Testimonials

Raising more money than ever before or what clients thought were possible.

“Gayle has grown our event revenue exponentially in the past two years and has brought much energy and enthusiasm to our organization while doing it! She has brought the Fund a Cause portion of our gala from less than $10k to over $50k her first year and over $85k the following year, all while steadily growing Live Auction income each year as well. Her understanding of and commitment to our mission was evident in all areas of her work and connected her with our donors in a meaningful way. Gayle has become an integral part of the Austin Humane Society’s annual gala, and we look forward to continued success with her as our Auctioneer.” – Megan Russell, Major Gifts Officer, Austin Humane Society, Austin, TX

“WOW! What a difference this year had on CASAblanca’s success–and you were a huge part of that. Thank you for all of your extra effort to join our meetings and be a key member of the team. It certainly paid off, especially when we almost doubled the Paddles Up from the previous years and we even made more money in the live auction with fewer items. So glad we had the chance to work together.” -Sarah Valenzuela, Gala Chair, CASA of Travis County, Austin, TX

“Gayle has transformed our event since she started working with us three years ago. While working with us closely for months prior to the event, she gave us specific ideas of what items would sell best at our silent and live auction and how to improve our check-out process, resulting in a 625% increase in revenue in the first year. She really knows how to convey our mission about breast cancer awareness and education in a way that makes the audience feels compelled to give more.” – Megan Green, Philanthropy Chair, Zeta Tau Alpha, Austin, TX

“Gayle helped us develop a message that created a reason and urgency for people to give that has resulted in a 266% increase in our Paddle Raiser over the past four years. For example, she suggested that we make this year’s Paddle Raiser about the pending ‘Bicycle Safety Bill’ legislation that would pass or fail within a couple of days after the gala.” – Maggie Thompson, Assistant Director, Bicycle Colorado, Denver, CO

“Gayle did so much more than merely sell a trip to Hawaii. Not only did she raise more money than we could have ever imagined, Gayle captured the entire audience’s attention by selling the Big Island experience in her grass skirt and lei during the live auction.” – Beth Tracy, President, Executive Women International, Austin, TX

“Gayle is a true auction artist. I would never dream of hiring another auctioneer! Who else but Gayle would think to bring ‘Vera Karp,’ aka the actor Jaston Williams from Greater Tuna, onstage for a mini-play to sell ‘An Evening with Vera Karp.’ It’s obvious that she cares about helping us raise money, as proven in how our auction revenue has tripled over the past three years.” – Jenny Smrekar, Director of Development & Communications, The Girls’ School of Austin

“We just think the world of Gayle and know the spirit of Art Beyond Bars would not be the same without her. Gayle’s recommendations of proven strategies allowed us to double the Fund-a-Need donations over past years. We are grateful for her time, energy, passion and love for CPI and especially how she can get the audience into a bidding frenzy during the live auction. – Laura Smith, Executive Director, Crime Prevention Institute, Austin, TX

“Many thanks for serving as Eanes Education Foundation’s auctioneer for our annual gala. You were fabulous—entertaining—and most important—helped us raise more money than last year! Thanks so much for your commitment and dedication to helping us raise lots of money for our kids, while breaking a fundraising record in the Paddles Up. I look forward to working with you again. – Christie Byee, Vice President of Development, Eanes Education Foundation Board of Directors, Austin, TX

“While we have used professional auctioneers in the past, Gayle’s performance was far and away the best we’ve ever seen. In fact, I thank that many of our guests in the audience were giving money not for a particular item, but just to watch her perform!? – Eric Gilliland, Executive Director, Washington Area Bicyclist Association, Washington, DC

“Gayle may well have the superpowers as an auctioneer, but what sets her apart is how hard she works for you. She was just as committed to the success of our auction as any committee member, logging many hours alongside our volunteers lending her expertise. When the big day arrived and she took to the stage, we were all speechless with how far she hit it out of the park for us.” – Lisa Lee, CFRE, Director of Development, Austin Children’s Museum, Austin, TX

“Your guidance in putting this thing together was truly invaluable. You’ve got it—panache, pizzazz, and all the rest. I knew you did and was eagerly anticipating seeing it all come together and Wow! What fun when it did, especially watching all of those hands go up during the Fund-a-Need!” – Judy Horton, Founder & Director Emerita, Down Home Ranch, Elgin, TX

“Your energy and enthusiasm, along with your auctioneering expertise, made for a truly exciting and FUN auction. We have received so many comments about how entertaining and lively the auction was, while keeping our mission in front of the donors to remind them why they were there.“ – Nancy Manning, Executive Director, Travis Audubon Society, Austin, TX

“WOW! Thank you for spending so much time with us in planning CulinART 2010. It really paid off and I have learned so much from you. I have never seen anything like a standing ovation from the audience during the Fund-a-Need and your skill and expertise made it happen.” – Leah Graham, Executive Director, The Wright House Wellness Center, Austin TX

“We cannot thank you enough for all you did to make our 10th Anniversary a big success! Our event was just as I hoped–and you were such a big part of making that happen. We’re so lucky to have you as a partner and friend. Greenlights loves Gayle!" — Amy Silvey, Development Director, Greenlights for Nonprofit Success, Austin TX