Running a charity is hard work, and it can be hard to get the money you need to do it. Luckily, charity auctions are a great way to bring in donations. Donations are tax-deductible, so some people may be willing to spend a lot of money at your event.
Luckily, you can keep costs down with online consignment auctions. You don’t need to find items or schedule a venue. But you do have some prep work to do.
Keep reading to learn how to raise funds with online consignment auctions.
Figure Out What to Sell
The first step to raising funds with online consignment auctions is to determine what you’ll sell. Your auction can include anything from clothing to wine to experiences. Depending on the charity or organization you run, you can keep the items to a theme or not.
You can choose items that will attract certain types of people. If you want sports fans to attend your consignment auction, you can sell sports memorabilia. To attract couples, you can offer couples trips to exotic locations.
If you don’t know what to sell, you can offer a variety of items. When you have something for everyone, you can encourage more people to attend your auction. Then, you can get more people to bid on the items you want to sell.
Select the Goods
Once you decide what types of items to sell, it’s time to look for those things. You can work with a consignment company to get access to more stuff. At Go Charity, we provide high-value items for your auction.
You can use the items to market the auction and increase attendance. While you can find things on your own, you’ll have to pay for the items beforehand. If no one buys an item, you will have spent money on it, which can lower the amount of money you do get from the auction.
You can look for donations for your auction, but that can be difficult as well. Even if you do get donations, you may not get high-priced items. You may not have much choice in the things you get, so working with a consignment company will give you the flexibility you need.
Take Photos
To run successful online consignment auctions, you should make it easy for people to view the items. You can take photos of any items you have at your organization, so you can make sure the pieces look as good as possible.
When working with a consignment company, you can use their pictures for your auction. If you can’t or don’t want to take pictures, that can be useful. You can still use the pictures available to showcase what you have to auction off.
If you auction off trips or other experiences, you won’t be able to take photos. But you can share information about the experience. That can interest auction attendees, so you can get more or higher bids.
Schedule the Auction
Once you have a list of items for your auction, you can schedule the auction. When hosting online consignment auctions, you don’t have to worry about scheduling a venue. However, you will need some video conferencing program or another way to hold the auction.
Weekends are the perfect time for a charity auction. Guests can attend the auction for longer since they don’t have to worry about work. So try to find a time on a Friday or Saturday evening.
You can also work with a consignment company to schedule the event. The company will be able to help you find a time that will attract more guests. When you have more guests, you’ll be able to raise more money.
Promote the Auction
After you have a date set, it’s time to start promoting your charity auction. You can market online consignment auctions on social media or through your charity email list. If you have email addresses for previous donors, you can contact them about your auction.
Social media is also an excellent tool. If you have a following on your charity page, you can share information about the auction. You can include a list of the items for sale, and you can link to where people can get a ticket.
If you want to find new donors to attend your charity auction, you can share the event information with others in your area. You can ask friends and family to share the auction with people they know to bring in more potential attendees.
Host the Auction
As the auction begins, you can offer a silent or a live auction. A silent auction works well for smaller items, and people can continuously bid on things throughout the event. You can use this format to sell jewelry items or alcohol.
If you have some bigger ticket items, you can host a live auction. The auctioneer can go through the list of items and get people to bid right then. After some bidding and some silence, the auctioneer can declare the winner.
Both types of auctions have pros and cons, and you can use a combination of them. Once you finish auctioning items off, you can close the silent auction and inform those winners.
Collect Payment
After the auction ends, you’ll need to collect payment. A consignment company can process payments the night of the auction. As long as the payment is successful, you can get the funds within a couple of weeks.
When working with a company, you will need to pay for all of the items you sell. However, you don’t need to pay for items that didn’t sell. Instead, the consignment company will keep those things.
You will need to pay a small portion of the cost for each item that you sell. Then, you can keep the rest of the money and use it to fund projects for your charity.
Moving Forward
Online consignment auctions are great for charities that need to raise money. You don’t need to get the items yourself, and you can have access to more variety.
If you need to raise funds without a ton of investment, consider an online consignment auction. Running one costs less than finding a venue and getting donations for a traditional one. But you can still get the funds you need.
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