This is a question that may not come up that often unless you have attended a fundraising event lately. In fact, if you would have asked the winner of this item 20 minutes prior, she may have responded with a no.

As a professional benefit auctioneer, I am always pushing the envelope to see if I can help non-profit organizations raise more money than they did the previous year. While preparing for an event I noticed that all of the live auction items were high-ticket items and I wanted an item to set the mood and let people see that it isn't what you get, but how much you can give. I also wanted something that would generate some buzz; and that is how the $50 bill came about for me.

Before I introduced my first item, I pulled a $50 bill from my pocket and introduced it as my first item. There was some doubt I am sure, but I stayed the course and told my story. I started at $25 and went up from there and up we went. When the bidding frenzy slowed down it was between two people at the same table. These are two ladies that understood the mission and understood that it isn't about what you get, but how much you can give. They both now have great stories to tell. One gets to tell people that she paid $650 for a $50 bill to help people get a fresh start and the other lady gets to say that she was able to get her friend to pay $650 for a $50 bill.

You can watch the video and see how it all unfolded.