What Raising Paddles LLC does

Raising Paddles LLC is a professional services firm founded in 2017 that provides charity benefit auctioneers and event fundraising consulting to nonprofit organizations. Headquartered in the Chicago metropolitan area (phone area code 630), the company is structured as a private LLC and operates without external funding. Its core offering is professional auctioneering for live, silent, and hybrid fundraising events ranging from 50 to 1,000+ attendees, supplemented by event planning and coaching, paddle raise / Fund-A-Need facilitation, virtual and hybrid event consulting, and volunteer/committee training workshops.

The company's competitive positioning rests on a roster of certified talent, including multiple holders of the Benefit Auction Specialist (BAS) designation (held by fewer than 250 auctioneers globally) and the only auctioneer in the world with the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential, along with multiple state and world championship title holders. Revenue is generated through professional fee-based engagements priced by quote per event, with the firm claiming 200%–400% fundraising lifts for clients versus non-professional auctioneers. The firm has executed over 1,000 galas collectively across its team and operates a preferred partner network spanning mobile bidding platforms, travel consignment providers, and AV/event production vendors.

Go-to-market is event-driven and primarily regional (Chicago/Midwest), supported by a website, social media, a monthly newsletter, a structured "Pay It Forward" referral program, and industry association leadership (e.g., National Auctioneers Association Benefit Auction Summit). The company has no proprietary technology platform, no software product, and no AI/ML capabilities disclosed. Recognizable client logos include American Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, CASA, Chicago Urban League, and Opportunity International, among others.

Name

Raising Paddles LLC

Legal name

Raising Paddles, LLC.

Website

https://raisingpaddles.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Raising Paddles LLC is a Chicago-based professional services firm providing certified charity benefit auctioneers and event fundraising consulting to nonprofit organizations, primarily across the Midwest United States. Founded in 2017, the company deploys a roster of BAS-credentialed auctioneers to drive higher fundraiser results.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

South Elgin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Professional Auctioneering Services: Revenue is generated through professional fee-based auctioneering services for charity benefit events. The company provides full-service support including event planning consultation, auctioneer services, volunteer training, donor development strategies, and day-of-event coordination. Services are priced based on event scope and requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Raising Paddles LLC provides professional charity benefit auctioneering services for nonprofit fundraising events, including live and silent auctioneering, paddle raise and Fund-A-Need facilitation, year-round event planning consulting, donor development strategies, and volunteer training. Engagements are customized for nonprofit clients running galas ranging from roughly 50 to 1,000+ attendees, with the firm's team of certified auctioneers (BAS, CFRE, CAI credentials) operating on-site at events across the Midwest.

Product overview

Raising Paddles LLC operates as a professional fundraising auctioneer company founded in 2017, providing a service-based model rather than a software product. The core offering is professional fundraising auctioneering services for charity benefit events, supported by event planning and consulting. The service portfolio includes: professional auctioneering for live and silent auctions (the primary service delivered by their team of auctioneers), event planning and consulting (covering goal setting, timelines, and execution), paddle raise and Fund-A-Need facilitation, virtual and hybrid event consulting, and volunteer training workshops. The company does not offer a software platform or API-based products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Fundraising Auctioneering Services Core end-to-end charity benefit auctioneering service delivered by a team of certified auctioneers (BAS, CFRE, CAI designations), encompassing live and silent auctioneering, paddle raise and Fund-A-Need facilitation, and day-of-event emceeing for nonprofit galas ranging from roughly 50 to 1,000+ attendees.
• Event Planning & Consulting

Quantifiable outcome

• Hiring a professional charity benefit auctioneer raises fundraising results 200%, 300% even 400% over using a non-professional auctioneer
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Mission First FundraisingcoreTechnology or IntegrationConsignment travel and experiences partner providing auction items for charity events
• LuxGivecoreTechnology or IntegrationLuxury travel and experiences consignment partner for fundraising auctions
• Auction PackagescoreTechnology or IntegrationConsignment travel and experiences provider for charity auctions
• Charity GetawayscoreTechnology or IntegrationTravel experiences consignment partner for fundraising events
• ArrevacoreTechnology or IntegrationFundraising and donor management software as well as mobile bidding platform
• GiveSmartcoreTechnology or IntegrationMobile bidding platform for virtual and hybrid fundraising events
• Auction and Event SolutionscoreTechnology or IntegrationMobile bidding and auction technology platform
• GivergycoreTechnology or IntegrationMobile bidding platform for fundraising events
• GreaterGivingcoreTechnology or IntegrationMobile bidding and auction management platform
• OneCausecoreTechnology or IntegrationVirtual fundraising software and mobile bidding platform

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• GreaterGiving: GreaterGiving offers mobile bidding, auction management, and event fundraising software for nonprofits running galas. It is comparable as both a technology substitute for parts of Raising Paddles' consulting work and a partner that refers clients needing professional auctioneers.
• GiveSmart: GiveSmart is a mobile bidding and donor engagement platform purpose-built for charity auctions and fundraising galas. It overlaps with Raising Paddles at the same buyer (nonprofit event organizers) and is also a Preferred Partner, illustrating the bidirectional technology/services relationship in this space.
• Auctria: Auctria is an online auction event management software platform used by charities and benefit auction organizers. It is comparable as a software substitute and partner in the charity auction technology stack, competing for the same nonprofit technology spend.
• OneCause: OneCause provides virtual fundraising software and mobile bidding platforms for nonprofit galas and charity events. It is comparable because it serves the same nonprofit fundraising-event customer base as Raising Paddles, and is also a Preferred Partner — meaning they cooperatively sell into the same events rather than purely competing.
• Classy: Classy is an online fundraising platform for nonprofits spanning donations, peer-to-peer campaigns, and events. It serves the same nonprofit customer segment and competes for the same fundraising technology budget that supports galas, making it a relevant adjacent peer.

Direct peers

• M+R: M+R is a major fundraising and advocacy consulting agency serving nonprofits. It is comparable as a professional services firm helping nonprofits raise more money — though focused on digital/advocacy rather than live auctioneering — making it a directly analogous services competitor for the same buyer budget.

Broad incumbents

• Sotheby's: Sotheby's is a global auction house conducting sales across fine art, luxury, and charity benefit events. It is a broad incumbent comparable in auctioneering category leadership, with overlap in the high-end charity benefit event segment.
• Bonhams: Bonhams is an international auction house operating across collectibles and charity benefit sales. It is a broad incumbent comparable as a multi-category auctioneer with overlap in benefit/charity auction work that mirrors Raising Paddles' positioning.
• Heritage Auctions: Heritage Auctions is one of the world's largest auction houses handling collectibles, fine art, and charity-benefit consignments. It is comparable as a broad incumbent in the auctioneering industry with overlap in the charity benefit and consignment segment where Raising Paddles competes.
• Bonterra (Network for Good): Bonterra (including the Network for Good brand) is a broad nonprofit fundraising software suite covering CRM, donations, events, and grantmaking. It is comparable as a broader fundraising services ecosystem that overlaps with the event fundraising category in which Raising Paddles operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Raising-Paddles-LLC-1250217075055105
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/raising-paddles-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Raising Paddles LLC