Our Story
Virtue Fundraising delivers results, but it’s the journey behind it that truly sets it apart…
I began as a young boy tagging along to country auctions with my dad, where nickel cupcakes and a kind auctioneer’s words planted the first seeds of my calling. I was hustling early—delivering papers before age 10, selling peanuts and popcorn on commission through high school, and owning my first business at 18. After earning a paralegal degree, I followed a dual path: working as a state investigator and pursuing a long-held dream of becoming an auctioneer. I cut my teeth in antique and estate auctions and, thanks to a friend and mentor, took on my first benefit auction. Over time, I realized that my true passion wasn’t just in selling, but in helping nonprofits raise money and achieve their missions.
With that realization, I broke new ground in a field that didn’t yet respect benefit auctioneers as professionals. I founded Kurt Johnson Auctioneering, Minnesota’s first full-time benefit auction company. As demand grew, I built one of the nation’s earliest teams of benefit auctioneers—diverse in background, identity, and life experience. All the while, I continued balancing auctioneering and state work, learning that success and failure often go hand in hand. But my personal belief stayed firm: if you don’t swing the bat, you’ll never hit the ball. It’s that philosophy that carried me forward, even through setbacks, and built a business that has helped countless nonprofits do more good in the world.
None of this would have been possible without my wife, Connie, who became both my partner in life and in business. Together we grew our company and co-founded the Benefit Auction Institute, traveling nationwide to train nonprofits. Her talents and moral compass shaped our work and reminded us always to believe in the cause. When Connie passed away in 2024 after a long battle with cancer, it shook me deeply – but her passion still fuels our mission. Today, our company stands not just on results, but on values: do what’s right, help the client, and raise more money than anyone else.
As Connie would always say – believe in magic.
-Kurt Johnson
Giving Back Matters
Since 1994, we’ve committed to giving back through our 5% program, founded on the belief that to whom much is given, much is expected. From the start, we made the conscious decision to give 5% of our gross revenues–not net–to support the arts, education, and social services. That means $0.05 of every dollar, $5 of every $100, or $50 of every $1,000 we earn is earmarked for giving back. When I began my career in 1989, the annual amount was modest, but as the business has grown, so has our giving. I was once asked if 5% was too much to give away as revenues increased, and my response was simple: our gratitude grows alongside our business, never shrinking.
This giving has always been done quietly, without the need for fanfare or recognition. We direct support to organizations that align with our values, offering not just cash donations but also discounted services, especially for those unable to afford standard fees. It’s a simple practice, rooted in gratitude and virtue, that continues to warm our hearts. Because in the end, it’s not just about what you do, it’s about how and why you do it. For us, giving back matters.
