Put a clipboard next to a weekend at somebody’s lake house and watch otherwise sensible adults start guarding it. Bidding against the neighbors is fun, which is why a good auction can raise serious money for your organization.
Auctions do take work. You’ll spend weeks collecting donations and even longer promoting the event. Settle the format and the theme early, because most of your other planning hangs on those two choices.
Live Auction
An auctioneer sells a handful of big lots (auction-speak for the items or packages up for bid) from the stage. It usually happens after dinner, when the room is fed and feeling generous. Ten to fifteen lots is plenty, since attention fades once dessert is cleared.
Silent Auction
Guests wander the tables with a drink and write down their bids, or tap them into a phone. This is the format for a big catalog, because a $40 gift card can sit a few feet from a $2,000 trip and both will find a buyer. (Here’s a full list of silent auction item ideas sorted by bidder.)
Online Auction
Mobile bidding software lets people bid from their phones, so supporters who can’t make it still get a turn. Many groups open bidding a few days early.
Most events mix the three, with silent bidding during cocktails and a live auction once everyone’s seated.
Pick a theme for the event and carry it through the music, the food, and the decorations. Your auction items don’t have to match it, but it's fun to have several that do.
Devoting a whole auction to one thing works when everyone in the room shares the interest, or when the format itself is the fun.
People who love their pets spend money on them, sometimes more than they spend on themselves. (Hey, no judgment here. We get it.)
Ideal for: animal shelters, rescues, and humane societies
Local artists donate their work and meet new buyers along the way. Schools have an advantage here, since parents will bid surprising amounts on a framed class project.
Ideal for: arts organizations, schools, and community theaters
Schools can offer items you can't buy in any store. Most of these cost nothing more than a staff member’s time.
Ideal for: schools, PTAs, and PTOs
This one is perfect to host after a dinner event. Each table pools its money and bids on a dessert, which arrives as soon as it’s won. Highest bid picks first.
Ideal for: any event with a seated dinner
Wrap every lot, then tag it with its total value and one clue. People are usually willing to pay a surprising amount to find out what’s inside, just make sure to make most of them highly-desirable items. (A few gag ones are fine — bidders are taking a gamble, after all.)
Ideal for: casual events with a playful crowd, at any budget
An experience costs the donor an afternoon and takes up zero table space. These are also the easiest lots to sell online, since a good description does all the work.
Ideal for: online auctions and groups with little storage or table space
Collectors will chase a bottle they can’t find in stores. Rules for auctioning alcohol vary by state (some require a permit), so check yours early.
Ideal for: adults-only galas and organizations with an established donor base
Trips bring some of the highest bids of any category. Cruise lines and travel agencies will sometimes donate a sailing, or sell you one at a discount, because the publicity is good for them. Promote your event widely and that request gets easier.
You can also get travel packages on consignment. You pay the provider only if the package sells, then keep whatever is bid above its cost.
Ideal for: galas and larger nonprofits with a well-promoted event
A signed jersey from the right player will start a bidding war between people who are otherwise friends. Get a certificate of authenticity with every signed piece, because serious bidders will ask for one.
Ideal for: booster clubs, youth leagues, and alumni associations
Pick your format and theme first, then start asking for donations a few months ahead. Businesses are far more likely to say yes when you give them plenty of notice.
Happy fundraising!