Smash your fundraising
targets with strategy
and showmanship
Kevin Durham is a professional charity auctioneer and event host based in the UK. He has raised over £10 million for charitable causes across the UK and Europe, working with events of all sizes from intimate charity dinners to large gala fundraisers.
Live Auction
Kevin works the room rather than the podium, mixing quick wit, playful banter, and a lively energy to spark the kind of friendly bidding wars that keep every guest engaged. He arrives early to build rapport with your audience before a single lot goes under the hammer, so by the time the auction begins, the room is already warm. The result is competitive bidding that pushes final prices well above reserve. A “day with the CEO” at a Marie Curie fundraiser raised £6,500. A pair of student paintings raised £4,000. An Arsenal shirt sold to West Ham supporters raised £2,200. The lot matters less than the person selling it.
Live Pledge
The live pledge, sometimes called a fund-a-need or appeal, is often the highest-earning segment of the night, and Kevin has made it his specialism. He structures each pledge around three giving levels, each tied to a tangible outcome for your cause, then uses direct engagement, emotional storytelling, and real-time celebration to build momentum across the room. At a Jigsaw Trust event, £30,600 was raised in under a minute. At a Monte Carlo gala, a single donor gave €78,000. Even with a smaller audience of 80 guests, a well-run pledge at £100 per person can raise £1,800 before the dinner plates have been cleared.
Silent Auction
Kevin’s approach to silent auctions goes beyond the night itself. Rather than renting you a platform that disappears when the event ends, he builds a custom auction site your charity owns for life, no licensing costs, no commission on bids, and no middleman between your donors and your bank account. Bidders register with a valid card via Stripe, receive automated notifications when they are outbid, and are charged automatically when the auction closes. Kevin also advises on lot selection, start pricing, and the five-minute countdown that consistently drives a last-minute surge in bids.
Pre-Event Consultation
Every event Kevin works starts with a consultation. He reviews your lot list, your audience profile, your venue, and your fundraising target, then gives you specific, honest recommendations on what to sell, in what order, at what reserve, and which segments will raise the most on the night. Small changes at this stage routinely make the difference between hitting your target and falling short. This is included as standard when you book Kevin, not charged as an extra.
Fundraising Games
From simple heads-or-tails to full game show formats, Kevin brings a range of fundraising games that keep energy high between auction lots and add meaningful sums to your total without requiring additional prizes. Games work particularly well mid-event when attention needs refreshing, and Kevin tailors the format to your audience, what works for a black-tie corporate gala is different from a school parents’ evening.
Raffle Tickets Sales
Kevin sells raffle tickets the way they should be sold: by suggesting bulk purchases rather than quoting a per-ticket price. Offering “five tickets for £50” rather than “tickets are £10 each” consistently increases average spend per guest. He handles the sales himself during the drinks reception or dinner, so your committee does not have to.
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