To find testimonials for fundraising events, go to the testimonials page at BidFire Auctions & Fundraising
Kirsten Broschinsky
Make-A-Wish Foundation (NY)
“Tom was an incredible addition to our event. During the live auction, he brought humor and energy that livened everything up and kept everyone engaged. During our fund-a-need, he was able to appropriately bring passion and respect. He took the time to learn about us, our needs, and our mission – and fully delivered. I’ve heard nothing but great feedback from guests, members of our board, and staff. We’ll definitely be having him back!”
Linda Cummins
Center for Empowerment and Education (CT)
What’s the word for better than the best? Stebbins! I can’t say enough good things about Tom. Evening of your event, he is chock full of energy and humor yet understands the perfect balance of getting serious when it’s time to Fund the Mission. I am 100% certain we raised more funds because of him. Pre event he came to the table with lots of fresh ideas and impactful advice. He is extremely available, informative and creative. He is on top of industry trends. Post event, he is just as helpful offering a thorough debrief. Book him the second you know your event date as he is in high demand. I’d love to keep Tom a secret and just for us but he’s simply to good not to share!
Katie Joy
Oceantic Network (MD)
We hired Tom for an industry awards show in November of 2023. Tom was eager to learn more about our community and tailored his delivery to fit our unique crowd. He was professional and brought levity and interest to an otherwise dry program. Tom is not only an excellent emcee, he was a true partner in the production of our event. He brings many years of experience to the table and was able to help us deliver an incredible program. We will continue to work with Tom for future events and give him a full recommendation.
“When Covid-19 forced us to shift our annual in person event to our first ever Virtual Gala, one of the first components we knew we needed was a great emcee. From our first meeting with Tom, we were impressed with his ability to understand our needs and strategize with us about how to make our event as successful as possible. Tom engaged the audience and made our event fun while conveying our mission. His enthusiasm during the Fund-a-Need was contagious and he truly has the ability to adapt to any situation.”
Jaclyn Joworisak
Thomas Edison State University (NJ)
Tom went above and beyond for Woodland Hill, joining our regular planning meetings, getting to know us and the WHMS culture, providing input on promotions, and even giving us specific fundraising recommendations following the event. Before the event, Tom assured us that he could raise more than our previous Raise the Paddles. We actually nearly doubled our Raise the Paddle totals from our previous year and nearly doubled the number of families donating! Our guests loved his good natured teasing, and we loved that he got more people to bid, donate and engage, thus helping us exceed our fundraising goals.
Michelle Edwards
Woodland Hill Montessori (NY)
“This was my second year working with Tom Stebbins as our auctioneer, and let me say, Tom is so much more than an auctioneer... he is a fundraising consultant, an event planner, and an extra set of hands to help you however you need on the day-of. As someone who regularly attends fundraising events, Tom knows how to run a fundraiser and will make suggestions before, during (and even after) on how to make your event even more of a success. From the marketing materials you have on display to the run-of-show to making your guests feel appreciated and special, there is no detail overlooked when working with Tom. During our recent event, Tom noticed that a line was growing at check-in, so Tom came to me and asked if he could take a tray of prosecco down to the guests waiting to keep them happy. I was so impressed and so were our guests! This is the level of professionalism and attention to detail that you can expect. In the past, I’ve been hesitant about working with a professional auctioneer. But Tom has eased any of these hesitations. Tom brings so much energy to the fundraising portion of the evening that your guests will WANT to support your mission and participate! If you work with Tom, I feel strongly that you will not regret it.”
Michelle Culbert
Saratoga PLAN (NY)
Penny Murphy
25-year President and CEO of the Empire State Society of Association Executives (NH)
"Most people's expectations for an annual meeting, conference keynote or dinner emcee are pretty low. I know. I listened to such an array over the span of 30 plus years. There was a mix of good to great in that time, but in 2015, I found the SPECTACULAR. Tom Stebbins is both technically and creatively clever. His years with public broadcasting are put to good use as emcee, but it is his confidence, charm and comedy that permeate an otherwise stale event to make it entertaining and memorable. My only complaint is that I couldn't top him in the next year!"
Karen Dressel
Corporate Events Professional (TX)
"Tom’s energy and humor brightens up any meeting. I'd recommend him to anyone."
“Tom Stebbins did a fabulous job as our auctioneer for the Autism Society of the Greater Capital Region’s gala! Tom is full of fun! He engaged our guests, made them laugh, and encouraged them to support our mission.”
Janine Kruiswijk
Autism Society of the Greater Capital Region (NY)
Lindsay Jewett
Best Buddies International (NY)
Tom was incredible from the get go. This was the first time we had ventured into using an Auctioneer. And Tom was helpful from the beginning, he used his knowledge to help guide our show flow. He gave us new ideas and added a fresh flavor to our event. This was a third year event and we raised $30,000 more than last year's event. We believe the increase was in part due to Tom and his incredible presentation. We are excited to work with Tom in the future!
Patricia Brussel
Alpine Learning Group (NJ)
“Thank you Tom for a stellar evening! Our guests loved you! — you kept the night flowing seamlessly — it was our most successful event to date!”
Corinne Christian
Fighting Pretty (WA)
Tom was incredible throughout the process of our event. We brought him in a little over a month before our event and he was able to coach us through some really difficult challenges, giving tips on our auction, event marketing, setting run of show, etc. He researched our organization so that he could represent us well. The night of the event, he was on fire, rallying the crowd, providing a consistent emcee voice throughout the event, and helping us raise more in our auction and paddle pledge that we'd have been able to on our own. He promised he would more than cover his fee, but he truly did so much more.