Soapbox Engage Blog

When the ask goes out at a live fundraising event, something changes in the room.

People aren't bidding on an item. They're not checking out a purchase. They're being invited to give because they believe in the mission, and the response can be incredible. One paddle goes up, then another, and suddenly an entire room is coming together to make a difference.

That deserves more than a clipboard and a tally sheet.

Soapbox Engage is bringing paddle raise functionality into the same technology nonprofits use to power their fundraising events. With the new functionality built directly into Soapbox Engage Auctions, event teams can manage the live giving appeal and record commitments as they happen. And with live display functionality, that giving activity can become part of the experience for everyone in the room.

In This Post

• What is a paddle raise?
• Why add a paddle raise to your fundraising event?
• Manage paddle raises in Soapbox Engage Auctions
• Collect every commitment on the spot
• Put the giving on display
• Built for the energy of a live event
• One more way to give

What Is a Paddle Raise?

A paddle raise is a live fundraising appeal that gives event attendees an opportunity to make a direct gift beyond their auction bids, purchases, or other event contributions.

During the appeal, an emcee or auctioneer invites guests to give at different levels. Attendees raise their paddles to indicate their commitment to a particular giving level, while event staff record those commitments as the appeal moves through the room.

Unlike an auction, there's no item to win. The focus is simply on giving.

That makes a paddle raise a natural complement to an auction. After guests have had opportunities to bid on items and make purchases, a paddle raise creates a dedicated moment to invite everyone in the room to support the mission directly.

Why Add a Paddle Raise to Your Fundraising Event?

A live event gives your organization something that online fundraising can't always replicate: a room full of supporters gathered together, engaged with your mission, and ready to participate.

A paddle raise gives you another way to make the most of that opportunity.

Give Supporters Another Way to Give

Not every attendee will want to bid on an auction item. Some may not find an item that interests them, while others may simply prefer to make a direct contribution.

A paddle raise gives those supporters another way to participate.

By offering different giving levels, you can also invite guests to make a commitment at an amount that feels meaningful to them, whether that's a major gift or a smaller contribution.

Put Your Mission at the Center

Auction items can generate excitement and friendly competition, but the mission is what brought everyone together.

A paddle raise gives you an opportunity to bring that mission back to the center of the event.

The appeal might support a specific program, help fund a new initiative, or contribute toward an important organizational goal. Connecting the ask to a clear purpose helps supporters understand what their generosity can make possible.

Create a Shared Giving Experience

There's a unique energy that comes from seeing a room full of people respond to the same appeal.

As paddles go up and commitments come in, attendees can see the generosity happening around them. That can create a sense of shared participation and build energy around the fundraising goal.

And now, Soapbox Engage can help make that activity part of the overall event experience.

Manage Paddle Raises in Soapbox Engage Auctions

Paddle raise functionality is built directly into Soapbox Engage Auctions, so event teams can manage the live giving appeal alongside their other auction activity.

Your team can set up giving levels for the paddle raise and record commitments as attendees respond to the appeal. That brings another fundraising opportunity into the same experience as auction bidding and other event activity.

Instead of managing the paddle raise as a separate process, your team can keep more of the event fundraising workflow together in Soapbox Engage.

For a closer look at how a fund-a-need can fit into a broader event program, see our guide to running a fund-a-need at your nonprofit gala.

Collect Every Commitment On the Spot

A paddle goes up, a giving level gets called, and the commitment gets recorded in the Auctions app. Soapbox Engage also makes it easy to collect the gift right then, at the table, without waiting to follow up after the event.

Staff can take payment on a handheld device via QR code, tap to pay on a card reader, or cash, so a paddle raise commitment and the payment behind it can happen in the same moment. That transaction syncs to Salesforce alongside the rest of your event, right along with everything else recorded through the appeal.

Keeping the ask and the payment together also means less reconciliation work after the event: fewer follow-up emails to send, fewer pledges to chase down, and a clearer picture of what actually came in on the night.

Put the Giving on Display

A paddle raise gets people involved. Soapbox Engage Live Displays lets everyone see that activity.

Surface your paddle raise through a Soapbox Engage Live Display, and the room can follow the giving activity as the appeal unfolds. The display can:

• Show the giving level currently being called
• Highlight commitments as they come in
• Add commitments to the donor stream
• Show paddle raise progress in real time

Instead of the giving happening quietly at the front of the room, attendees can see the generosity happening around them.

A $500 commitment appears. Another paddle goes up. The appeal moves forward. The room can see the response building as supporters participate.

That's what Soapbox Engage Live Displays can bring to a fundraising event: a way to make giving activity visible and turn individual contributions into part of a shared experience. We covered the broader role of the Live Displays app in how live displays turns real-time fundraising into part of the event.

Built for the Energy of a Live Event

Paddle raises move quickly. Your event technology needs to keep up.

Soapbox Engage Auctions helps event teams record commitments as they happen, including commitments that need to be identified or corrected later. Multiple team members can work on the same paddle raise at once, while everyone sees updates in real time.

Because the paddle raise and live display work together, your team can manage the appeal in the Auctions app while surfacing the activity for attendees. Activate a giving level, record a commitment, and the corresponding activity can appear on the display.

After the event, your team can review the commitments, resolve duplicates or unidentified bidders, and make corrections before moving on to fulfillment.

It's a workflow designed around what actually happens during a fast-moving fundraising event. If you're still mapping out event-night logistics, our guide to raising more at a live fundraising event is a useful next read.

One More Way to Give

The Auctions app already gives supporters ways to participate through bidding, purchases, and direct donations. Paddle raises add another important piece: the opportunity to respond to a shared appeal in the room.

That matters because not every donor wants to win an auction item. Some supporters simply want to make a meaningful gift to the mission. A paddle raise gives them that opportunity, right when the energy of the event is at its highest.

With paddle raise functionality now part of Soapbox Engage Auctions, nonprofits can bring more of their event fundraising together:

The result is a more connected fundraising experience, from the first bid to the final paddle.

Ready to Raise Some Paddles?

Paddle raise functionality is now available in Soapbox Engage Auctions, with the ability to surface paddle raise activity through Soapbox Engage Live Displays.

If your organization already uses Soapbox Engage for fundraising events, this new capability gives you another way to turn the energy in the room into meaningful support for your mission. For the full details on what's included, see the official announcement in our Help Center.

And if you're planning your next gala, benefit, or fundraising event, there's another opportunity to think beyond the auction catalog. Our complete checklist for planning a nonprofit gala is a good place to start.

Because sometimes the most important thing happening at your event isn't what's being bid on. It's what people are willing to give.