Participants register, bid and pay for items through the auction site. Organizations remain responsible for ordering the items, taking photos of the items to be displayed, and setting the initial offer amounts. Because these auctions are held online, the bidding period is usually longer than a personal auction; some accept offers for a few days, while others accept them for a few weeks.
You can treat this as a registration party or as an experience for the winner to invite their friends. Alternatively, if your donors prefer wine, arrange a personalized tour with the winery. A professional’s golf pointers can be the perfect stopper for your charity auction if your target bidders are big golf enthusiasts. Request time from a local golfer or professional coach to spend a morning or afternoon with your winner on the course. For many organizations, golf-related fundraising ideas can be hugely popular.
Finally, it’s a good idea to figure out in advance how items from your auction will reach your guests, especially if you’re hosting a virtual silent auction. We recommend that you work with a local courier to set shipping expectations and then include shipping costs in your initial auction bid. If it’s an item that may raise shipping concerns, let your bidders know that shipping is included in the auction item description. This strategy works with in-person events such as live and silent auctions and is a must for virtual fundraising and online auctions. With mobile bidding you open your auction to a much wider audience, essential for attracting online followers and increasing your support in the future. At OneCause, we’re experts in charity auctions, so we’ve put together an example of the best online, live and silent auction items to get your event off to a great start.
For starters, a silent auction requires people to submit their bids in secret, while a live event requires people to bid on items in front of all participants. In addition, silent auctions are generally more inclusive, as they engage live and online bidders, although some live events allow bids from virtual participants. A silent auction is something like a hybrid charity auction in the sense that it often involves live and online bidders. Live bidders submit their bids by writing them down while virtual bidders register their bids over the Internet. No matter how you bid on an auction item for charity, the person who bids the most money will go home with the piece. Marketing a virtual private lesson instead of a personal private lesson will make your silent auction items more accessible and potentially more attractive to bidders.
You can organize auctions with mobile bidding options, as well as paper bid sheets, all thanks to OneCause. In addition, online auctions allow your guests to view auction packages, bid before the event, and purchase fixed-price items. Instead of bidding publicly during a live event, your bid will be recorded in writing on a listing sheet that comes with each item. Each subsequent bid must be higher than the previous bid and the winner is the person with the highest bid at the end of the auction. You need silent auction items to sell to your bidders and supporters. To really maximize the revenue your live, silent, or online auction generates, you need to set an effective price for each item.
Instead of simply asking for donations, organizing a silent auction gives donors the opportunity to actively participate in an event and perhaps even make an exciting purchase. Education-related Silent Auction Items are ideal for school auctions ranging from Pre-K to college. A high-end hands-on cooking class with a professional chef can be a great silent auction item for your next event.