How to Donate Auction Items!

Right now we really need donations of items to auction -- products, goods, or services. Would you enjoy donating something (and also having your site linked to, appreciated, and blurbed)?

What Items Can Be Auctioned?
All sorts of things! They can be tangible goods or they can be services. Below are some categories of things we can really use.

• Unique or beautiful things: Jewelry, photos, artwork, hand-crafted items, specialty or homemade foods (that travel well), films, music, or books donated and signed by the artist/author, tickets to sports/theater/exhibits.
• Useful things: Dog or cat toys or products, clothing, housewares (kitchen, bath, bed, etc.), hobby/recreation stuff (knitting, crocheting, photography, games, gardening), posters, cards, gift certificates for anything/anywhere! (Did you get something for your birthday or the holidays that’s perfectly good, but that you just can’t use?)
• Items of interest to ill or disabled people: Unopened supplement bottles, books on living with chronic illness, disability culture or humor, massage or body work, meditation or yoga instruction (live or on CD or DVD), assistance dog gear or lifestyle stuff, videos educating others about your illness or disability rights.
• Items of interest to NVC people: NVC books, CDs, or DVDs; BayNVC merchandise; giraffe things (puppets, ears, jewelry, prints, bags, decor); empathy session; coupon/gift certificate for a free workshop or class.
• Services: The sky is the limit! If you have a skill or passion, chances are someone is interested in learning from you or taking you up on your talents. Editing/proofreading; writing; graphic design; cupcake decoration; astrology; Tarot reading; NVC empathy session; dog training (in person or by Skype); photographing your pet or food styling; bicycle, wheelchair, or car repair or maintenance skills; counseling; gluten-free cooking; life coaching; blogging; how to write a synopsis or query letter or create a portfolio; animal communicating; a or presentation on creating access or what it’s like to live with your illness or to be partnered with a guide dog. If you have an idea, bring it, and we can probably make it happen! You can specify if this is something that can be done by phone, internet, or in person.

Things to Keep in Mind

• The purpose of this auction is to help Marlena and allow her to continue teaching NVC to people who really benefit from it and would otherwise not to be able to access it. However, if you have any sort of business — an online store, a consulting business, teaching, etc. — this is also a way to let more people know about you, your services, or your products. All listings of donated items will link to the donor’s website and include their logo or image and a blurb about what they offer. It’s part of our way of saying, “Thank you.”
• Unless they are an antique/collectible (or homemade), tangible items (products, goods) must be in new or like-new condition.
• Tangible items will be shipped. Whoever donates the item will also be donating the shipping. So, if you’re choosing between sending something heavy or bulky (like a big, hardcover book) or something lightweight (like a silver necklace), you probably want to choose the small, lightweight thing. You’re free to choosing the easiest, most inexpensive shipping option you like; we are not FedEx!
• Services have many advantages: 1. There is no shipping cost involved. 2. If it’s something you can offer by phone or internet, this usually means it can be bid on internationally. 3. If it’s something you can offer to a group (a workshop or class), we can take several winning bids on one item.
• If your service or product can only be offered to those in your local area, please indicate the area (e.g., open to bidders in the SF Bay area only, or open to those in NYC only, etc.).
• Financial contributions by Paypal or by check are very welcome, whether or not you participate in the auction. You can either use the Paypal buttons on this site or make out a check to Marlena Willis and send it to Marlena Willis, P.O. Box 11211, Oakland, CA 94611. 

If you would like to donate an item (product or service) to Marlena’s Teaching Fund, here’s what to do:

• Contact us as soon as possible to let us know you’re donating something. Please include as much of the following information as possible:

1. A description, which can include things such as materials, size, weight, number, handmade, etc. (Unless we can simply lift this from your website or a mass-market site, like Amazon.) 
2. Any background on you or your product that makes it more appealing (or, again, if this is on your website, let us know, and we’ll get it from there). 
3. Your website, shop, blog, Facebook page that is associated with your donated service or product.
4. An image to accompany the description (unless it’s something we can lift from your website or from Amazon, etc.). If it’s a product, send a picture. If it’s a service, your logo or a picture of yourself or something is great. If you are willing to include a text description of your image, that will save us a lot of energy on adding alt tags, but it’s fine if you don’t.
5. The retail value of the item (unless we can find that online). If it’s a one-of-a-kind that doesn’t have a retail value, just take a guess. 
6. Whether there are geographical restrictions on who can bid (in USA only, in Canada only, in North America only, in your city only, anywhere in the world, etc.).
7. If you know you want to donate something, please contact us as soon as possible so we can start a listing — even if you don’t have all the information yet. You can get the rest to us as you are able.
8. **The auction is scheduled to go up Friday, MARCH 9, so we really prefer to get all item listings by Sunday, MARCH 4 at the latest.**  However, if you just found out about this, and it's still in the first two or three days of the auction, get in touch, and we'll see if we can add your listing.

How to get your information to us:

• Email occupiehome at gmail dot com, OR
• Use this Contact form form to send us your information, OR
• Post your item description and picture on the Marlena’s Teaching Fund Facebook page, OR
• Comment on this post (with a working email address) to let us know to get in touch.

If you can't donate an item, here are some other ways to help!

• Spread the word! Follow @aftergadget on Twitter and retweet the auction-related posts. Share Marlena's Teaching Fund posts on your Facebook page.
• Ask friends, family, social or business networks to donate an item. Do you know someone who has a business, either online, like an etsy shop, or anything else, who would appreciate some publicity while giving something small that will make a big difference in someone’s life? Ask them to donate a service or item.
• “Like” the Marlena’s Teaching Fund Facebook page! Before the auction starts, we can use it to organize and gather info on items to be auctioned. When the fundraiser is underway, we’ll use it to post updates or feature certain items or list quotes from how Marlena has changed lives.
• Link to this post. Offer a signal boost. You also have permission to cross-post this post, but please make sure to link back here.
• Make a financial donation! You can put money directly into Marlena's Paypal account using the yellow "Donate" button in the upper right corner of the page (or at the bottom, below this). If you prefer to send a check, make it out to Marlena Willis and send it to Marlena Willis, P.O. Box 11211, Oakland, CA 94611. 
• The most important: When the fundraiser begins, please bid, bid, bid and ask your friends, family, and social networks to stop by and support the fundraiser, too!

 Thank you for helping us help Marlena!