Silent? Live? Fund-A-Need?

Auctions can be an excellent way for nonprofits to gather their constituents together at one fun-filled fundraising event. Imagine the room filled with people who care about your organization.  Successful events are filled with people that cares about what you do and are ready to contribute!

Are you trying to decide if an auction would be a good fundraiser at your next event? There are three major components that merit consideration. Gather your team or committee to brainstorm how your business connections and friends will most enjoy supporting your cause.

Silent auction: A fun way for everyone to participate in the fun of giving (and receiving). Silent auctions are participatory and can raise a substantial amount towards your fundraising goal. Guests are invited to bid either by using traditional paper bid sheets or on a mobile platform. Displays of each of the items describing what is being offered for bid are created and presented in the room décor and/or on the guest’s mobile device. C2 recommends including the tangible items as a part of the displays to engage guests. Silent auctions have a firm closing time which creates a little time pressure and a lot of enthusiasm to take winning items home at the end of the event.

Live Auction:  Bringing an auctioneer or volunteer on the stage to showcase a handful of high value items can be a dynamic, and exciting part of your fundraising event with potentially high dollar results for your organization. Can you obtain donations of high-value, desirable, unique, items? Guests bid by raising their personal bidder number in the air and your auctioneer with support from the C2 Team will track and sell the item to the highest bidder. The most successful live auctions are come from great promotion of items before the event to drive interest with your potential bidders.

Fund-A-Need: Fund-A-Need (FAN) is sometimes called Donation Opportunity, Special Pledge Appeal, Paddle Raise, Impact Auction, Reverse Auction, The Ask, etc. and is an opportunity for guests to raise their paddle at different levels of giving and is best placed prior to- or within the first part of the live auction. The live auctioneer can connect donors to your organization’s needs, a specific project or program and a 100% tax deductible gift. The FAN is the most important part of events because of the capacity to raise a lot of money in a short period of time and encouraging your guests to bid together for the greater good – your organization. When you do it correctly you raise the most money with essential and vital engagement, contact, and pre-engagement asks of your constituents. 

Ready to learn more? Contact the C2Auction team for a one-on-one consultation.