Custom Benefit Auctions

What Custom Benefit Auctions does

Custom Benefit Auctions is a private, family-owned professional services firm founded in 2007 that provides live fundraising auctioneering and related event services to non-profit organizations, schools, medical foundations, and religious institutions across the United States. The company's core offering is onsite live auctioneering at benefit events, ranging from approximately 50-guest luncheons to galas with 900+ attendees, supplemented by pre-event strategic consulting, master of ceremonies services, fund-a-need and paddle raise facilitation, silent auction promotion, volunteer training, and post-event donation appeals. The firm is operated by a small team of approximately six licensed auctioneers (Benjamin B. Farrell, Scott Matthews, Matt Newsom, Brian Calabria, Scott Peterson, and Mark Hanson) plus family members in support roles, anchored in Charlotte and North Carolina with nationwide onsite delivery.

The company does not operate a proprietary technology platform. Service delivery is enabled by integrations with third-party mobile bidding and event management software providers, primarily OneCause and Event.Gives, and by travel consignment partnerships with Auction Packages and Winspire that supply auction items. The website is built on a standard small-business platform (referenced in page metadata) and is used for marketing, video galleries, and lead capture rather than for transactional functionality. There are no patents, no proprietary data assets, and no disclosed AI or machine learning capabilities.

Revenue is generated on a quote-based professional services model with no publicly disclosed pricing. Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven: bookings are sourced through direct outreach, the Gigmasters platform listing, founder-led speaking engagements at conferences, and a strong referral network anchored by documented client outcomes. Notable client engagements span Make-A-Wish North Carolina, JDRF, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, Durham Academy, the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation, and dozens of other organizations, with reported client outcomes including 136–142% achievement of fundraising goals and multiple events exceeding $1M raised. The business is bootstrapped, founder-controlled, and shows no evidence of external investment or institutional ownership.

Name

Custom Benefit Auctions

Legal name

Custom Benefit Auctions

Website

https://custombenefitauctions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Custom Benefit Auctions is a family-owned professional services firm that provides live fundraising auctioneering, consulting, and event services to non-profits, schools, medical foundations, and religious organizations across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Clearwater

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Live Auction Services: Professional onsite auctioneering services for benefit auctions, ranging from intimate events with 50 guests to large galas with 900+ attendees. Services include live auction, fund-a-need appeals, silent auction promotion, and master of ceremonies duties.
2. Consulting Services: Pre-event strategic planning and consulting services covering timeline optimization, board involvement, item acquisition strategies, mobile-bidding software selection, raffles and games implementation, and fund-a-need strategy development.
3. Speaking and Workshops: Keynote speaking engagements at annual meetings and conferences, plus educational workshops on benefit auction trends, fundraising techniques, and leadership topics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Custom Benefit Auctions is a professional service firm that provides licensed live auctioneers to conduct benefit auctions and fundraising events for non-profit organizations, schools, medical foundations, and religious institutions. The team of award-winning auctioneers travels onsite to client events ranging from 50-guest luncheons to 900+ attendee galas, conducting live auctions, fund-a-need appeals, silent auction promotion, and master of ceremonies duties. The firm supplements its core auctioneering with pre-event consulting, volunteer training, speaking engagements, and access to consigned travel packages.

Product overview

Custom Benefit Auctions is a service-based company providing professional benefit auctioneering and fundraising event services. The core offering is Live Auction Services featuring professional onsite auctioneers who conduct live charity auctions. This is supplemented by consulting services for event strategy, speaking and workshop programs, and travel/consignment packages. The company partners with organizations including schools, non-profits, medical foundations, and others to help raise money through benefit auctions. Services are delivered by a team of licensed auctioneers including Benjamin Farrell, Scott Matthews, Matt Newsom, Brian Calabria, Scott Peterson, and Mark Hanson.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live and Online Fundraising Events
• Event Consulting Services
• Speaking and Workshops
• Donation Only Events
• Volunteer Training
• Live Auction Travel Packages

Quantifiable outcome

• Organizations consistently achieve 136-142% of fundraising goals on average
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OneCausecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOneCause is the original mobile bidding company providing software for online auctions, ticketing, event management, and year-round data access. They serve as a preferred partner with mutual referrals to Custom Benefit Auctions clients needing technology solutions.
• Event.GivescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTop provider of mobile bidding, virtual event live streaming, ticketing, silent auction, and live auction software for hybrid, online, and in-person events. Mutual referral relationship with Custom Benefit Auctions.
• Auction PackagescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWorld class travel consignment provider offering domestic and international packages with airfare and hotel included. No-risk reservations. Provides vacation and unique travel experiences for benefit auction items.
• WinspirecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTravel consignment provider with over 200 trips and experiences. No-risk provider for over 25 years with domestic and international options available. Recommended travel partner for auction travel packages.
• DJ Joe Bunn / Professional DJminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional DJ services for events. Joe Bunn and team have worked thousands of events delivering high quality service. Custom Benefit Auctions refers clients for DJ services as needed.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• CauseMic: Nonprofit fundraising software and growth services provider. Adjacent to Custom Benefit Auctions in serving the same nonprofit customers with complementary fundraising technology and consulting offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Heritage Auctions: Large U.S. auction house handling collectibles, fine art, and luxury goods. Comparable in auction-mechanics expertise but operates in a much broader commercial category rather than nonprofit benefit auctions.
• Sotheby's: Global luxury auction house for fine art and collectibles. Operates at the top end of the auction market with brand prestige comparable to Custom Benefit Auctions' reputation in the benefit auction niche, but in a very different end market.
• National Auctioneers Association: U.S. trade association for the auction profession, providing education, certification, and advocacy. A broad incumbent whose member base includes the auctioneers at Custom Benefit Auctions, with overlapping scope on industry standards and continuing education.

Direct peers

• OneCause: Mobile bidding, online auction, and event management software provider for nonprofits. A current mutual referral partner of Custom Benefit Auctions and an increasingly direct competitor as it expands into bundled fundraising services and auctioneer matching.
• Auction Packages: World-class travel consignment provider that supplies Custom Benefit Auctions with vacation packages for charity auctions. A direct peer in the consignment-travel-for-nonprofit-auctions subsegment.
• Gigmasters: Booking platform used by Custom Benefit Auctions to source event engagements. Comparable as a two-sided marketplace connecting event service providers (auctioneers, DJs, MCs) with nonprofit and corporate event organizers.
• Ketchum Benefit Auctions: Benefit auction consulting and auctioneer service firm focused on nonprofit fundraising galas, the closest direct services competitor to Custom Benefit Auctions in the same niche of professional fundraising auctioneering.
• Event.Gives: Mobile bidding, virtual event live streaming, and live auction software used by Custom Benefit Auctions clients. Directly comparable as an enabling platform for nonprofit benefit auctions and a mutual referral partner.
• Winspire: Travel consignment provider offering 200+ trips and experiences for benefit auctions, with no-risk reservations. Comparable as a supplier of high-margin auction items and a listed partner of Custom Benefit Auctions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/custom-benefit-auctions

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Custom Benefit Auctions