SYDNEY, March 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Helping Hand Group, global leaders in the provision of fundraising and charity auction services, today announced it has now raised and donated more than AU$80 million for leading charities, community groups, schools and sporting clubs, an increase of 14.5 percent (over $10 million) over the past 12 months. The company has also experienced its most successful start to the year in 18 years, selling more than 200 premium auction items for fundraising through silent or live auctions in the first two months of 2015, predominantly made up of unique holidays and experiences, along with other categories, such as memorabilia (music/movies/sport), artwork and fine wines.
Founded in 1997 in Sydney, Helping Hand Group has nine offices across six countries throughout Asia Pacific and has operated auctions in 17 countries, from Australia to Abu Dhabi, Monaco, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Japan and more. It recently launched new offices in the Netherlands and New Zealand to support growing interest from organisations and charities in those countries. Demand for Helping Hand Group's fundraising and auction services continues to increase significantly every year, with over 500 events held in the past year alone.
"Our growth can largely be attributed to a change in our strategy to now focus on offering more unique, luxury items for auction, which achieve far better donation figures for the charities and fundraising groups we work with," said Adam Herodotus, CEO of Helping Hand Group. "The more high-end items that we offer, while not necessarily expensive, the more people are willing to spend on these unique and valuable experiences that they can't find elsewhere. Looking back 8-10 years ago when the focus was mainly on selling memorabilia, we've certainly branched out extensively since then, which has enabled us to grow significantly."
One of the main challenges of putting on a fundraising event is the sheer effort and coordination that goes into the planning and execution, which is where Helping Hand Group's services play such a pivotal role in helping organisations and charities run a successful event and bring in much needed fundraising revenue. Through changing the calibre of items it provides, Helping Hand Group now offers luxury items ranging from a seven night Tuscany Culinary Experiences for 10 people in a restored 16th century villa, to tickets to the Singapore F1 including the after-party, 18 night cruises from Dubai to Istanbul, 12 day luxury South African adventures, a Grammy Awards experience, to private wine tasting for 12.
"We didn't just jump in with these experiences either – we certainly tested the waters and we found that there were really great auction sales and donations as a result and from there we've just expanded our range and focus," added Mr Herodotus. "We've established great relationships with the providers of these experiences now and have proven we can auction their premium services, making it much easier for us to source new and unique experiences to sell at auctions."
About Helping Hand Group
Founded in 1997 in Sydney, Helping Hand Group has raised and donated over $80 million for leading charities, community groups, schools and sporting clubs, by providing memorabilia, artwork, fine wines, holidays and experiences for fundraising through silent or live auctions. It has operated auctions in 15 countries and has affiliations with nine offices across six countries. For more information, visit: http://helpinghand.com.au.
