Soapbox Engage Blog

The paddle raise is the shortest part of most gala programs and often the one that raises the most. It's also the part most likely to be improvised. An emcee who hasn't rehearsed the levels, an auctioneer who doesn't know the impact behind each amount, or a closing line that forgets to tell donors how they'll pay can cost you real money in fifteen minutes.

This post gives you the words. Below are copy-and-paste scripts for a full paddle raise, a five-minute version for smaller events, level-by-level callouts, recovery lines for when the room goes quiet, and the cues your spotters and tech lead need to keep up.

If you're still deciding on your cause, your giving levels, or where the appeal sits in your program, start with our guide to running a fund-a-need at your nonprofit gala, then come back here for the script.

The Six Parts of a Paddle Raise Script

A paddle raise (also called a fund-a-need or raise-the-paddle appeal) is a live ask where guests commit to giving levels by raising a numbered paddle. There's no item to win. That's why the script carries so much weight: the words are the only thing in the room asking people to give.

Every script below follows the same six-part structure. Once your team knows the structure, you can adjust any part without losing the thread.

Part six is the one most scripts skip. If guests don't know what happens after they raise a paddle, some of those commitments turn into follow-up emails and unpaid pledges. A single sentence about payment fixes most of that.

In the scripts, highlighted brackets are placeholders to replace, italic lines are stage directions, and purple tags are cues for your tech lead.

Script 1: The Full Paddle Raise (12 to 15 Minutes)

Use this version for a gala of roughly 150 guests or more with a professional benefit auctioneer or an experienced emcee. It assumes a mission moment (a video or speaker) runs right before the appeal, which is where our gala run of show template places it.

Script 2: The Five-Minute Paddle Raise

Not every event has a professional auctioneer or a fifteen-minute slot. This version works for a smaller dinner, a breakfast, or a community event of roughly 50 to 150 guests, delivered by your executive director, board chair, or emcee. It uses four or five levels instead of eight.

Short appeals work best when the speaker is someone the room already trusts. If your executive director is delivering it, have them speak from their own experience with the program for the opening line rather than reading a statistic.

Level Callouts: What to Say at Each Amount

The weakest moment in most paddle raises is the auctioneer saying "$5,000... anyone at $5,000?" over and over. Give each level a one-sentence impact line, and give the auctioneer a few different ways to call it. Fill in a table like this one and hand it to whoever is on stage.

A few rules for writing your own:

• Use real numbers from your program staff. If you can't say what $1,000 does, the auctioneer can't either. Ask the program team for cost-per-outcome figures before you write the levels.
• Keep impact lines under fifteen words. The auctioneer has to say them aloud in a loud room.
• Vary the call line. "Who will lead," "who's with us," and "paddles up" keep the energy moving where repeating one phrase drags.
• Match the levels to your room. Your top level should be one you expect at least one or two guests to take. An unanswered first ask sets a flat tone for everything after it.

Recovery Lines for When the Room Goes Quiet

Even a well-planned appeal hits a slow patch. A level gets no paddles, the room gets distracted, or you hit your goal halfway through. Give your auctioneer these lines ahead of time so they don't have to invent them on stage.

Two lines to avoid: apologizing for the ask ("I know everyone's been so generous already...") and guilt ("Surely someone here can..."). Both lower the energy in the room. For more ways to keep momentum up across the whole evening, see how to raise more money at a live fundraising event.

The Spotter Script

Spotters need a script too, just a shorter one. Their job is to see the paddle, confirm it, record it, and stay in position. A missed paddle is a missed gift. Brief them on these lines before doors open:

Plan for roughly one spotter per 40 to 50 guests, the same ratio we recommend in the fund-a-need guide, and release them from all other duties for the length of the appeal.

Running the Script in Soapbox Engage Auctions

A script only works if your team can keep up with it. When the auctioneer is calling levels every thirty seconds, a pencil-and-clipboard system falls behind, and the room loses the running total that keeps people giving. Soapbox Engage Auctions includes paddle raise functionality built for this moment, and each part of the script above has a matching step in the app.

Set your levels before the event

Enter your giving levels when you set up the auction, using the same amounts as your level callout table. On event night, the level moves forward as the auctioneer calls it, and the app tells spotters when the room is on a new level. A paddle raise can run alongside your auction or on its own, so the Auctions app works for an appeal-only dinner too.

Let spotters record paddles from their phones

With the Soapbox Engage Onsite companion app, included with Soapbox Engage Auctions, spotters work from their own phones, tablets, or laptops in a browser, with nothing to download. In Paddle Raise Spotter Mode, they:

• Tap paddle numbers into a large keypad as hands go up
• Search by name when a guest raises a hand without a paddle
• See when the auctioneer moves to a new level
• Undo a mistaken entry with one tap

Multiple spotters can record commitments on the same paddle raise at once, and everyone working the room sees the same totals in real time. That covers the two trickiest lines in the spotter script:

• "Table 5, blue tie." A spotter who misses a number can log the commitment to an unknown bidder with a short note and attach the right bidder after the event.
• "Enter it anyway and flag it." Possible duplicates, such as two spotters catching the same paddle, are held for review instead of inflating your total.

Put the total on the screen

"Look at the screen" is one of the most useful lines in the script, and it only works if the screen shows something. Live displays are included with Soapbox Engage Auctions at no extra cost. During the appeal, the room sees the level being called, each commitment joining the donor stream, and the total climbing toward your goal.

We cover more ways to use the screen across the evening in how live displays turn real-time fundraising into part of the event.

Make the closing payment line true

The Part 6 line, "it will be charged to the card you saved at check-in," depends on two things being in place before the appeal starts:

• A card on file. At registration, staff can save a card on a card reader, with a QR code the bidder scans, or by keyed entry, so commitments are ready to charge when your event closes.
• One checkout. Each commitment is added to the bidder's checkout alongside their auction wins and purchases. Winning bidders can be charged automatically when your event closes, and once collected, the commitment syncs to Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics with the rest of your event activity.

That's the difference between a paddle raise total and a paddle raise that's paid. It also makes the next morning easier: your post-event thank-you sequence can start from a list of donors whose gifts are already collected, instead of a stack of pledges to chase.

Rehearsal Checklist

The script is only half the preparation. Run through this list in the week before your event, and do the last three items at the venue.

For where the appeal and the rehearsal fit in your wider planning timeline, see our complete nonprofit gala planning checklist.

Paddle Raise Script FAQ

How long should a paddle raise last?

Most full paddle raises run 10 to 20 minutes. Plan for 12 to 15 minutes with seven or eight levels, or about five minutes with four or five levels at a smaller event. Longer than 20 minutes and the room starts to drift.

How many giving levels should the script include?

Six to eight works for most galas. Fewer levels move faster but leave gaps between what donors want to give and what you call. More than ten usually means the auctioneer is spending time on levels nobody takes.

What's the difference between a paddle raise and a fund-a-need?

Most organizations use the terms interchangeably. Some use "fund-a-need" for an appeal tied to one specific project and "paddle raise" for the format of raising paddles at set levels. The script works the same way for both.

Who should deliver the paddle raise?

A professional benefit auctioneer is the strongest choice for a large gala, because managing silence and reading the room are specific skills. For smaller events, your executive director or a board member who knows the program well can deliver the five-minute version effectively.

Should the auctioneer thank donors by name?

Thank paddles by number by default, and use names only for donors who have agreed to be recognized, such as your lead gift. Some guests prefer to give without being singled out in front of the room.

Can you run a paddle raise without an auction?

Yes. A paddle raise can stand on its own as the main ask at a dinner, breakfast, or donor event. In Soapbox Engage Auctions, a paddle raise can run alongside your auction or on its own.

For the other half of event-night fundraising, see 10 tactics to increase bidding at a charity auction.