EXPAND AWARENESS.
MAXIMIZE FUNDRAISING.
The Bidding Group provides expert fundraising and charity event consulting, an engaging auctioneer, and proven results. We like to think of ourselves as modern-day Robin Hoods - inspiring donors to share their wealth with organizations who do good deeds for those in need. Christopher J Hanke and the goodwill bandits at The Bidding Group closely collaborate with your team to customize a plan that is exactly what you need to ensure a successful fundraising event. That means more than just providing an auctioneer (albeit a fantastic one!). Most importantly, we develop winning strategies to increase your financial returns.
With The Bidding Group, you’ll have a key partner for all aspects of your charity event. We will keep your guests entertained and engaged, helping you raise more money year after year.
Why Should You Trust The Bidding Group?
Our team has 20+ years in fundraising and has worked with organizations across multiple fields — in education, health and medicine, arts, and social services — raising over more than $100,000,000 to date. Our approach is simple. We work closely with your team to gain a deep understanding of your organization’s mission, work hand-in-hand with you to procure the right auction items for your audience, set the tone for the evening with a highly experienced auctioneer, command generous financial contributions from guests, and exceed expectations. At The Bidding Group, we understand that each event is unique, which is why we collaborate to customize every element of your fundraiser to meet your organization’s needs.
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT?
When you combine the skills of someone who has spent years on stage, understanding how to effectively command an audience, with someone who has extensive experience working for and with nonprofits, you create a team that looks at fundraising a bit differently. At The Bidding Group, we understand the needs of charities, the pressure to meet an entire year’s fundraising goal in one night, the critical roles of an auctioneers to engage the audience and keep them motivated throughout the event, the need to make VIPs feel unique, and the exquisite balance that’s required to create a successful event that everyone can feel proud of.
CHRISTOPHER J. HANKE
Christopher J. Hanke is an actor, writer, host and auctioneer. He starred in the recent feature film, Breaking Fast and plays alongside Patti Lupone, Glenn Close, Cynthia Erivo and Jon Cameron Mitchell in the smash hit new musical podcast, Anthem, penned by JCM. On Broadway, Hanke’s credits include How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Bud Frump), Rent (Mark), Cry-Baby (Baldwin) and In My Life (JT). Other New York City standout performances include: Jon Tolins’ hit comedy, Buyer & Cellar, replacing Michael Urie and the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of Hair, where he played Claude. Hanke also played Tommy Boatwright in The Normal Heart directed by George C. Wolfe.
While Hanke loves live performances, these days, he spends most of his time starring in TV shows. He played Devon on three seasons of Odd Mom Out (BRAVO); had a recurring role on the sitcom Kevin Can Wait (CBS); played Fabian in the last season of Devious Maids; was a series regular as Ryan Abbot on Three Rivers (CBS); had a recurring role as Stuart on HBOs Big Love; and has guest starred on Nashville, Major Crimes, The Client List, Brothers & Sisters, & Younger.
More recently, Hanke has enjoyed working on several shows with top notch casts: a miniseries for HBO, I Know This Much Is True, opposite Mark Ruffalo and Imogen Poots; and shooting two seasons simultaneously on two different networks – starring as Dr. Ashley Anderson on A Million Little Things for ABC and as Gregg on The Resident for FOX. He is grateful for the airline miles and is currently plotting new destinations.
Aside from his many acting gigs, Hanke loves to host and entertain. With these skills in mind, it’s not surprising that two different people approached him a few years ago with the idea of starting an auction company. He listened. Hanke is now the owner and founder of The Bidding Group, a new organization that provides expert fundraising and charity event consulting, with Hanke at the helm as an engaging auctioneer. The Bidding Group thinks of themselves as modern-day Robin Hoods - inspiring donors to share their wealth with organizations who do good deeds for those in need. Hanke takes pride in helping nonprofits exceed their fundraising goals while hamming it up on-stage for diverse audiences all over the United States.
SERVICES
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AUCTIONEER / HOST
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STRATEGIC EVENT PLANNING
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FUND-A-NEED / APPEALS / PADDLE RAISE
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AUCTION PROCUREMENT
TESTIMONIALS
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"In my thirteen years at the Plaza Hotel, [Hanke] was the best auctioneer that has ever come through our doors. He was entertaining, electrifying and always makes the Plaza events a home run.”
— Eric Hoffman, The Plaza Hotel
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“You are the only person that should do all auctions.”
—Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
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"Christopher has an uncanny ability to bring an audience to life! He connects and entertains on a level that I’ve never seen another auctioneer achieve. No other auctioneer has the Broadway, TV and Film experience that gives him the ability to effortlessly work a room. I genuinely enjoy going to charity events just to see Christopher do his thing."
— Adam Sansiveri, Senior Managing Director, [A|B]
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“The Bidding Group absolutely blew our expectations out of the park. They helped us build an incredible gala together and made our event more successful than we ever could have on our own. Christopher Hanke is a genius! Every attendee raved about his amazing performance as auctioneer and agreed it was the highlight of the evening, Thanks to their help we were able to smash our fundraising goal out of the park, raising over $150,000 in one evening. We can't wait to continue to work together for years to come, raising money to help feed those in need across Los Angeles.”
— Hillary Cohen, Every Day Action
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“Christopher J. Hanke shines bright in the spotlight with his incredible energy, exceptional stage presence, and charismatic delivery to excite and empower a room of philanthropists to dig deeper into their pockets and their hearts. As both the Master of Ceremonies and Auctioneer at the TPAC Gala, Hanke delivered an experience that far exceeded our expectations, leaving our guests entertained, inspired about the mission at Tennessee Performing Arts Center, and not wanting the evening to end.”
— Diana Pelham, Tennessee Performing Arts Center
Interested in the bidding group?
To ensure optimal client satisfaction, The Bidding Group carefully selects and limits the number of collaborations, prioritizing mutually beneficial partnerships. For inquiries, kindly complete the form below, and we will promptly respond.