I hold several fund raisers a year and have found silent auctions of donated items to be a great way to raise money.
I have held two different kinds. One where the items are on display and people can see the current bid. As someone is willing to pay more, they add their name and amount they bid. After the set amount of time, the auction ends and the person who had the last highest bid, wins.
The other way is to have the items on a table, and people fill out a slip with how much they are willing to bid. After the set amount of time, I go through all the bids, and announce the winning bidder.
I am wondering if anyone has any experience with silent auctions, and which way would raise more money.
I am also trying to find ways to add in online bids. The donated items are horse-racing collectables, and I have mentioned the items that have been donated to me on several horseracing message boards. Some people have expressed a desire to bid on some of the items, but are not in my city and can not attend the auction. I wonder if there is a way I can take online bids on the items, and still offer them at the event?
Any advice people might have for me, from either attending or holding a silent auction would be appreciated. I have some really nice items, and want to raise as much money as possible for the charities we support.
Thanks