Charity Auction Planner

DoJiggy has created this Charity Auction Planner to help make your fundraising auction a success. This timeline is designed for online to live format auctions, but can be tailored to meet any organization's needs. The most important thing is to start early and remember to build on your organization's previous relationships and successes.

In addition to this Charity Auction Timeline, please see our other Charity Auction resources. The complete set includes: a fundraising auction budget, charity auction bid sheets for your silent auctions, silent and live auction quick tips, a set of customizable standard charity auction document templates, as well as no-risk auction items for your online charity auction with DoJiggy. All of these resources can be easily modified for your organization's ideas and needs. For further information about our auction and special event software, visit www.dojiggy.com

First Steps

Appoint an Auction Chair & key volunteers/staff/Board members who will serve on the auction steering committee. The more dedicated committee members you can find at this stage of your event, the more successful your auction will be.
Review previous years' event history and resources, if available. Be sure to learn from the lessons of the past.
Set your auction objectives.
Start an auction file where you will store all relevant data for your event, for reference in the future. Be sure the steering committee members know to save all important documentation and resources for the future.

9 to 12 Months Prior to Your Auction

Decide on your auction timeline - including the online auction start date, length of the online auction, and live auction event date.
Begin searching for an appropriate event venue. Consider event capacity, location, costs, insurance, parking, and catering options.
Make a list of potential corporate & community sponsors, and assign a committee member to follow-up with each.
Ask your organization's Board of Directors to seek corporate sponsors & potential items for donation.
Contact DoJiggy to sign up for a free 14 day trial of our DoJiggy Auction software.
Begin the auction procurement process - contact potential donors such as hotels, restaurants, and local merchants. (Use the DoJiggy potential donor template letter)
Create sponsorship packages & sponsor recruitment materials. Be sure to emphasize to the sponsor the visibility they will receive by being a part of your auction event.
Create a preliminary auction budget (using the DoJiggy budget provided), with realistic goals for your event - including sponsorship sales, event registrations (determine what you will charge), and auction goals.
Continue building your organization's DoJiggy website and determine registration payment methods.

5 to 8 Months Prior to Your Auction

Your venue should be secured. Complete paperwork, as necessary.
Begin looking for a catering service, if needed.
Launch your DoJiggy website.
Create & print promotional materials such as fliers and formal event invitations.
Mail Save the Date postcards and/or advertise directly to your donors & constituents, via your website, newsletters, etc.
Begin the process to advertise your event as widely as possible - possible channels include TV, radio, newspapers, on-line calendars & community websites, fliers, and more. Consider engaging an advertising/ PR firm to help, if your budget allows.
Secure tables, chairs, linens, sound system, decorations and any other rentals for your live event.
Place holds on DoJiggy No Risk Auction Items.
Determine logistics of your live event - auctioneer, emcee, entertainment, sound, celebrity host, volunteers, etc. Sign contracts, as needed.
Recruit a local celebrity host for your event, if possible.
Continue work to secure auction sponsorships.

3 to 4 Months Prior to Your Auction

Begin taking on-line registrations & auction bids on your DoJiggy website.
Prepare your event menu with your catering company - be sure to provide for vegetarian and other special request meals for your guests.
Escalate your auction procurement - all donations should be secured in this period. Purchase any remaining items needed or place holds on DoJiggy No Risk Auction Items.
Mail personal invitations to your donors & constituents.
Select and order awards, if you will be honoring constituents/Board members/staff at your event.
Begin taking on-line volunteer registrations on your DoJiggy website. You may need volunteers for event registration, greeters, parking assistance/valet parking, auction runners, auction check-out, decoration & set-up and event clean up.
Continue with advertising & event PR campaign.
Determine all technical details for your live event check-out process. If you will require auction payment terminals to process final bids at the event, reserve them with Dharma Merchant Services or your provider.

1 to 2 Months Prior to Your Auction

Prepare the event program & timeline.
Find clients or presenters to talk about their experience with your organization and how it has impacted them positively. This could be done with a PowerPoint or slide show for maximum impact.
Assign your auction items to live and silent auction categories, create a schedule for the live auction items.
Host a volunteer training session, so that your event day volunteers know what to expect. If possible, host the meeting at your event venue and provide a tour to your volunteers.
Finalize volunteer schedule & responsibilities.
Finalize and print the auction catalog and event program.
Continue with advertising & event PR campaign.
Order or create your bid paddles.

1 to 2 Weeks Prior to Your Auction

Confirm final guest count and special meal requests with your catering company.
Prepare catalog and product information for your auctioneer.
Finalize all technical details for on-line access, payments at event, etc.
Organize all auction items, putting together packages, baskets and displays for your live event.
Finish all administrative registrations in your DoJiggy system & assign individual guests to open tables.
Meet with emcee and/or presenters to review the event timeline & program. Prepare a script for each presenter.

48 Hours Prior to Your Auction

Close your online auction bidding.
Print DoJiggy bid sheets for your live event, these will include the highest online bid, item number, etc. Separate the bid sheets for your silent & live auctions.
Deliver your auction items, decorations, signs, goody bags and any other event materials to the venue.
If the venue is available, set up decorations, tables, podium, sound system, etc. for your event early.
Finish all administrative registrations in your DoJiggy system & assign individual guests to open tables.
Assign bid numbers to all registered guests who have not registered to bid on-line.
Assign bid paddles for each participant, using the participant bid numbers from your DoJiggy Auction system, for easy check-out.
Print your DoJiggy registration report & any other reports that you would like to take to the event.

Show Time!

Arrive early for registration & auction set-up. Bring reports, payment terminals & any remaining items to the event venue.
Hang instructional signs for registration, parking, auction check-out, rest rooms, etc.
Be sure volunteers are in place early & trained for each position. Assign greeters to welcome guests.
Recognize and thank your event sponsors.

Immediately Following Your Auction

Organize an auction wrap up meeting with the entire auction committee to critique the event and update your auction files with suggestions for next year's event. This should be done within a week to 10 days of the event, so that everything is fresh in the committee's minds.
Purchase DoJiggy No Risk Auction Items for delivery direct to winning bidders.
Complete all financials - determine actual monies raised, make final payments on any open invoices, etc.
Send thank you notes to all event sponsors & volunteers, detailing the amount raised for your organization.
Update your DoJiggy website with event pictures, thank yous, and special moments from your live auction.

Copyright © 2011 DoJiggy, LLC. All rights reserved.
The content on this web page may be reproduced in hard copy for non-profit distribution or linked only if DoJiggy LLC is acknowledged as the source of material.
Content may NOT be copied to other web sites.