Live auctions are key to many nonprofits’ fundraising efforts. They provide an opportunity to engage donors, attract new supporters, showcase their programs and projects, and more.
To enjoy these and other benefits of live auctions, creating and running an exceptional event is essential. And a big part of this boils down to choosing auction items that people will actually want to bid on.
With that in mind, here are 10 ideas for live auction items that are sure to be a hit!
Choose one or more of these live auction items for nonprofits to draw bidders and reach your fundraising goal.
This is an auction item idea all your guests are bound to love. All-expenses-paid luxury trips are a dream auction win. Choose a tropical destination or bucket list location people would love to travel to. Think Paris, the Caribbean, or Hawaii!
To make this an affordable auction item, contact your donors for trip feature donations like flight tickets, activities, etc. You may have donors or nonprofit community members who work in relevant industries and can support your fundraising by saving you on the cost of the trip.
Give your bidders a chance at a once-in-a-lifetime experience by having a VIP experience up for grabs. Consider local or nearby experiences that people would enjoy attending as exclusive guests, such as:
These will create healthy bidding competition and can be the center of your auction marketing to excite participants for your auction.
New and premium gadgets make for dependable auction bid items. Bidders will always want fresh, on-trend devices, and your NPO can capitalize on these as live auction items.
List these as individual prizes to maximize your bids, or create a full-scale tech package all participants will want to win.
Products you can include are:
Partner with local electronics businesses and donors to source these items for free or at lower prices. You can also consider auctioning electronics store gift cards or coupons.
Create the perfect date night, and you’ll have an in-demand and cost-friendly auction item for your event! Couples love a night on the town, and you can make it fun and easy by auctioning off a date night bundle.
Great ideas to include in your bundle are:
A food basket or foodie experience is a popular fundraising item that is sure to get bids. Everyone enjoys a delicious meal or tasty snacks — and you can pair it with a wine voucher or wine tasting experience.
To make your food and wine hamper, consider your region's best food spots or experiences. Add meal vouchers or tickets for these experiences, as well as popular regional or seasonal harvests. You can also partner with local businesses to create a charcuterie hamper, asking them for product donations of fresh jams, cheeses, deli meats, wine, and more.
Cheese and wine hampers are an appealing bid item that people will love!
Combine local and unique cultural experiences into a custom arts and entertainment package. You can include entertainment event tickets and entry for concerts, theater productions, arts and entertainment award ceremonies, markets, or festivals.
You can also combine creative activities to design appealing and fun experiences that connect to people’s hobbies or interests such as:
Family-focused prizes can never go wrong as bid items. When you source auction items that cater to people of diverse ages, you increase the chances of people bidding for themselves or their families.
Create packages for activities everyone enjoys with their friends or family. Include exciting activities like outdoor sports, amusement park tickets, arcade coupons, and more.
Whether they’re die-hard music lovers or dedicated sports fanatics, you can trust that fans will bid on an item signed by or belonging to their icons. Sourcing an autographed item from a well-known public figure, sports star, or celebrity can help your funds shoot through the roof.
When choosing this item option, consider a famous person who will appeal to many of your guests or is a household name. The more people they’re loved or respected by, the higher the chance you’ll receive top bids for the item.
Highlight the best parts of your region or town with a comprehensive outdoor package. This can include relaxing outdoor activities like picnic baskets or camping gear and thrilling adventures like ziplining, bungee jumping, mountain climbing, etc.
Pick activities with scenic locations to design an extraordinary outdoor experience people will want to have.
A great way to target participants who want to relax is to offer spa visits as prizes. Provide an all-expenses spa day at a local wellness facility where winners can enjoy a facial, manicure, massages, and more for an all-day experience.
You can also try a more low-cost spa prize by putting together an at-home spa combo with:
Sourcing the right auction items that participants will bid on is key to the success of your fundraiser. The quality and appeal of your auction items will determine how much money you raise toward your goal.
Take these 10 items as inspiration for your next fundraiser and use our exceptional auction software to display them online for hybrid or virtual live auctions.
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