Going Once, Going Twice Christie’s Partners in the Digital Age

Successful charity live auctions are a work of theatrical art. Expert auctioneers from the premiere auction houses Sotheby’s and Christie’s abandon their polite, hushed formality to single out bidders by name, suggesting they would be pikers if they do not keep bidding. Witty and tart-tongued, they wheedle, needle, cajole, and shame the guests in the room into spending absurd amounts, while their peers gasp and laugh along and the charity’s development director holds her breath. Like when you engage a graphic artist who typically works on staid Fortune 500 accounts, these auctioneers light up and lighten up when given the freedom to let loose with their rarified skills and deep understanding of human nature. Sotheby’s and Christie’s have long assisted the nonprofit sector in various ways, such as lending their professional auctioneers for charity auctions, offering services to museums, and assisting executors and beneficiary nonprofits for valuation and disposition of personal property assets and consignment management. Barron’s says that Christie’s work with nonprofits is expanding. As NPQ reported last May, Christie’s helped raise $835,111,344 million through the sale of Rockefellers’ wide-ranging collection for the beneficiary nonprofits named by Peggy and David Rockefeller. This was the highest auction total ever for a private collection. More recently, Christie’s is collaborating with the online charity auction site Charitybuzz to help its clients maximize the impact of their philanthropic auctions outside the “saleroom.” The collaboration creates complementary avenues for charitable giving that can be easily coordinated with the traditional auction process. Charitybuzz specializes in offering “priceless” opportunities for exclusive experiences, luxury travel, and access to notable celebrities and influencers. Givergy, a Charitybuzz partner, adds digital fundraising channels like interactive silent auctions, online “paddle raises,” and pledging capabilities. By integrating these additional fundraising streams with its renowned auction services, Christie’s aims to help its clients harness community support and create a comprehensive fundraising campaign for causes that leverages both traditional and digital approaches.