Are you a non-profit owner willing to run a charity auction for your next big event? Wondering what resources you would require, along with looking for ways to improve your fundraising game, is only normal. Ranging from a huge corps of volunteers and members to bid, to skilled members, professionals, and merchants, you require a whole lot to make it a success. If you require a better understanding of it all to kickstart your charity auction event, you are at just the right place!
In this blog, we discuss all about what is charity auction, its types, steps for effective planning, and tips to organize a successful charity auction. Read the full blog to know more.
What is a Charity Auction?
Charity auctions are fundraising events where items or services are sold to the highest guest bidder in exchange of auction items and/or experiences. However, unlike other auctions, all (or a part of) auction proceeds are given to charity. Charity auction items are also usually donated for free as opposed to regular auction. Charity auction is an effective and impactful event that raises awareness, increases engagement, and collects considerable funds for a cause. Here, we deep dive into the types of charity auctions for a better understanding.
Types of Charity Auction
Before we gain a deeper understanding of charity auctions, it is important to know and consider their major types. Mentioned below are the three broad types of charity auction:
- Live Auctions: This is an in-the-moment auction event where all the bidders are together in a room along with an auctioneer managing the bidding.
- Silent Auctions: In this type of auction, the items are displayed to the guests, and they bid on them either on paper or electronically.
- Online Auctions: This is an exclusive online event wherein the auction items are shown in the online gallery along with each item detail and bidding on website.
Steps to Plan a Charity Auction
In order to let your auction run effectively and smoothly, it is vital to plan it beforehand with optimum attention to detail. Here are the steps to be followed to ensure the same:
- Choosing the right type of auction: One of the first and foremost steps of planning charity auction is choosing the type of auction depending on the needs of your non-profit, in a way that you are able to make the most of your available resources.
- Setting clear auction goals: Another very crucial step is to determine the goals of your fundraising, with regards to the fund that you expect to be raised, number of attendees you want, as well as the type of influential/powerful individuals you expect to pitch in and spread awareness.
- Choosing a theme based on the cause: Inspired by your fundraising cause, decide an appealing theme that your auction will focus on. This will help set the tone of your cause and enable you to portray it as you wish to.
- Selecting a date, time, and venue: Settle the event logistics as soon as possible. Setting up a suitable venue for an event like this is crucial
- Choosing an auctioneer: Choosing a professional auctioneer, who masters the art of pacing the bidding, smartly deals with the issue of a lull in the bidding, and keeps up audience enthusiasm, is a vital step towards making the event a success.
- Sending out invitations: Send ‘Save the Date’ emails to the group of members you want onboard, at least five months beforehand. Follow it up by several follow-ups and reminders, and do not forget to ask them to RSVP.
- Promoting and marketing your event: Right kind of marketing and promotion of an event works wonders; especially for an event with a noble cause. Show people what the event is for, why and how will it impact the cause, and generate excitement.
- Setting up a checkout system: Do not let payment collection become a challenge at the end of the event. Uniting bidders with their items would be easy if you set up an effective checkout process on time.
Tips to Organize a Successful Charity Auction
Charity auction is a great opportunity to connect and engage with those who support you and your cause. It is also one of the most profitable events for a non-profit organization. Here are some of the most crucial tips to successfully organize a charity auction that brings desired result:
- Use the right charity auction software: Charity auction software is a powerful technological tool that helps manage events and draw more bids to enable your organization achieve its fundraising goals. It makes your planning more efficient, processes better streamlined, and auction more successful. Givsum is a charity auction software that offers comprehensive features and services, all under on roof.
- Team up with corporate sponsors: When it comes to a charity auction event, corporate sponsors become a vital and valuable part of it. They are some of the very important partners who can benefit in multiple ways, including financial support, cost cutting, event advertisement and increased visibility. Team up with them and figure out a way to make it a mutually beneficial deal for both the parties.
- Advertise auction items in advance: One of the best ways to boost registrations is by getting people excited for the cool items of the auction. Put up a display, advertise, and showcase the auction items in a fun manner to promote your ideas and get the supporters excited for their participation.
- Offer items that people would want to bid on: While it’s all for a great social cause, charity auctions are exciting, fun, and one of the coolest ways to do so. Anyone would be extra excited about supporting a good cause if they would get cool, exotic, gifts and rewards in return. The deal is quite simple and straightforward- if you want them bid, offer them items that would make them bid.
- Incorporate additional fundraising strategies: While you are expecting a high bidding on your auction items, not all your supporters are going to bid. Even for those who want to donate, bidding would not be a viable option all the time. Hence, it important to incorporate fundraising strategies like games and raffles, live appeal, branded merchandise, and more.
- Update donor accounts after auction: It is vital to update your donor database after every auction. This will help keep a record of your supporters and enable you to foster your donor community in an enhanced manner. Updating your donor accounts and database every time also helps plan your next charity auction event better.
- Send attendees and supporters a Thank You message: Extend your positive feelings and gratitude towards the auction attendees by sending them a thank you message. Sending a token of gratitude or memento to all the attendees, volunteers, and sponsors is also a great way of relationship building for the future events.
- Segment future charity auction event invitations: Make your future charity auction event invites extra fun, segmented, and customized as per your supporter’s previous activities. Remind them of all the fun they had, how much impact they made for the cause, and send slightly different versions of past participation for yet another great experience.
Make the Most of Your Charity Auction with Givsum
Givsum is an online fundraising platform for non-profit organizations to create and host auctions and fundraising events, sell tickets, engage supporters, build donor community, manage donors and volunteers, track donor activity, and more- all under one platform. Amplify and maximize the reach of your cause for an amplified impact. Achieve your non-profit’s charitable goals with Givsum!
