Running a Paddle Raise That Raises Money
By GiveGrove• 12 min read • Published 2026
A paddle raise raises real money when four things line up: giving levels matched to the room, a concrete story told right before the ask, a skilled auctioneer, and a team that collects every pledge before guests go home. Get those right and it is usually the most profitable ten minutes of your gala.
We looked at 150 completed live auctions on GiveGrove, representing $4.3 million in auction revenue, to see what separates the paddle raises that work from the ones that fizzle. The gap is large. Events that ran a live auction or paddle raise brought in a median of $34,774. Events without one brought in a median of $4,332. That is roughly eight times more.
What surprised us more is how few organizations take advantage of it. Only 17.5% of events on the platform include a live auction, yet those events account for nearly half of all revenue raised through GiveGrove. If you have been on the fence about adding a paddle raise, or you ran one last year and it felt flat, this guide walks through what the highest-earning organizations do differently.
What is a paddle raise?
A paddle raise is a live, whole-room donation appeal. The auctioneer or emcee calls out a giving level, such as "$1,000 to send ten kids to camp, who's with us?", and guests raise a numbered paddle to pledge that amount. Then the ask drops to the next level, and the next, until nearly everyone in the room has had a chance to give. Nobody wins an item. Every guest is simply invited to fund the mission at a level that fits them.
You will hear it called a fund-a-need, a call to the heart, a special appeal, or a call to action. They all describe the same moment. (One note for GiveGrove users: the generic term "fund-a-need" is not the same as our Fund-a-Need module. More on why that matters below.)
Paddle raise vs. premium item auction
A paddle raise is one of two ways to run a live auction. The other is the classic premium item auction, where the auctioneer presents a handful of high-value lots, like a vacation package or a private dinner, and guests bid against each other until one winner remains.
| Paddle raise | Premium item auction | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Guests pledge at descending giving levels | Guests bid against each other on an item |
| Who gives | Anyone in the room, at any level | One winning bidder per item |
| Paddle conversion (GiveGrove median) | About 35%, with top events reaching 45% | About 26% |
| What drives it | An emotional story and a clear need | Perceived value of the item |
"Paddle conversion" is the share of guests holding a paddle who end up giving. A paddle raise turns more of the room into donors because it asks everyone, not just the people who can outbid a neighbor for a week in Napa.
The two formats are not rivals. Most high-performing galas on GiveGrove run both: a few premium items first to get the room competing, then the paddle raise to close the night.
How to set your paddle raise goal and giving levels
Start with the people in the room, not with a number you hope to hit. A paddle raise at a neighborhood walkathon and a paddle raise at a hospital foundation gala are completely different events. Look at last year's giving, your major donor list, and who has RSVP'd, then set your top level at something two or three guests could realistically say yes to.
From there, build a ladder that works downward. A typical ladder might run $5,000, $2,500, $1,000, $500, $250, and $100. Each step should feel like an easy yes for a bigger slice of the room than the step before. Stopping at the top two or three levels leaves your most loyal small donors sitting on their hands.
Here is a useful reality check from our data. The average live auction transaction on GiveGrove is $616, which is 3.6 times the value of a typical silent auction charge. But the median is $200. Most of the dollars come from many people giving modest amounts, with a few large gifts on top. Your ladder needs rungs for both.
Tie every level to something real
Numbers on their own don't move people. What it buys does. Imagine a youth tutoring nonprofit (we'll come back to them throughout this guide) where $250 covers a year of support for one student. Their ladder might sound like this:
$5,000 funds a full classroom for the year
$1,000 covers four students
$250 sponsors one student
$100 buys a semester of books and supplies
The same goes for the overall goal. "We need $5,000 to get running water to the new building. If ten people give $500 tonight, we cross the finish line" gives the room a target it can actually see itself hitting.
Reframing the price helps too. Our tutoring nonprofit could point out that $250 a year is a little over $20 a month. Some donors will happily pledge a monthly amount that they would never commit to as a lump sum. Your team then sends a charge request each month. It takes a bit of manual follow-up, but it makes giving feel manageable and keeps you in front of donors all year.
Not ready for a $5,000 ask? Start small
You don't have to open at $5,000 to run a successful paddle raise. A mini paddle raise of just two or three asks at $250 or $500 is enough to get the room engaged and your team comfortable with the format.
Another option for first-timers is a game GiveGrove organizers call Last Paddle Standing. Pick one item people actually want, like a bottle of bourbon or a pet lover's prize pack. The auctioneer names an entry price and asks who wants a shot. Everyone who raises a paddle pays that amount. Then the auctioneer keeps going, raising the price each round, and paddles drop until one is left. That person wins the item.
One GiveGrove organization ran "Last Pet Lover Standing" at its annual gala. Seven donors played, the winner paid $750, and the single item raised $1,947 in total. The item didn't need to be expensive. It needed to be wanted.
When to run the paddle raise during your event
Run the paddle raise late in the program, right after your strongest story, when the room is at its emotional peak. If you also have premium items, auction those first. A few competitive lots warm up the crowd and get paddles moving, and then the paddle raise closes the night by inviting everyone in.
This order shows up again and again in our best-performing events. At 124 GiveGrove events that ran both a live auction and a silent auction, the live auction's median take was about $20,000, compared with $9,200 for the silent auction. Same guests, same night, more than double the money.
Two timing mistakes cost organizations money every season.
Closing the silent auction during the paddle raise. When guests are checking their phones to see whether they got outbid on the gift basket, they are not listening to your story or watching the auctioneer. Close the silent auction before the live program starts, or let it run well past it.
Splitting the giving moment. GiveGrove users sometimes route their paddle raise through the Fund-a-Need module instead of the Live Auction module. In our data, events that ran Fund-a-Need alongside a live auction posted a median live auction total of $19,989, versus $23,936 for events that kept everything in the live auction. That's roughly $4,000 left on the table. Our best guess at the cause: when there are two places to give, donors aren't sure where to focus, and the energy in the room splinters. Keep the paddle raise inside Live Auction so there is one clear moment and one running total.
How to write a paddle raise script that moves people
A paddle raise needs an emotional reason to give, the same way a premium auction needs an item people want. Before the auctioneer says a single dollar amount, the room should understand three things: what your mission does, what a gift buys, and how much you are trying to raise tonight.
The most reliable way to deliver that is a short story from someone your work has helped, followed immediately by the ask. Back to our tutoring nonprofit. Their emcee might say:
"It costs us $250 a year to support one student. That's a little over $20 a month. Before we ask for your help, let's hear from Billy about what this program has meant to him."
Billy speaks for two or three minutes. Then the auctioneer steps up, names the goal, and opens the ladder at the top level while the story is still fresh. Any gap between the story and the ask, like a dessert course or a raffle drawing, lets the feeling drain out of the room.
A few scripting habits make a noticeable difference. Say the goal out loud and repeat it as you get closer. Translate each level into what it funds every single time, not just at the start. And thank each paddle by number as it goes up. Guests who hear the auctioneer call out "Thank you, 112!" start looking around to see who else is joining in.
Line up your first paddles before the event
The hardest paddle to get is the first one. Nobody wants to be the only hand in the air at $5,000. The fix is simple: before the event, talk to the donors you already expect to give and ask them to raise their paddle at a specific level.
The conversation can be as straightforward as: "We're doing a paddle raise after dinner. We know you're planning to give $500. Would you raise your paddle when the auctioneer gets to that level, so we can get some momentum going in the room?" Most supporters are glad to help, and once the top levels have a few paddles up, the rest of the room follows.
If you have a board, ask every member to commit to a level ahead of time. Share the script with these early givers so they know when their moment comes. And let your auctioneer know who they are, so they can make eye contact at the right rung instead of hoping.
Running the paddle raise in the room
If you take one thing from this guide, make it this: your auctioneer is the highest-leverage decision you will make. A skilled emcee or auctioneer can double what a hesitant one raises from the very same crowd. They read the room, keep the pace brisk, know when to linger on a level and when to drop, and make every donor feel seen. The organizations that clear $50,000 year after year on GiveGrove tend to bring back the same trusted auctioneer each year.
Social proof does the rest. Top GiveGrove events convert 40 to 45 percent of paddle holders into donors, compared with roughly a third at a typical event. Part of that comes from the auctioneer, and part comes from putting the running total on a big screen. When guests watch the number climb toward the goal, giving feels like a team effort instead of a private decision.
A few practical details matter more than they look:
Make paddles for your whole guest list, not half. A guest without a paddle can't give. At the top events, nearly every attendee checks in and gets one.
Check guests in early. QR code check-in at the door gets paddles assigned to the right guests before the program starts.
Assign spotters. A paddle raise moves fast. Have volunteers on the floor calling out numbers so nothing gets missed.
Our tutoring nonprofit, for example, might put its board members at different tables, put the student goal ("40 students funded tonight") on the screen, and have two volunteers spotting from each side of the room. None of that is expensive. All of it shows up in the total.
What you need on the night (and how GiveGrove helps)
A silent auction is mostly set it and forget it. A paddle raise needs people paying close attention for the whole segment. Before the event, make sure you have printed paddles with guest numbers, QR code check-in at the door, an emcee or auctioneer, bid sheets for spotters, a laptop for logging pledges, and one staff member whose only job that night is the live auction.
That last one is the piece organizations most often skip. When the person logging paddles is also greeting sponsors and fixing the slideshow, pledges get missed. If you don't have someone to spare, GiveGrove can send a trained event liaison to run the live auction side with your team. Organizers who've used one consistently tell us it was worth it. GiveGrove also offers training for volunteers ahead of the event, whether your emcee is a professional auctioneer or a board member with a microphone.
On the platform side, GiveGrove's Live Auction module handles the work around the auctioneer rather than replacing them:
Paddle assignment at check-in, so every guest's number is linked to their record
Live pledge logging, so each raised paddle becomes a charge request as the auctioneer moves down the ladder
Big Boards that put the running total on screen for the whole room
Charge requests by email and text, which donors confirm before they are charged, cutting down on mistakes when a paddle number is misheard
Online giving for remote supporters, so people watching from home can join in
Real-time reporting and receipts once the night wraps
For our tutoring nonprofit, that means the volunteer at the laptop logs "Paddle 112, $1,000" while the auctioneer is already calling the next level, the Big Board ticks up toward the 40-student goal, and paddle 112 gets a charge request on their phone before the auctioneer reaches the $100 level.
Collect every pledge before guests leave
A raised paddle is a promise, not a payment. Collection rates drop sharply once people go home, and the numbers on GiveGrove show how much is at stake. So far in 2026, more than $103,000 in live auction charge requests are still pending across the platform. For 2025, about $92,000 in pledges, roughly 15% of all charge requests, remain unresolved.
The fix starts in the room. Have your dedicated live auction staffer log pledges as they happen so charge requests go out immediately. Then have the emcee make an announcement before the night ends: check your phone, confirm your pledge, and thank you for giving. Donors can now pay by bank transfer and settle several pledges in a single batch payment, which removes a lot of the friction that used to stall collection.
Some donors will want to pay by check or another offline method. That's fine. GiveGrove doesn't charge for transactions you take offline. Just mark the charge request as resolved so it shows as closed. Leaving it pending creates confusion later, especially if your staff turns over. A new development director has no way of knowing whether a $6,000 pledge was never paid or was settled by check two years ago without digging through another system.
Finally, treat outstanding pledges as a reason to call, not a chore. A follow-up about an open charge request is a natural opening to ask a donor how they felt about the event, invite them for a tour, and hear what they are planning next year. Our tutoring nonprofit might pair every pledge reminder with a short note from a student. The donor who gave $1,000 hears exactly which four students they helped, and next year's paddle raise has already started.
Ready to add a paddle raise to your next event?
You don't need a $25,000 goal or a ballroom full of major donors to make a paddle raise worth it. You need a room that knows it's coming, a story worth giving to, and a plan to collect before everyone heads home. GiveGrove's Live Auction tools are free to start, with no contracts or upfront fees, and our team can train your volunteers before the big night. Reach out at info@givegrove.com to talk through your event.
Paddle raise FAQ
How much money does a paddle raise bring in?
It depends on the size and giving capacity of your room. Across 150 live auctions on GiveGrove, events with a live auction or paddle raise raised a median of $34,774, about eight times the $4,332 median for events without one. Smaller organizations should measure success against their own baseline. A 5x to 10x jump over last year's appeal is a strong result at any size.
What is a good paddle conversion rate?
Paddle conversion is the percentage of guests holding a paddle who make a pledge. On GiveGrove, paddle raises convert a median of about 35% of paddle holders, and the top events reach 40 to 45%. Premium item auctions convert about 26%, because only one bidder wins each item.
What giving levels should a paddle raise use?
Set the top level at an amount two or three guests can realistically give, then step down until nearly everyone can participate. A common ladder is $5,000, $2,500, $1,000, $500, $250, and $100. Tie each level to something concrete that the gift pays for.
When should the paddle raise happen during a gala?
Run it late in the program, immediately after your most compelling mission story. If you also auction premium items, do those first and close the night with the paddle raise. Close your silent auction before the live program begins so guests aren't distracted by outbid alerts.
What is the difference between a paddle raise and a fund-a-need?
In general fundraising language, they mean the same thing: a live appeal where guests pledge at set giving levels. On GiveGrove specifically, run your paddle raise through the Live Auction module rather than the Fund-a-Need module. Events that split the giving moment across both raised about $4,000 less in median live auction revenue.
Do I need a professional auctioneer for a paddle raise?
You don't need one, but the person on the microphone has more influence on the result than any other choice you make. A confident, skilled emcee can double what a hesitant one raises from the same room. If you find someone good, bring them back every year.
Can virtual or remote guests take part in a paddle raise?
Yes. GiveGrove's Live Auction module includes online giving options so supporters watching from home can pledge along with the room. That said, a paddle raise works best with a live, in-person audience, so treat remote giving as a bonus rather than the main event.
How do you make sure paddle raise pledges actually get paid?
Send charge requests during the event and announce before guests leave that they should confirm their pledge. GiveGrove sends charge requests by email and text, and donors can pay by card, bank transfer, or batch payment. Mark any pledges paid by check as resolved so your records stay accurate.
How many paddles do I need for my event?
Typically, GiveGrove sees that 50% of event attendees receive a paddle. If your event has 200 attendees, you should plan to hand out 100 paddles. Regardless, always have enough paddles for each guest in the room, just in case.
Thanks for trusting GiveGrove with your fundraisers!
The GiveGrove Team 🍋
A Code Works company
GiveGrove makes events and auctions for fundraising easy. Email info@givegrove.com for more info. Click here to sign up for our mailing list.
