Have you ever thought about hosting an auction to raise money? This can be a really great way to get money for a business, cause, or event. However, it only works if you have some good auction items that people will want to pay for.
What to Host an Auction For
You can host an auction to raise money for just about anything. However, you’re most likely to be successful if you’re bringing people together to raise money for a good cause. The launch of a business, a project at school, a community center activity, a church function, or a specific cause that you care about are all solid examples of reasons that you might want to host an auction.
Get Creative with Auction Items
If you have a strong community base then you’ll probably have a successful auction. After all, those people want to support you. However, you’ll do significantly better – with or without that community base – if you have good auction items available. The idea is to offer things that people really want. More importantly, these should be creative, innovative things that people don’t normally buy for themselves. They’ll want them more, they’ll compete for them with higher bids, and they’ll appreciate them more if they win.
Ideas for Good Auction Items
Certain material things do make good auction items. But experiences make even better ones. People get more excited about them. Plus, they create good memories. And in some cases, they can be a good way to brand your business or share your cause.
Experiences for Auction
What does it mean to auction an experience? There are three core types:
- An experience that happens right there at the time of the auction. For example, firefighters raising money for their firehouse might auction off a dance with each firefighter. Or you might have an artist do the auction winner’s portrait on site.
- Experiences with a person such as a celebrity. For example, a cooking lesson with a famous chef is a fun auction item. Ask local celebrities and business people in the area if they’d be willing to auction an experience with them to support their cause.
- A special experience for one or more people in the future. For example, you might get a resort to offer a spa experience for two. If your business or cause can offer a special experience, that’s even better.
Material Items Good to Auction
It’s important to have a mixture of good auction items. When it comes to material items, try to think of things that are one-of-a-kind. Examples include:
- Original art including art made by animals, children, and people related to the auction’s cause
- Customized fashion and accessories
- Something named after the winner; for example, a restaurant having an auction might put a cocktail named after the winner onto their menu
- Items personalized with the auction winner’s name (golf clubs, wine glasses – any item is made more special this way)
Need more ideas? Here are 100 suggestions.
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Kathryn Vercillo is a professional writer who loves to live a balanced life. She appreciates a good work-life balance. She enjoys balance in her relationships and has worked hard to learn how to balance her finances to allow for a balanced life overall. Although she’s only blonde some of the time, she’s always striving for total balance. She’s excited to share what she’s learned with you and to discover more together along the way.