Nonprofit Success Spotlight: Immanuel Schools

Immanuel Schools is grounded in a mission to “equip students to serve God and neighbor through mind, body, and soul, based on a Christ-centered foundation,” a philosophy that shapes both academic learning and school community life.

That mission extends beyond the classroom into how students are prepared for life after graduation, with the organization aiming to “prepare students to be successful in an ever-changing world by providing a biblical worldview.”

Today, Immanuel Schools serves more than 1,000 students across grades K–12 throughout 25 cities and four counties in Central California, reflecting its continued growth and commitment to expanding access to Christ-centered education.

Immanuel Schools’ annual auction is its largest fundraising event and a cornerstone of community support.

“This event is our largest fundraiser of the year and every dollar raised directly supports academic programs, campus improvements, and student enrichment opportunities,” shared Reeves. “This ensures that Immanuel Schools can continue providing an exceptional Christian education for generations to come.”

That mission is reflected in an event intentionally designed around many different participation moments.

Setting the Tone

The evening began with a social reception designed to foster connection and build excitement for the night ahead. Guests enjoyed "substantial appetizers, desserts, an iced tea bar, and an iced coffee bar while browsing and bidding on silent auction items."

Following a brief welcome and opening prayer, attendees heard from Ryan Wood, Superintendent of Immanuel Schools, who shared how Immanuel's commitment to Christ-centered education continues to shape students academically, spiritually, and personally. He highlighted the distinctive mission of the school and emphasized the important role fundraising plays in providing resources, opportunities, and experiences that help students thrive. His remarks set the stage for an evening centered on investing in the future of Immanuel Schools.

Auctioneer-Driven Engagement

Auctioneer Craig Scime of the Dukas Auctioneer Group helped energize the room through an interactive Heads or Tails game, where 172 necklaces were sold as guests participated in a fast-paced, elimination-style contest.

The Early Energy of the Golden Ticket Raffle

Immanuel Schools also built anticipation before the live auction with a strategic Golden Ticket Raffle, giving guests an early chance to win one of the evening’s most exciting auction items.

The raffle featured a European Dreaming experience from LuxGive, offering three lucky winners a dream tour of Europe before bidding even began.

With only 200 tickets available, the Golden Ticket strategy used scarcity and exclusivity to spark early excitement and encourage participation.

“Our Golden Ticket Drawing sold out!” Reeves shared.

By creating momentum before the first live auction bid, the raffle helped set the tone for an evening filled with energy and generosity.

Converting Participation into Impact

Superintendent Ryan Wood shared a State of the School update, highlighting recent accomplishments, areas of growth, and the opportunities that lie ahead for Immanuel Schools. 

He underscored the vital role philanthropy plays in advancing the school's mission and ensuring that students continue to benefit from exceptional academic, spiritual, and extracurricular experiences. His message served as a powerful reminder that every contribution directly impacts the lives of Immanuel students.

With that vision in mind, the evening transitioned into its final fundraising activities. 

Guests were invited to participate through the live auction, paddle raise, and final raffle, each providing meaningful opportunities to invest in the future of Immanuel Schools.

Together, these fundraising moments transformed enthusiasm into action, culminating in generous support that will help strengthen and sustain the school's mission for years to come.

As the team planned their auction strategy, they looked for experiences that would resonate with their community while adding excitement throughout the evening.

“We wanted to have some exciting travel opportunities that appeal to our community,” the team shared.

From the Golden Ticket Raffle to the live auction, LuxGive’s Fundraising Consultants helped integrate travel experiences across the event, aligning each opportunity with the school’s audience, format, and fundraising goals.

They also provided personalized strategies to help Immanuel Schools raise more from each package—leading to two key approaches: selling trips multiple times and securing sponsors to underwrite select experiences.

Turning One Trip Into Multiple Donations

While traditional donations often cap at just one winner, Immanuel Schools leveraged LuxGive consignment to sell the same travel experiences to multiple competing bidders.

This simple shift allowed more donors to walk away with a dream getaway, transforming what would normally be a losing bid into additional support for the school’s mission.

The Result:

Jewel of Mexico — 14 sold
Cabo Getaway — 2 sold
European Dreaming — 3 sold

By selling each experience multiple times, the organization dramatically expanded the fundraising potential of each package without adding additional auction items or effort.

Boosting Impact Through Underwriting

The school also partnered with sponsors to underwrite select travel experiences before the event, ensuring that 100% of the winning bids went directly to supporting their students and programs.

“We had a wonderful company, CenCal CNC sponsor one of our Cabo Trips,” Reeves shared.

Because the trip had already been covered by a sponsor, every dollar raised went directly back to the school’s mission.

Together, these strategies helped Immanuel Schools generate nearly $18,000 in profit from LuxGive experiences alone—while creating more opportunities for guests to participate in the excitement of the auction.

For Immanuel Schools, fundraising events are about more than raising money—they create direct connections between donors and the students their support impacts.

That connection was most evident during the evening’s paddle raise for the “Stand in the Gap” scholarship program. Reeve’s emphasized that the program “directly impacts students by making a Christ-centered education at Immanuel accessible," grounding the moment in clear, tangible impact.

That impact was further brought to life through Immanuel alumna Sidney Azua, who shared how attending the school shaped her own journey, reinforcing the real outcomes behind every gift.

The paddle raise also included one final incentive to give: for a $100 donation to Stand in the Gap, guests could enter a drawing for a $1,250 Ruth’s Chris Steak House gift card, adding an additional layer of engagement to the giving moment.

The impact of the evening extends well beyond a single night of fundraising.

As Immanuel Schools shared, “Every dollar raised directly supports academic programs, campus improvements, and student enrichment opportunities, ensuring that Immanuel Schools can continue providing an exceptional Christian education for generations to come.”

That support also strengthens programs like Stand in the Gap, which helps make Christ-centered education more accessible to students and families across the region.

Through these investments, the school continues to expand opportunity while staying grounded in its mission of faith-based education.

Website: https://www.immanuelschools.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/immanuelschools/

✅ Offered multiple ways to give
 Included games, auctions, raffles, and giving moments so guests had several opportunities to participate at different levels throughout the evening.

✅ Kept the event engaging from start to finish
 A mix of activities and participation points helped maintain energy and kept guests involved across the full program.

✅ Used storytelling to connect giving to impact
 Alumni stories and scholarship messaging helped guests clearly understand the real impact of their support.

✅ Added high-interest items to increase bidding
 A combination of traditional auction items and curated travel experiences helped broaden appeal and drive stronger bidding.

✅ Created more winning opportunities with consignment travel
Rather than limiting popular experiences to a single bidder, the school used consignment travel to extend participation and generate additional fundraising revenue.

Immanuel Schools demonstrates that long-running fundraising events stay successful not by changing their mission—but by expanding how supporters can participate in it.

By creating multiple engagement moments throughout the evening, the organization transformed a traditional auction into a dynamic, high-energy fundraising experience.

If you’re planning an upcoming gala or auction, LuxGive helps nonprofits expand their fundraising strategy with aspirational travel experiences designed to enhance participation and maximize results.

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