For additional mailings, prices range between $0.65 and $1.00 each. There’s one all-inclusive fee with BenefitEvents, which is 10% of your total online profit up to $25,000 and 5% of bids above $25,000. The only cost to your nonprofit is a small eBay.com insertion fee, which is only involved in Community Selling. And of course, to follow in suit of your digital auction, donors can receive custom email receipts and thank-you’s. If you’re running an event, we suggest using the same platform you use for your event ticketing.
This paperless option makes it easier to collect and manage bids while adding a professional touch to your live or online silent auction. Fundraising experts recommend arranging silent auction items from lowest to highest value. That way, donors bid on multiple items as they progress through the displays. Some of the best charity auction items are a direct result of creativity and reaching out to the right donors.
Your silent auction could never have been such a success without your attendees, item donors, corporate sponsors, volunteers, and other supporters. The best way to promote items is by creating an auction catalog, which alongside including basic event details, lists out photos and descriptions of each item. To create a catalog, your organization should enlist the help of auction or event planning software. Ultimately, the best auction items for your organization will depend on the makeup of your donor base.
Let’s be honest — charity auction rules are often more “helpful guidelines” than regulations carved in stone. You’ll probably outline a few general parameters for the event, like requiring guests to pick up/arrange transportation for won items and not allowing bids to be canceled. However, you also might allow for a little wiggle room to keep guests happy during the event itself. Your nonprofit has to remain compliant with a number of state and local laws simply to get started with fundraising in general.
There are several things to consider when choosing an auction item donor. Whether the donation is seen as “big” or “small” by your organization, recognize that it’s a meaningful gift from the donor and express gratitude accordingly. While the donor may not empathize with your cause at the level you do, they will be more likely to donate if they feel their donation is making some sort of impact. If this auction supports a cause that helps disabled children, show them a picture or take one of your constituents with you (if you can). If your community has a children’s museum of some sort, consider putting together a package where you auction off a family set of tickets, parking, and a meal at a local restaurant! Your organization could also secure tickets to “once-in-a-lifetime” sporting events— such as the Super Bowl, NBA Playoffs, The Masters, or popular events like The 16th Hole at the Phoenix Open.
Go to My Forms and delete an existing form or upgrade your account to increase your form limit. Google Ads are a fantastic way to increase your event registration page’s visibility. Best of all, you can use this paid advertising platform for free through the Google Ad Grants program. Your organic channels might include email, direct mail, social media, and so on. To tap into paid advertising, look into advertising programs for social media and search engines like Google. For How does Silent Auction work , it probably wouldn’t make sense to host a family-friendly, back to school night auction in a highbrow art museum.
By tracking the data of auction attendees and bids, you can gain insights into what items sell well and what demographics are most likely to participate. A wine-tasting experience as part of a silent auction gift basket that includes a bottle of wine, a new wine opener, and other related items is another surefire winner. Every company has different policies on which groups they’ll support and how to submit your request for auction donations. Some will let you use the donations for raffles and others prohibit using their donated item that way. Depending on the scope of your auction donation, the price range could vary quite a bit. For OneCause’s specific Puntacana Resort & Club Caribbean Paradise, the retail price is $8,655.
BP – The BP Foundation offers support to organizations with missions in STEM education, economic development, environmental issues, and humanitarian relief. Coca Cola – All donation requests for Coca Cola must be submitted online. Nonprofits can apply year-round, and there is no dollar limitation for these community grants. HP – Since HP receives so many grant requests each year, they strategically select the nonprofits who are eligible to receive a donation from them. Their sponsorships align with sustainability initiatives, but they do not accept unsolicited donation requests. In this guide, we’ll provide an overview of charity auction compliance and discuss five compliance considerations for your organization.
Contact local businesses early for a better chance of having your request honored. A step-by-step guide for writing silent auction donation request letters and top tips for finding companies that donate to silent auctions. Discover the nonprofit’s guide to planning a seamless silent auction fundraiser.