Auctions turn routine fundraising into an engaging community event, while also raising significantly more money. High-bid items include:
- Teacher Experience Packages
- Vacation Packages
- Sports Memorabilia
- Community Services
- Personalized Items
- Artwork
- Gift Baskets
- Virtual Experiences
- Movie Night Package
- No-Cost School Auction Experiences
- Private School Auction Ideas
Run everything smoothly using DoJiggy’s free platform for simple online bidding, text-to-bid, and mobile payments.
Catalog sales, candy drives, and many other major school auction fundraisers have long failed to make an impression among parents. What parents, neighbors, and even teachers once viewed as a fun community event has become a dull obligation to them.
And it’s exceptionally hard to persuade an uninspired group to open their wallets for the same predictable events year after year.
A school auction fundraiser should bring back real excitement. And with unique items up for bid and DoJiggy’s free, donor-friendly auction platform, you can turn a quiet crowd into active bidders and raise money fast.
11 Best auction items for school fundraisers
When hosting a school auction, the key to success is all in the items. So, if you’re planning a school auction fundraiser and looking for exciting and unique auction items to entice potential bidders, look no further!
Here are some excellent auction item ideas for school fundraisers that will surely make your event a success.
1. Teacher experience packages
Ask your teachers to donate a unique experience like a field trip, pizza party, or game day with the teacher as auction items. These items will encourage parents to bid higher and support their children’s school.
2. Vacation packages
Offer a fun getaway for families with exciting vacation packages like a weekend away, a staycation at a local hotel, or a family-friendly theme park vacation package.
3. Sports memorabilia
Sports enthusiasts will love the chance to bid on autographed sports items such as footballs, jerseys, and baseballs. Reach out to local sports teams or famous athletes for donations.
4. Community services
Unique services from local community members can be a hit at your school auction fundraiser. Consider reaching out to talented individuals in your community who are willing to donate their time and expertise to offer services like free piano lessons, knitting or other crafts lessons, or even a handyman for a day.
5. Personalized items
Unique, one-of-a-kind personalized items with the student’s name or school logo can make a great auction item. Items such as t-shirts, water bottles, and backpacks are great examples of personalized items that can be included in the auction.
6. Artwork
Artwork created by students, teachers, or local artists can make excellent auction items. Consider including paintings, sculptures, or other pieces of art in your auction.
7. Gift baskets
Create unique and themed gift baskets to auction off at the event. Some great ideas include a spa basket, a foodie basket, or a gardening basket.
We’ve seen school auctions where each classroom is in charge of a themed gift basket, and all of the students bring in something to add to the basket. The possibilities are endless!
8. Virtual experiences
In the current climate, virtual experiences are all the rage. Consider auctioning off virtual cooking classes, virtual wine tastings, or virtual workout sessions.
9. Movie night package
Create a fun and relaxing night in with a movie night package. Include items such as a projector, popcorn machine, and blankets.
10. No-cost school auction experiences
Think outside the box and consider no-cost auction items like Principal for a Day or Lunch with the Superintendent. These items can be a great way to involve the school administration in the event, and the amount schools can raise on unique offerings like this may surprise you.
11. Private school auction ideas
If you’re hosting a fundraiser for a private school, consider offering exclusive items like a VIP parking spot or front-row seats at school events.
These are just a few auction item ideas for school fundraisers that are sure to attract bidders and raise funds for your school. Be creative and think about items that will appeal to your audience. With the right items and marketing strategy, your school auction can be a great success!
Procuring school auction items
Find strong auction items by reaching out to local businesses, celebrities, and community networks for donations. Great items attract more bidders and boost fundraising.
If donations fall short, consider buying items on consignment. Unique items purchased at nonprofit or discounted rates can sometimes raise more than donated items alone.
Vacation packages at special nonprofit rates are one option that can help schools raise thousands.
We offer one-of-a-kind vacation packages at special nonprofit rates. These packages can help your school raise thousands at your next school auction fundraiser.
How to price items and set starting bids
Striking the right balance between starting price and the perceived value of your item, it further encourages more involved early bidding.
Setting the right prices encourages early bidding while protecting the value of your items.
- Determine fair market value (FMV): Find the realistic retail price for every item or basket.
- Set opening bids at 30% to 50% of FMV: Opening bids should feel like a bargain to kickstart bidding early.
- Set bid increments at 10% of FMV: Keep bid jumps simple (e.g., $5, $10, or $25 increases) so bidders can compete easily.
- Use reserve prices on consignment items: Always set the minimum bid above the consignment cost, so your school never loses money.
What is the best format for a school auction?
There are 3 ways to auction items: via an online charity auction, live auction, or silent auction. All three types of auctions can be very successful school fundraisers, and you don’t have to limit yourself to just one option.
Instead, consider combining an online auction with a live event to create a more unique and exciting event.
Online auctions
Auctions are a convenient and effective way for schools to fundraise. Auctions can be stand-alone events or held in conjunction with an actual event, allowing for wider accessibility to bidders. Online auctions enable organizations to provide information about their cause and each item up for bid, including:
- Product images
- Starting bids
- Detailed descriptions
- Item values
- Reserve amounts
- Bid increments
- Links to donor web pages and much more
Not only do online auctions allow more people to participate, but they also give those unable to attend a live event a chance to bid on items.
To make it easier for bidders to access the online auction, use QR codes and custom URLs for each auction item.
Live auctions
A live auction is another great option for a school fundraiser. Live auctions require top-quality auction items, or they’ll fall flat. They’re also the most labor-intensive, and you may need to hire an auctioneer. You’ll need additional staff to:
- Assist with assigning bid cards to participants
- Create the auction booklet
- Process payments after the event
In a live auction, you’ll want to gather your attendees in an atrium-like setting to showcase auction items and take bids. A live auction is often best utilized in combination with another event, such as a charity gala or fundraising golf outing where people are already in a festive mood.
Silent auctions
A silent auction is similar to a live auction; however, there’s no need for an auctioneer. Items are displayed on tables with a sign-up sheet or QR code for supporters to bid on throughout the event.
The minimum bid and raise amounts should be noted if the silent auction is a paper event. Bids are closed at a specific time with announcements that bidding is ending to encourage one last round of bidding.
Once closed, the winning bidder is notified and can collect their items. If the silent auction is managed online, payments are handled there.
Remember, whatever format you choose for your school auction fundraiser, make it fun and memorable.
Using DoJiggy’s zero-fee auction platform for your school auction
A well-run school auction fundraiser brings your community together and helps to meet your expectations. Strike a balance between teacher experiences, gift baskets, and local services to create an event that parents, teachers, and neighbors will look forward to.
Choose the auction format that best fits your school, keep setup simple with DoJiggy, and give your school community a fun way to make a difference.
Auctions have a lot of moving parts. Be sure to use fundraising auction software that makes the grade!
FAQs for school auction fundraisers
Popular ideas include school auction fundraisers, read-a-thons, fun runs, spirit wear sales, and themed gift basket raffles. Auctions and read-a-thons tend to deliver the highest profit margins for PTAs and PTOs.
The easiest items to sell are digital gift cards, custom school merchandise (T-shirts, water bottles), discount cards for local businesses, and pre-packaged cookie dough or popcorn.
Low-effort ideas include restaurant donation nights (dine-out nights), digital coupon book sales, no-cost auction experiences (like Principal for a Day), and online donation campaigns using social media links.
To run a school auction fundraiser, start by picking a format like online, silent, or live. Next, collect donated items from teachers and local businesses, list them on DoJiggy, and share the link through social media. Finally, collect payments online and deliver the items.
In live auctions, the 3-minute rule limits bidding on each item to three minutes to keep the event fast and exciting. In online auctions, it automatically adds three extra minutes whenever someone bids right before time runs out.
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