Dessert Dash Done Right: Energy, Competition, and Revenue

What if one of the most profitable moments at your gala wasn’t your live auction… but dessert?

In this episode of Auction Is Action, Bobby D. breaks down the Dessert Dash — the fast-paced, high-energy fundraising game that creates excitement, table competition, and unexpected revenue in just minutes.

You’ll learn:
• How a Dessert Dash works step-by-step
• Why it activates group psychology and donor momentum
• How to structure the game for maximum participation
• Common mistakes nonprofits make
• Tips to increase energy, bidding, and guest engagement
• How to turn desserts into a memorable fundraising experience

Whether you’re planning a school gala, nonprofit fundraiser, golf event, or community celebration, the Dessert Dash is a simple addition that can create a massive impact.

Auction Is Action with Bobby D. — helping nonprofits raise more money, create unforgettable events, and inspire radical generosity.

Recommended For

Nonprofit leaders
Development directors
Board members
Event planners
Fundraising committees
School, hospital, and foundation galas

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Alright here, what are we gonna get? You are listening to the Auction is Action with You In It podcast presented by Call to Auction, where our favorite four-lived word is S-O-L-D. So, so welcome back to the Auction is Action with You In It podcast. Because without you, there is no action and there is no impact. I'm Bobby D. Your host, fundraising strategist, fundraising auctioneer, billion-dollar fundraiser, and today we're going to be talking about one of the most fun and high-energy, low-lift fundraising games that you can add to your gala. The Dessert Dash. Now, if you've never seen the Dessert Dash before, imagine this. The dinner's wrapping up, the room energy is high, and suddenly grown adults in suits and cocktail dresses are sprinting across the ballroom fighting over chocolate cake. And honestly, it's glorious. The dessert dash is part fundraising game, part entertainment, part donor engagement strategy. And when it's done correctly, it can raise thousands, sometimes tens of thousands in just a few minutes. Here's how it works. Now every table pools their money together to bid for a chance to choose their dessert first. The more money the table raises, the earlier they get to pick. The highest bid, first choice. Second highest, second choice, and so on and so on and so on and so on. And here's the secret. This really isn't about dessert. It's about psychology, it's about competition, it's about teamwork, it's about urgency, it's about social energy. And the dessert becomes an excuse for generosity. So let's break down how the dessert dash is actually set up. Step one, the setup. You create a beautiful dessert display somewhere visible in the room. And I mean beautiful. This is not grocery uh grocery store sheet cake energy. I want towering cheesecakes, I want chocolate creations, I want colorful pastries over-the-top desserts that people want to Instagram before they eat them. The visual matters because people bid with their eyes first. And once guests are seated and each table gets a bid sheet or an envelope, everybody at the table chips their money together. Then what maybe one person gives a hundred, maybe somebody else gives 50, another person throws in 20. And collectively, the table bids uh builds their bid total. And then the volunteers go around each of the tables, they collect the bids. Now, before the dessert dash starts, every table chooses their dessert dasher. On the count of three, pick your dessert dasher. One, two, three, it's you. And this is important because you want somebody fast, you want somebody competitive, you want someone who understands the assignment, the assignment, preferably not in six-inch hills. Because once the bidding closes, it's game time. Now the auctioneer starts announcing the winning tables in descending order. Now I take that back in ascending order. So table number one gets first choice, table number two gets second choice, and then the dasher takes off. They sprint to the dessert table, they claim their prize, they plant their table marker, and then race back victorious, just like they won the gold medal for Tier Masu. A few seconds later, then we go to table three, table four, the dasher goes, and what happens is magical. The room erupts. People are cheering, people are laughing, they're standing up, they're taking photos, and suddenly your gala transforms from a passive dinner into an interactive experience. And here's what I love most about the dessert dash: it creates participation. Now, not everybody can bid $10,000 in a live auction. Not everybody can give $5,000 in the paddle race, not everybody can make a major gift, but almost every table can rally together and participate in a dessert dash. And participation matters because participation creates emotional investment. Now, here's a few pro tips if you're planning one. Number one, have at least one dessert per table. You never want tables feeling like there's not enough inventory. Number two, make the desserts look unique, different flavors, different looks, different experiences. You want people emotionally attached to the desserts before the dash even starts. Number three, keep the energy moving fast. The dessert dash should feel exciting, it should feel chaotic, and most importantly, it should be fun. Now, momentum is everything. Number four, use mobile giving or pre-registered credit cards wherever possible. You want to make this process as frictionless as possible. You want this Amazon easy. The less work donors have to do, the more likely they are to participate generously. Now, here's a bigger lesson. The best fundraising events aren't just asking people to give, they're creating experiences that people remember. And that's what the dessert dash does. It creates a moment, it creates a story, something that guests are going to talk about on the ride home. I was at this gala last night and this happened. And then when people emotionally connect to your event, they emotionally connect to your mission. And that's where the fundraising magic happens. So if you've never done a dessert dash before, maybe it's time. Maybe sometimes a chocolate cake can raise a whole lot more than dessert money. Now, what's great about the dessert dash is this becomes an opportunity to help underwrite your auctioneer's fee. Now, if you've never done a dessert dash before and you're looking at your budget and you're like, oh, we don't have any budget for an auctioneer. Well, guess what? Let's add the dessert dash and use that as a revenue generating opportunity so that you can then afford to hire one of the best fundraising auctioneers in the world or auction teams. If you're looking for an auction team, feel free to reach out, call to auction.com. We are here for you to help serve you in any capacity that we can in any market with any budget because we've got solutions to be able to help you raise as much money as possible and cover our fee with something like the dessert dash. Well, again, my name is Bobby D, your host. I want to thank you all for all the beautiful work that you were doing in the world to make events better and the impact that happens beyond that. And we couldn't do it without you. So thank you so much for listening. Thank you so much for watching. And don't forget to check us out on calltouction.com. Remember, auction is action with you in it. We'll see you on the next one. 25 out of the 35 of the bid, 45 out of 55, 65, 75, it's a bit 85 at the bid. My favorite four letter word is SOLD. Sold. You got it right there. Thanks for listening.