, they'll be much more inclined to do so when they can get something in return. Hotels, restaurants, theme parks, spas, sports teams, and many others all want to donate to your cause. It's a way they can give back to the community, and it's a tax write-off for them. You display these items attractively at your event, and in turn, someone who may not have opened his wallet before is urged to do so. And when we take care of everything by monitoring the auction and bringing in amazing items, it's truly a win-win situation for everyone involved.

We've heard of other so-called "fundraising consultants," and people we know in the non-profit sector have worked with them. How do you differentiate yourselves from the other guys?

A: IES was born from the realization that there was a clear void in the fundraising consulting industry. Firstly, every auction we put on is specifically tailored for the client. Unlike with other fundraising consultants, you can pick the specific services you need from IES. Need someone to follow up with your contacts who donated last year? Done. Want a smaller mailing at a lower cost but more focus on bringing in the high-level packages that will make your auction sizzle? Of course we can. Do you have the donation-portion down but just need help the night of your event so you can relax and enjoy what you've worked so hard to accomplish? No problem. Or maybe you have trained volunteers and would just rather that we bring in the exclusive items that will really fill out your silent auction - yes, we can handle that. Want to forget having a live event altogether and focus on an eBay campaign with high exposure? We can do that, too.

Simply put: we're flexible. We want what YOU want, and we trust that you know what's best for your non-profit organization. We won't insist on doing it our way - you are hiring us, and that makes you the boss.

We've tried silent auctions before, but they never seem to bring in enough money. It's more work than it's worth.

A: We can take care of that too. IES has a database of over 5,000 high-end donors who regularly donate to non-profits. We don't solely solicit through direct mail, but through e-mail lists and faxing. Lastly, we have a Catalog of Dreams, from which you can peruse items you've only dreamed of having in your auctions. Think trips to Hawaii, France, and St. Thomas; helicopter tours of New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas; in-home cooking lessons with a personal chef; glamorous spa weekends; and cars. Yes, cars!

The best part is that you don't pay for these items unless they've sold, and if they don't sell - you don't pay a single penny! There is absolutely no financial risk for you - you can only make money. We're confident our trips to Hawaii, New York, Europe, and anywhere else you can imagine will bring in the numbers you've only been dreaming of getting in your last silent and live auctions - and you can get them for a fraction of what you'd pay for them anywhere else!

I'd love some help with my auction, but I could never afford your fee. If we had that kind of money lying around, we wouldn't need to hold a fundraiser!

A: We started our company because we realized a huge portion of the non-profit sector was being ignored: The non-profits who needed the most fundraising help were the ones who could never afford the fees of other fundraising consultants. Let's face it - most non-profits don't have the exposure of Alzheimer's Association, nor do they have thousands of dollars to spend on a deposit for a fundraising consultant. We've tailored our services to accommodate every non-profit, at every budget. We definitely have options that will work for you - give us a call and we can give you all the information you need.

What if we don't like you - are we stuck in a three-year contract?

A: Of course not - we want you to return to us next year because you've had a great experience and made lots of money, NOT because you're locked into some kind of contract!