Nonprofit organizations of all sizes host charity auction fundraising events for one main reason — they work.
Auctions are an extremely effective way to raise money and engage your supporters. They do, however, require an investment of your time and resources in order to really pay off. The most important investment you’ll need to make before getting started? Charity auction software.
We’ve created this updated buyer’s guide to walk you through the ins and outs of auction software to help you find the best fit your organization, including:
As your organization prepares for its next silent auction or virtual auction, you’ll have a lot of planning and organizing to do. To save your team’s time and streamline your efforts, you must equip your organization with the right tools for the job.
That’s where silent auction software comes in. Here are our top 5 charity auction software and support tools that can take your event to the next level:
First to market over a decade ago, OneCause’s full suite of solutions powers mobile bidding, event management, online giving, ticketing, and virtual fundraising for nonprofit organizations of all sizes. We understand what matters most – your mission. And a powerful mission needs powerful technology.
Mobile Bidding and Auction Software simplifies all aspects of your live and silent auction and adds an unparalleled level of fun and excitement to your events.
OneCause is committed to providing charity auction software that allows for a seamless giving experience for nonprofit organizations and their donors. From start to finish, your nonprofit is able to run your charity auction as efficiently as possible.
Our technology centralizes all the best components of charity auctions into one software solution, including:
OneCause gives your auction attendees more options and methods to engage than ever before. With bidding right on their smartphones, push notifications for their favorite items, and fixed-price purchases, it’s easier than ever to get involved.
This kind of positive, streamlined experience for bidders generates more engagement, bids, and revenue for your silent auction.
OneCause offers multiple packages to fit your organization’s needs. For more information, visit the OneCause Pricing & Packages page.
Auction Packages is one of the non-profit sectors’ leading source for risk-free travel and experience packages. They offer a wide variety of travel and unique experiential packages for use in live, silent, and online charity auction fundraising events.
Auction Packages offers cost-effective package options, allowing nonprofits to maximize their fundraising efforts. Their full-time concierge team of travel consultants are well versed with travel destinations and have years of experience meeting the expectations of new and seasoned travelers.
Auction Packages has partnered with numerous travel companies, hotel chains, and experienced providers to offer their clients access to the most exhilarating experiences, including:
You won’t have to worry about bidders seeing your auction items and saying, “been there, done that.” Auction Packages adds new exciting packages every month to ensure the most unique upcoming packages and events are made available.
Because you don’t need to buy your auction packages until after they have sold at your event, the items are risk free. Auction Packages will give you a price for each package and your organization decides what price to open the auction at.
Should the auction package not reach the desired level that you set as a minimum and you don’t sell the package you are under no obligation to purchase the package from us and no fee will be incurred. Should the package sell at auction simply purchase the package online or call Auction Packages to arrange payment.
To learn more, visit our Auction Packages Partner Page.
Winspire is your destination for insight into the world of event fundraising, charity auctions, and no-risk travel packages. This top charity auction software provides highly sought after, hard to find, unique experiences for use in charity auctions or fundraisers.
The Winspire team has years of experience helping nonprofits raise over $62 million with over 56,000 events worldwide.
Choose from award shows, major sporting events, VIP access, family vacations, international trips, cruises, adventure travel, golf trips and hundreds more. Their process is as simple as 4 easy steps.
This increasingly popular fundraising tool allows you to place exclusive travel packages in your charity auction without any upfront cost to your organization. Since you purchase only what you sell, every one of our Experiences is risk free.
To learn more, visit our Winspire Partner Page.
DonorSearch delivers premier donor intelligence data and solutions to nonprofits of all shapes and sizes to strengthen their financial capacity.
Their goal is to provide what nonprofits crave every single day: more accurate, more comprehensive, more actionable data to help you achieve better fundraising and outreach results.
DonorSearch is the leading provider prospect intelligence that helps nonprofits in all sectors. Their products offer a variety of ways to search for the information your organization needs and unlock key donor insights using DonorSearch’s premier analytics capabilities.
Search Tools
Analytic & Reporting Tools
Pricing details are available by quote. To learn more, visit our Donor Search Partner Page
Double the donation is the leading provider of matching gift and volunteer grant solutions to nonprofits and educational institutions.
There’s an unnecessary gap between fundraising organizations and corporate giving programs, to the tune of $4-7 billion in unclaimed matching gift revenue annually. Double the Donation helps nonprofits and educational institutions increase fundraising from corporate matching gift and employee volunteer grant programs.
Double the Donation has two plans, Premium and 360MatchPro, that provide nonprofits with tools to identify match-eligible donors, drive matches to completion, and gain actionable insights.
The benefit that this charity auction software has on your nonprofit’s campaigns is right in its name! Double the Donation allows you to simply and effectively bring in more dollars to power your mission.
For up to date costs, visit our Double the Donation Partner Page.
The move to online giving opens up more possibilities for nonprofits: new donors, remote supporters and longer fundraising options. But many fundraisers are still grappling with how to not only move their fundraising online but thrive in a virtual world!
We’ve broken down how to take your auction online in 8 simple steps:
Whether it’s part of a planned attempt to grow online, or in reaction to an unforeseen change affecting an event (e.g., COVID-19, local emergency, weather, disaster, public emergency etc.) – nonprofits are looking to virtual charity auctions to move their missions forward online.
And then benefits are endless, including:
The search for charity auction software can quickly become overwhelming. With each site stating different “must have” features, it can be difficult to figure out what your organization truly needs.
We’ve broken it down into item procurement & planning, mobile bidding technology, event ticketing features, registration & checkout tools, as well as gamification and motivation features. Let’s dive in!
An auction can only be as successful as the quality of its items. Priceless and engaging items excite your audience and raise more proceeds to fuel your mission. Securing and managing the perfect auction items may seem a little daunting – but have no fear. The right charity auction software will make this an organized, intuitive process.
The top item procurement & planning tools will help your organization:
Better items equal more bids. More bids equal more proceeds. More proceeds equal more money for your mission.
Mobile Bidding is a paperless bidding method that offers guests the ultimate auction experience. By allowing your donors to bid straight from their phones, not only will your organization receive more bids with mobile bidding software, but you also add an unparalleled level of fun and excitement to your events.
Mobile bidding tools are a necessity for charity auctions of any kind. The ability to bid from a smartphone has completely changed how live, silent, and online auctions can be planned and managed. Plus, they provide huge fundraising benefits by keep guests more engaged for the whole auction.
When investing in mobile bidding tools, look for these features:
For many auctions, event ticketing is a proven revenue source. With the right auction software, nonprofits can automate ticketing, streamline the donor experience, and ultimately drive fundraising success.
When it comes to event ticketing, the right auction software will allow your nonprofit to:
Registration is the first impression your guests have of your auction and checkout is the last experience they have with your event – make them count!
Part of providing your guests with an amazing auction experience involves ensuring your auction software can do the following.
Your team must be equipped with the right tools so volunteers can get guests in and out of the event in a seamless process.
In today’s fundraising world, gamification is a must. Gamification features must be both mobile optimized and accessible anywhere at any time – making it easy for donors to join and engage in fundraising. Why? It makes charitable donations social, mobile, and FUN!
Your charity auction software should contain one or more gamification tools. These are extremely useful at building excitement and directing attention during the auction itself.
Scoreboards and fundraising progress thermometers are great for keeping up the energy. Countdown clocks are another great way to build up the momentum as your auction ends, especially when used alongside text notifications in your mobile bidding tools. These gamification and motivation features will allow your organization to:
ForKids serves thousands of families and children experiencing homelessness in Virginia, relying heavily on the funds raised in a single night to continue their mission. Relentless in their pursuit of helping children living in poverty in Southeastern Virginia, they took their 19th Annual ForKids Art Auction virtual – FAST!
By implementing an ambassador campaign, giving donors a shout-out on the event’s livestream, and personally reaching out to donors from previous years, ForKids was able to find success in their very first virtual fundraising event. Read more about the organization’s best practices and keys to success in this success story.
MARR Inc. knew they needed to adjust their fundraising strategy to maximize engagement and drive more revenue. This meant transitioning from paper bid sheets to mobile bidding.
Read the full story to see how MARR almost tripled their silent auction proceeds and skyrocketed their total proceeds compared to the previous year. Their secret to success was staying open-minded when rethinking their gala and jumping into change.
Since 1995, Make-A-Wish Georgia has been granting the wishes of local children facing critical illnesses. As a fundraising team, Make-A-Wish Georgia holds multiple fundraisers each year to help make these wishes come true.
With the right team, the right technology, and the right donor engagement strategy, Make-A-Wish Georgia had its most impactful gala to date. Learn how the team surpassed their 1-million-dollar fundraising goal and saw a 48% fundraising increase from the year prior.