I was on the auction floor—not as a vendor or software executive, but as a volunteer and co-chair of my kids’ school fundraiser. That experience gave me something I hadn’t had before: a front-row seat to the complexity, pressure, and precision required to execute a truly successful nonprofit event.

A New Appreciation for What Nonprofits Pull Off Every Day

The event—SPIRIT—has been around for 27 years and supports a parish and school community of thousands of families. This year, we set an ambitious fundraising goal of $650,000 and ultimately raised just over $900,000.

That result was absolutely a team effort. I was lucky to work alongside an incredible group of co-chairs—especially the wives (shoutout to my wife Preston), who carried so much of the planning, detail work, and heart behind the event—as well as the St. Patrick’s staff, whose leadership and execution made the whole night possible. Nights like that don’t happen because of one person. They happen because a lot of people go all in.

What stuck with me most wasn’t just the result. It was everything required to get there. An event at this scale demands hundreds of small decisions, constant coordination, and the ability to spot problems before they become visible to anyone else. It’s not just about raising money. It’s about creating an experience where donors feel confident, engaged, and ready to give.

I’ve always respected the work nonprofit teams do. But being in the middle of it gave me a much deeper appreciation for how hard it is to get all of those elements right at the same time.  When an event runs smoothly, people assume it was simple. It wasn’t.

What I Learned About Fundraising on the Floor

Running an auction at this scale is a lot more complex than it looks. You’re trying to create an environment where donors feel energized, not frustrated; volunteers feel prepared, not overwhelmed; and the organization can actually maximize the moment. Balancing all three is what separates a good event from a great one.

One of the biggest lessons for me was how much the experience matters. Small moments—like how quickly someone can check in, place a bid, or check out—have an outsized impact on how people feel throughout the night. We focused heavily on removing friction by collecting more than 300 payment methods in advance and registering attendees ahead of time, which eliminated long lines and allowed the event to flow smoothly.

That attention to detail created momentum. When donors aren’t dealing with logistical headaches, they stay engaged. And engaged donors give.

Momentum Starts Before the Doors Open

Another big lesson: the event doesn’t start when people walk through the door. It starts days—or even weeks—earlier.

We opened the silent auction early and saw more than 1,000 bids placed before the event even began. By the time guests arrived, they weren’t figuring out how to participate—they were already in it. That early engagement created energy that carried through the night and pushed bids higher across the board.

It reinforced something I’ve seen across our customers as well: when you meet donors where they are and make it easy to engage early, you build momentum that compounds. Fundraising becomes less about a single ask and more about a connected experience.

Technology Should Remove Friction, Not Replace People

Using Bloomerang Fundraising’s auctions platform didn’t make the event feel less personal—it made it more engaging. Donors could track items, receive notifications, and jump back in when they were outbid, which turned passive attendees into active participants.

At the same time, the backend visibility helped our team stay agile. We could see what was working, spot items that needed attention, and adjust in real time. In a fast-moving event, that kind of visibility matters.

That’s how I think about technology in fundraising. It shouldn’t replace the human element. It should remove friction, increase participation, and give teams the tools to execute with confidence.

Sometimes the Biggest Barrier Isn’t Budget—It’s Mindset

If there’s one theme that kept coming up for me, it’s that many organizations limit themselves without realizing it. Not because they lack commitment, but because they’re operating inside assumptions they haven’t challenged in a while.

We made a series of decisions that challenged those assumptions. We invested in transforming the venue, expanded the bar setup to reduce lines, leaned into mobile bidding, and pushed harder on sponsorships. None of those decisions happened by accident. Each one required us to rethink cost, effort, and what donors actually expect from a great event.

On their own, those choices may seem small. Together, they created an experience that signaled this event—and this mission—mattered. That signal builds confidence. And confidence drives generosity.

Details Build Trust. Trust Drives Giving.

The most effective organizations I’ve encountered share a common trait: they sweat the details. Every interaction, every handoff, every decision has a purpose.

You can feel it in how donors are welcomed, how the experience flows, and how clearly the organization communicates impact. That creates trust that extends well beyond a single night.

I saw firsthand how powerful that is. When donors feel that level of care and thoughtfulness, they don’t just give more confidently—they engage more deeply. They become part of the mission, not just attendees at an event.

One Final Thought

This experience reinforced something we talk about often at Bloomerang: nonprofits don’t need to settle for “good enough.”

Great fundraising events don’t happen because people care more. They happen because teams remove friction, create momentum, and sweat the details. That’s what we saw firsthand at SPIRIT.

When the experience is smooth, donors stay engaged. When momentum starts before the doors open, energy builds. And when every detail signals professionalism, care, and purpose, trust grows.

That trust matters. Because donors don’t just respond to the mission — they respond to the experience around it.

Get those things right, and donors won’t just show up. They’ll show up bigger.

The post From the Auction Floor: What One Night Taught Me About Fundraising, Technology, and the Power of Going All In appeared first on Bloomerang.

With an expensive Live Auction item, how do you get multiple people to bid together on one item they will enjoy together? For example, the item may be an Aruba trip in a 3-bedroom condo.

– Don’t Want to Waste Best Items

Dear Don’t Want to Waste,

Kudos for planning ahead to maximize the revenue you receive from the auction items you worked so hard to secure. It can be frustrating and demoralizing (both for the folks who solicited the items and the folks who donated them) when items don’t fetch top value.

But, many charities may not have constituents capable of making the types of bids that would cover the full value of, say, a $7,500 vacation. Or, perhaps they are capable, but haven’t been paying attention or are not particularly interested. Part of your job is to capture bidder attention.

Pique bidders’ interest early and often

Underlying your question is this truth: Most people don’t make spur of the moment “big purchase” decisions. If the night of the auction is the first time they’re presented with an opportunity to buy a big trip (or any other big-ticket item), they just won’t be ready to come to this decision. Here’s how to help bidders get over the decision-making hump – before and during the auction.

Make bidding easily approachable

Selling a trip can be tricky. Aside from the price, most Americans don’t have a lot of vacation time. They may be skeptical the opportunity you’re offering is worth their investment. They think about not just the immediate cost, but also the lost opportunity cost (in other words, other possible places to which they could have traveled).

Make the opportunity sound “one-of-a-kind” wonderful

Spend some time crafting an enticing description of the item. Use strong verbs and adjectives (e.g., indulge, discover, explore, savor, escape, luxurious, exclusive, handcrafted, limited-edition, award-winning). If it’s been donated by one of your donors, learn what’s unique about the property and destination so you can promote it on your website, social media and pre-event emails. Perhaps it’s only available once annually. Or it comes with housekeeping, an add-on chef and use of a car. Or it’s the only property in the area with a private plunge pool, hot tub and direct beach access.

Explain a bit about the location and sights

Emphasize moments, not just logistics. You might talk about what the donors have suggested the winner will want to do there. “Rent a car so you can go explore these amazing locations.” “It’s 10 minutes from the airport. You’ll be on the beach, in the sand, in just a flash.” “The famed Sunday market in town is a stroll away – a great place for fresh produce and local art.”

Make it sound easy as pie to get there

Use a map in your pre-event messaging, and on poster boards and slide shows at the event. “This is where Aruba is located. There are direct flights from several local airports, including X, Y and Z. You can easily take a day trip to…”

Prepare your auctioneer with some extra content tidbits

For example, you can check YouTube videos and online travel platforms to offer up some facts about native flora and fauna, traditional food, local shopping and other alluring details that paint a picture bidders will want to enter into. “And, they also have the most amazing scuba diving where you can go to see fish you won’t see anyplace else!” “They have a 3-star Michelin restaurant that’s a destination on its own!”

Use your auction committee to plant the seeds – for donations and purchases

The best auctions have the advantage of a great volunteer committee behind them. Make your committee large enough you have plenty of folks who can both offer and solicit items. Be sure to hold several brainstorming sessions in advance of the event so members can piggyback ideas off of one another.

Brainstorm items

A successful auction is all about having items that will (1) fetch a good price, and (2) resonate with your particular audience. For silent auctions, restaurants, wine, theater and sports events tend to do well. But for live auctions, your items should be something it would be hard to purchase anyplace else. Experiences do the best: a spectacular vacation property; dinner for 8 cooked by a celebrity chef; box seats for the World Series; the opportunity to conduct the local symphony, and so forth.

I can recall a meeting where one committee member suggested she could donate a meal cooked in-home by her private chef. Then two other members said they could offer the same thing! This was followed by another member offering up a flight on their private jet! Who knew?

Brainstorm selling ideas

Spend some time spit-balling how you’ll entice bidders. This is where you might bring up the notion of several bidders joining together on an item. It’s possible several committee members who are friends may jump on this idea. Or they may have friends or family members to pitch it to. The key is to get potential bidders thinking about this in advance, so they have a plan for the night of the auction.

Marketing strategies to prepare your guests for bidding

1. Email marketing

Rather than linking to all items simultaneously, big ticket marketing works best when you highlight live auction items individually. Use an enticing subject line to inspire opens (e.g., “Enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime getaway.”). Link to your amazing description with pictures, testimonials, and even a video. You can even suggest: “This would be perfect for a family or friends getaway!”

2. Social media works

Storytelling is the best approach. For example, you can tell how excited you are to have just secured the exclusive summer home of Mr. and Mrs. Generous, who are offering up their amazing (“and this is what you have to look forward to”) Aruba condo. The more you do in advance, the more time interested folks have to talk their friends and family into joining them!

3. Event displays and descriptions

Use poster boards, or an interactive video screen, with a sensuous description and images. This also serves as entertainment for guests. Make sure you also have a printed program or handout. Different sources suggest items sell for 30% to 50% more when there are written descriptions at your tables. When people can see, hear, feel, taste and touch the item, it helps them trust they are making a good decision to bid on it.

4. Video on stage

During the selling process, it helps when folks can visually imagine themselves on the beach, at the pool, or sitting around the firepit. It gets them to care, so they’ll want to bid more – and continue bidding until they win!

Hopefully this will help you not waste all the benefits your item has to offer!

P.S. See more about What Elevates A Live Auction From Good To Great?

– Charity Clairity

The post How to Encourage Group Bidding on Expensive Nonprofit Auction Items? appeared first on Bloomerang.

Dear Charity Clairity,

What separates the “okay” live auction fundraisers from the great? Is it the auction items themselves? Or something like the food, speakers, or something else?

— Seeking the Secret Sauce

Dear Seeking,

Many people assume a standout live auction is all about landing the right big-ticket items. But in reality, the difference between an “okay” auction and a great one rarely comes down to any single component. The real secret is planning, planning, planning — thoughtfully designing every element well in advance so they reinforce one another and build toward a cohesive, high-energy experience. When an event is carefully orchestrated from start to finish, the whole becomes far greater than the sum of its parts. Items matter, yes. But their impact depends on the emotional arc, pacing, mission moments, and energy you’ve set up long before the auctioneer takes the stage.

The real driver: energy and engagement

The biggest difference between a mediocre auction and a great one is something you can’t put on a spreadsheet: the energy in the room. Great planning creates the conditions for that energy to build and stay high. This will dictate the final numbers far more than the specific prizes up for bid. A moderately appealing package can spark spirited competition when the room is buzzing; conversely, even a dazzling trip or once-in-a-lifetime experience can fall flat if the energy is low.

This emotional temperature is shaped long before the auctioneer hits the stage. Guests are forming expectations and readiness to participate. Strong events start priming attendees early — with engaging preview materials, fun teases of the top items, a warm welcome at check-in, mingling at the reception, and well-placed “teaser” moments that plants anticipation. “Okay” auctions just hope guests arrive in a giving mood. Great ones nurture and shape that mood in advance.

The auction as theater: flow, pacing, and production

A live auction is fundamentally a theatrical performance. The auctioneer is the narrator, but the nonprofit is the producer. And great producers understand pacing, tension, and release. Three ingredients matter most:

1. Curate a tight list of items

The first auction I ever held as a fundraiser had so many items, the guests were either asleep by the end or were completely tuned out and talking to each other. Nothing saps energy faster than offering too many items. Once you pass about seven or eight, the room’s energy dips and bidders fatigue. Great live auctions are intentionally brief and punchy. Keep them to no more than one hour to keep people’s attention and energy high. If you’re adding the auction to an already existing event, keep the live auction component between 10 and 30 minutes. Choose every item to appeal to your specific audience, not to reflect what donors happen to give you. So, think about what might do well with your audience. A flight on a private jet might appeal to only one or two in your crowd, whereas a private meeting, consultation or behind-the-scenes visit with a VIP (e.g., a teacher, doctor, actor, sports figure, politician or financial wizard) might engender lively bidding and big bucks.

2. Sequence for momentum

Order matters. The opener sets the tone—something light and fun is ideal. Middle items should be your strongest, because that’s when attention peaks. And closing items should either be communal and joyful (like a dessert dash or group experience) or serve as a bridge to a Fund-a-Need. Great auctions feel like a rising arc, not a series of disconnected moments.

3. Treat production like an investment

Lighting, sound, and staging play an important role. Don’t wait until the last minute to think about them! Guests must be able to clearly hear the auctioneer, see the screens, and understand the bidding increments. A strong professional auctioneer who knows how to read the room is worth their fee ten times over. Don’t skimp here. I once ran an auction using a lovely volunteer who was great in rehearsal, then had too much to drink during the event. It was a disaster, with the crowds’ energy shifting to simply be embarrassed for her. A volunteer auctioneer almost never has the professionalism, rhythm, timing, or room-reading skill required. Just make sure to prepare them so they can simultaneously elevate competition while staying aligned with mission messaging.

Mission moments: the heartbeat of the event

One of your most powerful planning decisions is where, and how, to place your mission in the program flow. People bid more generously when they feel emotionally connected to the cause. A well-crafted mission moment (e.g., a short video, personal story, or brief speech from someone impacted) can transform bidding from a “fun purchase” into an opportunity to make a difference. And when timed correctly, it sets up a successful Fund-a-Need conclusion to your event. When the mission is centered, bidders feel proud of their generosity. And proud generosity fuels bidding wars.

Food, speakers, and ambience: the amplifiers

These supporting elements matter, as they either support or sabotage your carefully planned energy arc.

Food

You don’t need a Michelin-star menu, but you do need efficient service. Long gaps between courses, slow wine pours, or awkward table logistics can deaden energy and cool the temperature in the room. Your seating chart matters too. Put people together who will enjoy each other’s company.

Speakers

Short is powerful. Long, wandering remarks drain energy. Great events coach speakers to be concise, heartfelt, and mission-focused. Give speakers a time limit, and rehearse them beforehand.

Venue and layout

Too much distance from the stage, too many obstructed views, or a long, cavernous room dilutes engagement. Lighting that feels too bright or too dim shifts the emotional tone. Small details accumulate into big effects.

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts

When a live auction underperforms, the reasons are usually predictable:

• Too many items
• Weak program flow or poor timing
• Lack of emotional buildup
• Volunteer auctioneers instead of professionals
• Mission moments that fail to connect
• Technical or production issues
• Guests who aren’t primed for generosity

The most successful auctions work because someone took the time to intentionally choreograph the entire experience. The thoughtful integration of all these elements is the real secret sauce.

— Charity Clairity (Please use a pseudonym if you prefer to be anonymous when you submit your own question, like “Seeking the Secret Sauce” did.)

How does your organization elevate a live auction? Let us know in the comments.

The post What Elevates A Live Auction From Good To Great? appeared first on Bloomerang.

Because these events have significant fundraising potential, you must ensure they go off without a hitch. That’s where silent auction software comes in handy. Silent auction software is a type of nonprofit software that helps these organizations procure items, map out event layouts, manage checkouts, and conduct other essential planning activities.

At Bloomerang Fundraising, we’ve seen firsthand the positive impact that the right silent auction software can make. For one elementary school, effective software meant the difference between cancelling an annual fundraising event and raising almost one-third of its annual revenue goal in a single night, while a humane society was able to double its gala auction funds year over year.

To narrow down your search for the right tools, we’ve rounded up the top silent auction software solutions and best practices. We’ll explore:

• Top silent auction software solutions for nonprofits
• Features to look for in silent auction software
• How to choose the right software for your silent auction
• How to get started with Bloomerang Fundraising

The post 15 Top Silent Auction Software Picks Compared appeared first on Bloomerang.

Silent auctions are a great fundraising event format if you want a unique way to engage your donors. These highly interactive experiences allow your nonprofit ample time to engage with supporters face-to-face.

This guide covers the following tips and steps to help you run a successful silent auction:

• What is a silent auction? 
• Why should your nonprofit host a silent auction?
• 10 steps to run a silent auction

First, let’s define exactly what a silent auction entails to give you a better understanding of how these events work.

Final thoughts

Planning an auction is hard work, but as a special event that engages and excites your guests, the payoff is well worth it. If you’re looking for even more tips to help you host a successful event, here are a few blog posts to check out:

• The Ultimate Nonprofit Event Planning Checklist for Success. Use this additional event planning checklist for any nonprofit event your organization hosts.
• 100 Themed Silent Auction Basket Ideas for Fundraisers. Review effective auction basket ideas in this comprehensive roundup.
• Elevating Nonprofit Events: A Strategic Guide To Guest Curation. Find out how strategically curating your guest list can significantly elevate your nonprofit’s events.

The post How to run a silent auction: 10 simple steps for success appeared first on Bloomerang.