Send them a card in the mail or give them a call to thank them personally. Encourage people to register for your auction ahead of time, so there’s less for you to do (and troubleshoot) on event day. Our mission is to help nonprofits raise more funds at auction through once-in-a-lifetime home and villa experiences. Give donors a taste of adventure and luxury with a day out on the water.
silent auction websites may also allow registered guests to place a credit card on file. Overall, a virtual silent auction platform can streamline your registration process for both your organization and your guests. If you are holding your silent auction in person, you must choose a venue for your event. What platform your auction committee chooses depends on several factors. Your committee should first get an estimate of how many guests will be attending your fundraiser.
As you plan your silent auction, you’ll be able to refer to this budget and make sure you’re staying on track and aren’t overspending. Instead, attendees write down their bids and check on the highest bid throughout the night. If you’ve attended a silent auction before, something you might’ve noticed is…they’re not so silent! Silent auctions are social events, and that means there’s plenty of conversation. You can even create blog posts on your nonprofit’s website that summarize the results and go over all the event highlights.
You may even let the theme determine your venue (or vice versa). For example, say your theme is “Show Your Colors,” where you encourage guests to dress in their favorite sports team’s colors. Then, it would make sense to find a sports stadium as a possible venue.
They raise funds effectively, with excitement and transparency, while gathering valuable data for future events. Unlike other types of auctions, where bidders called out loud, in a silent auction, bidders have the opportunity to write down their names and bid amount on their own bid sheets. Silent auctions create a relaxed, pressure-free environment for all participants, fostering an enjoyable experience.
In fact, the event was being hosted in Boston, and one of the auction winners was actually on vacation in Vietnam! As an elementary school auction co-chair, with a full-time job and two kiddos … Putting on a school auction is a huge undertaking, and not my primary area of expertise, obviously! Silent Auction Pro has helped us transition from a paper-only auction to a mobile bidding auction over the past several years.
For more active donors, private sports coaching like our tennis retreat combines fast-paced fun and a luxurious getaway into an unforgettable experience. When it comes to donor favorites, desirable doesn’t have to mean expensive. Gift baskets are the perfect item for guests looking for an elegant and appealing prize that’s still affordable to bid on. When it comes to donor appeal and sheer fundraising power, nothing tops luxury travel experiences. Be sure to get in touch with any winners who have left the event to arrange pick-up or delivery. Have a countdown before closing the auction to drive urgency until the very end.
Whether that’s their tablet or their smartphone, donors can place bids through their mobile app. Each item also needs to have a silent auction bid sheet, the document used for bidding and recording. From classroom baskets to vacation packages, silent auctions offer the chance for some great prizes for bidders—and substantial profits for your group. In this model an item valuation derives from the sale of the acquired items via their demand distribution, sale price, acquisition cost, salvage value and lost sales. They established monotonicity properties for the value function and the optimal dynamic bid policy.
Gather a combination of your finest staff and volunteers to help you out. These standout events combine the opportunity to network and get to know your audience with a way for guests to walk away with an awesome new item or experience. Neon CRM offers a seamless integration with our auction software partner ClickBid.
Many areas of the country LOVE silent auctions and many areas HATE them! Auctions are not the only sales opportunities for event fundraising with donated items. You can use games, wine walls, blind gifts, balloon pops, or gift card frenzy. Some of our biggest fundraising moments have come from philanthropic gifts.