Silent auction participants are unaware of what other bidders are bidding when everyone is using their own clipboard. For in-person auctions, use the data you have about your members to place them at tables where interests will align and conversation will flow. For example, members in the same industry, with similar interests, or from the same geographic area will have more to talk about. Or, seat donors together who have similar donation histories, such as major gifts, corporate sponsorship, and so forth. I created a web application with the ability for my wife to add items with a description and bid amount. People could do it at the school and look at the items physically or they could do it remotely.
Your nonprofit organization realistically only needs about ninety minutes to maximize its silent auction fundraising. You also want to ensure that all descriptions have the same fonts and are written in clear, simple language. Adding a few decorative signs or pictures can help draw people to the table.
Donors will appreciate the convenience and further trust your organization. A corporate sponsor can help by making a financial contribution, making an in-kind donation (auction items or event supplies), or volunteering their employees’ time and talents. Not to mention, a well-known sponsor can help with visibility and drive more attendees to your event.
Silent auctions can be a complete time suck and not come near to generating the value of the donated items for your organization. To make an auction more fun, consider adding some elements of competition. For silent auction websites , you could have a bidding war between two teams or let people bid against each other in real-time.
Additionally, silent auction software can help organizations streamline the checkout process, reducing the time and effort required to close the auction and collect payments. By using software, organizations can make their silent auctions more engaging and user-friendly, leading to a more successful fundraising event. The sweet spot for silent auctions is about one to a half hours. In this timeframe, the silent auction would open as your event starts and close before the main activities begin. This allows just enough time for supporters to bid, mingle, and build excitement about their potential prize.
There simply needs to be a place for the tables to display the items, enough room for visitors to comfortably browse through the selections and space for the checkout table. With GiveSmart, nonprofits can offer their bidders an online catalog that’s easy to browse. Keep attendees connected no matter where they are at your event with Handbid’s intuitive software.