Exceed your event’s fundraising goal by putting on an auction that’s packed with energy, fun, and of course, highly coveted items.

1. How to Plan a Charity Auction

2. Today’s Hosts
Fundraising Events Made Simple
Jeannine Norris, MS
● Founder and Director, At Least Kids Foundation
● Race Director, Cupid’s Cranium
● Board Member, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Brain Tumor Research
Program
● Co-Author and Instructor, Fundraising Events Made Simple
Bill Quain, PhD
● Professor of Event Management, Marketing, Business & Hospitality
● Speaker and Trainer, Meeting Professional International
● Director of Restaurant Promotions, South Beach Food And Wine Festival
● Co-Author and Instructor, Fundraising Events Made Simple

3. What Type of Auction Best Fits Your Fundraiser?
Take your pick from the 3 types.
Silent Auction
Bidders peruse auction
items on display and add
their name and bid
amount for each item
they want.
Online Auction
Bidders browse auction
item listings on a
website and place their
bids online.
Live Auction
An auctioneer calls out
prices for items, taking
bids when bidders raise
their paddles.

4. Events Within The Event (E.W.T.E.)
Build your auction results by doing
everything to promote the auction,
just like you would promote the
event itself.

5. The Quick and Easy Way to Boost Auction Revenue
Mobile bidding
● Saves paper
● Notifies guests they are outbid
the moment it happens through
instant text and email alerts
● Drives up bids and increases
engagement

6. 1. The Demographic of Your Guests
2. Number of Guests
3. Internet Access
4. Number of Silent Auction Items
5. Location of Your Guests/Bidders
6. Event Schedule
6 things to consider:
Not sure if mobile bidding is a fit for your fundraiser?

7. Couples sharing an electronic bidding
account tend to place fewer bids than
when each spouse has their own, so
make sure each individual joins in from
his or her own phone!
Not everything’s better in pairs.
Quick Tip

8. Budget for Your Auction Event
The total cost of an auction fundraiser event can vary widely depending on
● Costs in your area
● Your ambitions for the event’s style
● Your fundraising goals
You’ll need to do some research and careful decision-making to come up with
a realistic budget for the venue, meals, and decorations.
You can also cover some overhead by selling admission tickets to your event at
the right price.

9. Saving on Venue and Event-Night Accommodations
For a venue, your organization could
just use whatever it already has on hand,
like your school’s gymnasium.
However, a shrewd fundraiser may be
able to utilize his or her network to find
a steep discount on...
● An upscale venue
● High-end services
● Professional decorations

10. Must-Have Auction Items
Most nonprofit fundraising events aren't complete without an exciting live and/or
silent auction.
Keep in mind, the best auction items:
● suit your audience
● work with your event theme
● have high potential for income generation
Items that reliably achieve these goals include:
● Bucket list experiences
● Prestigious sports events
● Dinner and culinary activities
● Travel

11. 3 Keys To A Successful Fund-A-Need
Donors raise paddles to make pledges at increasing levels of monetary commitment
Emotional Trigger
Timing Is Everything
Prime the Ask For Each Level

12. Should You Invest in Easy-to-Use Tech?
Reaching several dozen guests and a
hundred auction items to track?
Skip the spreadsheet, and get
professional auction management
software, a necessity for larger
auctions.

13. Thank youThank you