Find out everything you need to know about running a successful silent auction. CharityAuctionsToday offers the definitive silent auction guide.
An efficient and fun way to raise money for organizations, the silent auction is a favorite of both fundraisers and donors. It’s no wonder that so many non-profits hold them annually.
Still, to run an effective silent charity auction, you need to know the ABCs of silent auctions. We can tell you everything you need to know about running a successful silent auction. Plan your silent auction, promote it, run it, and collect your funds at the end of it, with our tips.
Live auctions are noisy and exciting. The auctioneer asks for higher bids while people shout out their offers or raise their paddles.
A silent auction is a quiet bidding method. People write their bids on paper or online instead of speaking them aloud. The highest bid wins, and the proceeds go to the organization or cause.
A charity silent auction is a great option for a live event where you might be having dinner, dancing, speeches, or performances. The silent auction can happen in the background, and winners can be announced at the end. This auction could attract more bidders who are shy or prefer not to reveal their spending limit publicly. The winning bidders and their totals don’t necessarily need to be announced.
There are a few different types of silent auction with slightly different formats. For example, you can organize:
A mobile bidding software like ours can make your life easier by saving you time and taking any ambiguity out of bid wars. You can also check out our comparison of different online auction platforms to see which might work best for you.
You can, of course, go old-school and organize an in-person live auction using paper bid sheets. That being said, this type of event requires more work from the organizers. And unfortunately, paper bid sheets are also much easier to cheat on than an online auction platform.
Silent auctions for charity should be smooth and straightforward for you and your bidders so that you can concentrate on more important things, like supporting your chosen cause. We recommend using an auction platform even if you’re having a live or hybrid event.
Like any event, a successful silent auction fundraiser depends on an airtight planning process. Our guide will help you with creating an auction committee, getting silent auction items, setting bidding rules, and more.
Chose a group of dedicated people and assign leadership roles. Below is an overview of the key positions. Don’t worry if you don’t have the people for all of them: we’ll cover ways to make this process as simple as possible.
How do you find the prizes that will thrill your audience? How do you foster a sense of community with the prizes and sponsorships? How do you structure the auction for maximum bid potential?
First, you need to know your target audience. Encourage your committee to think about your attendees and start a brainstorming session.
We understand it can feel awkward to ask for items and prizes. Be sure to explore our tips on how to ask for donations to boost your confidence.
As previously mentioned, you’ll want a variety of items that are as diverse as your audience. The more varied your prices and products are, the higher your chances of success.
Here are some of the auction items that always sell:
Here are some donated items to avoid during a silent auction:
Read more about what makes a great auction item.
Determine the time and date of your charity silent auction. If you intend to host your event in person, you will need to find an appropriate and affordable space.
In general, school auditoriums and cafeterias are perfect for such silent auction fundraisers. Fancier venues will stretch your budget even if you work out discounts with the hotel or banquet hall.
Here are some questions you should ask yourself before choosing a venue for your auction fundraiser:
Tip: Ask your nearby school about available spaces, whether you’re fundraising for school or not. Depending on the event, they will often rent or even donate the space.
Here you have some advice on how to choose your auction venue:
If you want your attendees to be engaged and entertained throughout your silent auction, you need to make it fun. If your event is not a sit-down dinner gala, you can still plan to keep people’s interest with ideas like these:
You’re championing a cause you’re passionate about. Now you need to actively market your event to get people to attend and raise funds. Here are a few ideas to promote your next silent auction:
A must for event promotion in today’s connected world, social media can maximize engagement and dramatically boost your fundraising efforts. In fact, our four tips will help you enhance your organization’s social media presence:
Be sure to check out our article on how you can utilize different social media platforms to boost your fundraiser (with examples).
Whether your event is in-person or online-only, follow these tips on how to conduct a silent auction:
Maximize your fundraising efforts right at the end of your event. There are three types of bidding closings that you can choose from:
No matter the closing you choose, make sure you make it memorable. For in-person silent auctions, committee members should immediately collect the bid sheets and announce the winning bid for each prize.
For online auctions, on the other hand, the silent auction software will confirm the winning bids and notify the winner and the competing bidders. And because auction software gathers bids and credit card details, the checkout process will be simple for bidders and you.
Your job doesn’t end after you close your silent auction. Now is the perfect time to increase awareness, and, hopefully, get some last-minute donations.
Here are some gestures that can make a big difference in how your organization is perceived, adn don’t take much time:
Send a personalized “thank you” note to humanize your organization. It can also serve as a last call for people who didn’t get to bid at the event or want to donate more.
You should send the note up to one week after the event when everything is still fresh in the attendees’ minds.
Social media is a great way to reach many people at one time and create a buzz. A simple post is all it takes.
Be sure to:
While running a silent auction may have seemed daunting at first, executing a successful charity auction should be easy now. That being said, a silent auction software will make planning and running your event easier.
A silent auction is fun way to raise funds as well as a great way to bring communities together.
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