Charity auctions can be fantastic and worthwhile events that not only can be very community spirited, they also raise money for those in need or special causes. If there are great items on offer for bidding on and a big crowd, a charity auction is likely to be successful and raise a lot of money. People can get involved in different areas of a charity auction, which makes the whole event fun and memorable for everybody involved.
However, charity auctions can go wrong every now and again particularly if not enough planning has been undertaken before an event. This is why planning is essential. If you are looking to organise your own charity auction, it is important to be on top of things from the beginning and ensure thorough organisation throughout the planning of the event, the event and post-event too.
Planning
As charity auctions can sometimes go wrong, planning is essential for a successful auction. One of the first things you will need to work out is which will be the best type of charity auction for you. There are two types of auction and both suit different events. A silent auction and a live auction.
A silent auction is easier to organise and is not such a grand event as a live auction. A live auction is where guests will attend an event and bid on items throughout the event. They are often quite loud and manic but good fun, whereas a silent auction is carried out by people bidding on items from a pre-published list and making their bid known by writing to the person or organisation running the auction.
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The Details
Another important aspect you will need to decide upon is the date of your charity auction. You should try to choose a date most suitable for the type of people who will be attending. Don't host the auction on a weekday in the middle of the day if you are expecting people who work a 9-5 to turn up as it's unlikely they will be able to.
You will know from your audience when is a good time to hold the auction. It's also advisable to check out if there are any other charity auctions in the area going on at the same time. This could be problematic for both events as live charity auctions rely on a large number of people turning up in order to help the bidding increase.
Once you have the type of auction and date for it to be held, you are ready to write a checklist to ensure nothing goes wrong at your auction. A checklist of all the things you need to achieve from the charity auction is a very handy thing to have. This can stop things from going wrong early on because if you haven't achieved something, it will be flagged up early, rather than waiting for nearer the day of the auction, realising something is missing but having little or no time to do anything about it.
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