What Not to Do at a School Auction

Especially for private schools, there are many ways to gain profits and earn enough funds for different school activities and events.  All fundraising programs come with great fun and excitement, but one that is most profitable is a school auction.  The success of school auction projects relies on proper planning and organizing.  If you see a school auction as one of the most effective possibilities of raising funds, be sure to plan ahead of time to give you sufficient time to make it more successful.

To make your event more upscale and highly innovative, the planning committee must develop wise, creative concepts that can inject excitement into your fundraising auction.  Well of course, there are better ways of improving this particular activity each year, and bringing it to the top of your list will not just make it memorable but also a complete sell-out.

There are many things that you should do such as planning, organizing, and running the auction on the day itself. However, there is also a list of important things that you should NOT do for a school auction:

Do not make hasty decisions.

Make sure you recruit and gather strong, efficient volunteers that can help you deal with different issues and challenges.  Do not underestimate the tasks you have to do. Learn to delegate and involve every participating member, even the less experienced helpers, to make the load much easier and lighter.

Do not forget to send solicitation and invite sponsors as early as possible.

They are the most important persons in the school auction and informing them early can help your team gather plenty of donations that will be used for whatever purpose it may serve.

Do not bypass the significance of every individual in your school-students, family, teachers.

All of them can provide contributions like making baskets of artworks, donating old stuff, and promoting the fundraising auction to friends and relatives.  The marketing part usually depends on them so you have to encourage and challenge each one to engage in the activity.

Do not overprice the value of the items.

Once you have gathered all the items for bidding, it is important that you consider the value of each, without overpricing.  Make the audience feel comfortable in making a donation, even from the very start of the auction.  Do not make it appear that everything on the counter is available to those who are high bidders exclusively. Remember that not everyone in the crowd can afford it.  If there are many expensive items, however, do not pile them one on top of each other. The same goes for the lower-priced items.  That is why the auctioneer should know how to offer a variety of values throughout the event so everyone gets the chance to take part and enjoy.

Do not overlap two or three fundraising projects in one day.

Your school may be after huge profits; nevertheless, this will distract and divide the bidders' attention compromising the school auction project.

Do not forget those who helped and participated in the school auction.

After an exhausting, yet successful activity, it is mandatory that you do not forget to thank the sponsors, donors, and those who willfully offered their dedication to make the day meaningful possible.