| 10 Tips for a Running a Silent and Live Charity Auction | | | | arrive. Some of the items you should include in your |
| 1. Choose the right date for your silent and/or live | | | | packet are: |
| auction | | | | - The auction program |
| Choosing the right date for your auction is critical. Most | | | | - Addendum to auction Catalog |
| auctions are held in either the spring or the fall. | | | | - Organization fact sheets |
| Summer is not a good time to hold a major event | | | | - Auction rules |
| since many guests may be vacationing. Winter is also | | | | - Payment options |
| considered a bad time of year as many are preparing | | | | - Advertising |
| or recovering from the holidays. Fall is normally | | | | - Silent auction table closing times |
| considered the best time of year to hold an auction | | | | - Drink coupons |
| because many of your guests are beginning to get into | | | | - Raffle tickets |
| the holiday shopping mood and may find that what you | | | | - Flyers for other upcoming events |
| have to offer is on their shopping list. Weekend | | | | - Auction paddles |
| evenings are the most popular time to hold auctions | | | | 6. Close down the silent auction tables properly |
| since most auctions last well into the night. | | | | Closing down the silent auction can be a bit tricky. |
| 2. Pick the right auctioneer for your live auction | | | | There may still be several bidders bidding on the same |
| You have two choices, a professional auctioneer or a | | | | item right up until the closing time. To prevent a |
| volunteer. This decision generally comes down to the | | | | situation that is perceived as unfair, it is important that |
| following considerations. A professional auctioneer will | | | | the table be closed at exactly the time advertised. It is |
| charge for their services. However, they will auction | | | | a good idea to announce the closing of table at |
| more gifts faster and for more money. A professional | | | | prescribed intervals before, such as 15 minutes, 5 |
| auctioneer can auction approximately 75 items in an | | | | minutes, etc. This helps to get interested bidders to |
| evening, at 20-25% higher than an amateur auctioneer. | | | | enter their "best and final" offer before the time for |
| If you are running a small auction, you may want to | | | | bidding expires. It is also helpful to close different |
| use a volunteer. It might also make sense to use a | | | | sections of the silent auction at different times, to allow |
| volunteer if you have someone in your organization | | | | your volunteers time to pick up all the bid sheets |
| that has a great personality and is known by many of | | | | quickly. |
| your potential guests. Best of all, they are free. | | | | 7. Take advantage of other opportunities to make |
| However, volunteers can cause the evening to run | | | | money at your auction |
| very late and ruin the opportunity to get guests to | | | | Admission fees, the sale of beer, wine and cocktails, |
| return to future auctions. | | | | raffles, door prizes and the sale of advertising in your |
| 3. Use the most effective strategy for acquiring gifts | | | | program are a few of the ways you can augment |
| for both your silent auction and your live auction | | | | your auction revenue. |
| Teams provide the moral support necessary to | | | | 8. Send out invitations for your auction |
| approach a potential donor. Additionally, using teams | | | | If you are lucky enough to have a database of your |
| helps ensure that the paperwork is completed properly. | | | | members or guests from previous auctions then you |
| When setting up teams, pay attention to personal | | | | can send out formal invitations. The design of your |
| dynamics. Certain team members will be more | | | | invitation can range from very simple to very elegant. |
| comfortable asking donors for gifts than others. These | | | | Your should mail them approximately 90 days before |
| individuals should be teamed up with team members | | | | your event to make sure your guests have not |
| who do not necessarily have this talent. Also, this | | | | already made other plans for the evening. You should |
| allows teams to share the workload by allowing the | | | | also develop a plan to send out reminders at periodic |
| more reserved person to take on tasks which are | | | | intervals to those who have not sent in their RSVP. |
| more suited to them (documentation, collection of the | | | | Remember, RSVPs also tell you who has declined, |
| gifts, etc.). | | | | which reduces the number of reminders you need to |
| 4. Obtain tangible gifts for both your silent auction and | | | | send. |
| your live auction whenever possible | | | | 9. Know the laws regarding silent and live auctions and |
| Many businesses, especially restaurants, will offer to | | | | stay out of trouble |
| provide you with gift certificates instead of actual gifts. | | | | Fundraising events create tax consequences for the |
| Focus on local businesses that can donate tangible | | | | guest and the organization hosting the event. |
| items. You should not turn away businesses that can | | | | According to the IRS; "A donor cannot claim a tax |
| only provide gift certificates, but they should not be the | | | | deduction for any single contribution of $250 or more |
| focus of your campaign. Tangible gifts create a very | | | | unless the donor obtains a contemporaneous, written |
| exciting auction night environment. Just imagine an | | | | acknowledgment of the contribution from the recipient |
| auction with no actual gifts, but rather just a bunch of | | | | organization." Also, "A donor may only take a |
| gift certificates lying around on a silent auction table. | | | | contribution deduction to the extent that his/her |
| Secondly, a gift certificate is only going to bring in the | | | | contribution exceeds the fair market value of the |
| amount on the certificate, or unfortunately, sometimes | | | | goods or services the donor receives in return for the |
| not even that. A tangible gift is much more likely to | | | | contribution; therefore, donors need to know the value |
| bring in a value that exceeds its real value. | | | | of the goods or services. |
| 5. Know what to put in your "Auction Packet" | | | | 10. |
| The auction packet is given to guests when they | | | | |