When planning a fundraiser for your non-profit, it’s important to consider using virtually free auction items to really increase profits.
The wealthy guests at your event can afford to purchase any retail item they desire. Offering them an experience they can enjoy or something exciting they can allow their children to experience is very appealing. Large foundations, hospitals, and universities use this idea. Let’s use this same concept on a somewhat smaller scale.
Here are some ideas for free auction items:
- Front parking spaces at a school or church. We have seen these sell for up to $5,000 each and you can sell multiples, if you would like!
- Front row seat for graduation or the holiday program or church/synagogue service
- Naming rights for the gym, the circle drive, porta cashes, the football field, horse barn, a horse for an equestrian group, or animals at the zoo.
- Guest conductor at the symphony
- Serenade the night of your event by the lead singer of the band
- Walk on the set of a local show or movie set
- Behind the scenes tour of a local news show or movie set. This is a great package to offer at a high school auction for a student and 3 friends. You could arrange lunch with a news anchor or actor.
- Cooking lesson from a famous local chef
- Radio show guest host
- Breakfast with the fire department chief or police chief
- Ride along in the police chief’s car
- Tour of the fire station, including the fire truck and ambulance
- First spot in the carpool line at a school
- Principal for the day
- Junior cheerleader or drill team dance member for one game or the whole season
- Ball boy for the football team
- Throw out the first pitch at a baseball game
- Ride in the front car or on a float at a Christmas parade
- Personal Santa visit in your home
- Lunch lady for the day. He/she gets to plan the menu and serve during lunch
- Be a doctor or surgeon for a day. The child gets to see a surgery and learn about being a doctor.
These are just a few free auction items ideas. Brainstorm with your committee and come up with meaningful experiences for your group. Please feel free to contact us for a free consultation to learn more ways to increase the profits of your fundraising event.
As professional charity auctioneers, Murad Auctions organizes and manages successful, profitable fundraising auctions for non-profit organizations in Dallas, Fort Worth and other cities across the U.S. We use our expertise, knowledge of the auction industry, new and creative auction ideas, and our effective and efficient procedures to host auctions that are so effective they often break records and exceed goals. We offer a variety of auction services to help make charity fundraisers successful, including live auctions, bid spotters, auction consulting, registration services, silent auction set up, auction solicitation services, and professional event planning.