Our Story, Our Vision
President and Founder
Jim Donnell | President and Founder | Florida
In 2000 my wife and I moved to Tahoe City to escape the rat race of Silicon Valley. I was working for a small but growing company writing code for their website and had the opportunity to telecommute. We were new to the community so I decided to join the Kiwanis Club of Tahoe City to help give back and meet people.
The Kiwanis Club had been holding a small silent auction based fundraiser for a few years and was using spread sheets and then a Microsoft Access based database to help track all the donations they were getting. I volunteered and worked the event for a couple years. The events were successful but the check-in and check-out process was a nightmare. With my background in software development and this relatively new thing called the Internet, I knew I could make it better.
I wrote the first version of what is now Silent Auction Pro in 2003 for my club using ''Cold Fusion''. That was essentially the birth of Silent Auction Pro. For that I received a special recognition award from the club and ultimately Kiwanian of the year.
I continued to improve it every year and added new features and functionality. The issues with check-in and check-out virtually disappeared and attendees started noticing how well our events were running. People started asking if they could use the software for their own fund raising events. I had only written the software to support one organization so there really wasn't any way to let others use it.
In 2005, I completely rewrote the system using PHP and MySQL and released it as ''Silent Auction Pro'' and offered it to other charitable organizations. The word spread about how well it streamlined the whole fundraising process and our business was born. While we don't limit the use of our system to charitable organizations, 98% of our customers are raising money to help others.
I love that we are helping great organizations do amazing things for their communities. I also love that virtually everyone on our team - most importantly our sales and support staff - were and are still all customers of Silent Auction Pro. We've all walked in the shoes of our customers, we understand the challenges that are faced by small and large organizations in running fund-raising events. Our solution has grown over 20 years to include virtually every option or feature an organization would need to run their event. From including an embedded live stream for your fund-a-need to auctioning off a live goat (that's another story...) we have it covered.
UI | UX | Product Development
Becca Wallace | Product Director | Illinois
When my school PTO decided we were done with the stress of our very unorganized paper-based silent auction, my co-chair and I started looking for a better solution... enter Silent Auction Pro™. We had our best event ever, making more money with less people and effort, and every one of our attendees raved about how fun it was! Silent Auction Pro had saved our auction... and 2 months later they were looking for ''Event Coaches'' to help other organizations have a successful experience. My youngest was headed to Kindergarten, and it was time to go back to work. Silent Auction Pro was the perfect way for me to further my career, and still help people at the same time...while being part of an incredible team of individuals.
Seven years later, here I still sit. While I no longer spend my days handling support calls and being an ''Event Coach'', I am part of everything that Silent Auction Pro is and does. I oversee all software design decisions, both in how the software looks, as well as behaves. I am responible for the look, the feel, and the voice of Silent Auction Pro, and with that comes taking time to listen to each and every customer to be sure that we are always putting customer needs first.
Being a volunteer at heart, working for a company that helps others support their chosen charity, and to help those charities make more money, is a win-win. Each of our customers is important to me and I feel blessed to call many of them friends.
Marketing | Social Media
Breanne Jones | Sales & Marketing Expert | Hawaii
My journey with Silent Auction Pro began as a customer using the software for an event I was coordinating for BookEnds, a nonprofit organization that builds children�s classroom libraries based out of Los Angeles, CA. I then joined the Silent Auction Pro sales and support team, progressing into the role of Event Coach Manager. My work ethic transcended boundaries, assisting callers efficiently and resolving their issues independently, all while fostering a cohesive team environment.
My role today at Silent Auction is Marketing and Communications Manager where I am responsible for creating and implementing the overall marketing strategy. Sales wise, I explore new channels and major accounts for Silent Auction Pro, targeting corporate events and attending expos. I regularly engage with and retain customers to ensure optimal customer retention and cater to different organization groups.
Sales and marketing aren't just about numbers, they�re about making a difference where it truly counts. At Silent Auction Pro, my role extends beyond traditional boundaries. I connect, I empower, and I foster relationships, all with the goal of ensuring more organizations can elevate their fundraising efforts., For over 20 years, my passion has been centered around driving positivity and change � from transforming gang-affected neighborhoods in Los Angeles to building libraries with student volunteers. Now, in my dual sales and marketing role at Silent Auction Pro, I aim to bridge technology with purpose. I'm eager to connect with auctioneers, event planners, and corporations that share a vision of driving missions forward. In line with my dedication to community upliftment, I've been honored to support the Ronald McDonald House and contribute to the transformative work of Hoola Na Pua - Pearl Haven by being a mentor. If you share a passion for sales, marketing, or driving a positive impact, I would be delighted to connect with you.
Sales
Christina Cromer | Regional Sales Manager - Western U.S. | Washington
In 2018 the Willow Center, an organization that I volunteered for, reached out a few weeks before their Event and asked me to help find Auction Software with invoicing capability.
I reached out to four auction software companies. I either had to leave a voicemail, fill out a form, or send an email requesting information. But then, on the first call to Silent Auction Pro™, an Event Coach (Becca), actually answered the phone to my surprise, and it was a Saturday! Even though I had a background in computers, I have never used any type of online auction software.
Becca helped explain what auction software can do, what features I might need, and what Silent Auction Pro could offer. Silent Auction Pro's pricing was very straightforward, and Becca explained that even though it was quite user-friendly, I'd have an Event Coach guiding me through the process. With my event coming up very quickly, Becca let me know it would be quite the challenge to get the auction running in time, and even suggested I perhaps look for a simpler process. But an online auction was the right path for Willow Center and the board decided, with only 8 days to spare, that Silent Auction Pro was the platform for them.
The owner of Silent Auction Pro, Jim Donnell, had reached out to me and cautioned me as he was concerned that I had such a short window that perhaps I should consider other solutions. I told him I was going to use Silent Auction Pro, and I would make it work. The entire team at Silent Auction Pro was accommodating and stepped up to the plate to help me get the auction and tickets ready to go just 8 days before the event was to take place. I was so impressed with how the Support team not only helped me, but the way they helped each other make all customers happy.
As it turns out, Silent Auction Pro was looking for another Coach, and Becca asked if I was interested in a job, as they were impressed with my determination and deployment of Silent Auction Pro. I came on board as an Event Coach two weeks later. Today, I enjoy coaching Silent Auction Pro customers and hearing the pride in their voices when they exceed their goals.
Misty Carlisle | Regional Sales Manager - Eastern U.S. | Kentucky
For several years I was the chairperson for an annual fundraiser that was held for the small Catholic school that my children attended. Over the years our event grew in size and we needed to find a software to help us streamline the processes. From the very beginning, the unwavering support and the willingness to listen and implement suggestions made Silent Auction Pro the best choice for our group. We were so proud to see our proceeds increase from year to year and the features of the software factored into every dollar that we earned. We had more time to plan our event and solicit auction items because the administrative side of things was much easier for us.
I was so excited to be given the opportunity in 2019 to join the team and share all of the benefits that I have experienced using the software. Being an event planner with a restaurant background, I feel comfortable helping others plan and sharing my ideas and past experiences with our customers. Wearing the sales hat now for the company, I love when a customer asks me for a reference and I can provide over 10 years of positive feedback. What I enjoy the most is letting them know that we are on their side. Each and every member of our team has been in their shoes and we want nothing more than to help them succeed. It is amazing to me how much the software has changed over the years but one thing has remained the same, the desire of each and every one of us to make sure that our customers feel supported and prepared for their big day!
Customer Service and Support
Tricia Harris | Customer Engagement and Retention, Catholic Diocese, Schools and Churches | Mississippi
I have worked in the nonprofit industry for over 12 years. During that time, I learned the importance of making money for organizations. I discovered Silent Auction Pro™ in 2017 and it has been my go-to since. When you have a large fundraising goal, you do what you can to cut expenses and make as much profit as possible. Silent Auction Pro provides an excellent online software platform with the best customer service for a low price.
My previous position was Advancement Director at a Catholic School, I was in charge of all fundraising. I have learned lots of creative ways to make something out of nothing. I would love the opportunity to help you make your organization lots of money while having fun!
Lastly, I am grateful for finding my way to Silent Auction Pro for many reasons; but the most important being I have made such great friends that I think of as family.
Amy Greer | Customer Support | California
Annually our local chapter of National Charity League would put on a large fashion show fundraiser to raise chapter money and then donate proceeds to a local philanthropy. I had decided we needed to move into the 21st century and streamline things with ticketing, auctions, and donations and went on the hunt for auction software. After much research, I decided on Silent Auction Pro™ and we started planning our March 2020 event... then Covid hit and our event was canceled two weeks out! We were devastated, but Silent Auction Pro staff was unbelievably helpful and worked hand-in-hand with us to pivot to a hybrid event once things began to open. I was so impressed by the personal attention we got from our Event Coach (Christina) with training and coordinating with me, and the owner, Jim�s, willingness to create and innovate as the auction space was changing before our eyes. Our event was finally held after many months of reimagining it several times, and it was a huge success! We couldn�t have done it without the personal attention of the Silent Auction Pro team!
Several years later, I heard Silent Auction Pro was hiring and because I was so impressed with the team, their customer service, and enjoyed getting to learn the software, I joined as a part-time support staff. While I can only support evenings and weekends, I love helping others learn how to use the software to create successful fundraising events!
Lisa Hayes | Customer Support | California
In the Spring of 2021, my daughter and I were members of our local National Charity League chapter. Each year the junior class embarks on a fundraising event to benefit a local philanthropy. We hold a fashion show that includes both a silent and live auction as well as wine pulls, raffle baskets and vendors. Our previous chairpersons had started using Silent Auction Pro to convert from paper bidding to online bidding during covid and were impressed with the ease of the software. When it was my turn to work on the committee, I was assigned the task of adding donations for both our silent and live auctions as well as items included in our raffle baskets and converting them into auction items. For a stay at home mom , I found the software to be user friendly and stress free and I enjoyed the ease of uploading straight from my mobile device. I was impressed with how easy the software could be used by anyone and how smoothly it made our entire event run. We proudly raised a significant amount of money for a charity close to my heart with the help of Silent Auction Pro.
After our event, Jim sent me an email looking for more west coast employees and I proudly became a part of this close-knit team along with my friend and fellow NCL member, Amy. I truly enjoy helping our customers use and navigate our software, and it gives me so much joy knowing that they are making philanthropic impacts in their own communities.