Silent Auctions
Silent Auctions are a great way to raise money for an organization. Not only are they a chance to pick up a great deal, they involve local organizations donating their goods, a chance for organizations to put on a event and provide information, and they create camaraderie among mutual donors who want to see the organization succeed.Moving Online
However, the trend continues for operations of an organization to be pushed online, through global reach, innovation in cloud technology, and health concerns with the pandemic. Is there a place for interactive fundraising to still exist on an online platform?The Online Auction
There are a few services online where you can setup an auction for your organization using their platform. However I find that many of these platforms are:- Out of Date and do not look very good
- Branded for their brand and not yours
- Expect a % cut of the money people are expecting to be donated to you.
- Just another Cloud Login and password to remember in addition to the rest of your operations.
- Still just as much work prepping the online auction as if you were doing it yourself.
Advantages to Self Managed
Running an online auction on your own WordPress website is a game changer. Here is WhyNo Duplicate Information
By running the auction on your own site, there is no reason to provide further information about your organization since it is already all on your site for people to view. This also goes for people viewing your online store as well as bidding on auction items.Saved for Next Year
Run an auction every year? No problem. The infrastructure is already setup from the first time and you can even re-use items if they weren’t purchased from the previous auction or if they were so hot people want more!Save Huge on Cost
Once the auction infrastructure is built, you can use it as many times as you need without any other business taking a cut of the money you fundraised. Up front costs to build the module, depending on complexity, may be a bit more than the pre-built solutions, but the return of investment will be unmatched by any other option. You already pay the website hosting fee right? Why not make the most of it.
We recently held our first online auction at the St. Albert Seniors Association. The undertaking appeared daunting at first but Troy and Swiftgrid assisted and guided us through the process. Revenue generating and fundraising during COVID has been difficult for non-profits, so the $2,100.00 we raised from the auction was most welcomed. The initial work was well worth it.
