Soapbox Engage Blog

Virtual auctions offer nonprofits many benefits, making them a popular way to raise funds online. Beyond earning donations in the form of winning bids, nonprofits can use virtual auctions as a chance to connect with local businesses and supporters worldwide. Unlike in-person auctions, virtual auctions can last several days, giving guests more time to submit bids.

Whether in-person, virtual, or hybrid, auctions have lots of moving parts. Planning an online auction can quickly become a full time job for your event team unless you’re equipped with the necessary technology and knowledge.

To help your team approach your virtual auction’s planning process strategically, this article will explain five tips your event team can employ from the very beginning to the end of your auction:

1. Create a list of sponsors and rank them in priority.
2. Be open to multiple types of sponsor contributions.
3. Invest in mobile bidding software.
4. Market high-value items across channels.
5. Plan to strategically thank volunteers and donors.

Remember that even the most efficiently planned virtual auction still needs significant preparation time. Consult with your event team to create a timeline for your auction, and regularly check in with them to ensure everything is on track for your event. Remember that a well-planned auction is well worth the investment. Let’s get started.

1. Create a list of sponsors and rank them in priority.

Auctions need items for guests to bid on, so you’ll need a procurement team to contact potential sponsors. But before your team can ask, they’ll need to thoroughly research each business they reach out to and prepare their fundraising pitch to ensure it’s as effective as possible.

Your procurement team can assemble a list of potential sponsors and get more positive responses when reaching out by:

• Assessing businesses’ giving probability. Not every business in your community is the right fit for your nonprofit’s auction. Research businesses and evaluate their candidacy based on how their philanthropic mission matches yours and whether they’ve given to nonprofits in the past. Additionally, approach businesses who are doing well financially, as they’ll have the capacity to fund your event.


• Reaching out to medium and low priority partners first. Your procurement team will get better at pitching your case the more they practice. When they begin to approach businesses, have them start with medium and low priority partners first. These meetings will likely be less high-stakes than conversations with your most desired partners, giving your team a lower stress environment to get comfortable with approaching sponsors.


• Explaining tangible benefits to contributing. While sponsors will want to support a worthwhile cause, they also need to understand how they stand to benefit from contributing to your auction. Make sure your procurement team’s presentation establishes what sponsors can earn by partnering with your nonprofit, whether it’s recognition at your event, a spotlight on your website, or internal benefits like increased employee engagement.


• Sharing what you’re doing with the people around you. Don’t be shy to talk about your auction with your friends, family, neighbors, and kids you’re driving in a carpool. The more people you ask for help, the more golden nuggets of ideas you’ll uncover that will help you broaden your search.

No matter how businesses respond to your asks, make sure to thank them for taking the time to speak with your team. Auctions are an opportunity to build relationships with businesses, and making a strong first impression can open the door for future partnerships. Even if they say no this year, next year might be a yes.

2. Be open to multiple types of sponsor contributions.

While some businesses have obvious items they can contribute to your event, others might need to get creative with their donations. For example, while a vineyard might be able to donate bottles of wine, a restaurant wouldn’t be able to donate part of their food stock. When your procurement team approaches a potential sponsor, make sure they are educated about the many different ways a sponsor can contribute and are ready to be gracious, no matter what they receive.

Here are a few opportunities that your team can pitch to potential sponsors:

• Marketing assistance. Whether they’re able to donate a high-value item or can only offer moderate contributions, each of your sponsors can help market your event. Ask them to mention your event in staff meetings or in a weekly newsletter to their customers. Doing so helps the business publicize their own philanthropic contributions and can boost attendance at your auction.


• Monetary contributions. Businesses who don’t have physical items to contribute can always donate to your event. Some sponsors might specify how their donation should be spent, while others might provide unrestricted funds, allowing your event team to spend the money on overhead or logistical needs that are often less exciting to donate to.


• Matching gifts. Instead of a set donation amount, consider asking sponsors to match your guests’ contributions made during your auction. Doing so will encourage your guests to give more as well. According to 360MatchPro’s guide to matching gifts, 1 in 3 donors claims they would make a larger donation if their gift was matched.


• Introductions. If your procurement team meets with a business that simply cannot participate in any way, ask them if they might recommend some other businesses that you should speak to. They likely wish they could help, and this is a cost-free way for them to participate. Plus, the warm introduction will help your team’s chances of securing items from the businesses.

Remember to keep track of key fundraising metrics during your auction so you can share each partners’ impact with them after your event. Doing so will give them numbers to share with their customers and can lead to a continuous, mutually beneficial relationship between your sponsors and your nonprofit.

3. Invest in mobile bidding software.

It’s time to lose the paper bid sheets. While they may feel safe and comforting, they’re really holding you back from the potential success your event could bring you. With mobile bidding software, you experience these key differences:

• People can participate from anywhere. When hosting an auction through mobile bidding, guests can join from home or on the go. Bidders can also stay in the running for an item they’re actively bidding on even if they have to step away from their laptops.
• You don’t have to track people down for payment. Mobile bidding software gives your guests a seamless checkout experience. They upload their preferred payment method and once they win the bid, they can process their payment all from the app.
• There’s no contest. The mobile bidding process works like an unbiased third party to help maintain order during the event. When everything is handled online, there’s no room for guests to dispute the results, steal the bid sheets, or fight over who won.
• Bring in more fun and gamify the process. With mobile bidding software, you can easily tally the results to create a live leaderboard to track things like most bids per bidder, most revenue per table, and the last person to bid. This would be a nightmare to tally with paper bid sheets, but with a mobile app, it’s a simple way to increase engagement during the event.

Mobile bidding is a simpler, more effective way to host a fundraising event. As you’re researching mobile bidding platforms, compare them carefully, and don’t be afraid to ask about their track record of helping organizations improve their revenue.

4. Market high-value items.

While guests attend your event to support your cause, the items you have up for bid can be just as much of a draw for some supporters. Unlike most other fundraising campaigns, auctions offer something in exchange for donations, giving your nonprofit tangible items to market to generate excitement.

Not every item in your catalogue will attract the same amount of excitement. Be selective about what you choose to preview ahead of time to inspire interest. Handbid’s silent auction guide offers advice on how your marketing team can make your items as exciting as possible:

• Focus on experiences. Compared to items you can buy at a store, experiences are limited time opportunities that guests will remember long after your auction. Put vacations and day-trip opportunities up for bidding to give your guests something to look forward to. Plus, experiences with multiple tickets or spots will encourage guests to bring along their friends and family, informing them about how they won the experience through your nonprofit’s auction.


• Bundle together small items. Not every sponsor can contribute a show-stopping item. While you should put some moderate and lower value items up for auction to ensure every guest has something they can bid on, consider bundling together small items to create a package deal or gift basket.


• Market unique and one-of-a-kind items. From autographed memorabilia to one-of-a-kind art commissions, limited items can attract extra attention because of their rarity. Emphasize how unique these items are in your marketing materials to intrigue even guests who may not have initially been interested.

Think strategically about where your ideal audience will be spending time online to help determine if you should invest your time in marketing on social media, email newsletters, your website, or other channels. Additionally, be deliberate about which items you preview before your auction. Some nonprofits prefer to market only a select few items to leave guests in suspense about what else might be available, while others prefer to make their entire catalog available ahead of time.

5. Show your volunteers your appreciation.

Don’t tack the act of thanking volunteers and donors on as an afterthought. Volunteers, donors, and guests are all important parts of your nonprofit’s support network. Building relationships with them can help improve retention, and the more reliable volunteers who agree to return to your next event, the less time your event team will need to recruit new volunteers. If they feel appreciated, they’re likely to return.

You can express your appreciation in various ways, both big and small. Along with regularly thanking them for their support, you can express appreciation by:

• Hosting volunteer events. Whether it’s a post-event celebration party or a separate meet-up, giving your volunteers a chance to have fun after your event ensures they’ll end the experience on a high note. Additionally, encouraging your volunteers to make connections with each other helps to build your nonprofit’s community.


• Recognize donors’ businesses at the event. Public recognition goes a long way. You can choose to thank your donors by sharing their business names and what they’ve contributed (if applicable) during the event by adding a logo to the t-shirt or announcing donor names during the livestream.


• Invite donors to attend the auction. Including your donors helps them feel connected to your organization's mission and allows them to meet your volunteers and other donors at the event. And when they attend the event, they receive great visibility for their business, creating some meaningful mutual support between your organization and theirs.


• Send personalized thank you letters. Take the time to write out thank you cards that recognize each donor and volunteer. You could even have beneficiaries help you write them in their own words, thanking the donors and volunteers for their impact on their lives.

---

Virtual auctions allow your nonprofit to connect with people nationwide while raising money for your cause. An auction is an investment of your team’s time and resources, so approach your event with a solid direction and plan in mind.

From the procurement phase to pre-event marketing, remember that your team is never alone. Many auction software providers offer consulting services and event advice, and your team can reach them with just one phone call.