Most auction tables are half donated gift cards nobody wants. The items that raise money are experiences, access, and bundles — and the way you price and close them matters as much as what you collected.
Dinner in a chef's kitchen, a day on a fishing boat, box seats, a behind-the-scenes tour. Experiences have no retail price to anchor against, so bidders compete on desire instead of comparison shopping.
Principal for a day, ride in the fire truck, name a program, first pick of parking. These cost your organization nothing and routinely outsell donated retail goods by three or four times.
For school auctions, class art projects — a mosaic, a quilt, a handprint canvas — reliably beat anything donated. Parents bid emotionally, and grandparents bid harder.
A single $25 gift card dies on the table. Six of them themed as "Date Night Downtown" in one basket sells for $200. Never list a donation under $75 on its own.
Two or three items well above your average bid — travel, a signed collectible, a large sponsor-donated package. They raise the ceiling of the entire room and give big donors somewhere to spend.
Higher scares off the first bid, and the first bid is what starts a run. Set increments at roughly 10%.
More items means thinner bidding, not more revenue. Cut the bottom of your table and bundle the survivors.
Mobile bidding two to five days early spreads competition and lets people who cannot attend still spend money.
One line on what the money funds beside each sheet measurably lifts final bids.
Ending everything at once creates a crowd and lost bids. Close sections five minutes apart.
Hi [Name] — I'm with [Organization]. We're hosting our annual auction on [date], and about [number] families from the neighborhood will be there. We'd love to include something from [Business]. Most businesses donate a gift card or a signature package — we list your name and logo beside the item and in the event program. Can I send over a one-page donation form?
Ask in person where you can, ask early — six to eight weeks out — and always follow up once. Roughly a third of donations arrive on the second ask.
Tell us your event date and goal. A campaign strategist sends back a procurement list, a pricing sheet, and the promotion calendar.
Building your item list? See 60 silent auction item ideas by price band.
Experiences and access - a chef's dinner, box seats, principal for a day, naming rights. They have no retail price to compare against, so bidders compete on desire.
About one item per two guests. More items thin the bidding rather than add revenue; bundle the weakest donations into themed baskets instead.
30-40% of the item's value, with increments around 10%. A high opening bid stops the first bid, and the first bid is what starts a bidding run.
Ask six to eight weeks out, in person where possible, offer logo placement beside the item and in the program, and follow up once - about a third of donations arrive on the second ask.
Word-for-word copy for the ask, the follow-up, and the thank-you.
Read the guideA procurement list sorted by price band, from bundles to anchors.
Read the guideSponsor packages, senior night, alumni giving, and what each costs in parent hours.
Read the guideOr browse all fundraising guides.
In Play runs procurement, marketing, bidding, and follow-up. See also nonprofit fundraising ideas.
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