Unlock the full potential of your fundraising event by following these simple guidelines
When organizing a fundraising event for your non-profit organization, there are many priorities in mind, and several desired outcomes that need to be accomplished.
Of course, the primary of these is ensuring that your charity auction is profitable, and that your organization has been moved closer to your overall financial goals after all is said and done. But you also want your guests to enjoy their event experience so they remember your non-profit in a positive light when they consider giving back in the future.
Then there are all of the details that must be managed leading up to and during your charity auction — all of which contribute to your ability to meet your objectives. Talk about mental overload!
Thankfully, choosing to host an online silent auction greatly reduces the workload that event organizers face, allowing them to communicate with guests and share information in one easily accessible platform. The Bid Beacon mobile auction app even gathers valuable analytics about the event, making it simpler to produce reports after your charity auction has concluded.
But before you embark on hosting a mobile charity auction, there are some proven do’s and don’ts that can help you maximize the worth and efficiency of your event. And for your convenience, we’ve compiled them into this blog post!
Here Are The Top Established Ways To Make The Most Of Your Charity Auction:
Do Notify Your Guests Ahead Of Time
Giving your guests time to prepare for your event, and making them increasingly aware of it as the date draws nearer, will increase your attendance rate while simultaneously ensuring that the people who do attend are prepared to contribute and support your cause.
Remember, the weeks leading up to your fundraising event are essential for drumming up excitement and communicating why your guests should trust your organization with their funds (as opposed to other charities).
This is the time to hammer down your key messages, talk about what makes your organization unique, keep your invitees informed about your fundraising goals, and provide them with all the necessary information they may require before the big day.
Do Set Start And End Times For Your Online Silent Auction
This is one of the most crucial tips for running a silent auction, since many guests will wait until the last remaining minutes to place their bids and “snipe” their competitors. In order to create an enjoyable experience for all who attend your event, it’s imperative that you clearly state when your mobile charity auction will begin, and when it will close.
Remember, whether your online silent auction lasts for two hours or five hours, the amount of bids you receive will most likely remain the same. This is because your guests will browse the items, mingle with other guests, and enjoy cocktails and refreshments no matter how much time is given to them. So, you want to ensure you pick a duration that provides your attendees with enough time to enjoy these activities, while at the same time eliminating the chance for guests to feel bored.
If you are going to offer extended bidding on some of your charity auction items, be sure that you inform your guests ahead of time, so they can plan accordingly. Extended bidding can prolong your event, requiring guests to stay longer if they want to secure a specific auction item.
As your closing time approaches, be sure to provide incremental announcements for your guests so they know to place their final bids and begin preparing for the checkout process.
Do Use Your Mobile Auction App To Drive Traffic By Sending Invites And Updates
By far, one of the most fundamental fundraising tips is to take full advantage of your online silent auction platform. In today’s society, people are glued to their mobile devices. Wherever they are, their cell phone is never too far away. Thus, utilizing the full capabilities of your mobile auction app is the perfect way to boost engagement and get people excited about your event.
One of the ways Bid Beacon makes planning your charity auction easier is by allowing event organizers to send a convenient invite link or QR code directly to the mobile devices of potential attendees. The link or code then provides immediate, straightforward access to an RSVP form, making it easy for guests to register while your event is top of mind.
Additionally, the Bid Beacon app allows event organizers to send updates to the mobile devices of attendees, displaying them as push notifications. Push notifications are ideal for organizers, since guests do not need to be logged into the Bid Beacon app on their phone to see the message. Simply push send and your update will pop up on the cell phone screens of your attendees, no matter where they are or what they are doing.
No other registration process is more conducive to securing registrations! In fact, a mobile-optimized, streamlined RSVP process can help you increase your number of registrants by up to 50 per cent.
With such compelling data proving the benefit of mobile apps for event attendance, choosing not to use a mobile app could easily be one of the biggest mobile silent auction mistakes event organizers make as non-profits continue to modernize.
By following these fundraising tips, you can ensure that your next event is one for the record books.
