7 Essential Things to Do When Planning for a Charity Auction

If you are planning a charity auction, make sure you coordinate with volunteers, create a budget, set your objectives, look for possible items you can auction, hire an auctioneer, publicize the event, and send out invitations.

Charity auctions are becoming a popular way to raise money. In fact, the development of charity auction software is proof of the increasing popularity of charity auctions as fundraisers. Many people are attracted to charity auctions because aside from being profitable, it can be an interesting activity. Here are some steps you can follow when planning for a charity auction:

Team up with the event volunteers

Be sure to coordinate with volunteers and possible participants of the event. You can organize your volunteers into committees assigned to overseeing various aspects of the fundraiser such as the promotions, physical setup and logistics, aftercare services and other relevant activities. You should contact possible volunteers about 10 months prior to the event if the fundraiser is a large-scale one.

Make a financial plan

You need to have an idea about how much money you will need for the auction. Ensure that you have enough money to fund the event. Make an itemized list of possible expenses for the event like the advertising costs, venue expenses, lighting and sound equipment rentals, auctioneer fees and others. Once you understand all the possible expenses involved, allocate the budget accordingly.

List your objectives

Once you have laid out a budget, you are now ready to set your general and monetary goals for the event. You have to make sure that the cash raised will be enough for your fund-raising objectives and will be able to cover your incurred expenses. Set objectives that are specific, sensible and attainable.

Search for things that could be auctioned

The things that you will be auctioning need to be attractive for your target audience. Take into consideration the recent trends as well as what your guests’ likes. You can also come up with packages and unique products that cannot be found just anywhere. Buying charity auction software is also a good idea to help you keep track of what you're selling. This will be especially useful if you will be auctioning off a catalog of items worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Hire a professional auctioneer

Your auctioneer should be someone reliable and convincing enough to encourage your guests to bid. You can have an appointment with the professional to see for yourself if he or she is the best one for your event.

Promote the event

It is imperative that you come up with an effective marketing campaign so that you can communicate the event’s message to your target audience. Prepare a marketing plan that will show what promotional vehicles you will be using like print advertisements, TV broadcasting, e-mails, and so on.

Distribute your invitations

Create a guest list and then give the attendees their invitations 6 weeks before the event. The invitation should be able to convey all the important information clearly including the purpose of the event.

It takes meticulous planning in order for an event to be a success, so give enough time to map out your plans with everyone involved.