As a Charity Fundraising Auctioneer, one of the most common questions that I am asked is: “Should we try Auction Technology | Mobile Bidding?” There isn’t one straight answer, but if you’re looking into it, here are some things you should think about before adopting mobile bidding at your next charity auction or fundraising event.
Great for a Big Crowd
If your live auction will have at least 400 guests, you’ll want to consider mobile bidding. Mobile bidding is great for a large crowd as you and your development team will have a much easier time on the back-end. This means once the event is over you won’t have hundreds of follow-up calls and emails to make to secure payment of pledges. If you are short on time and staff to follow up with donors, and don’t want to keep track of a stacks of paper with bids and contact information, mobile bidding/bidding technology would be a great choice for you.
Anonymity
Certain donors seek anonymity in their contributions. You may be losing potential donors because they do not want to divulge their contact information on your bid sheets. Even the Wall Street Journal reported that electronic bidding satisfies the long-held preference for anonymity among bidders.
The Under 40 Crowd
According to a Huffington Post article in which I was quoted, “young donors are going to be more willing to donate if they have easy access via their smartphone”. If your auction seeks to attract younger donors, think about incorporating mobile bidding.
Works Best for Silent Auctions & Fund-A-Need/Paddle Raise
Mobile bidding works for both silent auctions & Fund-A-Needs | Paddle Raises. However, one of the things that makes mobile bidding technology truly unique is its capabilities in the Silent Auction. For example, donors can set a maximum bid for the item(s) they are most interested and certain technology will automatically bid for you when you have been outbid. Mobile bidding systems will also send alerts to bidders when they are outbid and when their maximum bid is reached. In this way, the silent auction can stay open during dinner and guests won’t be getting out of their seats to check their bids.
For the Fund-A-Need portion of the evening, auction technology works wonders if you have a leaderboard. Givergy has a lovely, classy looking leaderboard that allows for any donor to see their name appear on the screen no matter what the size or amount of their donation. It also allows for a total to appear on the screen so that you and your guests know when you have exceeded your fundraising goal or how much more you need to go.
Cost Savings
Mobile bidding is a cost savings mechanism and a great tool for development professionals. Think about your last charity fundraising event and the time and effort it spent to gather those straggling donations. With mobile bidding, the bids are linked to a credit card. You get your payments that night. The cost of a mobile bidding platform negates the time and effort spent to gather your straggling donations.
Generosity Auctions uses a variety of mobile bidding platforms and recommends the following:
For more Charity Auction ideas and helpful tips on planning your next charity fundraiser, follow Generosity Auctions on Facebook or Instagram @GenerosityAuctions. Abra Annes is the leading Charity Auctioneer based in California. Abra is the owner and founder of Generosity Auctions, the premier choice for Non-Profit Organizations looking to maximize their event fundraising.
Great for a Big Crowd
If your live auction will have at least 400 guests, you’ll want to consider mobile bidding. Mobile bidding is great for a large crowd as you and your development team will have a much easier time on the back-end. This means once the event is over you won’t have hundreds of follow-up calls and emails to make to secure payment of pledges. If you are short on time and staff to follow up with donors, and don’t want to keep track of a stacks of paper with bids and contact information, mobile bidding/bidding technology would be a great choice for you.
Anonymity
Certain donors seek anonymity in their contributions. You may be losing potential donors because they do not want to divulge their contact information on your bid sheets. Even the Wall Street Journal reported that electronic bidding satisfies the long-held preference for anonymity among bidders.
The Under 40 Crowd
According to a Huffington Post article in which I was quoted, “young donors are going to be more willing to donate if they have easy access via their smartphone”. If your auction seeks to attract younger donors, think about incorporating mobile bidding.
Works Best for Silent Auctions & Fund-A-Need/Paddle Raise
Mobile bidding works for both silent auctions & Fund-A-Needs | Paddle Raises. However, one of the things that makes mobile bidding technology truly unique is its capabilities in the Silent Auction. For example, donors can set a maximum bid for the item(s) they are most interested and certain technology will automatically bid for you when you have been outbid. Mobile bidding systems will also send alerts to bidders when they are outbid and when their maximum bid is reached. In this way, the silent auction can stay open during dinner and guests won’t be getting out of their seats to check their bids.
For the Fund-A-Need portion of the evening, auction technology works wonders if you have a leaderboard. Givergy has a lovely, classy looking leaderboard that allows for any donor to see their name appear on the screen no matter what the size or amount of their donation. It also allows for a total to appear on the screen so that you and your guests know when you have exceeded your fundraising goal or how much more you need to go.
Cost Savings
Mobile bidding is a cost savings mechanism and a great tool for development professionals. Think about your last charity fundraising event and the time and effort it spent to gather those straggling donations. With mobile bidding, the bids are linked to a credit card. You get your payments that night. The cost of a mobile bidding platform negates the time and effort spent to gather your straggling donations.
Generosity Auctions uses a variety of mobile bidding platforms and recommends the following:
For more Charity Auction ideas and helpful tips on planning your next charity fundraiser, follow Generosity Auctions on Facebook or Instagram @GenerosityAuctions. Abra Annes is the leading Charity Auctioneer based in California. Abra is the owner and founder of Generosity Auctions, the premier choice for Non-Profit Organizations looking to maximize their event fundraising.
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