Procuring Fundraising Auction Items - Guide

How to maximize the number of donated auction items
   
Before you start any procurement program, understand what is necessary. Understand your audience. Ask yourself:

• What can your audience generally afford?
• What sold well in your previous auctions?
• What sells well in other auction events?
• What can sponsors afford to support?
• What is popular among your patrons?

Build an ‘inventory’ plan.  List out many of the larger items you want to see in the auction, and how you might secure them. Be creative and list out unique items that will be compelling to bid on. What is desirable for you may not be desirable for others so get input from your patrons, volunteers and people who will be attending your auction.

Create a wish list of items you want for the auction, and distribute it among your top potential sponsors and contributors.  

Ideas for donated items we have seen and particularly like:

• Wine tasting dinner party at a patrons home
• Night out for the ‘boys’ including poker game and fine scotch
• Traveling multi-course dinner donated by several patrons each offering a portion of the meal from appetizers to main course, to dessert, and chauffeured transportation between the homes.
• A garage cleaning by several volunteers
• T-shirts that have been tie-dyed by some of the children of the patrons attending the auction. (Shirts are hung up as decoration through the room and bid on by the audience)
• Hand painted furniture like chairs or toy trunk, or patio table. The painting is volunteered by a patron sponsor who is a painter, or a group of children.
• Free tutoring lessons for a child by a teacher in a specific science, such as math.
• Spend a day with the principle
• Name a street sign
• A custom mural on a wall in your house by a local artist

And for sponsored consignment items our favorites are:

• Vacation packages
• Personalized Caribbean private charter
• Customized model ship that is personalized by letting the winner name it
• Customized golf putter from St. Andrews Scotland (‘The Home of Golf’)
• Pearl necklace and matching earrings
• Micro-brew beer of the month club
• A sculpture from a famous artist
• A painted portrait from a family photograph
• The ability to send a selected gift basket to anyone anywhere over the course of a year.
• Hot air balloon ride