Guest guest Posted February 6, 2002 Report Share Posted February 6, 2002 We are planning to have an auction in Aapril with the proceeds going to the CF Foundation. We will be asking local businesses for items to be auctioned. This is our first time doing this and am wondering if anyone else has any experience with this sort of thing? Any suggestions for businesses to target? H mom to 3 (2wcf) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 7, 2002 Report Share Posted February 7, 2002 Many of the CF fundraisers that our local group does are accompanied by a 'silent auction' (e.g. golf tournaments, murder mystery evenings or dinners, conference). We ask for donations of products at every opportunity, all year round (and sometimes even buy things if found at an incredible sale price that we know will sell for more). These 'silent auctions' (where people write down their bids on sheets of paper next to the displayed items (or certificates for services or discounts) usually add a few hundred dollars or more to our profits at each event. We are big on thank-yous -- every donation gets a personal thank-you letter. Every bid sheet includes a prominent credit to the business that donated the item for auction. Tips: Have items in a variety of price ranges. Think of the group who will be at the event and save the very expensive items for evenets where there will be a group of people who would be wanting the item and able to afford it. Make sure you make the time that the bids will close very clear AND make an announcement about five minutes before the bids close ... there is often a rush to make final bids at the last moment. Have volunteers well organized to distribute items quickly to the winning bidders after they visit the 'pay table' and receive a slip of which item is theirs and paid for. Businesses to target? ANY! It is sometimes helpful to have a suggestion in mind of what they might donate. Some large businesses actually have forms to be filled out to go to head office with 'once yearly' requests for gift certificates. Some have policies on what they will donate (e.g. our local grocery store will NEVER donate food but will give $10. gift certificates at each request). Medium size businesses are often the best donators; small businesses sometimes can't afford it ... but give them a chance as some will gladly offer what they can). I have had donations of certificates for frozen ice-cream cakes and for fish from the local aquarium store. When asking for donations, have copies of a letter ready to leave with the business that makes the donation, stating your request and what and when it is for. The business usually needs to account for items that are donated and can file the letter for their accountant. Some businesses consider that they can use the value of the donation as a 'promotional expense' (I am not an accountant so don't know how this works). Ask to speak with the manager to make your request, but if the manager isn't available and you leave your letter of request, be sure to get the name of the person the letter will be given to AND follow-up within a day with that person. If you can find out a time to return it is even better, as it is much easier for someone to say no over the phone than to say no to you personally. Also, it is much easier for them to give you something right away and be done with it than to have to set it aside for you to pick up later. NEVER take a rejection personally. While donations may be easier to come by than you expect, there will be some businesses that need to or choose to say no ... many get bombarded with requests and can't possibly fill them all. They don't 'owe us anything so I always consider a donation to be a 'bonus'. I know, , you didn't say you were having a SILENT auction but I just wanted to give our positive experiences with these, as well. Others might want to incorporate them into their events. Good luck with getting your donations and with your auction in April! CF auction > We are planning to have an auction in Aapril with the proceeds going to the CF Foundation. We will be asking local businesses for items to be auctioned. This is our first time doing this and am wondering if anyone else has any experience with this sort of thing? Any suggestions for businesses to target? > H > mom to 3 (2wcf) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.