Fundraising
Lynne Zink helps non-profits and private schools raise millions of dollars every year.
Lynne Zink helps non-profits and private schools raise MILLIONS OF DOLLARS every year.
Imagine transforming your next fundraiser into an unforgettable event that not only excites your donors but also maximizes your revenue.
Nonprofits like yours depend on every dollar to make a difference, and the right auctioneer can be the key to unlocking unprecedented success.
A professional benefit auctioneer doesn’t just call bids—they bring expertise, proven strategies, and cutting-edge ideas that can dramatically boost your fundraising efforts.
Discover how partnering with an experienced auctioneer can elevate your event, engage your supporters, and help you raise the critical funds your cause deserves.
Ready to see your revenue soar?
Contact us to learn about our Gracious approach to fundraising.
Past Fundraising Workshops
This exciting seminar series was designed to help discover how to reach your full philanthropic potential in fundraising.
Attendees said…
“Fastest 4 hours of training I’ve ever attended! I learned so much and went from hesitant to excited and engaged in no time!”
“Plenty of AHA moments”
“Loved the personalization, one on one moments and how intimate the conversations were.”
“Really enjoyed the auction role-playing. The knowledge of Fund-A-Need was very helpful.”
“More robust tips around having an auction at an event was super helpful to share with our senior executives about our gala planning.”
“Great focus on overall mission, audience development and importance of personal outreach.”
“I have had the privilege to work with Lynne Zink as an auctioneer at several different fundraisers. Having worked with many auctioneers at fundraisers up and down the East Coast, I can say she is one of the best! Lynne takes the time to fully understand the items she is auctioning so that she can best involve the crowd and gain the best outcome for the seller. Give her a wireless microphone and she will work a room! Lynne has also been gracious enough to teach me a few pointers to encourage individuals to give above and beyond normal measures to support the cause. I always welcome the opportunity to work with her.”
—Matthew Kneisley, Regional Director, Delta Waterfowl Foundation
“In making the decision to invest in a truly professional auctioneer we were cautious, due to the cost of such an individual. Was it worth it? Yes! With Lynne Zink running our auction, I can absolutely affirm that it was! Lynne’s ability to motivate, focus and engage the audience was impressive. Her infectious personality combined with her ability to create excitement and passion in the room, resulted in a 50% increase in our net revenue for our 30th Annual Auction, which was beginning to feel a bit battle-worn. Hiring Lynne proved to be one of the best decisions our non-profit, member-driven organization made in 2017. We have already hired her to take charge of our 31st event!”
—Kerry McKenna, Director of Events, Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce
“Lynne is a consummate professional. She is very gifted as both a consultant and as an auctioneer in the non-profit field. She is knowledgeable about, and excited to share, the most in vogue fundraising techniques. She is also very skilled with eclectic audiences and she utilizes her talents to garner the maximum amount of funding for her clients at their auction events. Lynne is also very accessible, pleasant and enjoyable to work with. Mission of Mercy is very pleased to be utilizing Lynne again this year for our annual fall Gala. We would highly recommend Lynne as both a consultant and as a professional auctioneer.”
—Linda Ryan, Executive Director, Mission of Mercy
“Lynne Zink did an amazing job for us at our fund raising gala. Not only did she bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm but her timing was impeccable. She knew when to start the bidding, how high to go and when to end it. So many times the wrong auctioneer can put a damper on a wonderful evening. Lynne was quite the opposite. She helped ensure that our event ended on a very high note. In addition to the auction, we concluded our evening with an inspiring raise the paddle opportunity. Because of Lynne’s great delivery and style, we were able to raise over $70,000 from this alone. This was a fitting conclusion to an amazing gala that left our donors, guests and friends inspired and looking forward to next year.”
—Elliott Gaskins, VP of Development, Alzheimer’s Association National Capital Area Chapter
“Lynne Zink is fantastic! She kept the energy high and the bids for our charity auction even higher. Our guests raved about what fun the auction was – even for those who had no interest in bidding. Lynne Zink is the consummate professional – but she is far more. She has an instantly likeable personality and a spark that keeps an audience excited and involved. We cannot thank her enough for the tremendous contribution she made to our event!”
—Mindy Mintz Mordecai, President and CEO, Esophageal Cancer Action Network
“In our first year working with Lynne and her team, our live auction revenue doubled and our Raise the Paddle appeal brought in over three times what it had the previous year!”
—Kate Hornyan, National Cathedral School
“I first met and witnessed you in action in Washington DC where I was the evening’s MC and now seeing you in action again, this time for our DANCING CLASSROOMS program. You and your team took my breath away as well as each one of Board members. I am / we are so grateful to you Lady Lynne…and you really are a ‘lady’. The beautiful and gentle way you handled our patrons…this is exactly how we handle our children in bringing them to dance with each other. With Care and Respect, Compassion and with lots of Humor and Joy. The amount of money you helped raise for us was astounding. Thank you does not seem enough, but please accept our heartfelt gratitude on behalf of all our Teaching Artists and the children we serve.”
—Pierre Dulaine, Founder, Dancing Classrooms
“We hired Lynne for our annual auction for the first time in 2014; the feedback from our parents was immediately positive—in fact, as they left the event they told us how fabulous Lynne was, that she kept the bidding lively and on track and made our Live auction fun. Her work began well before the auction when she met with our staff and auction chairs in-person to help us plan for a successful event. We raised more money and quickly hired her to do our next auction, knowing we will get the same great results.”
—Mary Marra, Associate Director of Development, National Presbyterian School
“On behalf of the Board of Directors of the American Foundation for Saint George Hospital, I would like to thank you for your tremendous work on our behalf at our Second Annual Gala. Your guidance, enthusiasm, and professionalism were more than we could have ever hoped for and we are extremely pleased. When our gala committee interviewed you, you suggested your fee would be made back time and time again – and truer words were never said. We also appreciated the lovely and entertaining Anna and Lia who helped make the gala a resounding success.”
—Amin J. Barakat, MD, President, The American Foundation for Saint George Hospital, Inc.
“Lynne, A note of BIG THANKS to an amazingly wonderful, kind, sweet, fun and exceptional auctioneer. Thank you for being such a wonderful presence at the Mautner Gala last Saturday. Your skills helped this deserving organization achieve some very high proceeds that are so needed. Thank you, thank you.”
—Tedd Davis, Tedd Davis Events, Washington, DC
“I loved working with Lynne! She is an outstanding professional who brings fresh ideas, industry know-how, warmth, humor and enthusiasm to her work. She ran our auction with an exciting performance and provided lots of helpful tips and support throughout the planning process. I would strongly recommend her to any auction or special-event planner.”
—Lauren Campbell, Development and Education Manager, Strathmore
“As the Chair for the Mission of Mercy Gala on November 17, I want to personally thank Lynne Zink and her team. Lynne served as our auctioneer for the second year in a row. Lynne is professional, friendly, experienced and a joy to work with. Lynne makes each client and their event feel special. With Lynne’s experience, she prepares wonderfully to insure that your auction, whether live or silent, is run with class and ultimately gain the funds from your auction needed for your non-profit or other organization. I would confidently recommend Lynne Zink as an auctioneer and consultant for any upcoming event.”
—Linda Roth, 2012 Gala Chair, Mission of Mercy
“Lynne does an amazing job of getting to know her audience and working the crowd. She has been the auctioneer of our signature event, “A BETTER BALTIMORE… If I were Mayor for a Day” citywide poster contest for the past two years. Her finesse in auctioning the children’s artwork created enthusiasm among the participants and generous bids for the artwork. We continue to look forward to Lynne’s creativity and energy for our future events.”
—Elizabeth Kaylor, Maryland Center for Arts and Technology
"Dear Lynne, I want to thank you for the wonderful job you did Saturday night. We so appreciated all your good counsel and advice in the run-up to our gala and auction – it was all so very helpful! Your work on the floor dazzled all our attendees, and the word on the street is that our gala was THE party of the season! Thanks to you! TahDah! The way you connected with the audience and kept them engaged was a delight to watch. And, you got GREAT reviews from an audience that does not easily welcome 'outsiders', wowing them with your energy and professionalism! The way you work the crowd so “up close and personal” really won them over!"
—Susan Kraeger, Good Hope School, St. Croix Virgin Islands
“Hi Lynne! A sincere “thank you” for your incredible auctioneering skills! I think you did a fantastic job and I know we raised more money than this event ever has. You were fantastic! Kudos!”
—Amanda Loveland, Auction Chair, Our Lady of Victory School
“Lynne was truly fantastic! We exceeded our goals by 120%. Her guidance helped us capitalize on resources that had not previously been fully sought after. She quickly could adapt to her audience and we believe no money was left on the table.”
—Christina Hoff, Auction Chair, The Country School
“Thank you so much for your unbelievable dedication to launch our Upper Chesapeake Summer Center for the Arts (UCSCA) Student Scholarship Art Auction Fundraiser at Perryville Middle School. Your enthusiasm, auctioneering strategies, connection with the audience, and passion for your work contributed to the success of this event. In just a few weeks you and our committee orchestrated all of the processes to produce a magnificent fundraiser. Even though we had to compete with the beautiful weather that we had on Saturday, we assembled a very modest audience and accomplished our monetary goal! You were able to encourage and inspire each participant to get involved in the bidding process and produce the maximum results. You are a jewel! I can’t wait for us to begin our next event in March 2012. Thanks again for all of your talents and expertise.”
—Dr. Nelson Fritts, Instructional Coordinator for Fine Arts, Cecil County Public Schools
“Lynne was a delight! Our crowd has traditionally been conservative but they really responded to Lynne. In fact, she tripled our live auction revenue from the year before!”
—Jodie Ruediger, American Lung Association
“We hired Lynne rather late in the game to help with a “first time” event. She immediately started working with the committee to train and encourage them. Lynne was involved in every detail – procurement of items, audience development, AV and more. She made the Live Auction fun and we exceeded our goal with a smaller crowd than expected. The one comment most frequently heard after the event was “Be sure you sign Lynne up for next year. She was great.” We are now nine months out from the next event and Lynne has already met with the committee and provided them with great motivational tools. I would highly recommend Lynne Zink for a benefit auction of any size.”
—Sandi Mehl, Events & Corporate Relations Director, Holt Int’l Children’s Services
“We can’t thank you enough for participating in our First Annual Charity Golf Tournament. The Live Auction generated enthusiasm and excitement and was extremely entertaining and enjoyed by all. Due to your auctioneering skills and the generosity of our supporters, the funds raised were impressive. You were an asset to our event and we would be honored to have you participate at future auctions.”
—Sherri Hebert, VP, Compass Rose Benefits Group
“Lynne has the wonderful ability to generate excitement and enthusiasm in the crowd with her auctions. She made our event lively, entertaining and so much fun. We highly recommend her.”
—Katrina Tohle, Meeting Planner & Event Manager, Asphalt Institute
“Lynne took my event to a new level! I organize fundraising events for a small community hospital in Cecil County, Md. In the past we have always relied on non-professional auctioneers to donate their time. I secured Lynne Zink for my 2009 Charity Ball and witnessed the improvements that a professional auctioneer can bring to an event. We increased our auction revenue by 38% as compared to previous years. I believe she was fairly priced and was well worth the investment. Lynne truly seemed to care about our cause and offered advice, help with planning and a backup in case she was unable to perform. I will be inviting Lynne to join us again in 2010 and would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone.”
—Danielle Mackie, Special Events Coordinator, Union Hospital Foundation, Inc.
“I have found Lynne to be a terrific asset to my organization’s fundraising efforts in Maryland. Vivacious and professional, she knows her business and her audience. As an auctioneer Lynne is fast-paced, fair, knowledgeable and entertaining. Her enthusiasm is contagious and our members loved her!”
—Priscilla Page Garvin, NWTF Regional Director MD, DE & PA
“We have never witnessed an event quite as remarkable as “An Evening to Hope. An Evening to Help.” When a young man’s future and well being is on the line, you don’t cut corners. That is why we selected Lynne to help us. With over seventeen hundred guests in attendance and hundreds of valuable donated items, we needed someone we could count on for good advice and exceptional skills as an auctioneer. We couldn’t have been more pleased with her contributions to our event. Lynne Zink was truly remarkable.” Lynne, again thank you so very much.
—The Brooks Family and the entire Organizational Committee
“It has been wonderful working with you over the past two years. You came highly recommended by a board member. We have been pleasantly surprised! Not only have you been wonderful to work with always very professional along with offering us tips to help bring in the most money for our items. At this year’s gala, I kept getting comments from the attendees like, “Wow, she surely keeps the crowd energized” and comments on how quickly you were able to get the prices up and keep the night moving. It is obvious you love and enjoy what you do. We love having you be a part of our events.”
—Casey Baynes, Casey Cares Foundation
“Just wanted to thank you for your help with our golf tournament. The live auction went so quickly! In the past we did not have a professional auctioneer and the auction took too much time at the event. We definitely raised more money with your help! Just small things that you mentioned (like at what point during the evening to have the auction, express checkout, and tips on raffles and what items to auction) affected the bottom line positively. Also, I have enjoyed the planning meetings and how your enthusiasm is contagious! I came away from our initial meeting excited about the auction! Would highly recommend you to anyone!”
—Patti Campbell, Casey Cares Foundation
“As you might have heard from one of our co-chairs, we raised more money this year than ever before! And it’s thanks to you-our crowd was very responsive to your personality and style-we all loved it!”
—Nicole Campbell, Barnesville School