This is a guest blog.
If you’ve ever hosted a nonprofit fundraising event before, you’ve probably considered your vision for the event’s lasting impact. But fundraising events don’t just make a difference for your organization’s cause and the communities you serve—they also leave lasting impressions on participants that can lead to their continued support for your mission.
For nonprofit auctions, both sides of your event’s impact hinge on the items up for grabs. Supporters will have a better experience if they can bid on prizes they really want to win, and their high winning bids on these items will increase your fundraising totals so you have more resources to serve your community.
One of the best ways to procure these standout auction items is via in-kind contributions. In this guide, we’ll walk through four tips to secure in-kind donations for your nonprofit’s auction, including how to:
Create an Auction Item Wishlist
Divide up Sourcing Responsibilities
Leverage Corporate Sponsorships
Craft Compelling Donation Requests
In-kind donations allow your organization to collect the exact auction items you want at no cost to you. Plus, they open up an additional way for supporters to engage with your event, bringing more of your nonprofit’s community together around your mission. Let’s get started!
1. Create an Auction Item Wishlist
It takes a team to secure valuable, appealing auction items while sticking to your nonprofit’s event budget. As soon as your event date is on the calendar, recruit staff members, board members, and volunteers for your auction item procurement committee.
At your initial committee meeting, have the whole team collaboratively brainstorm as many auction item ideas as possible. To make this process more streamlined, try to get everyone to think of a few ideas that fall into each of the top categories of charity auction items, which are as follows:
Vacation packages that provide memorable experiences in domestic or international destinations.
Gift baskets spanning a variety of themes.
Event tickets to athletic competitions, concerts, musicals, awards shows, or TV show tapings.
Signed celebrity memorabilia from popular athletes, actors, or artists.
Artwork and antiques, especially locally made pieces.
Certificates for services, which can range from home repairs to spa treatments to dry cleaning.
Family-friendly activities like amusement park passes or children’s museum memberships.
Fine food and beverages that appeal to supporters’ varied tastes.
Popular technology, including large items like smartphones and smaller accessories like Bluetooth headphones.
High-end goods such as designer purses or quality kitchen appliances.
After your initial brainstorming session, organize your list of ideas into high-priority “must-haves,” medium-priority “nice-to-haves,” and low-priority “backups.” You’ll only need to procure 12-15 items for a live auction, while silent auctions can feature as many prizes as your team can feasibly procure—keep this in mind as you finalize your wishlist.
2. Divide up Sourcing Responsibilities
There are a few different ways to source auction items, and some methods are more effective for securing certain types of prizes than others. Keep this in mind as you prepare to send out your procurement committee so that your team can efficiently source the items you need.
Here is the basic breakdown:
In-kind donations: Best for physical goods and gift certificates.
Nonprofit discounts: Best for ticketed events and activities.
Consignment auction item providers: Best for vacation packages.
Next to each item on your completed wishlist, note how you plan to secure it based on the above criteria. Then, to procure as many items as efficiently as possible, delegate outreach responsibilities to procurement committee members based on their connections and interests.
For example, if one of your board members’ close friends owns a vineyard, see if they can get their friend to donate a wine tasting experience or a sampler of their best wines. Or, if you recruit a volunteer who is involved in your city’s arts community, have them ask other local artists they know about contributing artwork to your auction.
3. Leverage Corporate Sponsorships
In addition to your team’s personal connections, your nonprofit’s corporate partners may also be willing to provide auction item donations. Reach out to previous event sponsors first since you already have a relationship with them, then consider which other businesses in your area could contribute items on your wishlist and would be interested in supporting your mission.
Not all of your prospective sponsors will say yes to your first in-kind donation request—which is totally fine! Be prepared to pivot by seeing if there is anything else on your wishlist that they may want to contribute. For example, if a day spa owner doesn’t want to contribute a massage gift certificate, they could donate a gift basket of the products they sell on-site instead. If the sponsor doesn’t want to provide an auction item but still seems interested in your cause, let them know about fiscal sponsorship options for your event.
Additionally, as Double the Donation's guide to corporate sponsorships explains, the most effective partnerships between nonprofits and businesses are mutually beneficial. In exchange for their support, provide your auction sponsors with free publicity via your marketing materials, event signage, and bid sheets or auction catalog depending on whether you’re hosting a silent or live auction.
4. Craft Compelling Donation Requests
Whenever possible, ask for in-kind auction item donations during in-person or virtual meetings with donors and sponsors. In these situations, a donation request letter can serve as a guide for your conversation and a leave-behind for the contributor. However, if you can’t set up a meeting, your donation request will have to do the work for you via email or direct mail.
Winspire’s auction donation request guide recommends including the following elements in your letters:
Your nonprofit’s branding (logo, color scheme, typography, etc.) to make the request look professional and trustworthy.
Information about your organization’s mission and the purpose of your auction, accompanied by impact statistics or stories that add authenticity.
A specific in-kind donation ask customized to each potential donor.
Donor recognition and benefits so supporters know what is in it for them if they contribute.
A return deadline to ensure you receive a response well in advance of your event without pressuring the donor to make an immediate decision.
Along with your request letter, provide each potential donor with an in-kind donation form so they can easily provide their contact information and key details about the item (description, value, etc.) if they decide to contribute.
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Securing in-kind donations of high-quality auction items allows you to maximize your event’s impact by helping you raise more while reducing upfront costs. Use the tips above to get started, but keep your nonprofit’s unique audience in mind when deciding which prizes to include in your auction and how to go about procuring them.
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