St. Charles County Association of REALTORS® has fewer than 2,000 members but consistently raises more than $100,000 for the REALTORS® Political Action Committee at its annual Cindy Fox Griffey RPAC Auction fundraiser. What’s its secret sauce? According to CEO Gwen Walters, GRI, e-PRO, it’s all about:
The right people: Choose a volunteer leader who “lives and breathes RPAC,” advises Walters, who leans on past PAC President Matt Becker. “He’s all about getting people involved,” says Walters, adding that the auction had 260 attendees in 2024. Last year, the association encouraged brokers to donate a basket as part of an office competition for bragging rights and a trophy. Young Professionals Network members were also encouraged to sign the RPAC Pledge, and those who pledged $100 or more that evening were acknowledged during the event.
The right tone: Becker, who is also the auctioneer, cracks jokes, showcases items with music videos (which he creates) and pits offices against one another. Last year’s “Gone Country” theme had attendees dressing in country attire with décor including bandanas for napkins and huge light-up RPAC letters in red, white and blue. For even more fun, the event took a cue from Willy Wonka, selling candy bars for $100 each, with one including a golden ticket for a $1,500 Visa gift card.
The right messaging: The association always highlights RPAC wins, like eliminating taxes on services that would directly affect an agent’s business and bottom line. “This helps members understand the purpose of RPAC and where the money goes, so it makes sense to invest,” Walters says.
Walters says that 2024 was the first year that the association structured the ticket pricing to allow the price of the ticket to be an RPAC contribution. “This can be difficult to do since the local level only gets about a third of the RPAC investments back,” she says, “but in the end, it results in a higher auction total.”
