Charity auctions are a wonderful way for everyone to spread goodwill. The donors are providing something to be donated to a worthy cause for fundraising purposes. The buyers are making a purchase in support of the charity in question. The people who organize the charity and bring all of these altruistic forces together are the real rainmakers here. These events are almost always fun and social, providing a light atmosphere for everyone to enjoy. Considering auction styles, be it live or silent, and then getting donations is normally not very difficult with some planning. Establishing a theme is very important as it sets the stage for gathering donations and compiling lists of possible attendees. Normally a draw, which should be the charity itself but that sometimes requires a celebrity or two, is particularly important. The attendees generally like an event, a place to be seen and the chance to meet a celebrity is always a nice perk. Alas, people like to support charities and if you cannot get a celebrity, the tax benefits will generally motivate!
Deciding on the auction being silent or live is something that is key and requires some reflection. Silent auctions raise funds but keeps the event social and festive, away from any bidding processes that will monopolize the evening. Live auctions work best where there are items of great value or are special interest items. You have to decide if you want this to be an event, albeit benefitting the charity, but will it be all about the fundraising or will it be about the socializing at the event, keeping the auction the reason for everyone coming together but not making the entire evening about that. Having a string quartet, wine bar and hors d’ oeuvres creates a fun, social atmosphere that will most likely benefit from a silent auction. If you are auctioning off cars for charity, this will need to be done live.
Creating a theme for the event is the first step in gathering donations. For example, if you are fundraising for a nonprofit theater, auctioning off old costumes worn by the famous who have graced that stage with the theme being something akin to cleaning out the closet. Perhaps gathering donations from antique dealers is another way to establish the theme and narrow down the list of places where donations will be solicited from. Gathering charity auction donations from local businesses will also keep your expenses low and make the offer of free advertising a bonus. In finding these donations, the mail is often times wasteful. Use the phone to call the places you are looking to get donations from and garner interest. Once interest is established, using the mail is then a practical next step.
Finding a celebrity or two to make an appearance at your event is almost always very beneficial for both gathering donations and finding attendees. It is really important for the fundraising team to have a list of celebrities who are both relatively local to the event and are also supporters of the charity. Celebrities can be a local news personality or a local athlete who has gone pro. Whomever your charity might deem a celebrity is subjective but knowing who they are, and just having that list, is important.
Everyone loves a nice gala where they are seen, donating funds, in support of a charity. They also like to socialize with those they only normally see at these events. A successful charity auction should be an event to remember. If this is successfully accomplished, it will make future events easier to organize and puts a stamp of professional management on the charity in question.