Auctions are one of the best ways of raising funds for nonprofits. Whether you organize a live event or prefer online consignment auctions, auctions are an opportunity to increase awareness for your cause and to raise the funds you need to operate.
Organizing a charity auction is a lot of work, but these events are worth your time and hard work! Using auction software for nonprofits can facilitate the process of auctioning items in person or through online consignment auctions. Here are some of the best auction software options to consider for your next event.
Best for Donor Management: OneCause
OneCause is more than auction software for nonprofits. It’s a centralized platform you can use to plan an entire fundraising event. You can also use OneCause to manage donors and accept donations year-round.
OneCause gives you the possibility to sell tickets to events, keep track of attendance, and accept RSVPs from guests. The analytics tools will help you extract valuable insights from event attendance and donations so that you can organize better events in the future.
You can use OneCause on the day of your event to manage seating and table assignments, or to check-in guests when they arrive.
The social media integration feature is worth noting. You can use this feature to promote your event on social media or to provide guests with options to create and share social media posts about items they’re bidding on or auctions they’re excited about ahead of the event.
OneCause is a versatile platform since it allows you to sell items at a fixed price, auction items, or sell raffle tickets. There is a fun scoreboard feature you can use to display a list of the top bidders on your website or on a screen during your event.
The mobile features are an additional reason to consider OneCause. Users can make donations on the go, bid on online consignment auctions from anywhere, or use their mobile device during a silent auction.
Best for Silent Auctions: Handbid
If you’re looking for auction software for nonprofits that is easy to use, Handbid is a safe bet with its intuitive interface.
Handbid comes with a wide range of features designed to help you organize auctions, events, crowdfunding campaigns, and peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns.
You can use this platform to have guests bid on items with their mobile devices during a silent auction or send donations via text message. Handbid has a convenient mobile app that your guests can download to bid on items or make donations, but there is also a web-based platform available.
Handbid includes a live streaming feature that you can use to connect with your audience and share a live video of your events. There are additional features that make Handbid a convenient choice for your charity auctions, including a messaging tool to contact bidders or donors, reporting capabilities, and a guest list feature.
Easiest Setup: Event.Gives
Event.Gives is one of the easiest platforms to use to manage your auctions and events. You can add items to your auction or create events from a convenient app with a customizable dashboard.
You can use Event.Gives to sell tickets to an event, auction items, or sell raffle tickets. You can also send text notifications to donors and guests.
Event.Gives stands out thanks to its intuitive interface and simple controls. It’s ideal if you don’t have a lot of experience with auction software.
The text-to-donate feature is an interesting addition that allows donors to send you money via their mobile device.
Greater Giving
Greater Giving offers integrated and stand-alone solutions that include event management software, online registration, and donation services, online bidding, on-site payment collection, and credit card processing. Best-in-class customer service is also provided leading up to and for the duration of an event.
Givesmart
We know there’s a lot to consider when evaluating event fundraising technology—and the more you know, the more confidence you’ll have that you’re making the right choice. GiveSmart is one of the leading mobile & virtual auction solutions in the industry today.
Need Help Getting Started?
One of the first obstacles you might run into when organizing a charity auction is finding the right items to get donors excited about the event and attract bids.
GoCharity is a consignment service with 65 years of combined experience with auctions. We can help you meet your fundraising goals by providing items on consignment and assisting with event planning.
With our consignment service, you will get items at no upfront costs for your online auctions or in-person events. We provide an on-site site service where we manage every aspect of your auction and ship items to the highest bidders after the event. We can help with live galas, silent auctions, and other event types.
Note that we don’t offer consignment auction software. However, you can use any of the options listed above to create your event, and we will work with that provider to upload information about the items on consignment.
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