Category: Silent Auctions

All about Buy-a-Spots | Count me In | Parties

3/9/2020

There are two ways to raise money during a live auction: Sell one item once to one person for a large amount of money, or sell spots for one item to multiple people at a lower price point.

Enter the Buy-A-Spot also known as Count Me In or Buy In Parties..

The Buy-A-Spot (also called Count-Me-In) approach often raises at least the same amount of money that it would have if the item were sold to one person.

We all know that the holy trinity of auction items are dinners, trips, and experiences. So for this example, let’s pretend that we have a chef-prepared dinner for sixteen people up for auction at our event. Sure, we can sell that entire experience to one wealthy donor for $8,000, or we can sell spots at that dinner for $500 each and raise at least $8,000. With Buy-A-Spots you’re very likely going to raise the same amount of money, but there are more people in the room with the capacity to give $500 than there are with the capacity to give $8,000.

Buy-A-Spots have traditionally been used for silent auction items, but they are becoming more and more popular during live auctions. And for good reason! By including Buy-A-Spot items in your live auction, you immediately start appealing to donors with a lower giving capacity, which means more of your room can participate in the event.

Here’s a few tips for using Buy-A-Spots in a live auction:

Buy-A-Spot works best for auction lots where the more the merrier is the attitude. It works great for dinners, parties, camping, etc. Anytime you can sell a spot at a table, you can do a Buy-A-Spot.
Pick a date for the Buy-A-Spot event before the auction so you can put it in your program. People need to know what date the event will be on so that they can plan ahead. If you have an item that you think is going to sell like gangbusters, pick a second backup date for after the first one fills up.
Buy-A-Spots are performed by the charity auctioneer during the live auction, but the bidding on these items works a lot more like a Fund-A-Need. Your auctioneer will ask for everyone who wants a spot to put their paddles in the air. This eliminates the competition element present during bidding for a traditional live auction lot and turns it into a communal moment, introducing the pressure that is more often seen during a Fund-A-Need.

If your nonprofit decides to give Buy-A-Spots a go at your next live auction, drop me a line and let me know how it goes!

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50 Crowd-Pleasing Nonprofit Fundraising Ideas

12/20/2019

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Creating a fundraising event every year, while keeping things new and fresh, can be daunting. Lucky for you, I’ve got a list of fifty amazing fundraising ideas that you can try next time you need a fun, new way to raise money.

100-Point Wine Dinner
Host a multi-course dinner prepared by an amazing local chef and paired with outstanding, locally-sourced wines. Sell seats to this dinner for a set price.

50/50 Raffle
Sell raffle tickets at your next live event for a chance to win 50% of the raffle proceeds. Combine this with a traditional raffle for extra incentive. Check with your local and state laws regarding raffle rules and regulations.

Amazon Smile
Shopping through Amazon Smile can earn your nonprofit money. Spread the word to your supporters and encourage them to set your organization as their Amazon Smile recipient.

Baking Competition
Host a friendly baking competition. Challenge participants to bake the best chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, brownies, etc. Bring in local bakers to judge the bakes. Charge a sign-up fee for the bakers and an admission fee for the audience.

Battle of the Bands
Have a particularly musical community? Host a battle of the bands at a local venue. Charge a sign-up fee and get the audience involved by having them vote for their favorite group. Ask for donations at the event or charge at the door.

Bingo Night
Host a bingo night for the community. Charge for bingo cards. This is a great all-ages event, or you can theme the night and make it more adult-friendly. You can either give away prizes to the winners or give them a cash prize based on the amount of money brought in by the game. Remember to check your local and state laws regarding raffle rules and regulations.

Book Fair
Host a book fair benefiting your organization. Source books from local booksellers and major retailers. Ask people in the community to donate their gently used books. Great for schools and nonprofits focused on literacy and education.

Boon Supply
This fundraiser is completely FREE. Simply sign up with Boon Supply, then spread the word of your fundraiser over social media. People can browse Boon Supply and make purchases for the duration of the fundraiser. 40% of all purchases goes straight to your nonprofit or school.

Bowling Tournament
Work with a local bowling alley to host an amateur tournament benefiting your nonprofit. Charge a sign-up fee and request a portion of the evening’s proceeds as a donation.

Box Tops for Education
A true classic and a great way to raise a little extra money for schools in your area. Each box top turned in to the school is worth 10 cents. Ask your students, parents, and community to clip box tops for you.

Car Wash
Hold a car wash in your parking lot. Charge a set amount per car. Use volunteers as your car washers.

Chili Cook Off
A specific take on a cooking competition. Gather participants to compete to see who makes the best chili in town. Charge a sign-up fee and bring in local chefs to judge the dishes. Set up a donation table at the event for extra revenue.

Cooking Competition
Host a friendly cooking competition at a local venue. Give each person or team a basket with ingredients and challenge them to prepare a dish from the contents of the basket. Bring in local chefs to judge the dishes. Charge a sign-up fee and an admission fee for the audience.

Community Clean Up
Get members of your community together to clean up public parks, waterways, or other spaces. Provide shirts for everyone to wear. Ask members of the community to donate based on area cleaned or amount of trashed picked up. Great for nonprofits focused on conservation and public spaces.

Dance Marathon
A classic with a historical origin. Host a dance marathon with teams of participants competing to see who can stay moving the longest. Have your teams collect pledges from people in the community for every hour they dance. Establish rules for how long they must dance each hour. Charge a small sign-up fee per team and sell concessions at the event.

Dance Off
Dance offs are great for communities with performers. Host a dance off at your nonprofit or a local dance studio. Charge an admission fee and sell concessions at the event. Get the audience involved by asking them to vote for their favorite performer.

Easter Egg Hunt
Host an easter egg hunt for kids in the community. Ask volunteers to help you fill and hide the eggs. Charge a small sign-up fee per child and set up a donation table at the event. Maybe the Easter Bunny will make an appearance.

Fashion Show
Hold a fashion show at your nonprofit or another venue. Ask local boutiques to provide clothing items or make it a do-it-yourself affair if you have a particularly crafty crowd. Charge an admission fee for the event. You could even auction off the clothing items after the show.

Fund-A-Need
Make a Fund-A-Need part of your next fundraising event. It’s like an auction, but without the items. Hire a charity auctioneer to help run the event. Encourage everyone to make a gift at the giving level comfortable for them. Thank your donors for their generosity and support of your cause.

Game Night
Host a game night at your nonprofit. Ask a local game shop, if you have one, to supply board games for the evening. Charge an admission fee and sell concessions at the event.

Girls’ Night Out
Work with a local venue to arrange a girls’ night out for your female supporters. Think fashion, great food, entertainment, whatever is local to you. Charge a sign-up fee and work with any venues to receive a portion of the proceeds as a donation. When bundled with other items, tickets to these events make a great addition to your silent auction.

Golf Tournament
Have a local golf course? Work them them to host an amatuer golf tournament benefiting your nonprofit. Charge a sign-up fee and set up a donation table at the event.

Guys’ Night Out
Work with a local venue to arrange a guys’ night out for your male supporters. Think sports bars, golf, car shows, whatever is local to you. Arrange for food and drinks to be catered or for the night to take the guys through a bar or local restaurant. Charge a sign-up fee and work with any venues to receive a portion of the proceeds as a donation. When bundled with other items, tickets to these events make a great addition to your silent auction.

Karaoke Contest
Ask a local karaoke bar to host an event for your nonprofit, or rent equipment and have the contest at another venue. Charge a small fee for each song and allow the audience to request specific songs for an extra donation. Sell concessions at the event, or ask for a portion of the food and drink sales to go to your nonprofit.

Kids Camp
Host a kids camp for a day or a week in the summer. Provide educational and outdoor activities. Charge parents a registration fee appropriate for the length of the event. Parents will be delighted their children have somewhere to go for a few days. Perfect for schools and nonprofits focused on children.

Live Auction
Make a live auction part of your next fundraising event. Hire a charity auctioneer to run the auction. Source amazing auction items, trips, and experiences. Invite all the right people to attend.

Movie Night
Host a movie night at your nonprofit or other local venue. Charge a small admission fee and serve concessions at the event. This event works well for kids and for the cinephile crowd, just make sure to choose your movie appropriately.

Murder Mystery Dinner
Great for donors looking for a more adult experience. Work with a murder mystery theater group to put on an event benefiting your nonprofit. Encourage everyone to participate and really get into the story. Serve a great meal made by a local chef.

Museum Night
Have a local museum who hosts events outside of regular operating hours? Talk to them about hosting an event for your nonprofit. Attendees get to view the artwork/interact with the exhibits in a more intimate setting and your nonprofit gets a cut of the admissions price. Set up a donations table for extra revenue.

Online Auction
Like a silent auction, but online! Use mobile bidding technology to setup your next auction entirely online. This allows people who can’t attend your event to participate in your auction. Combine this with a traditional silent auction to allow more people to participate.

Paint and Sip Party
Paint and sip parties are all the rage. If you have a local paint and sip business, see if they will host an event benefiting your nonprofit. Ask for a cut of the profits as a donation to your nonprofit. Great for nonprofits with millennial and creative donors.

Penny War
Two or more groups compete to raise money, collecting coins and dollar bills to score points. Each team collects their coins in containers placed in a common area. Encourage people to stop by and donate their spare change to the team of their choice. Increase competition by awarding positive points for all silver coins and negative points for pennies, or the other way around. Very popular with schools.

Pet Party
Throw a party and invite everyone to bring their pet. Hold pet storytime, play games, and serve food for your guests and their pets. Charge a small admission fee per person and pet. Ask for additional donations at the event.

Pet Wash
It’s a car wash for your pets! Set up a pet wash in your parking lot and charge a small fee for each animal washed. Perfect for nonprofits focused on animals.

Photo Contest
Have some artsy people in your community? Host a photo contest and invite everyone to participate. You can ask for photos that fit a specific theme or no theme at all. Charge a fee for submissions and show the photos in a gallery at your nonprofit or another venue. Ask visitors to the gallery to vote on the best photo. You can even ask permission to sell the photos to benefit your nonprofit.

Pool Party
Perfect for summertime when everyone is itching to get outside. Coordinate with your local public pool to host a pool party benefiting your nonprofit. Charge a small admission fee, sell concessions, and set up a donation table at the event. Great for kids.

Progressive Dinner Party
Progressive dinner parties are wonderful for donors looking for a more refined experience. Participants agree to serve one course of a meal at their home and the group travels from home to home enjoying a fabulous meal and accompanying drinks.

Pub/Restaurant Crawl
Invite your supporters to take part in a pub or restaurant crawl. Talk to the venues about receiving a portion of the sales as a donation and charge a small fee to participate. Use the opportunity to visit a selection of locally-owned businesses. Ask if they will put out a donation jar on the night of the crawl for your nonprofit as an extra revenue stream.

Raffle
Host a raffle. Sell raffle tickets for a five dollars a piece and raffle off some amazing prizes at your next event. This works great in conjunction with any live event. Arrange the prizes on a table so people can see what they are buying tickets for.

Read-a-thon
We all wish we could read more books. Why not hold a read-a-thon over the summer months and encourage all ages and reading levels to participate. Charge a small sign-up fee and have participants gather pledges from their family, friends, and neighbors for every book they read. Perfect for libraries, schools, and nonprofits focused on education and literacy.

Scavenger Hunt
Put together a scavenger hunt in your community and invite people to attend over social media. This is a great way to get people out into the community, you can even align your clues and items with the mission of your nonprofit to further increase awareness. Charge a registration fee for each group and set up a donations table at the end point of the event.

Seasonal Carnival
Host a summer or fall carnival benefiting your organization. Set up games, bring in performers, and hire local restaurants to provide concessions. Charge a small admission fee and keep a portion of the proceeds from game tickets and concessions. Set up a donations table at the event.

Silent Auction
A fundraising classic. Silent auctions go great with any number of other fundraising activities. Source auction items from local businesses. Arrange the items and their bid sheets on tables and encourage the public to stop by or make the silent auction part of a larger fundraising event. Use mobile bidding technology to allow people to bid on items without being present at the auction.

Sing-a-thon
A staple in many church communities. Host a Sing-a-thon and charge a small admission fee. Consider selling concessions at the event for a second revenue stream. Encourage attendance by combining this event with a silent auction.

Talent Show
Have a lot of performers in your community? Host a talent show at your nonprofit or other local venue. Invite everyone in the community to participate by having the audience vote for the winner. Charge a small admission fee and sell concessions at the event. Perfect for school and nonprofits focused on the arts.

Themed Run/Walk
Host a themed walk/run and encourage everyone to dress up in costumes or matching shirts. Charge a sign-up fee and set up a donation table at the event. Perfect for nonprofits focused on public health.

Tie-Dye Party
Does your nonprofit sell shirts to benefit your cause? Why not host a tie-dye party where attendees can jazz up their shirts with some tie-dye. Provide scarves, wraps, and hats for additional donations.

Trivia Night
Host a trivia night at your nonprofit or local bar or restaurant. Topics can include anything from current events and politics to sports and pop culture. Align your questions with the mission of your nonprofit for extra thematic relevance. Charge a registration fee for teams and pass around a donation sheet at the event itself.

Walk-a-thon
A staple of elementary schools everywhere, walk-a-thons are a great way to get people of all ages up and moving. Charge a small sign-up fee and have participants collect pledges from family, friends, and neighbors for every half mile they walk.

Zoo Night
If you have a local zoo that hosts events, talk to them about sponsoring an event for your nonprofit. You can charge a percentage of the admission fees and set up a donation table inside the zoo. Consider combining this event with a zoo-themed silent or live auction for additional revenue streams. Perfect for nonprofits benefiting animals, children, or wildlife conservation.

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Mailing Silent Auction Donation Forms? Think Again

10/28/2019

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Many nonprofits, when looking to solicit items and experiences for their silent auctions, send out a form to any and every business they can think of. The form asks the business to list the items they would like to donate to the auction and then send those items in with the form.

This approach is flawed.

It puts way too much work on the shoulders of the solicited business.

When soliciting for donations, whether of items or money, make it as easy on the other party as possible. Your nonprofit should always do most of the work.

Don’t ask the business to list what they would like to donate, instead provide them a list of things you suggest they donate.

Don’t ask the business to drop-off or mail their donations, offer to come by and pick the items up yourself.

I’d also love to see more nonprofits make the switch from paper donation requests, to emailed ones. Everyone has email. There’s no reason to spend time, money, and paper printing out and mailing donation requests. Save the trees and send it through email.

As donations start coming in for your silent auction, there’s one more thing I would encourage everyone to do. Thank your donors for their generosity over social media and show off the item they donated. There’s no substitute for making people feel appreciated and good about their donation. Bonus: You’ll make them feel good about the prospect of supporting your nonprofit in the future.

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What Doesn’t Sell at Nonprofit Charity Auctions

8/30/2019

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When planning your charity auction, you want to source items and experiences that people will actually want to bid on. This relies a good deal on who your target audience is, different groups bid on different things, after all. But there are some items that tend not to sell well, regardless of your audience.

Art is too subjective to do well at your typical charity auction. You run the risk of no one in attendance loving the piece enough to bid on it. At charity events, artwork rarely sparks a bidding war. Most of the time artwork will sell to the one person who wants it, if it sells at all. Even if you have the right professionals to evaluate the artwork, it’s probably not worth including art in your auction.

An exception to this is if your nonprofit works with the art community. In that case, your audience would naturally include those more interested in acquiring pieces of art.

Clothing and jewelry are similarly subjective, though often far less expensive than a piece of art. Physical items of clothing are a particularly difficult sell because they rely on someone being the proper size and finding the item appealing.

Again, there are exceptions to this. The famous Wine Women & Shoes events make incredible amounts of money each year on the premise of clothes and shoes. But, this is a highly specialized event and what works here is not going to translate well to a typical nonprofit auction.

Instead aim for these items:

Trips. Trips are a no-brainer at charity auctions. Aim for trips that are all-inclusive, or bundle hotel rooms with airfare and an experience at the trip destination. And always look for trips that attendees would likely not be able to access on their own. We’re talking once-in-a-lifetime, exclusive experiences. One of my favorite sources for trips is HGAFundraising.com. They offer amazing packages at literally unbeatable prices, guaranteeing your nonprofit a huge return on your investment.
Food and Wine. Food and wine are the juggernauts of nonprofit auctions. They always sell. Wine often sells for far more than retail rate. Load up on restaurant experiences and local wines whenever possible.
Experiences. Tickets to events: sports games, the opera, the ballet, etc., are all great options for any charity event. Many times the people attending your events don’t want for things in their everyday lives. Offering experiences rather than items encourages your guests, who may not want to bid on a physical item, to get in on the action.

Generally speaking, when sourcing items for a charity auction, aim for items that have a broad appeal. You want as many people as possible bidding on each item. Trips and experiences are always your best bet, especially if you can get your hands on some truly one-of-a-kind experiences that your guests aren’t able to get elsewhere. And whatever you do, stay away from clothing items that rely on sizing.

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Increase Your Silent Auction Revenue with Mobile Bidding

8/9/2019

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I have had a lot of success with mobile bidding technology and silent auctions recently.

If you are unfamiliar with mobile bidding technology, it’s software that allows people at your silent auction to bid on items using their phone or a tablet.

Here’s how it works.

Set up your silent auction the way you normally would. Display your items on tables, arranged in whatever way works best for your nonprofit and event attendees.

Each item should be displayed with an item number and description, but don’t put out those paper bid sheets!

Instead, your guests will peruse the auction in person and then sign-in to the auction online using their phone or tablet. All the bidding takes place electronically.

Attendees can even set max bids for the items they bid on and the program will continue to bid for them until the max bid is reached. At which point, your guest receives a text message telling them that the max bid has been reached and offering them the choice to increase it if desired. They can also choose to receive text message alerts when they are outbid on an item.

What I really love about this technology is that it allows you to keep the silent auction open longer than you typically would.

At most events, the silent auction closes before dinner. This is necessary because it takes the staff and volunteers a lot of time to process all the bids and paperwork involved in a silent auction.

With mobile bidding technology you can comfortably leave your auction open until the rest of your live auction activities have concluded. And there’s less work for your staff. No more checking and validating bids by hand.

A Caveat
You should know that your nonprofit will likely not see an increase in silent auction revenue the first two years you use mobile bidding technology. All technology has a learning curve and it’s going to take your employees, volunteers, and guests some time to get familiar with it. However, in the third, fourth, and fifth years after you implement this technology your silent auction revenue should really start to take off.

Even if it doesn’t, I recommend that nonprofits everywhere get on board with mobile bidding technology. Donors are getting younger and younger. Before you know it millennials will be your primary donors, and millennials love technology.

Mobile bidding technology is a game changer, allowing nonprofits to keep their silent auctions open later and remove some of the stress on already taxed nonprofit staff. It may seem intimidating at first, but give it a try. You won’t regret it.

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Thinking About Canceling Your Silent Auction? Read This First!

5/24/2019

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As a charity auctioneer, I have worked with many nonprofits who choose to eliminate their silent auctions altogether, or make them a fundraising opportunity separate from their annual gala.

There are several reasons for this. The most common is that silent auctions are time consuming to prepare. Silent auctions also tend to have a low return on investment and they require a lot of volunteers to pull off.

The trend with my clients is clear: sixty percent of the nonprofits I work with would rather focus on putting together a large fundraising event with stellar live auction items and an amazing Fund-A-Need.

However, canceling a silent auction doesn’t work for all nonprofits. Schools, for example, can greatly benefit from continuing their silent auctions if they are currently a successful source of revenue. The integration of mobile bidding technology with a traditional silent auction allows schools to increase their reach, encouraging extended family members to support their niece or nephew’s education through an online silent auction.

If your organization chooses not to skip the traditional silent auction event, here are a few tips for maximizing your fundraising:

Hold Two Events
There is no rule that says you can’t hold two separate events. Hold both an exclusive gala and a wider appeal silent auction at different times of the year. Save the big ticket items and direct appeal for your gala event, which will likely include donors with a higher capacity to give.

Fill your silent auction with items that have a broad appeal and a variety of price points. If you hold your gala in the fall, consider scheduling your silent auction in the spring. This way you will be able to capitalize on both segments of your donor population and potentially encourage people to donate twice a year.

Take It Online
Keep costs down by hosting your silent auction online. List your auction items two to three weeks before your live event. People will be able to participate and bid even when they may not be able to attend a live event. Donors will be more than happy to purchase an auction item online to help support the cause with just a few clicks. Mobile bidding technology makes it easier than ever for nonprofit organizations to extend the reach of their silent auction events.

To determine if your organization should cancel your silent auction, take a close look at the time it took to procure each item. Factor in how much your time is worth per hour. If you are surprised by how much money you are spending in time on procuring your items, then it may not be worth it. Imagine what else you could be doing with that time in terms of donor cultivation, donor outreach, and major gift solicitation.

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All about Buy-a-Spots | Count me In | Parties

50 Crowd-Pleasing Nonprofit Fundraising Ideas

Mailing Silent Auction Donation Forms? Think Again

What Doesn’t Sell at Nonprofit Charity Auctions

Increase Your Silent Auction Revenue with Mobile Bidding

Thinking About Canceling Your Silent Auction? Read This First!

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