Rather than trying to solicit a donation from an artist whose work sells for $100,000 or more, ask local artists who are trying to make a name for themselves to donate some pieces. By including locally good items for silent auction in your auction, you can help aspiring artists establish a loyal following. A silent auction is sort of like a hybrid charity auction in the sense that it often involves both live and online bidders.
This is probably not the group who will bid on tickets to a Jay Z concert. Your Board Members and sponsors are connected in the community. They have relationships with hotels, restaurants, spas, etc, and they can make introductions or requests on behalf of your organization. By taking the time to make a clear and readable short one-sheet, you are respecting their time and making their decision easier.
Find a great company that will work best for your attendees (See Strategy #16). Make sure there is plenty of lighting, extra pens, and easy to read and understand bid sheets. The Fundraising Authority sells a great Silent Auction Handbook (for $27) that answers all of the nuts and bolts questions about organizing, setting up and executing your silent auction. There’s a lot of research that demonstrates that it’s not hard to “trigger” a buying impulse in shoppers. In an article on Chron, reporter Sophia Harrison explained that placing items near the checkout counter can increase revenue and introduce shoppers to new products.
These live updates make the silent auction more dynamic, and will inspire bidders to look for hidden gems or be drawn into the competitive bidding for the most sought-after lots. To assist fundraisers like yourself in streamlining the planning and execution of silent auctions, we have created this comprehensive guide. In this article, you’ll find our best tips for organizing successful silent auctions and taking them online.
Tables are set up to display each item for auction, and guests are provided a bid sheet or mobile bidding to submit their offers. Online silent auctions can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, allowing supporters who may not be able to attend an in-person event to still participate and contribute. If you’ve decided to offer mobile bidding at your silent auction, you’ll need software to help set this up and ensure it runs smoothly. If you use paper bids, the end-of-night process will require more people and volunteer power to keep checkout running smoothly. Think about eliminating wait times at checkout with mobile bidding to improve your donors’ experience.
Luckily, there are a few steps your nonprofit organization can take to find the perfect items for a silent auction. Auctions, silent auctions, raffles, and other methods of product-based fundraising are a familiar activity to most nonprofits. It’s an easy, entertaining, and engaging way to raise often considerable cash for your organization. Additionally, the auction event is a great way to meet and chat with your most dedicated audience members. Museums, zoos, historical houses, and other cultural institutions can take opportunities such as these to educate visitors about their company and the cause at hand.
In return, your organization will provide your business sponsors with additional advertising and the positive image that comes with supporting a good cause. As we explained in our comprehensive LIVE Auction guide, publishing or announcing retail values in the live auction can really undermine your fundraising. Along the same lines, if you’re offering sports or theatre tickets, you’ll want to detail the exact seat location and the exact date and time of the game or show. Organize your items by category and space them out well to avoid having your bidders feel cramped and crowded.
Every business knows a great business plan can be an important tool for success, nonprofit organizations are no exception. By developing a comprehensive budget, you will have a reference point throughout your planning process, ensuring that you remain on track and avoid exceeding your financial limits. It is also essential to incorporate your projected revenue into the budget. Determine how much you aim to raise and identify the potential sources of this funding.
Whether you’re an independent contractor or working for an employer, Jotform’s free Estimate Templates can help you seamlessly manage your job estimates online! You can manage your estimates on any device, share them with colleagues, and instantly download them as CSV, PDF, or Excel files. Compare bids in an online spreadsheet with a free Bid Comparison Template. – It is important that super silent auction be marked as a special and standalone section. This dedicated area should have separate signage and bright lighting. To further appeal to the cooks in your audience, think about auctioning off an Instant Pot along with a related recipe book.