Committee Chair Job Descriptions
All Committee Chairs should:
- Attend Auction Committee Meetings to stay apprised of relevant issues.
- Stay within the committee budget amount set by the Auction Chairs
- Have any expenses approved by the Auction Chairs prior to incurrence. Reimbursement cannot be guaranteed if a chair or committee member fails to get the proper approval. Regular Parents Club Bylaws procedures will apply.
- Keep a diary and timeline for future chairs. This need not be complicated; notes added to the chair notebook is appreciated.
Jump To Job Description
Accounting
Advertising
Catalog Proofing
Classroom Projects
Clean-up
Data Control
Data Entry
Decorations
Dinner Liaison
Documentation
Gift Certificates
Item Retrieval
Live Item Display
Photos
Power Point
Printing
Procurement
Publicity
Reservations
Runners & Spotters
Security
Set-up
Silent Item Display
Sound & Lighting
Thank you's
Underwriting
Accounting
Primary responsibilities occur auction night with some minor advance preparation. Volunteers are needed auction night for general cashier needs. The Chair’s principle duties are:
- Make sure credit card account is available/activated and machine supplies readied.
- Obtain cash advance from Parents Club Treasurer for cashiers prior to auction evening.
- Line up volunteers to help cashier and hand out certificates purchased by auction patrons. Notify all volunteers who will not be needed in a timely fashion.
- Contact Parents Club treasurer for instructions on how the auction proceeds are to be handled when the auction has ended.
- Consult with Data Control Chair to coordinate smooth transition in cashing patrons out.
- Attend Auction Committee meetings to stay appraised of pertinent issues.
- Compile quick-check information from auction attendees, prior to auction and on auction night.
Advertising
Primary responsibility is to generate advertising revenue to help offset the cost of the auction catalog.
- Create and send informative flyer to school parents.
- Inspire others to procure/sell advertising.
- Attend Auction Committee Meetings.
- Consult with the Auction Chairs regarding scheduling and deadlines.
- Committee costs should be limited to paper used for the flier.
Catalog Proofing
Responsible for proofing the draft of the Catalog prior to submitting it to the printer.
- Ensuring that data conforms with the established Data Entry conventions.
- Review for typographical errors.
- Review for logic errors in the descriptions.
Classroom Projects
Responsible for coordinating Class Projects.
- Meet with Room Ambassadors to discuss project guidelines and to brainstorm.
- Ensure all projects are approved by the Auction Chairs.
- Encourage project teams to take photgraphs for the Website and PowerPoint.
- Keep Room Ambassadors & Class Project Chairs apprised of deadlines.
Clean-Up
Responsible for organizing clean-up following the Auction.
- Arrange for dumpster to be delivered no later than the Friday before the Auction.
- Obtain large crew of volunteers with help from the Volunteer Coordinator or obtain outside group to begin work Saturday night after the Auction with a completion of the work to be done on Sunday.
- Responsible for: taking down all remaining decorations as determined by Decoration Chair, put all tables and chairs away (separating out rental items), take down and put away stage, put away gym mats, sweep, vacuum or wash floors according to floor needs and check restrooms.
- Complete final check on all areas used for Auction including classrooms, hallways, social hall, gym, kitchen, extra rooms and outside.
Data Control
Responsible for data control from beginning to end. Works with Data Entry, Reservations and Accounting.
- Become familiar with auction computer system.
- Work with Auction Chairs to identify non-catalog items which need to be in the system.
- Arrange for printing of bid sheets.
- Working with Volunteer Coordinator Chair, arrange for volunteers to assist with data control auction night.
- Ensure that auction site is properly equipped with power and computers.
- As items are sold, enter the winning bidder information into the system
- Print receipts for bidders to take home auction night (note: these receipts should be marked “not final”).
- Follow up with final receipts once all items are finalized.
- Generate Auction reports by bidder and by item.
Data Entry
Responsible for entering all items into the computer system. A minimum of two people working as a team are needed for this job.
- Enter data in accordance with the established Data Entry conventions.
- Enter all fields from the Procurement Form, editing the description as necessary to keep it both brief and descriptive.
- Bring missing values and questionable items to the attention of the Procurement Chair for follow-up.
- Mark item number on the procurement forms and separate the copies and file or attach them to the item as appropriate.
- Categorize the item.
- Run reports as needed.
Decorations
Coordinates with Auction Chairs regarding specific decorating ideas and colors for given theme. Responsible for all decorating requirements including tables, rooms/hall for silent and live items, stage, gym and dining tables, bars, bathrooms, Auction entrance etc.
- Obtain volunteers, volunteers and more volunteers with the help of the Volunteer Coordinator.
- Schedule planning and work parties for the purpose of creating necessary decorations.
- Coordinate all Head Table arrangements including gifts, greeter and V.I.P. parking, champagne, personal waitpersons, china, crystal and silver service, table decorations and centerpiece, rental chairs, item retrieval and assistance during checkout, etc.
- Decorate dining room (gym), check-in and check-out as needed, bathrooms, social hall, classroom doors, hallways and main entrance.
- Obtain table coverings for all display tables including table skirts for Super Silent and Live displays as well as tables in front hallway for check-in and certificate grab bag.
- Decorate dining tables including centerpieces, table # cards. Coordinate linens & table setting with Dinner Liaison/Set-Up Chairs.
- Create/Obtain Live Item Bidder Gifts.
- Create signage as needed working with Logo/Print Materials. Consult with Accounting, Cashiering and Check-Out. Entrance signs, welcome signs, directional signs, silent closing signs, etc.
- Coordinate design of name tags with Reservation Chair.
- Coordinate with Clean-up Chair to determine where decorating items go following Auction
Dinner Liaison
Act as main contact for designated catering service and rental supply company. Also coordinate any food/beverage needs not taken care of by caterer.
- Work with Auction Chairs to finalize dinner menu (including Head Table).
- Coordinate with Caterer for the evening’s food and beverage services.
- Coordinate with Caterer for dinner servers or oversee coordination of volunteer servers. Note: paid vs volunteer servers to be decided at the discretion of Auction Chairs.
- Coordinate with rental company for all rental needs including: dining tables and chairs, china, silverware, all glassware and barware, linens etc. Note: rentals may be handled through the caterer or separate, as appropriate.
- Work with caterer’s representative to ensure the oversight of food delivery, prep, service and clean-up.
- Obtain volunteers as appropriate to cover any dinner areas not covered by the caterers.
- Work with Reservation Chair to inform caterer of number of guests to be served.
Documentation
Responsible for assembling a scrapbook or photo album to document the auction.
- Photograph set-up, decorations, certificate examples, and highlights of item display.
- Photograph proceedings and attendees the night of the auction.
- Develop film/print digital images in a timely fashion and prepare album.
- Album is to be completed prior to the start of the next school year.
- Album should be kept in the school office when completed.
- School Camera may be checked-out if Chair does not have one.
Gift Certificates
Responsible for organizing the certificates, providing the display signs and carrying out the certificate grab bag. The Chair’s principle duties are:
- Obtain any volunteers as necessary to assist with responsibilities.
- With approval of the Auction Chairs, choose a simple game and prize for the Certificate grab bag. The Certificate grab bag usually consists of 70 to 80 certificates.
- Order the prizes and obtain any other supplies necessary for the game.
- Using reports provided by the Auction Chairs, sort the certificates into two batches: 1) Silent & Live 2) Certificate grab bag. During this process, each certificate should be put in a clean envelope and labeled with its catalog number and title.
- Prepare a note stating “The yellow copy of the procurement form is your certificate” and place a copy of this notice in all appropriate certificate envelopes (using reports provided by the Auction Chairs to determine which envelopes do not contain actual donor provided certificates).
- Prepare an actual certificate for all HFK school or parish donated Live auction items (such as Head Table, Christmas pew, etc).
- Prepare or arrange for the preparation of display signs for all Silent and Live certificates as well as all other Live items. They should be backed with stiff paper so they will stand in the easels. Also be sure to provide a few additional blank ones for last minute changes.
- Coordinate with Silent and Live Setup to verify they have the requisite number of certificate display easels.
- Get all certificate signs to Silent and Live setup two days prior to the auction and they will place them on the tables during their setup.
- Obtain the bid sheets for the Certificate grab bag from Data Control.
- Ensure you have adequate volunteers to staff the grab bag the night of the auction. Certificates are generally sold out by halfway through the silent closings. Once all bid sheets are turned in to Accounting, the volunteers are off duty for the evening.
Item Retrieval
Works Auction night to collect items following each closing and to prepare them for pick-up by the purchasers.
- Verify that the bid sheet matches the item you are retrieving .
- Verify that all items are present for each sheet.
- Place items in bags marked with the appropriate bidder number.
- When the bidder picks up their items, compare their receipt to the bags. Verify the receipt is marked paid and that the items are all present.
Live Item Display
Responsible for the display of all live auction items as organized by the Auction Chairs. Also may be responsible for display of additional items located in the Social Hall at the discretion of the Auction Chairs. The Chair’s principle duties are:
- Obtain any volunteers as necessary to assist in setup.
- Arrange the transport of all Live items from Item Storage to the auction site.
- Obtain the necessary materials to set up the items including pens, certificate easels, large display easels, baskets, and props. Make sure that all props are marked to indicate whether they are included with the item or for display only.
- Arrange the items in the order determined by the Auction Chairs.
- Tape down the bid sheets and place the certificate signs in their easels.
- Consult with the Auction Chairs regarding additional items such as Playground Photos to be setup by the Live team.
Photos
Description coming soon
Power Point
Responsible for creating the slide show that is shown during the Live Auction.
- Obtain photos of class projects from the Room Ambassadors.
- Obtain photos of other live items from their donors.
- Create an opening segment to be shown prior to the first item.
- Follow format of preceding year (Chair will be supplied with a disk for reference).
Printing
Works with Auction Chairs on logo, catalog, thank-you cards and mailer designs. Volunteers may be used at Chair’s discretion for further artwork needed.
- Work with Auction Chairs on artwork to be included in the catalog such as the introduction, dedication, title page, dividers, thank-you page and any other format.
- Design Donor and Participant Thank-You notes and Reservation Forms with final approval from the Auction Chairs.
Procurement
Primary responsibility is motivating school parents in the procurement process.
- Communicate with parents regarding how to procure and provide materials necessary to do so.
- Restock and/or reorder procurement forms, merchant letters and stationery as necessary.
- Brainstorm procurement ideas with Auction Chairs and class procurement representatives as needed.
- After meeting with the Auction Chairs, create and maintain the procurement tree.
- All procurement deadlines should be established in coordination with the Auction Chairs at the beginning of the school year. Any variations must be approved by the Auction Chairs.
- Hold procurement drawings, set up (or arrange for) sandwich boards reminding parents of the deadlines several days in advance.
- Communicate with Publicity Chair re: drawings, deadlines and needs as well as to advertise exciting items already procured.
- Help procure/purchase Live Auction package components as discussed with Auction Chairs.
- Oversee class procurement representatives. Their responsibilities are motivating their class parents to procure, turning in the class item budgets and preparing the class item procurement form.
- Ensure that all procurement forms turned in have been filled out completely and correctly. Follow up as necessary before processing item. Leaving one copy of form attached to item, forward the other three copies to appropriate persons.
- Look over items as they come in to check condition or salability. Contact donors as needed to deal with problems.
- Coordinate delivery of items to storage once they have been input.
- Attend Sorting Day to be on hand to help troubleshoot problems.
- Work with Silent Set-up and Live Set-up Chairs to ensure delivery of items to auction site prior to set-up.
Publicity
Creates the Auction Newsletter and generates auction publicity.
- Coordinates with Auction Chairs and Procurement to create a general newsletter to be sent in family envelope on a schedule set forth by Auction Chairs.
- Attend Auction Committee meetings in order to be aware of potential items for the newsletter.
- Purchase paper appropriate to the theme for copying the newsletter.
- Newsletters must be submitted to Pat Stupfel for review before the end of the school day on Tuesday of the week the newsletter is to go out.
- Publicity Chair is responsible for copying or arranging for the copying of the newsletter. The Parents Club copier is available for this job.
- Parish Bulletin announcements should be run with regard to both procurement and reservations, according to schedule set by Auction Chairs,
- Coordinate other general advertising as needed.
Reservations
Coordinates with Auction Chairs on invitations and facilitates record keeping of confirmed reservations.
- Coordinate with Auction Chairs and Logo/Print Materials Chair regarding the creation of invitations and reservation forms.
- Obtain a printing of address labels for all school families from the school secretary. Also obtain a list of preschool families. Finally, check with the Auction Chairs whether there are any additional non-school recipients.
- Send out Invitations/reservation forms on date indicated in auction timeline.
- Input reservations responses into the Auction computer system as they arrive. Ensure complete names, addresses and phone numbers. These will be used for sending out thank-you notes and for follow-ups as necessary.
- Submit check receipts to Parents Club Treasurer per his/her instructions.
- Photocopy Quick Check information and send one copy to Data Control Chair per his/her instructions.
- Note which families have not responded and keep Auction Chairs apprised of this knowledge.
- Prepare seating assignments with approval from Auction Chairs.
- Coordinate with Decorations Chair table number cards and placement.
- Print out two sets of labels showing name, table assignment and bid number from the Auction Computer system. Give one to Item Retrieval for labeling bags and keep the other for the check-in packets
- Put together auction packets to be handed to auction patrons when they arrive. These envelopes are to be identified with one the above labels and should contain bid number card and wrist bands, name tag, and catalog addendum if applicable.
- Obtain volunteers to help hand out packets and welcome attendees auction night.
Runners/Spotters
Runners are those volunteers who gather the applicable bid sheet (whether silent or live) and ‘run’ them to the Data Control volunteers for entering into the computer system. This allows us to keep a running total amount spent during the evening for each auction patron. Spotters are those volunteers who during the live portion of the auction point the bidder out to the auctioneer.
- Working with the Volunteer Coordinator Chair secure commitment for the needed number of runners and spotters. Additional volunteers may also be needed to show live auction items to the crowd.
- Determine ‘dress uniform’ for easy identification of runners and spotters. Coordinate with Auction Chairs how this uniform will be procured. Coordinate with Decorations Chair uniform ‘look.’
- Determine how many signs the spotters will need. Coordinate with Decorations Chair the design and construction of signs.
Security
Coordinate security team for auction night.
Set-Up
Primary responsibility is to organize set-up prior to the Auction. The Chair’s principle duties are:
- Obtain large crew of volunteers with help of the Volunteer Coordinator Chair to begin set-up following 3:15 dismissal on Thursday before Auction.
- Coordinate with Reservations to determine number of dinner tables, including the Head Table. Arrange for extra rental tables and chairs if needed to be delivered no later than the Friday afternoon before the auction.
- Coordinate timing/volunteers for gym mat set-up (Seventh Graders).
- Be on site to receive and check deliveries.
- Help move classroom desks and tables as needed.
- Set up stage. Set up tables as needed for silent items, live items, check-in, check-out, data control, accounting/cashier, dining room etc.
- If not outsourced to caterer, Set-up is responsible for setting out china, silver, glassware and linens for auction dinner. Coordinate layout of dining table with Decorations Chair.
- Assist Sound and Lighting Chair as needed.
- Coordinate with Dinner Liaison to set up main bar and satellite bar.
- When possible, assist Decorations Chair with additional set-up needs.
Silent Item Display
Responsible for the physical sorting and display of all silent auction items as organized by the Auction Chairs. The Chair’s principle duties are:
- With the Auction Chairs and Item Storage, choose a date approximately two weeks prior to the auction for sorting the physical items into closings.
- Obtain approximately 10 volunteers to meet at the storage site on sorting day.
- Obtain the necessary supplies (color garage sale stickers – one color for each closing, pens, tape, bags, refreshments) and reports (from Auction Chairs – “Procurement to Catalog” and “Catalog to Procurement”) in preparation for sorting.
- At the sorting, the “Procurement to Catalog” report should be used to give every item an appropriately colored sticker with its catalog number on it.
- Once an item has been stickered and the report checked, it should be placed in an area marked off for its closing.
- Upon completion of the sorting any issues should be followed up and resolved. Any missing items should be noted.
- Any items not stored at the main item storage facility should also be stickered and checked off.
- Put together a team of volunteers (about 25 total - 4 plus a team leader for each silent closing room) to set up on the day prior to the auction.
- Coordinate with each team the transport of their items from Item Storage to the auction site.
- Supply each team with the necessary materials to set up their room including pens, certificate easels, baskets, and props.
- Team should also tape down the bid sheets and place the certificate signs in their easels.
- Silent Setup Chair should oversee the setup to ensure pleasing display and traffic flow in each room.
Sound & Lighting
Set-up and run the sound & lighting systems for auction night.
Thank-You’s
Primarily responsible for sending thank-you cards as created by Logo & Print Materials Chair and approved by Auction Chairs. There will be two separate kinds of thank-you cards sent, one to all persons donating items (including merchants) and one to auction patrons who purchased items. The Chair’s principle duties are:
- Responsible for inventory of thank-you cards.
- Working with the Volunteer Coordinator Chair obtain volunteers and coordinate sending out thank-you cards.
- During the procurement process, obtain non-school donor information from Data Entry in order to thank these donors as items are received.
- Post-auction,obtain report Auction Chairs of non-school donors and purchasers. These people/companies will be mailed thank you cards following the auction.
- Coordinate with Auction Chairs as to which, if any, notes (i.e. Live item purchasers, teacher donors, etc) should contain a personal note from the Auction Chairs
- Request a print run of family envelope labels from the school secretary. All families should be thanked for their participation. These thank you cards are to be sent home through the family envelope.
- All thank-you cards are to be completed within three weeks of the auction.
Underwriting
Work with our school Development Director to identify and pursue underwriters for our auction.