Silent Auctions: Running a Successful Fundraising Event!

Maybe you’ve held silent auctions for years but aren’t caught up on the latest auction management software. Maybe you are looking to host your first event, but aren't sure where to start. Or perhaps you’re trying to get better item donations, bigger sponsorships, and raise more money.

No matter your starting point, you’ll find new skills and ideas to add to your toolkit in this detailed resource.

Silent Auction Best Practices

Even a seasoned silent auction professional can improve the efficiency of their event and raise more money. The world of fundraising changes every day, and so do silent auction best practices. New technology becomes available. Old ideas are challenged and re-invented. We pick up new tips and tricks from our own clients every day so the entire nonprofit community can benefit. We are happy to share this information with fundraisers like you to keep you informed and up-to-date in areas you may not have access to. If you aren't subscribed to our monthly resource digest—please  subscribe now to get all things fundraising delivered direct to your inbox.

An Entertaining and Profitable Auction

A happy guest spends money, bids high, and returns next year which begs the  consideration of guest experience at your next event. We offer tried-and-true techniques for giving your guests the best fundraising event experience possible—how to establish a clear flow at your event, design a program that isn’t too slow or too fast, and get guests through check-in and check-out with minimal wait times.

Silent Auction Planning and Preparation Leads to Success

Success doesn’t hinge on event night alone—good preparation paves the way for a better, more profitable auction and that is why  rehearsals are key to event success. While running a great event can take some trial and error, we’re here to help reduce the “error” and address common problems before they happen. And don’t forget the importance of a postmortem to  craft a post-event case study to share with next year's potential guests and shed light on where you can improve future events!

So What is a Silent Auction, Anyway?

A charity silent auction is a great addition to any nonprofit fundraising event or gala. Silent bidding at an auction can go on in the background while guests enjoy socializing, eating, even participating in other fundraising activities, so your nonprofit makes more money in the same amount of time.

Silent auctions are typically one aspect of a nonprofit organization fundraising event. Auction items or packages are displayed and are eligible for guests to bid on—there can be a handful of items up to hundreds of items depending on the event, size, audience and donations received. They have a specific start and end time and the highest bidder on each item when the auction ends is considered the winner. Bidding usually starts with a minimum and will increase in designated increments ( $5, $25, $100, etc. ).

Additionally, these fundraisers can be setup for manual or online bid entry. Manual entry will have a paper bid sheet next to the item with all the designated increments listed. Each bidder will write their bid number on the next available line to increase the bid and take the lead. With an online silent auction product, all items, increments, timing and bidding takes place from a mobile phone, tablet or other internet connected device. Online silent auctions maintain all bids, and can send digital messaging to donors that have been outbid. Check-out is much simpler with a digital product because all winning bids are already entered in the fundraising event software.

How to Run a Silent Auction

Bid items usually features art, leisure items, and gifts or activities at a reasonable price. Guests browse while enjoying a social hour, and if they find something they like, they can place silent bids in the auction. Typically a bid is written on a paper bid sheet, which includes the guest’s bid number and how much money they want to bid. Each new bid must be higher than the previous one, encouraging friendly competition among bidders—and raising more money! When the auction ends, bid sheets are collected and the winners are determined by who placed the highest bid.

What’s In Your Auction?

Probably the most important part of the  silent auction: auction items! The amount raised depends completely on having enough items for guests to bid on. So how do you procure them? Create an item procurement plan in the months leading up to your event to ensure you give donors enough notice—and yourself enough time to package them.

Venue and Set Up

You’ll also need a venue space that can comfortably accommodate your guests and allow a natural flow of movement through the auction. Plan a program for the night that gives guests the most time possible to bid on items, without waiting too long to declare the winners. Organize your check-in, check-out, and item pickup in a way that will  minimize guest confusion.

Silent Auction Etiquette

Whether you’re running a big black-tie gala event, a small charity event, or even a school auction, everyone needs to know some etiquette. Don’t know how to handle pricing? Ever heard of a super silent auction? When is the best time to close the auction for bidding? How should you divide up auction items and position them around the room? These are important questions to answer before you design your program and the  strategic fundraising event layout of your room.