Silent auctions are a popular fundraising type amongst charity organizations. And donors love them, too! They’re mysterious, fun, and an opportunity to bring in lots of revenue for your cause. When planning a silent auction event, there will be tons of things to take care of like bid items, a venue, catering, and more.
Silent auction bid sheets are just as important to put on your checklist. They help you track bids and proceeds as well as keep your event organized.
Below we’ll show you how to compile reliable bidding sheets for silent auctions that you can use over and over again. We’ve included a template that you copy and paste into any document format for your convenience.
A silent auction bid sheet is a document where participants write down their bids. Other guests can see the auction progress by reading the input of previous bidders. This lets them track the bidding and know how much to put in for a higher bid.
Event organizers can also use bid sheets to track bidding progress. Moreover, it’s an organizational tool that supports data collection. If you don’t have a digital bidding system, silent auction bid sheets document your revenue for the night, the bidders, and other important details.
At the top of your silent auction bid sheet, it’s a good idea to share information about the bid item. You can use the item's true name if it helps to identify the value of the bid item. For example, imagine you’re auctioning off a well-known artwork like the Mona Lisa – it would be enough to use its name as a title to attract bidders.
However, you’re also welcome to get creative and use persuasive names that make bid items feel unique and attractive.
You should also include a description of the item, focusing on its unique features. Why should participants bid on it? Think of this description as a brief sales pitch to convince bidders they want to bet their money on that item.
Research the monetary value of your auction items and share them on your bid sheet. Seeing the fair market value gives bidders more context about the item and influences their bidding choice. It can show them that the bid piece is worth their money.
This is a field you especially want to include if you have high-value or costly auction items. It may not serve you to include the value for low-cost items as bidders may take this as a cue to bid low amounts.
Another piece of information about the item that you can communicate is the name of the item’s donor. Share this on your silent auction bidding sheet if the donor is open to it. This is a gesture of recognition and thanks, and celebration for their support.
You can’t go through every item and announce the specifics of how participants can bid on them. Include bidding guidelines in your bid sheet instead. Essential bidding instructions to add are:
Some people can’t take the anticipation of waiting. They want to know they have a guaranteed win. The Buy-It-Now-Price is the ticket to a given win. If someone pays this price, bidding stops and they win the item.
It’s important to make your instant win price higher than your item value and significantly higher than the starting bid. Think about the ideal amount you would like to get for that item. You don’t want to stop at too low a price when there is a chance of getting higher bids.
Your form needs to have space for bidders to write their information so you know who placed bids. You also need these details to contact and identify the winner. Bidder details to include are:
A final element you can add to your silent auction bid sheet is your company information. At the top of the document, insert your nonprofit’s name, logo, and slogan. This is an elevated touch that speaks more to branding and can be a simple way to create brand recall in your bidders.
You can also include the event name and date, primarily for your archiving and organization.
Here is a silent auction sheet template you can adapt to various events:
[Insert company name & logo here]
Event name:
Date:
Description:
Item information:
|
Item Name: |
Item Number: |
|
Item Value: |
Item Donor: |
Bidding Instructions:
Starting Bid: $
Minimum Increase: $
Buy-It-Now Price: $
|
Bid Number |
Bidder Name |
Contact |
Bid Amount |
A silent auction bid sheet is a vital tool for running a successful fundraiser. It helps you manage important bidder details, track revenue, and monitor bid progress throughout the event. It can also work as a method of encouraging increased bids if you use the item information and bid guidelines cleverly.
Bidders can also learn more about the auction item and keep an eye on their desired prize.
Want to digitize this process for easier data management and bid tracking? You can use our smart auction software made with nonprofit fundraising in mind.