Managing fundraising events can be challenging — we get that. There are so many things to keep track of. Any setback can feel like it could jeopardize the whole event.

At ClickBid, we’re dedicated to helping nonprofits overcome their challenges. Since 2002, it’s been our focus to help nonprofits raise awareness, strengthen donor relationships, and enable year-round giving opportunities to raise more money.

How ClickBid enable nonprofits to make it to the million-dollar milestones?

Introducing Success Stories — stories from nonprofits and charities on how they’re managing their auctions, reaching more people, and raising more money.

Here’s one of their stories.

Heart Gallery Alabama

Currently, in Alabama, there are hundreds of children and teenagers in foster care looking for their forever homes. Heart Gallery Alabama exists to connect these children in foster care with caring adults who will provide the stability and guidance they need to thrive.

Children featured in the Heart Gallery have experienced some form of trauma or loss, thus creating a ‘negative’ adoption label.  Heart Gallery Alabama (HGA) believes youth in foster care should not be defined by these labels and deserve positive connections with adults who can provide them with unconditional love and commitment.

We recently sat down with Co-Founder and Executive Director, Michelle Bearman-Wolnek, to discuss the importance of their mission and their success using ClickBid’s event fundraising platform.

Showing Kids in Their Best Light

One of the key highlights of the Heart Gallery is its innovative approach to child advocacy through photography. The nonprofit captures the essence of each child’s personality, dreams, and potential, which is something often overlooked in traditional adoption programs. This approach helps potential adoptive parents connect on a deeper level and also raises awareness about the need for adoptive families.

The organization wants every child featured in the Heart Gallery to feel special on their birthday. The Hope from the Heart Program provides personalized gifts for the children or hosts individual birthday parties that support a child’s sense of self-worth. The Heart Squad, the volunteers and donors who run the program strive to make a positive impact on children in Alabama’s foster care system.

Little Time, Big Impact

As the Heart Gallery prepared for its biggest fundraiser of the year, months of planning took an unexpected turn when their original fundraising platform revealed a crucial feature they were depending on would be unavailable.

With just two weeks remaining, Michelle and her team had to pivot swiftly and turn to ClickBid. The team quickly learned ClickBid’s functionality and had the platform fully operational and ready for their event, all in under two weeks.

“I feel like this software saved me… I was able to watch the on-demand videos and get up to speed with what I needed. For training our volunteers, the process was so easy because I just sent them a link to the site and told them to watch this video. They caught on super quickly, and were able to complete check-in and check-out without a worry,” said Michelle.

Michelle and her team utilized ClickBid’s on-demand training videos to get fully trained and prepare for their event. They were able to quickly become acclimated with ClickBid’s capability and not let this last-minute switch cause additional stress.

“While I was anxious the night of our event, having that dedicated person to call and depend on is worth every single penny because things do come up that you can’t plan for,” said Michelle.

The 2023 Heart Gallery Heroes event was the nonprofit’s first in-person gathering since 2019. The Heart Gallery was thrilled to have the opportunity to reconnect with their supporters face to face and celebrate their mission together.

Through the many challenges the organization faced during the planning process of this event, Michelle noted “this year was the most successful event we’ve ever had.”

Changing Futures, One Photograph at a Time

Since 2005, the organization has photographed more than 2,100 children, has a 65% adoption rate, and advocates for youth in foster care every day. Heart Gallery Alabama’s unwavering commitment to changing the lives of children in foster care, combined with its creative and comprehensive approach, demonstrates why its mission is so desperately needed in today’s world, where countless children across Alabama and the nation yearn for a safe and loving forever home.

For more information about Heart Gallery Alabama and its incredible mission, please visit their website.

For more information about ClickBid Mobile Bidding, please visit our website.