How to Plan a Charity Auction
A charity auction can raise a lot in one night, but most of the work happens weeks before. Plan for 2 to 4 months, and follow these steps in order.
Planning an auction?
EventCenter writes your auction task list for you, from collecting items to checkout, with due dates. Free for 14 days.
Plan your charity auction in EventCenter or get the free planning kit3–4 months out
Set the goal and the format
Decide how much you want to raise and whether it's a silent auction, a live auction, or both. Silent auctions work for many small items. Live auctions work for a few big ones and need a good auctioneer.
- Set a fundraising goal for the auction
- Choose silent, live, or both
- Pick the event it will be part of (gala, dinner, online)
2–4 months out
Collect auction items
Ask local businesses, members, and supporters for donations. Experiences and packages often do better than single items. Track every item: who gave it, what it's worth, and whether you have it in hand.
- Make a short donation ask letter or email
- Ask for experiences and bundle small items into packages
- Keep a list: item, donor, value, picked up
💡 Tracking 40 donated items in a spreadsheet gets messy fast. In EventCenter, each pickup and follow-up can be a task with an owner and a due date. Try it free
4–6 weeks out
Set bids and write descriptions
Set an opening bid for each item (many groups start around 30 to 50% of the value) and a minimum raise. Write a short, exciting description and take a good photo of each item.
- Set opening bids and minimum raises
- Write item descriptions and bid sheets
- Decide how people will pay (card, e-transfer, cash)
1–2 weeks out
Volunteers and promotion
Share a few top items ahead of time to build interest. Recruit volunteers for item setup, watching tables, closing bids, and checkout.
- Post your best items on social media
- Assign volunteers to setup, tables, and checkout
- Print bid sheets, signs, and bidder numbers
Auction night
Run it and collect payments
Announce clear closing times for the silent auction, and give a 5-minute warning. Have a fast checkout so winners can pay and take items home.
- Announce closing times and give warnings
- Mark winners clearly on each bid sheet
- Run checkout and hand over items
The week after
Thank donors and winners
Thank everyone who donated an item, and tell them how much was raised. Send tax receipts if your group is a registered charity. Write down which items did best for next year.
- Thank item donors and share the total raised
- Send receipts if you're a registered charity
- Note which items sold best
Found this helpful?
Subscribe for more charity event tips and get the free Event Committee Planning Kit by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Subscribe & get the free kitPlanning an auction with volunteers?
EventCenter gives your committee one shared plan for the whole auction, with due dates worked back from auction night. Built for nonprofits and community groups.
Start your free 14-day trialNot ready yet? Get the free planning kit instead.