Delighted Clients

• Metropolitan Family Services
  December, 2011

  "What a night, indeed!!! Thank you so much for all of your advice and auctioneering during the event. It was terrific. The Holiday Celebration was a HUGE success because of your efforts. I look forward to working with you again."

  Rachael Kemnic

  Metropolitan Family Services
  Associate Director, Special Events

• LUTHERAN LIFE COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION
  October, 2011

  "Zaffarano Auctioneers exceeded our expectations.  They bring added value through their in-depth knowledge of philanthropic events.  Zaffarano provided strategic and targeted counsel throughout the entire Auction and Fundraising process; brought new and exciting fundraising tactics to us while working to tailor their style to our specific client needs.
  
  Vinnie Zaffarano has a unique ability to read a crowd  and work with his team to generate excitement while encouraging a sense of generosity without being heavy-handed.  This combined with their strategic counsel helped our client generate twice the income over the previous year.
  
  While this was our first year working with Zaffarano Auctioneers and his team, they were immediately placed on our preferred vendor list. "

  Marcy Alspach

  Here Comes the Party
  Event Planning and Production Firm

• CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
  April, 2010

  "Vinnie, What a great night! This was our 21st auction, but you made it made it seem fresh. Your bid assistants were a great addition to the night and were encouraging, but not too aggressive. The Fund-A-Need was a great success and brought in more than twice what we expected. Many attendees said it was the best auction they'd been to and many more said you were the "BEST AUCTIONEER WE EVER HAd". Thank you for breathing new life into our auction. We look forward to working with you in the future. NEW CLIENT BLOOMINGOTN, ILLINOIS APRIL 2010!! Thanks, Paul "

  PAUL GESTERLING

  CENTRAL CATHOLIC
  DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

• CASS 63-FOUNDATION OF EXCELLENCE
  June, 2010

  "zaffarano auctioneers I’d like to personally thank you for the fantastic job you did on Friday! The feedback we have received about the event has been overwhelmingly positive and we are even hearing that this was the best event yet. I have personally been involved with the golf outing for the past 7 years and feel that we stepped up our game in a big way. We have always struggled with keeping everyone’s attention during the Live Auction and pushing to get the highest bids possible without being too aggressive with our friends. You are able to do this with the extreme skill and professionalism and some very well timed humor. I know that the treasurer was reconciling everything over the weekend…she will be in contact with you about compensation within the next few days. Again, thank you for your contribution to the overall success of our event. Have a wonderful summer with your family and much success to you with business. I look forward to working with you again in the future. Nancy Knott Ardovitch Events Editor, Suburban Focus Magazine New client June 2010 "

  Nancy Knott Ardovitch

  class 63 foundation golf outing
  Co-Chair

• ACLU OF ILLINOIS
  September, 2010

  ""Vinnie was accessible to us at all times leading up to the event, and gave us terrific and fun ideas of ways to spice up the auctions. He is professional, energetic, and works hard to make an event as successful as it can be." I would highly recommend him his services! Marcia Liss Development Director Roger Baldwin Foundation of the ACLU, Inc. New Client September 2010"

  MARCIA LISS

  ALCU
  DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

• NORTHWESTERN BRAIN TUMOR INSTITUTE
  October, 2010

  "Dear Vinnie, I thought you did a great Job. Having your two(2) professional bid assistants there and your efforts definitely saved the day. New client October 2010"

  Janice L. Feinberg

  NBTI
  Committee Member

• NAPERVILLE CARES
  November, 2010

  "Vinnie You are a true professional and we can’t thank you enough. Last night was extraordinary and we couldn’t have done it without you. With your expertise and the generosity of the donors, guests and Sullivan’s, we brought in much needed funds for Naperville CARES. Thank you again Vinnie. We look forward to working with you again in April on Cuisine for a Cause. Karen Garlough Fundraising Chair Naperville CARES PS Thanks for taking photographs of the event. We look forward to receiving email copies and will put them on the CARES website. You are just a complete bundle of energy! New Client November 2010!!!!!"

  karen Garlough

  NAPERVILLE CARES
  Fundraising Chair

• CYSTIC FIBROSIS
  January, 2011

  "Cystic Fibrosis Foundation February, 2011 We just held the 14th Annual Grand Chefs Gala and after having the same auctioneer for many years, we decided to change it up and book Zaffarano Auctioneers. We have worked with Vinnie on many CF events and were excited to see what the response would be to someone new at this particular event. Well, the response was nothing but positive feedback. Vinnie was able to take control of the 750 guests, keep their attention and raise significant dollars (and exceed our financial targets) for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation through the live auction and bid for a cure. The guests responded well and we responded by putting Zaffarano Auctioneers on hold for the 15th Annual Grand Chefs Gala. Thank you for a fantastic and financially successful evening! Amy Patterson Associate Executive Director Cystic Fibrosis Foundation "

  AMY PATTERSON

  CYSTIC FIBROSIS
  ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

• ROTARY GLUB OF AURORA
  January, 2011

  "Dear Vinnie, I wanted to write and share a few words on behalf of our club in regards to your SERVICE and ASSISTANCE with our wine and chocaolate extravaganza. From the first moment we spoke, you displayed a great CONFIDENCE and PROFESSIONALISM; you were extremely knowledgeable, helpful and encouraging. Your spirit and energy was motivational to me and to the club. On the night of the event, your energy and excitement was palpable to all. Your knowledge and experienec helped to make for a fun and PROFITABLE event. This was by far the best event w as a club has had in nine years in which yuo had a lot to do with the success. Because of your skill, energy, professionalism, and drive our club QUADRUPLED OUR PROFIT FORM LAST YEAR!!!!!!! We cannot express enough how grateful we are to have had you working with us. We look forward to building a very long term relationship for future events. You will be the first person called when planning for next year. I have great confidence in referring others to use your servcies. Again, a giant "THANK YOU" to vinnie and zaffarano auctioneers. Kenneth Olson. New Client January 2011"

  KENNETH OLSON

  ROTARY CLUB
  CHAIRPERSON

• AGING CARE CONNECTIONS
  May, 2011

  "Great job!  You certainly earned your fee and made believers out of all of us!  The addition of a professional auctioneer resulted in a significant increase in donations for our agency.  In addition, your participation in our planning process added to the quality of the event.  We look forward to having you back again next year."

  Mike Doepke

  Of behalf of Aging Care Connections

• Alphonsus Academy
  February, 2011

  "As our major annual fundraiser has grown over the past 9 years, so has our need for professional non-profit fundraising guidance.  We hired Vinnie Zaffarano Auctioneers to help us plan and execute our annual gala, Art & Soul, which is a 550 person event.  What a difference four months consulting with him made!  We wanted to shake things up this year to capitalize on our large attendance, and Vinnie provided the perfect mixture of professionalism, experience, energy and enthusiasm.    Our Live Auction increased 30% year over last and overall we had the most profitable Art & Soul ever, largely due to Vinnie's expertise and advice.  Our committee had a great time working with him as he is extremely personable and professional, even in the most stressful of situations.  Overall, we credit Vinnie with our incredible success this year in a challenging economic environment and hope to work with him again! "

  Kim Froning

  Art & Soul Co-Chair

• ALLIANCE FOR THE GREAT LAKES
  June, 2011

  "I RECENTLY RAN AN EVENT FOR A NON-PROFIT HERE IN CHICAGO. THE ORGANIZATION HAD NEVER DONE A PADDLE RAISE OR A LIVE AUCTION. VINNIE CAME IN TO HELP US AND IT WAS A HUGE SUCCES! HE IS KNOWLEDGABLE, PERSONABLE AND AN ULTIMATE PROFESSIONAL. AS A FUND RAISNING CONSULTANT, I HAVE USED OTHER AUCTIONEERS FOR VARIOUS EVENTS AND I WOULD BE HARD-PRESSED TO HIRE TO ANYONE BUT VINNIE IN THE FUTURE.
  
  NANCY PATEK
  AALIANCE FOR THE GREAT LAKES"

  NANCY PATEK

  ALLIANCE FOR THE GREAT LAKES
  FUNDRAISING CONSULTANT

• HUNTINGTON DISEASES OF AMERICA
  August, 2010

  "VINNIE I can sum up your services and Performance in one word,"AWESOME"... I look forward to working with you in the future! Deborah Boyd New Client August 2010"

  Deborah Boyd

  huntingtons disease of America
  Director of Development

• CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE(CAI)
  April, 2010

  "Dear Vinne, Thanks for your help and amazing output. You helped us raise $53,000 from 5 items at the Three Cups of Tea fundraiser…unprecedented! The best thing about working with you is that you really took the time out to help plan, execute and implement an auction the way that we wanted. Above all you listened. The program was packed with celebrities speakers, yet everyone in the 1300 audience at our annual gala LOVED your auction segment. I think we would love to use your talents again! NEW CLIENT APRIL 2010!!! Sadia Ashraf Event Chair CAI fundraiser 2010 "

  SADIA ASHRAF

  central asia institute(CAI)
  EVENT CHAIR

• ST.MICHAELS(WHEATON, IL)
  March, 2010

  "Hi Vinnie You did a fantastic job. I thought the results were very good, considering the times, and your performance was excellent. I hope that I will get to work with you again in the future and I will refer work to you if I have the chance. Thanks again. New Client March 2010!!! "

  BOB O'SHEA

  SAINT MICHAEL
  CO-CHAIR

• XAVIER FRANCIS WARD SCHOOL
  February, 2010

  "VINNIE WE WERE THRILLED TO WORK WITH ZAFFARANO AUCTIONEERS. VINNIE SPENT TIME LEARNING ABOUT OUR EVENT AND OUR COMMUNITY. VINNIE HAD VERY GOOD THOUGHTS REARRANGING SOME TRADITIONAL PIECES OF OUR EVENT, AND BROUGHT SOME TERRIFIC INNOVATIONS, WHICH GARNERED IMPORTANT NEW GIFTS. VINNIE WAS ALSO QUITE NIMBLE IN MAKING ADJUSTMENTS ON THE EVENING OF THE EVENT. HIS EXPERIENCE SHOWS AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR HIS ENERGY. WE LOOK FORWARD WITH WORKING WITH VINNIE ON OUR 2011 GALA! NEW CLIENT- FEBRUARY 2010! MARION FLYNN(DEVELOPMENT OFFICE) "

  MARION FLYNN

  XAVIER FRANCIS WARD
  DEVELOPMENT OFFICE

• HAMDARD CENTER
  October, 2010

  "Hi Vinnie, Thanks so much for participating last night- you were FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The gentleman who won the Radhika dinner cut a check for $20,000. That brought our total to $72,000.oo. There were roughly 700 people there , so you were correct that it came to $100 a person. At least 10 people told me that you were "THE BEST AUCTIONEER THEY HAD EVER SEEN". I think, especially for a first year, the auction was a success. As I get them, I will forward a few names of people who are interested in using your services. Thanks again and I hope to see you again next year. Best, Adnaan NEW CLIENT OCTOBER 2009!!!!"

  Adnaan Hamid M.D

  Hamdard Center
  Treasurer, Board of Directors

• OUR LADY OF PEACE GRAMMER SCHOOL
  February, 2010

  "VINNIE WE DID IT! YOU WERE AN ASSET TO OUR TEAM AD WE TRULY ENJOYED WORKING WITH YOU. A WONDERFUL EVENING WAS HAD BY ALL!!! I HAVE HEARD WONDERFUL COMMENTS ABOUT THE EVENT AND PARTICULARLY HOW SUPERB OF A JOB YOU DID. WE ARE THANKFUL FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS AND LOOK FORWARD TO DOING IT ALL OVER AGAIN( WITH YOU) NEXT YEAR! NEW CLIENT-FEBRUARY 2010"

  MICHELLE KURLEY

  OUR LADY OF PEACE
  CHAIR

• TIMOTHY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL(Elmhurst,Illinois)
  February, 2010

  "Vinnie As always, we were very pleased with your performance. You are always professional and a joy to work with. We raised in total of $70k which is wonderful in this economy. Thanks for all your hard work. SUE LUBBEN FEBRUARY 2010 "

  SUE LUBBEN

  TIMOTHY CHRISTIAN ELMHURST
  CHAIR

• CYSTIC FIBROSIS
  December, 2008

  "Dear Vinnie, Thank you for helping us with our most successful fundraiser yet! Your involvement goes above and beyond the Live Auction. Your first hand involvement in the PLANNING, PROBLEM SOLVING and the STRATEGY that goes into a successful event is OUTSTANDING!! We not only consider you a part of our team, but a part of our FAMILY! We couldn't do it without you. ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A CURE GALA DECEMBER 2008."

  DEO CERRONE

  CYSTIC FIBROSIS
  CO-CHAIR

• NAZARETH ACADEMY
  February, 2009

  "Thank you Vinnie We didn’t think we’d be able to beat last year’s auction but because of you….we did! Your availability, knowledge and expertise really moved us to the next level. The additional services that you bring with you as part of the package were invaluable! It was a great experience working with you and your team. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON NEXT YEARS EVENT!! NEW CLIENT FEBRUARY 2009!!!!"

  Angela Broucek

  Nazareth Academy, LaGrange Park, Illinois
  Director of Development

• LIFE SPRING FOR WOMEN
  October, 2008

  "We retained Zaffarano Auctioneers for our non-profit benefit auction for the very first time this year. We were delighted to find Vinnie an EXCELLENT choice from beginning to end. Months before our event, he was able to give us valuable advice during our planning process. The night of our event, he made the evening exiting and kept the entire audience engaged. I polled several attendees after the event and it was UNANIMOUS-Vinnie was Professional, Entertaining and really inspired others to give their maximum to our organization. We were concerned with the present economy how the evening would turn out- IT WAS A TRUE SUCCESS! If you are searching for an Effective auctioneer for your fundraiser- I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ZAFFARANO AUCTIONEERS. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED! NEW CLIENT! OCTOBER 2008"

  LYNDA MCCANN

  LIFE SPRING FOR WOMEN
  DIRECTOR

• Timothy Christian school
  April, 2008

  "Vinnie, " Thank You"we just tallied up our numbers and totaled around $96,000.00. This is considerably more than our last auction($68,000),which had many more items. Your suggestions, flexibilty and commentary helped greatly throughout the evening. We heard glowing comments regarding how much folks enjoyed you in particular. You contributed greatly to our event and we couldn't have done it without you. We certainly would recommend you to others needing an auctioneer!!!!! NEW CLIENT April 2008"

  Bethany Dehann

  Timothy Christian School
  Co-Chair

• Save A Pet of Grayslake
  April, 2008

  "Hi Vinnie, I just wanted to thank you for being our auctioneer at our annual auction this past weekend. You were amazing! You were able to pull the crowd in, keeping everyone’s attention throughout the entire live auction and during the Fund A Cause. We riased more money in the live auction than we did last year and this was the first year that we did the Fund a Cause, per your suggestion, and we made over $12,000 just in that portion of the event. You brought some really neat, new, fresh and very fun new ideas to our auction this year. This is exactly what we were looking for. I have been hearing from numerous attendees how wonderful and entertaining you were. You made a lot of funny jokes and are excellent at creating bidding wars during the live auction. You made everyone laugh. At the same time, you held yourself in a very professional manner and made sure you thanked everyone that purchased a live item once their bid was final." I AM VERY CONFIDENT IN SAYING THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE BROUGHT IN THE AMOUNT WE DID IF IT WAS NOT FOR YOUR HELP." You were truly beneficial to our action. Thank you very much, Michelle New Client April 2008 "

  Michelle Grimm

  A Pet Adoption Center
  Co-Chair

• Senior Services
  April, 2008

  "Dear Vinnie,
  After a loss of our original commitment for auctioneering, and only about only ten days to go before our 2nd Pie auction to benefit Senior Services Assoc. of Kane County, I began contacting every local auctioneer listed in the yellow pages. All were sympathetic but already commited to other jobs. It wasn't looking good. But then one of these kind contacts went the extra mile, and said they had an idea of a fellow who he thought might help us out. When you called me to say you would do our event you looked like a major hero to all of us here. With little lead time, two other auctions on the same day and driving a distance to do our event, you were ahead of the time you originally promised, set up promptly, patiently noted all of our rapidly changing item changes on the program and then proceeded to more than triple our revenues from last year by the end of the evening. You kept the crowd motivated and having fun through (alot of pumpkin pies!) and we were extemely pleased with the results. We would recommend you to anyone who wants flexibility, friendliness, professionalism, not to mention INCREASED profits for their next auctioning event. We're giving you plenty of lead time for next year...pencil us in now! Many Thanks Again For the Great Job!"

  Judith Smith

  Senior Services Assoc. Inc.
  Case Manager

• Senior Services
  April, 2008

  "Vinnie Thank you again for helping us with our annual Kane county dinner/auction in Elgin. By incorporating your innovative"Fund A Cause" into the live auction, we grossed over 10 times the amount from previous years. Thanks again Vinnie and we'll see you next year !"

  Beth McClory

  Senior Services
  Director

• Naper settlement
  August, 2008

  "Dinner on the Town was the first major Gala that Naper Settlement has hosted in many years. We wanted the entire evening not only to be perfect, but fun. We have never hired a Professional Auctioneer and vinnie came highly recommended. After propossing our event to him, he graciously agreed tp participate. He took the time to learn about our organization and the auction items unique to our museum and hosted the live auction very professionally-helping us to meet our fundraising goal! WE WOULD RECOMMEND VINNIE TO ANY ORGANIZATION THAT IS LOOKING FOR A TRUE PROFESSIONAL TO BE ON THEIR FUNDRAISING TEAM. NEW CLIENT( AUGUST 2008)"

  MICHELLE HARRISON

  NAPER SETTLEMENT
  DEVELOPMENT EVENT COORDINATOR

• Edison Regional Gifted Center
  April, 2008

  "Vinnie, "Thank You" for the outstanding job you did at our annual auction for what was a difficult year for our school. You were very entertaining and had the entire room engaged in the Live Auction. I would definatley consider your retention for next years event! New Client April 2008"

  DeAnne Glomski

  Edison Regional Gifted School
  Co-Chair

• Victory Gardens Theater
  May, 2008

  "Vinnie, On behalf of my co-chair Sylvia and the staff we are very pleased with the auction in is totality(entertainment value, cash results, ease of working relationships with staff). WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU BACK FOR NEXT YEARS EVENT!!! NEW CLIENT May 2008 "

  Richard M. Skolly

  Victory Gardens Theatre
  Co-Chair

• St Peter & Paul Annual Gala
  February, 2008

  "Vinnie, We were all exceptionally pleased with the time, experience and attention you provided for our annual auction. You were attentive to our pre-auction concerns as well as the actual event night. Thank you again for always be on-hand and approachable when a situation arised. I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU FOR ANY SCHOOLS ANNUAL AUCTION !!!!! NEW CLIENT FEBRUARY 2008"

  Kathy Thornton

  St.Peter N Paul School
  Co-Chair Naperville committee

• Cystics Fibrosis foundation
  December, 2007

  "Dear Vinnie, On behalf of the Cystic Fibrosis foundation,"THANK YOU"from the botom of our hearts. You were fast, charming and funny. The crowd enjoyed watching you and you made our Live Auction a "HUGE SUCCESS". Your The Best -Thank you ! AMY PATTERSON New Client December 2007 "

  Amy Patterson

  Cystic Fibrosis

• Victory Gardens Theater
  May, 2008

  "Vinnie, "Thank You" for all you did to make our event so successful. Everyone really enjoyed you and your team. I look forward to more chances to work with you and I hope you can return for next years event. I WILL RECOMMEND YOU TO ANYONE NEEDING AND AUCTIONEER ! "New client May 2008""

  Slyvia Margolies

  Victory Gardens Theatre
  Co-Chair

• American family insurance
  December, 2007

  "Vinnie, I'd like to thank you for the excellent service you've provided at our auctions over the past several years. You and your team have been nothing but professional, and you've been able to make our events interactive and keep them fun. The feedback from our field has been overwhelmingly positive, and I look forward to working with you again in the future. Thanks for everything!"

  Beth Bachman

  American Family Insurance
  DX-Asst, CHIM