3 Steps to a Successful Online Charity Auction 

With the help of a reputable online auction company, online auctions can be a fantastic method of raising money. It is up to you to promote your auction as much as you can, to draw as many people to it as possible.

To be successful with your online auction, it is vital that you know your demographic! Who are they and what are they interested in? Your auction prizes should be tailored to your audience to make sure you get as many bids as you can.

Here is a simple checklist of what you will need:

• A reputable online auction company. (I.e. jumblebee)

• A selection of prizes so that there is a range of choice for people to bid on

• Excellent imagery and descriptions of the prizes. (These play a huge role in whether someone decides to bid.)

Important things to consider when fundraising:

• The demographic of your audience. What are their interests? Are your auction prizes tailored to them? Your prizes need to be incentivising.

• Be extremely clear with the T&C’s of your prizes. Does it have an expiry date? Is it subject to availability? Be as transparent as possible.

• To encourage bidding wars, start the prizes minimum bid below its RRP (but not too low!)

• Base the bidding increments off the value of the prize. The more a prize is worth, the higher the increment.

• Set a start and end date and stick to it. The last hour of your auction tends to be the busiest, as people wait until the auction is coming to an end to place their bids. It is important that the end date is not changed.

Sean Kelly – Chief Executive of Action for AT:

“Charity Escapes provide us with wonderful prizes to supplement our charity auctions. Their sale or return model minimises the financial risk and provides us with a good ROI. I would have no hesitation in recommending them to other charities as they provide a first class, transparent and reliable service”

If you are interested in setting up an online auction to raise vital funds for your charity but unsure how and which online auction to use, Charity Escapes are here to support you with incentivising prizes and guidance along the way. Please get in contact with Jordan or fill out our Prize Form here.