Step-by-Step Fundraising Auction Guide for Beginners

We are starting with the basics of an auction. A fundraising auction is typically an event to auction off gifts or services that sponsors donate to the donor with the highest bid. The funds made from the auction are then donated to a charity or cause of the event organizer’s choice.

Charity auctions are a great way to engage donors and raise funds for your organization. They can be simple to plan, run, and promote when following the correct steps. But there's always room for improvement to ensure you hit your fundraising goal. Here is some insight on fundraising auctions.

Different types of auctions you can choose:

A silent auction- 

A silent auction is an auction in which sealed bids are submitted beforehand or during the charity fundraising event privately during a set timeframe. After the time is up and the auction has ended the highest listed bidder for each item wins. This can be an online event or an in-person event.

A live auction-

A live auction is hosted by an auctioneer in real-time and held before an audience of bidders. This is an in-person event, everyone at the auction will be seated and focused on the live auction when it is going on. Live auctions are usually more expensive than other types of auctions because they require more planning and preparation.

A online auction- 

An online auction takes place via the internet; you can sell or bid for products and services online. This can happen before, during, or after the charity fundraising event with mobile bidding software. This is only online bidding but can be in combination with a silent auction event or live auction event. 

Each one has its pros and cons that you must navigate through to figure out which one would be the best for your event.
When picking an auction type, do not just think about money; think about the big picture. What would my donors like best, what bidding process do my donors prefer, can I find items that sell for this type of auction, and what kind of auction fits my cause best? Pick what will make your fundraiser a successful event.
 
For example, if your donors are typically an older crowd, you may not want to do an online auction due to the technology aspect of it. Instead, sticking with a traditional live auction may be best.
On the other hand, if you have many out-of-town donors, you should consider doing an online auction so they can participate without traveling.

Why choose a fundraising auction over a different fundraising event?

Again, you must look at the bigger picture. Know what your donors would like. Not everyone can participate in a 5k and would prefer to enjoy a night out at an auction to support a cause they feel strongly about.

Auctions of any type are typically very successful and easy to target a large audience because you can pick various items that will cater to your donors. There are no rules when picking auction items; if you know your donors will love an item, add it to your auction.

Although there are no rules in picking auction items, different types of items sell best for each auction. Therefore, picking auction items to avoid and auction items that sell is tedious.

For example, for a silent or online auction, the item needs to be eye-catching because there is no auctioneer to help sell the item for you. It needs to speak for itself.
A very popular item at auctions are experiences. Some popular experiences include vacations, concerts, sporting events, or at-home services like a chef coming to cook for a family. Anything out of the ordinary is appealing. Find an experience people would typically not go out and seek themselves but enjoy if given the opportunity.
Other than experiences, some smaller items that sell are gift baskets. Gift baskets are simple items to put together, but donors love them. They can be fully customized for any attendee, sports lover, movie buff, or connoisseur of wine; anything you can think of can be turned into a thoughtful gift basket.

Luxury items- Luxury items can make an auction incredibly special. Like any other item, it needs to be sourced correctly. Not all luxury items are just purses. Adding luxury items for men or even the whole family will bring in more bids and let everyone enjoy.

For example, one luxury item could be a workout machine. Many popular high-end workout machines are hard to obtain, so if you can get your hand on the new “it” workout machine, your bids will increase very quickly!

Why an auction is beneficial for both you and your donor:

Planning: 

Planning the event is what matters most. Organization is key. Create lists, delegate tasks, and do everything you can to stay organized and on top of things in the planning process.
Creating checklists and shared google docs will keep your team on the same page and let everyone know what is done and what needs to be done. This also helps with motivating team members to get their tasks done. If they see others updating their checklist and marking tasks off, they will feel motivated to do the same. Track your fundraising progress throughout the planning process, the planning committee should have step-by-step instructions in order to execute this event properly and smoothly.

Asking for auction items: 

Asking sponsors for auction items is more straightforward than it seems, do not be afraid to ask. Many businesses have funds for donations or specific items that can be given away for a cause already preplanned and ready to be given away. Remember, it also looks good on the business end to be a sponsor for an event, so they will be on board with supporting your fundraising auction! Auction item ideas can be anything from gift cards to gift baskets of any theme, remember some items work best for certain types of auctions. A silent auction item and a live auction item are two very different things.
 

Promotion:

Promoting a fundraising event is essential. Finding a venue, auction items, and all the small details in between is a lot of work, so promoting it correctly is a must; otherwise, your event will not succeed. Use social media, partner with a local business to reach community members, send out email blasts to past attendees, guerrilla market, anything to increase ticket sales is worth trying.
Promoting your event on events.org is a simple and effective way to reach a large audience. On Events.org, you follow a few simple steps to create an events page and promote it on the Events.org home page along with the other events to create a successful fundraiser.
 

Ticket selling software: 

The more accessible the tickets are to buy, the more you will sell for your virtual event. Finding event ticketing software is difficult because so many are out there. In addition, many have advanced features not necessary for users to have to deal with, making it difficult for them to navigate through online events.

With Events.org purchasing a ticket is just as easy for someone advanced in technology as it is for someone who typically does not use technology in their everyday lives.

During the event: 

This is what everything has been leading up to. As long as all the steps above have been taken care of, you have nothing to worry about. Continue to stay on top of things and communicate with your attendees and employees; communication is key to ensuring everyone is up to date with the event. You want to make your attendees feel just as informed as you are. Do not exclude them, causing them to develop questions and not know what the event schedule is.

After the event: 

After the event is over, you need to take time to reflect on how the event went. Did it meet your expectations? Were there any issues? Was it too expensive? What could you improve upon next time? These are all questions you should answer after the event. If you answered no to all of these, great job you have mastered charity auctions! If you answered yes to any of these go back and review your step-by-step guide and what you would have changed during the process. 

After you have reflected on your event now it is time to thank your item donors, bidders, sponsors, and guests. Thank each one personally for their support and help throughout this whole process. It is important to recognize those who helped you achieve success.

Auctions & iBid

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