How often have you heard of an auction to benefit charity? Art auctions – very common fundraising event. Gift auctions work really well, but every charity does a gift auction. And what about silent auctions? That’s probably the most common auction of all. But have you ever heard of a doodle auction? Now that’s probably the most creative take on a charity auction that I’ve seen in a long time.

I love it when non-profit organizations get creative with their fundraisers, and creativity is vital in today’s tough economy. Well, National Doodle Day sure fits into the creative category.

This unique doodle auction event, which first hit the scene in 2007, was cleverly designed by the folks Neurofibromatosis, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to providing education, advocacy, and research for a cure. How lucky were they to get a doodle for auction by then Senator Barack Obama, who had already announced his candidacy for president? President Obama’s doodle of Senators Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid, Dianne Feinstein and Edward Kennedy fetched just over $2,000. I wonder what it’s worth today.

The folks at NF, Inc. send hundreds of requests to celebrities asking for their one-of-a-kind doodles for auction. In the past two years, celebrities that have participated include Ellen DeGeneres, Goldie Hawn, Donald Trump, Jay Leno, Cindy Crawford and Josh Groban.

This year, National Doodle Day kicks off May 7, and runs through May 17 when more than 104 doodles will be available for auction on ebay. You can expect more than 100 celebrity doodles from Steve Martin, Tony Bennett, the late Dom DeLuise, Chef Duff from Food Network’s Ace of Cakes, Matthew Perry of “Friends” fame and SNL comedian Kevin Nealon.

According to the NF, Inc. website, Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a genetic disorder of the nervous system which causes tumors to form on the nerves anywhere in the body at any time. This disease can strike anyone of all races, cultural backgrounds, and sexes. It happens to be of the most common genetic disorders in the United States, happening about one in every 3,000 to 4,000 births.

There is no cure for NF, but NF, Inc. is trying desperately to find one, which is why fundraisers like National Doodle Day are tremendously important. And don’t forget how valuable the media attention is as well – the national attention that this unique fundraiser receives helps create much-needed awareness about the disease, as well as much-needed funds.

If you represent a non-profit organization that has created a unique fundraising opportunity, share it with me and maybe I’ll get it out there in a future article. We could all use a few fresh ideas, right?

In the meantime, go to ebay and check out the doodles for National Doodle Day. Who knows? Maybe you’ll see one you just might want to own. I’m planning on placing a bid for Chef Duff’s doodle – I’m a huge fan!

National Doodle Day
Neurofibromatosis, Inc.
ebay
Chef Duff's Blog
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