How Does A Charity Auction Work?
Wednesday, October 14th, 2015
If you need to raise money for an individual or an organization, a charity auction is the solution. This type of event is a great way to raise a large amount of money, and you may even get your entire town or city involved. It is important to understand the types of auctions before planning your charity auction and how to get donations. It is also good to understand how to plan and promote for a charity auction and what should be done the day of the auction.
Types of auctions
There are couple of ways that you could hold a charity auction. You could hold a silent auction, which means bidders place their bids in increments using a bid sheet and anonymous numbers. Items will be displayed so bidders can take a look and decide on their bid in secret. A live auction is more traditional, with an auctioneer calling out items and people raising paddles to place bids.
No matter which type of auction you choose, you should provide a list of items to be auctioned to guests beforehand. Giving guests a list also gets them excited about winning specific items and creates anticipation about the upcoming charity auction.
How to get donations for a charity auction
How do you get items to sell at a charity auction? For this type of event you’ll need to count on donations. Donations can be from local businesses or organizations, in the form of items, services, gift cards or coupons. Items donated are tax deductible, which may encourage potential donors to give items for the event. Donating items is also a great way for people to advertise their businesses, so there are other benefits for donors besides helping a good cause.
Planning and promoting a charity auction
You’ll need a team of organized and capable people to help you plan the charity auction. Once you choose a date and a venue, talk to local caterers about donating their service, and DJs or local bands who can provide entertainment. Once you plan the event and start putting things together, you can promote the event in order to make it more successful.
To promote your event, send out invitations or emails, set up social media pages, and show photos of items up for sale. Promoting should be focused on building a sense of excitement about the event. If you’re serving a nice meal, you can charge a ticket price and put that towards your charity, as well. You can also ask local businesses if they will display signs about your auction.
What to do on the day of the charity auction
Make sure you have a dedicated team on the day of the auction. Everyone will require assigned tasks to keep the event running smoothly. You’ll need to decide how your auction will handle payments. Consider taking cash payments, credit cards, debit cards, or checks. Make sure you have an auctioneer in place for a live auction. Lastly, ensure you have a cleanup crew in place to help pick everything up after the charity event ends.
For more information
Would you like to know more about auctions? Contact the experts at High Plains Auctioneers by calling (806) 244-6776 for more information about our services. You can also Contact Us by email to learn more and view our upcoming auctions.