Many events combine a live auction with a silent auction to provide a wider range of items and the opportunity for each guest to bid at their comfort level. Silent auctions are a great option for fundraising, and while they can be successful, even if they are completely analog with pen and paper, silent auction software can make execution even easier. With the advent of mobile auction software, guests can participate in an auction even if they are unable to attend the event. With so many types of auctions and so many online auction sites, charities can even deviate from the silent auction model.
Some of the most difficult tasks in a silent auction are the check-in and check-out processes. Not having the right personnel or not being prepared with an adequate system leads to the dreaded “long line bottleneck”. Make every effort to pre-register as many participants as possible and enter their information into your system in order to avoid having to collect their information on the site. Be sure to provide enough staff to help several participants at the same time, both on arrival and when paying for their purchases.
Tracking offers on a piece of paper can lead to confusion about indecipherable handwriting and opens up the possibility of guests writing invalid offers. Silent auctions can be a boon for a fundraiser, or they can be a disadvantage. The key is to acquire items that people want, and marketing your items is a way to improve offers so that they increase more and more. In my experience, travel, celebrity run-ins, and unique opportunities make that possible. One year, I put together a gift certificate for a dinner party, a few coveted concert tickets, and a stay at a local downtown hotel that generated triple the value of the three separate items. There are many companies that offer online auctions that offer a turnkey package: the provision of the expertise, the custom-made bidding pages, the items and all the services for conducting an auction.
Too few items and you may not reach your target sales, guests will be disappointed and you could leave bid funds on the table. With the auction software, generating your event site is a simple process because the platform completes the site using the item records you have listed. However, you still need to customize the site for your silent auction and provide information about the event itself. Do not forget to specify the date, time, address of the venue, sponsors and other important details. You probably also want to include an advertising banner or video on the home page that will tell followers about your organization and its purpose for organizing an auction. Thanks to OneCause, you can organize auctions using both mobile bidding options and paper bidding sheets.
These items can range from private music lessons to wine tastings to a massage. Contact local businesses in your community to see if any of them are willing to donate a coupon for a unique experience. Even with personal silent auctions, guests and event planners prefer mobile bidding software over writing the bids.
Your participants will not only be more involved in the process with higher stakes, but they will also generate more total revenue through sales and even donations. The items shown in the auction have a “minimum increase requirement” that is stated on their bid sheet. Nowadays, silent auctions can be conducted using mobile bidding applications, which facilitates the preservation of anonymity and does not allow bidders to find out the amount placed by other bidders.
In addition, at online auctions, your guests can preview the auction packages, bid before the event and purchase items at a fixed price. Due to COVID-19 and the subsequent shift to fully virtual fundraising practices, the increase in virtual silent auctions has been significant. But even outside the pandemic, online auctions can offer organizations and their supporters unique advantages Silent Auction Ideas that traditional in-person events cannot. The items, prizes, and design of your fundraiser will depend on the theme, location, and demographics of your event’s guests. Similar to live auctions, the goal of a silent auction is to collect donations from guests bidding on donated items. This means that you want to adapt your articles to the audience attending your event.
To achieve your fundraising goals, you need to “delight” your guests with your silent auction items. This gives you ample time to secure the variety of items you need to appeal to your auction audience. In many cases, large fundraisers such as galas combine live auctions with silent auctions and even online auctions. These auctions potentially bring in more than $20 billion annually in North America. It allows users to create a variety of auctions, including traditional silent auctions and mobile auctions. ReadySetAuction is designed for non-profit organizations to manage their fundraisers and expand their reach.
In addition to mobile bidding, silent auctions can be conducted completely online. The right auction software makes this process as easy as possible by including event tracking features, an item catalog, and a dedicated bidding application. Different audiences will be attracted to different items, but silent auction items, which are unique and intangible experiences, usually attract a certain amount of intrigue.