Roger Devine is a co-founder of Northworld, the developer and distributor of the award-winning SchoolAuction.net auction management software. Roger has 30+ years of experience working in software, website development, and publishing. He has chaired at least 30 auctions over the past 20 years and has served on the boards of several area nonprofits, including K9 Kavalry and the Golden Leaf Education Foundation. Roger currently lives in Portland, OR, and loves all dogs on the planet.
Where to Find Great Live Auction Items for School and Nonprofit Events
Procuring items for your nonprofit’s fundraising auction can seem daunting at first—especially when you’re trying to come up with good auction item ideas or figure... Read More
07 Oct 2025
Roger Devine
Weathering Economic Uncertainty as a Nonprofit: 5 Tips
When the economy wavers, nonprofits often find themselves on the front lines, although they’re facing both increased community needs and tighter budgets. Recent government funding... Read More
24 Jul 2025
Roger Devine
5 Creative Auction Items to Increase Bids
Fundraising auctions are a great way for nonprofits of all sizes to raise money, spread awareness, and grow their donor base. They’re fun, an opportunity... Read More
06 Mar 2025
Roger Devine
Avoid Hidden Costs: A Smarter Alternative to Tip-Based Fundraising Software
Introduction Read More
09 Dec 2024
Roger Devine
16+ Best Online Auction Software to Raise More in 2024
You’re on the lookout for a lucrative, highly engaging fundraiser—and you’ve decided that hosting an online auction is the perfect solution. Your team can’t wait... Read More
05 Aug 2024
Roger Devine
Partner with Local Businesses for School Fundraisers: 4 Tips
As a school fundraiser, you know how much work goes into securing each dollar of funding for your students. While fundraising is hard work, you... Read More
08 Jul 2024
Roger Devine
5 Components Your Marketing Plan Needs to Engage Donors
Fundraising and marketing are intertwined. Think about it: donors need to know about your school’s fundraisers to participate. However, some marketing campaigns lead to greater... Read More
05 Apr 2024
Roger Devine
4 Dependable and Simple Ways to Boost Donation Amounts
Imagine what your nonprofit could accomplish if every donor increased their contribution by just $10. That could mean the difference between providing food and enrichment... Read More
24 Mar 2024
Roger Devine
Why Emphasize Donor Appreciation? 5 Reasons to Say Thank You
Thank you: two little words that have the power to strengthen your donor community, foster a reliable giving stream, and improve your nonprofit’s reputation. Read More
19 Jan 2024
Roger Devine
4 Interactive Fundraisers that Encourage Student Involvement
Picture your school’s ideal fundraising campaign. Perhaps you put in the work to organize an auction fundraiser, and your students are excited about the event.... Read More
01 Dec 2023
Roger Devine
How to Strengthen Community Within Your Association
As an association leader, you know that building a sense of community within your organization is an essential, yet challenging, part of running a successful... Read More
20 Oct 2023
Roger Devine
Setting Your Fundraising Auction Budget
As the old adage goes, schools need to spend money to raise money. Read More
21 Sep 2023
Roger Devine
School Auction Planning: 4 Ways to Engage Your Community
Our software elevates your silent auction Start Your Free Trial! Read More
23 May 2023
Roger Devine
68 Fun Themes for Your Fundraising Gala
Fundraising auctions are about raising money, of course. That’s the primary mission. But you can raise money a bunch of different ways, and if you’re... Read More
05 May 2023
Roger Devine
3 Tools for Parent Volunteers Hosting Virtual Fundraisers
It’s no mystery that students’ parents are busy and virtual tools have made online events easier than ever to host. However, running a virtual event... Read More
28 Apr 2023
Roger Devine
Mastering Silent Auction Rules: The Essential Guide
Silent auctions are effective fundraising sources and lots of fun for attendees. When run successfully, either online or in-person, they can create memorable experiences and... Read More
04 Apr 2023
Roger Devine
How Does a Silent Auction Work? A Quick Start Guide
Introducing the most popular auction type: the silent auction. Schools and volunteer-run organizations rely on silent auctions to generate funds to support their missions. Because... Read More
23 Mar 2023
Roger Devine
5 Ways to Simplify Your Elementary School Fundraiser
5 Ways to Simplify Your Elementary School Fundraiser Read More
16 Mar 2023
Roger Devine
Silent Auction Software: 11 Best Options to Boost Success
Running a successful silent auction requires careful planning. There’s a lot to consider before the big day, from your event team to auction items to... Read More
15 Mar 2023
Roger Devine
Add an Online Store
to Your Fundraising Mix
There are a multitude of ways to fundraise with a SchoolAuction.net. From galas to online auctions, donation campaigns, and fun runs, there are numerous options... Read More
07 Mar 2023
Roger Devine
37 Must-Have School Auction Ideas to Help You Raise More
Are you a school fundraising newbie looking for some top-notch auction items? If it’s your first time scouting for donated items, we’ve got some gems... Read More
02 Mar 2023
Roger Devine
Why Afterschool Programs are Needed Now More Than Ever
Today’s article covers a vital component of many children and parent’s lives - afterschool programs. With the expertise he’s gained as the creator of CommunityPass... Read More
23 Jul 2021
Roger Devine
Marketing for School Fundraising Events: A Crash Course
Whether you’re a parent of a student or a faculty or staff member, you’ve likely faced the stress that comes with running a successful school... Read More
23 Jul 2021
Roger Devine
Procuring During A Pandemic, Part 2
Let’s talk about how procuring auction items has changed in the time of COVID-19. Read More
10 Jun 2020
Roger Devine
Make More Money At Your Auction With Data, Part 2: Supporters
In our last post, we discussed how to use Item data from your previous event(s) to improve your procurement and pricing strategies and make more... Read More
03 Jun 2020
Roger Devine
Make More Money At Your Auction With Data, Part 1: Items
Every auction generates data. You probably already review your sales data to gauge the success of your events. But delving even deeper into your data... Read More
03 Jun 2020
Roger Devine
How To Invite Bidders To Your Online Auction
For obvious reasons (we’re looking at you, Covid-19), we’re focusing our blogging on online auctions these days. Many of you are converting your galas to... Read More
12 May 2020
Roger Devine
Choosing the Right Online Auction Settings for Your Fundraiser
“Are my online auction settings right?” Our support team sees variations of this question a lot. And we’re always glad to take a look at... Read More
24 Apr 2020
Roger Devine
Procurement During a Pandemic
Due to the COVID-19 induced economic downturn, many businesses and families are struggling to make ends meet. And nonprofits are struggling to support their communities... Read More
15 Apr 2020
Roger Devine
New Progress Trackers (aka Fundraising Thermometers)
Whether you are holding your fundraiser in-person or online, it’s pretty common to want to show your supporters how close you are to your fundraising... Read More
08 Apr 2020
Roger Devine
Is Your Online Auction Set Up the Way You Want?
If you’ve converted your event to an online auction, or if you were planning to run an online auction to begin with, you may be... Read More
18 Mar 2020
Roger Devine
Converting Your Gala to a Successful Online Auction
Some organizations are considering cancelling their gala events due to the coronavirus. That’s a difficult choice to make. And as we mentioned in the email... Read More
13 Mar 2020
Roger Devine
Promotion: The Key to Online Auction Success
Today, we’d like to focus on a super important factor – one too often overlooked – in the success of your online auction: Promotion. Read More
12 Mar 2020
Roger Devine
It's 2020, and We Need To Talk About Privacy
Update: here is the missing link from the email: https://schoolauction.helpscoutdocs.com/article/964-reviewing-editing-and-approving-the-privacy-policy-and-terms Read More
03 Jan 2020
Roger Devine
What's In A Name?
Online. It’s a word we use a lot in our lives; an adjective that modifies hundreds of our daily activities: shopping, dating, meetings… and auctions,... Read More
18 Feb 2019
Roger Devine
Start Pushing Buttons!
One of the really great things about this business is working with all of you. Really - think about it. By definition, our customers are... Read More
24 Jan 2019
Roger Devine
Why We Include Multiple Events in Our annual plans
The most common conversation I have with prospective customers surrounds one particular aspect of our product design: it’s a annual plan, which allows you to... Read More
14 Jan 2019
Roger Devine
Should You Use Mobile Bidding For Your Special Appeal?
Special Appeals (aka Paddle Raises or Fund-A-Need) are a staple of fundraising auctions. Mobile Bidding is a popular auction trend. Are they compatible? Read More
30 May 2017
Roger Devine
Auction Night Supply Checklist
Yay for checklists! They are oh so helpful especially on event night. This supply checklist gives you one less thing to worry about while you... Read More
20 Mar 2017
Roger Devine
Add A Selfie Station To Your Auction
Having a photo station at your event can be a fun, entertaining addition to the night. One option for would be to hire a photographer... Read More
13 Mar 2017
Roger Devine
Selecting a annual plan Level
Last summer, we re-jiggered the feature sets for our annual plan levels, adding significant new mobile-bidding features to our Plus and Premium annual plans. We... Read More
12 Jan 2017
Roger Devine
Three Big New Enhancements For All Subscribers - 11/2/2016
Last night, we rolled out three greatly-anticipated upgrades to our software that should make your life as an auction chair easier. We’re excited about these,... Read More
02 Nov 2016
Roger Devine
Introducing Contests
Auction longevity is certainly a sign of success, but it can also lead to stagnation. After a few years of hosting the same event, your... Read More
05 Oct 2016
Roger Devine
Selling Scrip Online
We’ve been asked often by the schools who use our software how to set it up for online scrip ordering. We used to discourage this,... Read More
24 May 2016
Roger Devine
Auction Checklist - Front Desk Essentials
I love checklists. And with a large, complicated project like planning an auction, they can be incredibly useful. Read More
19 Apr 2016
Roger Devine
How You Can Help Other Auction Teams Find Great Software
So, I’m the marketing guy here. And that means that I’m supposed to find all sorts of ways to advertise and promote us and toot... Read More
14 Apr 2016
Roger Devine
Read What Other Customers Have To Say About Us
If you have used our software in the past 7 years (and you aren’t based in our hometown of Portland), you probably found us through... Read More
23 Nov 2015
Roger Devine
Mobile Bidding 101
No doubt about it, Mobile Bidding has been the topic of the past couple of years around here. We spent a lot of time thinking... Read More
31 Oct 2015
Roger Devine
"Mobile Bidding-only" Tickets Increase Access To Your Gala
See if this scenario sounds familiar: your school community holds an annual gala auction, at which the classroom projects produced by the students are always... Read More
14 Aug 2015
Roger Devine
On Chip-Based (EMV) Credit Cards and Your Auction
Executive Summary: Read More
31 Jul 2015
Roger Devine
Designing Inclusive School Fundraisers
Frequently, school auction chairs talk to me about the pressure they face to make their fundraisers inclusive - to lower ticket prices, load up the... Read More
20 Dec 2014
Roger Devine
Games For Fundraising Auctions: Chicken Bingo
We love to see our customers include games in their fundraising auctions. There are classics like Heads or Tails, and then there are ones that... Read More
19 Sep 2014
Roger Devine
Mobile Bidding for Small Fundraising Auctions
First of all, my apologies - this is long for a blog post. But I want to put it here, so we can engage in... Read More
06 Sep 2014
Roger Devine
Finding Silent Auction Items
Finding silent auction items is one of those tasks that many auction teams ask for help with. If that includes you, listen up. Read More
19 Aug 2014
Roger Devine
Guest Blog: Consignment Items
This is a guest blog, by our friend Mike Hanley. Thanks, Mike! Read More
25 Jul 2014
Roger Devine
Help Us Spread The Word
If you’re already a customer of ours, you probably know a few things about us: Read More
07 Jul 2014
Roger Devine
We Wrote A Book!
True facts: I was an English major in college (Trinity University, class of 1988), and after graduating, I moved to New York City to work... Read More
08 Jun 2014
Roger Devine
On Selecting A Benefit Auctioneer
If you are going to hold a Live Auction, you really should hire a professional auctioneer. You may think that there’s not much to it... Read More
14 May 2014
Roger Devine
More On High School Auctions
I talked a bit the other day about how in high schools, the auction-team is often a coalition of volunteers supporting specific clubs or teams,... Read More
18 Apr 2014
Roger Devine
The Difference with High-School Auctions
My son (my only child) is a High-School Freshman this year. Which means that this is the first year that I was On The Team... Read More
16 Apr 2014
Roger Devine
Talking Auctions
I talk to auction chairs just about every day. And although we do talk a lot about the SchoolAuction.net software, we also talk about general... Read More
09 Apr 2014
Roger Devine
Something I Love: Mobile Hotspots
There is really only one downside to web-based auction software - you need an Internet connection at your venue. Most of the time (here in... Read More
17 Feb 2014
Roger Devine
Contact Us | SchoolAuction.net
Every day (weekends included), we are available to our prospects and customers, to answer questions and provide help on a wide variety of fundraising topics.... Read More
03 Feb 2014
Roger Devine
Something I Love: Easel Backs
Silent auction tables can get crowded. One solution is to put your description sheets on the table in a standing position. There are many ways... Read More
12 Dec 2013
Roger Devine
Maximizing Results with an Online Auction
Online auctions may appear to be an easy, convenient way to raise money for your school or organization. But the truth is that online auctions,... Read More
26 Nov 2013
Roger Devine
Auction Planning 101: getting the most out of the software
From the moment you purchase our software, we’ll offer you opportunities to learn how to use it. However, we know that regardless of how much... Read More
05 Nov 2013
Roger Devine
The Story Behind SchoolAuction.net
Our company, and our product, grew out of a desire to make a difference in our school communities, to support quality education; and to offer... Read More
09 Oct 2013
Roger Devine
Kicking Auction Season off right – planning 101
“Come join our team, we’re really making things happen for our kid’s school!” Read More
01 Oct 2013
Roger Devine
Sign-up Parties Boost Results!
Auctions are fun – at least, they should be fun. Buying stuff can be fun as well (there’s a reason we have more of it... Read More
25 Sep 2013
Roger Devine
Connect with your audience, early and often!
It’s a new year and for many of you it’s the time when your benefit auction planning and implementation strategies really start ramping up! In... Read More
20 Sep 2013
Roger Devine
Shorter URLs for your Registration pages
This week my son started high school. And naturally, the school that he is going to uses our software to run their auction, and has... Read More
06 Sep 2013
Roger Devine
On Clerking
So… about that person or people you have up on stage, recording live auction bids and paddle raise pledges? You should think about who they... Read More
31 Aug 2013
Roger Devine
The Dream Team: Software Lead
This, the last post in our Dream Team series, focuses on a key role which supports the efforts of every other team member: Software Lead.... Read More
04 Jul 2013
Roger Devine
The Dream Team: Front Desk Manager
Today’s post picks up where we left off a few weeks ago in the_Building Your School Auction Dream Team_ series, in which we are outlining... Read More
22 Jun 2013
Roger Devine
The Dream Team: Theme and Decorations Chair
Who doesn’t love a good party? Read More
01 Jun 2013
Roger Devine
The Dream Team: Ticket Sales Captain
Auction items are procured, decorations are up, the band is at the ready… but without people in those seats, all this preparation is for naught.... Read More
24 May 2013
Roger Devine
The Dream Team: Limiting and Defining Roles
If you’ve been following this blog series, by now you’ve filled several sections in your teambuilding binder with job descriptions for key positions in the... Read More
22 May 2013
Roger Devine
The Dream Team: Sign-up Party Procurement
It’s our 5th in the Building Your (School Auction) Dream Team blog series, and today we’ll focus on filling the position of_Sign-up Party Procurement Chair._... Read More
10 May 2013
Roger Devine
The Dream Team: Live Auction Procurement Chair
This series – Building Your School Auction Dream Team- is intended to help you identify WHO are the people in your community who have the... Read More
07 May 2013
Roger Devine
The Dream Team: Silent Auction Procurement Chair
Auction season is winding down. Rather than packing away those event notebooks prematurely; however, remember that next year’s momentum is built upon this year’s organizational... Read More
30 Apr 2013
Roger Devine
The Dream Team: Event Chair
Today’s post, the third in our series titled Building Your School Auction Dream Team, will outline a key position in your overall Auction Committee Organization... Read More
23 Apr 2013
Roger Devine
Building a Dream Team: the Org Chart
If you are reading this blog, chances are you are already one of the 20% who makes 80% of the action happen. If you’re in... Read More
17 Apr 2013
Roger Devine
Building your School Auction Dream Team
For many of you auction night has come and gone… and you’re already looking ahead to next year. Read More
13 Apr 2013
Roger Devine
Many Ways to Use our Software
We’ve developed software that will effectively support you in carrying off a successful school auction fundraiser. And… it has lots of other wonderful bells and... Read More
11 Apr 2013
Roger Devine
Smoothing out Auction Night Snags
In our last blog we talked about the most important pieces of information to have with you on Auction night. In today’s post, we’re adding... Read More
06 Apr 2013
Roger Devine
Online Auctions Boost Results
The Auction is over… but what about the leftover items? Read More
03 Apr 2013
Roger Devine
Plan for Success… by planning your succession
Chairing an auction is a huge commitment and an even bigger job - you are a hero for stepping up! Read More
20 Mar 2013
Roger Devine
Putting the Magic Rolodex to work
How much time is typically spent by new auction volunteers calling, emailing and digging through binders and notes to find important contacts and information? Read More
13 Mar 2013
Roger Devine
Debrief: Setting the Stage for Success
Remember what it was like, the first time you got involved in the auction planning process? If you recall the process being easy and seamless,... Read More
08 Mar 2013
Roger Devine
Creating a Structure for School Auction Success
“Come join our team, we’re really making things happen for our kid’s school!” Read More
05 Mar 2013
Roger Devine
Our way of saying Thanks for your Referrals…
A great measure of our success is when you tell other schools and organizations about your success with our software. Read More
08 Feb 2013
Roger Devine
Guests Love Experiences… and Parties!
If you’re like many of us, you attend at least one benefit auction – in addition to the one you are helping to plan –... Read More
05 Feb 2013
Roger Devine
How did we do last year? And other common questions…
Because school auctions are generally run by volunteers, record keeping systems are often makeshift and handed down through loose leaf binders and sticky notes. Sound... Read More
01 Feb 2013
Roger Devine
SchoolAuction.net Application Update September 2012
You may have noticed a few new changes on your site: Read More
09 Sep 2012
Roger Devine
Square & SchoolAuction.net, Pt. 2
A couple of weeks ago, there was news that Square, the innovative payments processor that makes those iPhone-based card-readers one sees at coffee shops everywhere,... Read More
29 Aug 2012
Roger Devine
Square & SchoolAuction.net, Pt. 1
Square has been a disruptive force in the merchant-processing business since its emergence a couple of years ago. And since you can use just about... Read More
17 Aug 2012
Roger Devine
Guest Blog: Don't Pay Commissions
As a profession, auctioneering has long had performance tied to compensation. Auctioneers have based their worth, literally, on their ability to market and sell assets... Read More
18 Jul 2012
Roger Devine
5 reasons nonprofits SHOULDN'T hold an auction
Most people reading this blog are helping with the planning of an auction. Read More
11 Jul 2012
Roger Devine
Fundraising Auctions at Colleges and Universities
Holding an auction is an effective and fun way to raise money. For colleges and universities, it can be a great way to get the... Read More
06 Mar 2012
Roger Devine
Finding Item Descriptions With Your Smartphone
This one may be something everyone other than me figured out long ago, but I’m still pretty excited to have discovered it. Read More
06 Feb 2012
Roger Devine
Getting Auction Donations: A List of Resources
It’s THE perennial topic - getting items for your silent auction. People who have done it a few times have a list, a letter that... Read More
09 Jan 2012
Roger Devine
School Auction Themes: Nights (Of The Round Tables?)
More ideas from our incredibly creative, fun, customers. Have any Nights of your own to add? Add a comment below… Read More
31 Dec 2011
Roger Devine
Finding Auction Items
“Procuring auction items” is often seen as the biggest challenge for a school auction team. Here are three tips that can reduce the stress of... Read More
28 Dec 2011
Roger Devine
School Auction Themes: Evoking Exotic Locales
Picking the right school auction theme can inspire your volunteers, give you an focal point for your procurement, and even help sell tickets. So it’s... Read More
