What Is Needed for a Charity Auction?

A charity auction is a popular fundraising event conducted by various organisations. It requires proper planning and careful preparation. 

But what do you think are needed for your charity auction to be successful? Check the following strategies to ensure that your auction will achieve its goals.

Select the Right Type of Auction

Choosing an auction format that best suits your organisation’s needs is important when running an auction. You can choose any of the following popular auction types.

 

  1. Live Auctions.

    In this type, the auctioneer calls out the auction items and facilitates the bidding process. It is designed to engage donors through urgency and provides the opportunity to include additional fundraising methods.

 

  1. Silent Auctions.

    This auction is conducted by displaying the auction items on tables for the guests to check and place bids on.

Silent auctions are considered effective because they provide a casual social setting wherein the donors and the staff can mingle well.

  1. Online Charity Auctions.

    This auction, as the name suggests, is conducted online. The photos of the auction items are displayed on an auction site to allow the bidders to browse and place their bids.

Online charity auctions are a cost-effective solution because they provide flexible runtime and enable you to collect data conveniently.

  1. Ballot Bidding.

    This classic paper-and-pen silent auction format gives the guests one chance to lodge their maximum bid. What’s great about this format is that it pushes guests to their maximum bid while also keeping them engaged.

Recruit Your Event Team 

Running a charity auction involves a lot of processes. As such, you need to recruit and assemble a team that will assist you in handling all the procedures needed for the event.

For best results, you need to have the members who will do the following:

  1. Event Planning.

    The team members assigned to this role handle the booking of the venue, marketing of the event and organising the volunteers.

  2. Procurement of Auction Items.

    This team takes charge of the procurement of the auction items. It also ensures that these items are well taken care of until their new owners claim them.

  3. Support Services.

    This team is composed of volunteers who will help in the event’s registration, handle all the assistance needed on the floor and provide assistance during checkouts.

Procure the Right Auction Items

The success of a charity auction also depends on the items offered for auction. Thus, it is best to choose those that appeal to the attendees.

You can consider having the following as the event’s auction items.

  • Travel packages
  • Artworks
  • Concert tickets
  • Signed memorabilia
  • Staycation packages

Promote the Event

As soon as the event’s venue is booked and the auction items are procured, you can now move on with the event’s promotion. This involves the creation of a guest list, followed by the sending of invites to everyone included on the list.

When making a list, don’t forget to identify your target audience because this allows the most influential people to become aware of your event.

You can proceed with providing information about the auction using an online auction site’s auction catalogue. Make sure that the event’s schedule, items for auction, the background of your organisation and the beneficiaries are included in the catalogue.

Choose and Use the Right Auction Software

Aside from promoting your event well, you can also consider using the right auction software to boost your auction’s chances of success.

With the help of auction software, you can accomplish the following:

  • Automate the registration and checkout process.
  • Increase the number of participants by taking advantage of mobile bidding.
  • Obtain a complete picture of your auction as well as other helpful insights.
  • Streamline and automate the event’s planning and execution procedures.

How Do I Start a Charity Auction?

Contrary to common belief, starting a charity auction is easy. It can be accomplished using the following steps:

  1. Choose the auction format that best suits your organisation’s needs.
  2. Create a team that will handle the processes needed for running the event.
  3. Divide your team into groups that will be in charge of the various aspects of the event (venue, registration, checkout and many more).
  4. Look for donors and procure the auction items.
  5. Create a detailed guest list and a plan as to how you are going to send the invites.
  6. Execute all plans and put the entire event team to work.

Do You Need a Licence for a Charity Auction? 

The laws that govern the conduct of charity auctions and other forms of fundraising vary from one state to another.

You may or may not be required to secure a licence to run an auction depending on the state where the event would be held. Thus, it would help if you would research more about the fundraising laws of the area.

A lot of not-for-profit organisations are now hiring professional service providers to handle their fundraising and charity auction needs. These service providers specialise in running fundraisers, including the legal aspects of the events. Their extensive experience in handling charity auctions will also increase your chances of making your event a success.

Helping Hand Group Auction Services: Lending You a Helping Hand

Running a charity auction requires dealing with various requirements. That’s why hiring professional companies like us at the Helping Hand Group is a smart move.

Our team specialises in live and silent auctions, and we supply auction items on a consignment-type basis. We can work with you and ensure the success of your event. We tailor our fundraising tactics to help you reach your goal. Contact us today for assistance.