Thanks, that's helpful.

As a business owner, I am going to donate (1) to get positive exposure for my company in front of potential customers, and (2) for the tax deduction.

You need to be able to tell me in marketing terms who will be at your auction (how many people, their demographics, etc.) and yes, give me a sense of what other types of donations mine will be competing with/beside. If there was an auction last year, let me know how many people came, and show me a list of typical donations by category and their average bid. I don't want to donate a weekend at a flashy resort (value $600) when the next-best donation is a basket of muffins (value $10).

Finally, make it as easy as possible for me to make my donation. I shouldn't have to drop it off -- you should pick it up. Whatever it is.

Good luck!

1. If you solicit donations for your auction, how/how often/how aggressively do you follow up? Do you really try to sell the auction or do you just make the request and leave it at that?

2. If you run a business that receives donation solicitations, what type of approach do you prefer? What makes you more likely to give? Do you prefer a personal visit, a phone call, or an email? (I'm thinking mainly of businesses with no obvious connection to the school. Also, our school is private, so I imagine people see our requests more in the context of marketing than giving back.)

3. Specifically, are you more or less likely to give if you learn that well-known businesses in your sector have already committed?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.