Silent auctions can help you raise significant funds for your cause – but only if your auction items are top-notch and appeal to your audience. In this article, we’ll look at the best way to request silent auction donations. We’ll also share a sample letter and email you can use to request the perfect items for your next auction.
There’s a reason silent auctions are such a popular fundraising tactic. Whether you add a silent auction to your annual gala or host one online, silent auctions are easy to organize, cost-effective, and lucrative.
However, it’s not always easy to find the best auction items. That’s where your supporters and community partners come in. Silent auction donation requests can help you score excellent items from existing and new donors and partners who wish to support your auction.
Read on to learn more about silent auction donation requests and how to receive the best auction items possible.
First, let’s understand how silent auctions work. In-person silent auctions typically involve items displayed on tables with bid sheets so your supporters can “silently” write down their bids. The highest bidder at the end of the auction period wins the item. Guests typically pay for their auction wins using a cashless donation kiosk, cash, or checks.
Silent auctions can also take place asynchronously online, where participants may make bids from anywhere over a certain period of time. This allows people from all over the world to take part in your auction! Typically, online silent auctions include items that don’t require shipping, such as experiences and gift cards. Winners will pay their bids using an online system.
Silent auctions are fun ways to raise more for your cause. They are especially beneficial when the majority of your auction items are donated by supporters – meaning your organization receives all of the proceeds!
But in order to receive these auction item donations, you must first do one important thing – ask! Follow these best practices to ensure your next silent auction donation request is a success.
The best silent auction donation request will be well-researched, thoughtful, and relevant. Researching prospective silent auction item donors helps you identify who among your list is most likely to give – and what they have to offer.
For example, you wouldn’t want to ask a restaurant to donate gift cards if they have a no-gift card policy listed on their website.
Making smarter silent auction donation requests will make them more likely to get answered, maximizing your team’s time.
A general request letter won’t cut it when it comes to silent auctions. This is because you aren’t just asking for a dollar amount – you’re asking for an item.
When you reach out to businesses, you should suggest a specific auction item. For example, you might contact your local minor league baseball team and request season tickets. This saves them time deliberating over donating and streamlines the process of getting it approved.
When it comes to asking individuals like board members for silent auction donations, you are welcome to get slightly less specific. However, you should still provide clear guidelines for what you can and cannot accept. You might accept used heirloom jewelry as an auction item, for example, while used shoes might not be the best choice.
Some of your silent auction donation requests are bound to be cold calls to people or businesses you don’t already have a relationship with – and this can provide a great opportunity to broaden your network of supporters.
However, leveraging your existing relationships for your donation requests will save you time and help you bring in more valuable gifts. Your corporate and community partners are a great place to start. You know that they already support your mission and should thus be more willing to support your silent auction with an item donation.
Pro tip: Meeting a local celebrity or politician is a great silent auction item. If you have an existing relationship with anyone who has a recognizable name, ask if they would be willing to share a meal with your auction winners. These types of experiences can bring in significant bids for your organization!
The most successful silent auction items are unique – something your supporters can get nowhere else. To get items like this, you need to get creative with your donation requests!
Think outside of the box to find donors who may be able to provide you with exceptional items.
Pro tip: You can also get creative with the way you make your request! If you have a physical space, you can invite prospective silent auction donors to tour your space and learn more about your mission before you make the ask.
Afraid that you’re requesting items that are too small on their own? Increase the value of your requests by creating a bundle or basket.
Curate themed baskets or bundles ahead of time and work those into your request. For example, if you’re putting together a date night bundle, you can reach out to restaurants requesting items that would fit that theme, like a gift card or chef’s menu experience.
Check out these silent auction basket ideas for some inspiration!
As with event sponsorships, silent auction donations are a chance for businesses in your community to receive recognition for supporting your important cause.
Highlighting this benefit in your silent auction donation requests is a great way to bring in more item donations. Just be sure to follow through on any recognition promises you make, like adding logos to your event materials.
Additionally, silent auction donations are considered in-kind donations. Therefore, they have tax benefits! Pointing this out in your request is a great way to incentivize giving.
While the traditional way to request silent auction donations has been to send a letter, there are a few key benefits to online donation requests.
First and foremost, planning a silent auction can be time-consuming if you aren’t careful. Sending online donation requests is often easier for you and your staff. No need to print materials, address envelopes, and go to the mail machine – you’re just sending an email.
Plus, emailed donation requests are often easier to follow up on. If you send a letter, it’s hard to know exactly when it will arrive, and you don’t want to follow up too soon.
Not everyone you solicit for a silent auction donation will have items to give. This could be because they don’t have anything relevant or simply aren’t able to help at that level right now. You should always offer an alternative way for them to support you via a link to your donation form.
With Donorbox, you can create as many campaigns as you need to keep track of your donations, including those for auction items! Simply build a new campaign and add a link to your Donorbox-hosted fundraising page to your silent auction donation requests. You can also choose to embed the form onto a page of your website.
Learn more about getting started with Donorbox in this blog.
You don’t want your mailed donation requests to get too long. But you also want to ensure you share enough information about your organization and your event.
Online silent auction donation requests allow you to link to essential pages of your website, where you can provide items like your annual report that give context about your activities.
Your goal should be to make your donors’ lives as easy as possible. With an online donation request, donors can easily respond via email. You can also set up an online form through Google Forms or another forms service to collect their information.
This will also keep you organized – which is crucial during a busy auction-planning season!
Whether you decide to send your requests online or through the mail, here are two sample silent auction donation requests to inspire you.
Dear [Donor],
Thank you for your support at our Spring Fling Gala last year [link to website page or blog about last year’s event]! We raised $70,000 to fund our [program name]. Through this program, we provided over 10,000 hours of after-school care for kids in need [link to annual report].
This year, we’ve decided to add a silent auction to the festivities to raise even more and do even more good. In addition to dining, music, and comedy, our attendees can bid on exciting items from around the country.
We’re writing to see if you’re willing to donate an auction item to support our mission. I have been such a fan of your art for years, and I know a piece from your collection would be an irresistible item for our guests to bid on.
All auction item donations are tax deductible as an in-kind gift. To learn more about in-kind giving, click here [link to your website or elsewhere].
If you can’t donate an item at this time but still wish to support our mission, you may do so on this donation form [link to donation form or page].
We hope you consider supporting us again this year. Please feel free to reach out with any questions. I hope to hear from you soon!
[Signature and contact information]
[Recipient’s name and address]
[Date]
Dear [Business Owner’s Name],
We’re collecting items for our annual silent auction and were hoping you would consider donating [item] for our supporters to bid on.
At [Organization Name], our mission is to [mission]. We accomplished this last year by providing over 10,000 hours of after-school care for children in our area!
As a silent auction donor, your business will receive the following benefits:
If you can’t donate at this time but still wish to support our mission, you can do so by scanning the QR code at the bottom of this letter.
We know how much our bidders would love your [item]! Please consider supporting us.
Thank you,
[Signature]
Silent auctions are a fantastic way to bring in donations for your cause. They can be inexpensive and easy to run as long as you can get the best items donated!
Ultimately, you should take the same strategy with silent auction donation requests as you would a typical donation appeal. Be courteous, urgent, and clear in your call to action. Use the best practices outlined above to target your communications and get the best possible items donated for your silent auction.
Looking for more tips and fundraising know-how? Check out the rest of our Nonprofit Blog. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the best of the blog delivered right to your inbox.
Lindsey spent years wearing many hats in the nonprofit world. Whether she was helping arts nonprofits with their messaging and content, planning a fundraising gala, writing an NEA grant proposal, or running a membership program with over 400 members, she learned how to navigate – and appreciate! – the fast-paced world of fundraising. Now, she loves sharing those hard-earned lessons with the Donorbox community.
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Lindsey Baker Bower