Auction events have long been a staple for fundraising, offering not only a platform for charitable giving but also an opportunity for attendees to acquire unique items and experiences. The success of an auction largely depends on the appeal of the items up for bid. To ensure your fundraising event stands out, consider incorporating these 6 unique auction item ideas that are sure to captivate your audience:
1. Oil Changes
Most car manufacturers provide free scheduled maintenance for a few years after you purchase a new vehicle from one of their dealerships. However, these free service plans eventually expire, and you auction item ideas must pay out-of-pocket for your car’s services.
Oil changes are required several times yearly, often every 3,000 miles or three months, whichever comes first. Because of this, participants at a silent auction will be drawn to free oil change coupons.
2. Reserved Parking Spot
Nobody loves looking for a parking spot, especially when they’re in a hurry. A reserved parking spot saves people the difficulty of locating parking, whether parking the farthest from the office, driving the school carpool daily, or being late to an important lunch meeting.
Add this reward to a monthly or annual silent auction for a specific event, and watch how everyone places a bid!
3. Ceremonial Pitch or Coin Toss
You’re not alone if you’ve fantasized about tossing the coin before a major football game or throwing the ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game.
See if you can include a coin toss or ceremonial pitch experience in your auction by contacting a semi-professional or professional team. If the group agrees, request whether they will promote the opportunity in their advertising or over the loudspeaker during the team’s next game so that fans know they must attend your silent auction to bid on the prize.
4. Hot Air Balloon Ride
Hot air balloon rides are on many people’s bucket lists and are the perfect experience to raffle at your next silent auction. Hot air balloon rides market to various people, from loved-up couples to adventurers, girlfriends enjoying a weekend getaway and even the average Joe.
However, not everyone wants to pay the costs on their own. If you offer a free ride at an auction, participants will happily pay for the extravagance.
Approach a local tour agency to discuss donating a free ride. If they decline your original request, inquire if it will donate a free ride on a consignment basis. That means a bidder must reach a reserve, which goes to the tour operator to cover costs before the excess is distributed to your charity.
5. Decorating and Takedown
Have you always wondered why some homes are perfectly decorated each holiday season? Well, they might have hired professionals! Companies, such as roofers, are known to offer holiday decorating and takedown when the season is over. Who wouldn’t love a lit-up home over Halloween and Christmas with minimal effort from you?
Ensure you have secured a reasonable agreement with the company on the available times and the average size house and property they are willing to work on before having it on auction.
6. Hunting Trips
Hunting trips make great silent auction ideas. There are over 15,200,000 hunters in the United States, many of whom have a great hunting trip on their bucket list. Charity Safaris offers hunting trips to South Africa, New Zealand, and Argentina for charity silent auctions. These trips average $1500 to $3200 profit for the charity. The trips mentioned above are available as a 100% donation to the charity, keeping 100% of the profit.
Conclusion
Silent auctions are successful additions to your charity’s fundraising event. This is an excellent opportunity for your nonprofit to generate funding, expand its donor base, and spread the word about its mission. In addition, you can collect thousands of dollars by including attractive items, events, and experiences in many areas of interest.