"name": "How do I procure the right items for my silent auction? Check in Auction Set up that your Payment Option is correct. Be prepared to deal with cash, checks, and even credit cards (using any nonprofit credit card processor). Most importantly, get started planning your auction early. If youre using silent auction software or mobile bidding, you may also need to explain how it works. Start by downloading our free bid sheet template. We've outlined some of the most crucial rules for silent auctions and included a free silent auction instructions template your organization can use at your next auction event. For Bidders. This catalog is where youll create your virtual bid sheets. Now that you understand the basics of silent auction bid sheets, you have everything you need to host a successful silent auction, whether virtual, hybrid, or in-person! Auctions can be fairly complex fundraising events, regardless of their exact size or scope. Each catalog entry should include points like: Today, providing an online, mobile-optimized silent auction item catalog is crucial. Membership Renewal Letter Template. If making your own template, align your bid sheet with. Looking for more tips and advice on how to organize a silent auction for your nonprofit? Well, from what weve seen, its all about the connections youve built. Thats why weve put together this guide to help fundraisers like you simplify the planning and execution of silent auctions. As soon as your silent auction date is set, start sending invitations and rallying your community. formId: "1658f9a1-3f90-4e6f-a8ac-d7792210bf9f" Display sheets make it easy for your supporters to quickly look up items in your online catalog, and it allows them to pause and really take their time browsing items! English Deutsch Franais Espaol Portugus Italiano Romn Nederlands Latina Dansk Svenska Norsk Magyar Bahasa Indonesia Trke Suomi Latvian Lithuanian esk . From listing your items, ensuring bids are placed correctly, and receiving payments, our platform is the perfect solution to meet all your silent auction needs Sold! Finally, its always a good idea to review your gameplan and identify any ways to maximize bidder engagement during your silent auction. Discover the nonprofit's guide to planning a seamless silent auction fundraiser. Nonprofit Auctions: Compliance Guide and Sample Forms - Blue Avocado Avoid too much overlap between two revenue-generating activities. } There are a number of ways to make the most of the silent auction registration process. Building your auction item catalog is also greatly simplified with the help of auction software. The main difference is the virtual setting and a longer timeframe. We cover this topic in-depth in our complete charity auction guide. With the new Chariot integration, fundraisers will be able to receive donations from the over $234 Billion in Donor Advised Funds! , dont distract from the bidding by spending too much time making announcements or answering guest questions. Auction Software for Non-profit fundraising - Silent Auction Pro Silent Auction Bid Sheet Template: Free PDF Download - Handbid For a complete walkthrough of the process, read our guide to pricing silent auction items. Even for virtual events, a strong display strategy and event timeline will be crucial. Check out these example screenshots to see a mobile item catalog in auction. WildApricot is the #1 rated Membership Management Software used by thousands of nonprofits around the world. Create your free account today to get started planning the fundraising event of your dreams. Theyre a fun and engaging way for people to support your organization. Learn more with our guide to online auctions." This will prompt people to place their last-minute bids while they still have the chance. Once youve given some thought to your audience and the kind of silent auction items they might appreciate and value, how do you secure the right auction items? Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences! Ready to launch your online silent auction? Attendees can track favorite items and get notified when theyve been outbid. Well cover each of these topics in detail: Bid sheets arent overly complicated, but they contain a lot of important information. Silent auctions, raffles, or other activities can bring in additional revenue. Having a cordoned off area that deals with the actual monetary transactions will help make transactions private (if requested) and secure. Explore Givebutters open rolls, values, and intentional benefits. An auction is only as good as its items. Be sure to get in touch with any winners who have left the event to arrange pick-up or delivery. Publicize your Items. "acceptedAnswer": { Since bidding is easier, faster, and more convenient, guests are more likely to actively participate in the auction, which can result in increased revenue. Bidders attend an event and can examine the items in person, but all bidding is done virtually via their mobile devices. How to Engage Donors Before, During, and After Your Event. "text": "Organizations of all types and sizes can succeed with silent auctions, including nonprofits, schools, community organizations, and more. Just remember to have volunteers update their physical bid sheets with the highest bid so everyone remains on the same page. Silent Auction Templates. The subsequent bidders must place bids that are a certain amount higher than the previous bid. Estimate and list the fair market value (FMV) for each item (any money paid over that is considered a charitable contribution and is tax-deductible), and set each items starting bid at approximately 40% of its FMV. For events where food will be served, be sure your form provides a section for guests to specify any requests or restrictions. Heres an example of what your virtual bid sheet might look like using Snowballs online auction platform: Virtual silent auctions offer a straightforward, engaging experience for guests and a much easier auction process for organizers. Silent auctions are social events, and that means theres plenty of conversation. . For example, how did registrants hear about your silent auction? Participants place their bids silently on the bid sheet using a bidding number on their favorite item. Then, add all of the same information youd put on a physical bid sheet, such as the name of the donor, the starting bid amount, and guaranteed purchase price. Check out these additional resources to expand your knowledge of general auction best practices: Get in touch with us to take a tour of the Snowball platform and find the right fundraising solutions for your nonprofit. Your auction software should include virtual bid sheets that you can easily customize with item information. Even if youre using mobile bidding software to facilitate bids, guests still expect a visual display sheet. Measuring Event Success & Understanding Analytics, this section of our charity auctions guide, complete guide to charity auction item ideas, Silent Auction Packaging and Procurement Tips. Having a clear picture of your silent auction's constraints, necessities, and goals will keep everyone on the same page. "mainEntity": [{ Call the winners up individually to process payments and hand out their prizes. Explain that its the buyers responsibility to carefully inspect an item for any damage or other discrepancy before bidding on it. Think about your event audience. How to Use QR Codes to Speed Up Event Check-In, The Event Planning Checklist Used By Top Event Planners. Anna Bean. However, silent auctions require extensive planning. 2. Here are the steps you need to take on the auction day to ensure your event runs smoothly: In the weeks and months after your silent auction, dont forget to evaluate your success and brainstorm ways you can make your next auction even better. Keeping these cookies enabled helps us to improve our website. Ask yourself these questions: Additionally, ensure your registration page is fully mobile-optimized. Attendees can bid online or using. Other guests can see the latest bid and add a higher bid directly underneath. This will remind your attendees about the silent auction and will encourage them to place a bid. If youre planning an online silent auction, dont worry! Download. "acceptedAnswer": { Keeping these cookies enabled helps us to improve our website. Copy, paste, and customize the following silent auction rules template to easily communicate important guidelines with your participants. You dont have to have all of them secured to start sharing them you can always add more as they come in. Well go over what to include on your silent auction bid sheet next. Online silent auctions work the same way as in-person silent auctions. These bidding sheets have an influence on how much attendees decide to bid, so put thought into how you design them. Then, announce the remaining time periodically throughout the night. If youve decided to create your own silent auction bid sheet, make sure it includes the essentials. A silent auction is typically held as part of a larger fundraising event. There are so many moving pieces! Do your sign-up and sellable items have the correct quantity (eg. Asking for a phone number or email address ensures that you can reach the winning bidder even if they leave the event early. Your items and packages are the main attraction, after all! This website uses analytic tools to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages. ", These will likely be things like: As you plan your silent auction, youll be able to refer to this budget and make sure youre staying on track and arent overspending. Typical nonprofit marketing outlets include: Create digital content to promote your auction, like announcements and sneak previews, and promote it across your digital outlets. Set up a merch table and invite guests to purchase something. "@type": "Question", Having a clear picture of your silent auctions constraints, necessities, and goals will keep everyone on the same page. We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. If one item is experiencing some very competitive bidding, raise the energy even higher by declaring a bidding war. Send and schedule personalized emails, texts, and more. Lets review how to plan a silent auction and all the pro tips youll need to succeed. We've outlined some of the most crucial rules for silent auctions and included a free silent auction instructions template your organization can use at your next auction event. Run through A 6-Point Checklist for Guest Check-Out to get started and make sure you are aware of 5 Problems to Avoid at Check-Out for item pickup success . As a nonprofit, its perfectly okay to ask for additional donations at your event. For example, collect them into a booklet and keep them at dinner tables, cruiser tables, the bar, etc. You can collect participant information, in case you need to contact them after the event. Explore our complete list of silent auction strategies for more tips, like gamification techniques and how to close your auction to maximize bids. Donation Request Letter The Donation Request Letter ( click to enlarge) is your primary method for soliciting individuals and businesses to donate auction items to your event. However, silent auctions require extensive planning, . A Complete Crash Course, Fearless Book Leadership Lessons at the Crossroads. This will ensure nothing falls through the cracks as your event comes together. Let the victors celebrate and help them collect their items. If someone has their heart set on an item, they can buy it before the auction ends and take it off the market. However, there are certain pieces of information you can include on your bid sheets to make sure that your auction runs smoothly, and that everyone involved has a positive experience. This can be through an app, a website, or text messaging. These should match the item names exactly as theyre listed on the bid sheets. Do you still need to create bid sheets for your items? },{ To simplify your auction planning, weve put together a one-size-fits-all solution that you can use to easily fill in information about each of your auction items. There are a few essentials to keep in mind: Whenever you have the time, plan in advance! First, well cover a few common questions about these events. Learn more about the world's most people-centric fundraising platform. 1 Recruit volunteers. Here's a step by next actionable guide on how for run a silent auction. What if youre hosting a fully virtual auction? for participating in the auction and donating to your cause. At the end of the auction, guests make donations for any items that they won and take home the prize. Contact Us | 888.729.0399 [General] | 888.475.5214 [Sales], Powerful Fundraising Solutions | Copyright All Rights Reserved 2023 | Privacy & Security Policy, What is Peer-to-Peer Fundraising? To avoid confusion, label everything on your bid sheets clearly. This website uses analytic tools to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages. PDF Texas National Guard Foundation - NGAT Part 1: 10 to 12+ Months Out Part 2: 7 to 10 Months Out Part 3: 5 to 7 Months Out Part 4: 3 to 5 Months Out Part 5: 1 to 3 Months Out Auction Tasks: 10 to 12 Months Out Pick a date and venue. If possible, create an online catalog of your auction items. Choose revenue enhancers. Published April 17, 2023 . Silent auctions are extremely engaging for guests and can be adapted for all types of audiences. 12 must-know silent auction rules (free template!) - Givebutter Set specific goals for registrations or donations, empower your ambassadors with training and materials, and reward them during your event with awards or prizes. "@type": "Answer", the report now! 1. Virtual Event Checklist. Give guests the option to write down their bids on bid sheets or text in their bid at any time. Invite them to contribute their ideas for how your next silent auction can be even better. "text": "Silent auctions are most commonly held alongside a larger gala or live auction. In a virtual silent auction, bidders can place bids online from the comfort of their own home. Items for auction are displayed for participants to inspect, usually with an item description, Bidders place their bid using a bidder number to keep things anonymous, Guests can return to the bid sheets throughout the night and raise their bid, Many silent auctions add a minimum increase requirement to their bid sheets, which means that the next bid has to be a certain dollar amount more than the previous one. Every item should have an item description sheet, where you can give more details about what the item is, share who it was sponsored by, and provide a photo (this is especially helpful if the item isnt tangible). Thinking about launching a silent auction to raise funds? Here are our top recommendations: As the face and voice of your silent auction, your hired or volunteer emcee plays a critical role in boosting the events energy! If youre short on time, here are the essentials: Price your items as you procure them.