Silent auctions are a great way to raise more money for your organization, whether you host one on its own or as part of a fundraising event. But coming up with basket ideas that will make people want to bid can sometimes feel impossible. If you're low on creativity for your next silent auction, we have you covered with 25 simple but incredibly effective silent auction basket ideas.
Silent auctions are money makers, but coming up with unique and themed silent basket ideas isn’t always easy. When you reach out to companies or businesses, most provide you with gift certificates or single items. From there, putting together the best silent auction baskets to entice audiences and raise money is often a frightful task for nonprofits. Not anymore!
In this article, we discuss the best ideas for silent auction baskets that you can easily implement to raise money with your next silent auction event.
But first, let’s see how you can create the best silent auction basket for your nonprofit.
Supporters are always looking for ways they can help. One area nonprofits must use volunteers in is finding silent auction basket items.
Most of your supporters have personal relationships with local businesses and individuals. These relationships can bring in unique and worthwhile gifts you won’t be able to find on your own.
When planning your next silent auction event, be sure to ask members of your event committee to create a list of potential in-kind donors and split the list, so each member has a few companies to solicit. If a specific volunteer has a connection with a company, let them make the ask.
Silent auction baskets are all about themes. Nonprofits need to create themed baskets that match their audience. If your event is a gala and most guests are professionals, your silent auction baskets may need to have a higher value. Themes like travel, spa days, and wine lovers will inspire higher donations. If you’re holding a family-friendly event, movies, and parent’s night-out-themed baskets will be more popular.
When soliciting silent auction baskets, your nonprofit is likely to receive more than a few items that don’t seem to fit. This does not mean you should throw these items away or put them on a dusty shelf to ignore.
Silent auction baskets are all about creativity. A pair of gloves or a small toy won’t fetch much on its own, but if you combine it with something else, it’ll increase the value or design of the basket. Try combining these small items to create a unique and fun basket of its own.
Nonprofits host silent auctions to raise money. It can feel disheartening when a basket doesn’t bring in as much as it’s worth. But it’s even worse when it makes less than you paid. Minimum bids are a must-have for all silent auction baskets. Plus, donors are not always well informed about the worth of all silent auction items.
Be sure to share the minimum bid online when you promote the basket to ensure guests bring enough for the item they want.
Now that you’ve collected in-kind donations from local businesses and individual donors, it’s time to create themed baskets that fit your event audience.
The first basket on this list may seem odd, but this type of basket can start a bidding war with the right donor base. If you live in a city with a popular professional or college sports team, a basket that includes the gear and clothing of the team can really generate excitement. Gear baskets can also benefit people interested in the sport even if they don’t love the team.
Check out the online campaign below and their silent auction gift baskets. Their event included a silent auction with a variety of baskets and items. They used Donorbox Events to sell tickets, which allowed them to manage their event by setting ticket limits, deadlines, and more!
Golf baskets, like team baskets, are worth more because of people’s passion for golf. Nonprofits must have a golf basket if they’re holding a golf outing or other male-dominated event. Items that increase the value of a golf basket include:
If you’ve received a foursome gift certificate from a private club, you may want to auction this item by itself. Donors pay more for private clubs and don’t need all the extras.
Travel baskets are an excellent option for any event. Luxury travel items will raise significant amounts. Family-friendly events are also ideal places for travel baskets.
Travel baskets can include:
Who doesn’t love a day at the beach or pool? An affordable summer fun basket is one that your donors can use at the beach. Include a gift certificate or two for lunch and summer accessories along with other summer needs like:
Movie baskets are another popular silent basket idea. Movie tickets aren’t cheap, so gift certificates for a family of four will catch your donors’ eyes. Add a few other items to this basket, and you may earn a hundred dollars or more.
Gift certificates for Netflix, Amazon, or other streaming services are equally exciting for families these days. Especially people with young children would love these baskets.
Most women love a spa day. That’s why spa baskets remain a common and popular theme. If you’ve received a spa gift certificate, you must create a basket to produce even higher revenue. Donors will bid on a quality basket (with/without a gift certificate) if it contains a few high-end items:
Wine lovers are always looking for a new wine type or company to try. A basket for wine lovers should include a few wine options along with quality wine glasses and corkscrew.
Here are a few other items you can add:
Beer has become even trendier than wine. A specific crowd highly seeks outings to ale houses and breweries. Beer lovers will pay a lot for a basket with the right stuff. Remember to use higher-quality food items when creating your basket.
Have you noticed how many van lifers and car campers there are on YouTube? Some of the more popular camping sites have millions of followers. Camping has always been popular, but the trend is growing and doesn’t show signs of stopping.
Camping baskets are an excellent option for couples, families, and young singles. Here are a few things you can add to a camping basket:
If your nonprofit is into creativity and art, dance or music, etc., your creative supporters will be drawn to a basket highlighting their passions. Art baskets can include items like:
Most foodies want to try new and unique recipes and mouth-watering snacks. Nonprofits can have a lot of fun with this theme and create an exceptional basket that matches their mission, location, or donor base. US-based nonprofits raising funds for another country can make a basket with gift certificates to try out different cuisines.
Some suggested items include:
People spend hundreds, even thousands, of dollars on their pets. Nonprofits with animal-focused missions should always include a pet basket in their silent auction. Depending on your organization’s mission and donor base, your pet basket should include:
We love how The Catcade sold tickets to their prom event, which included a silent auction featuring a cat toy basket.
Pop culture is constantly changing, but some movies, TV shows, games, and celebrities stick around. Star Wars and Marvel followers will wait in line for hours to get the latest toy or movie ticket. Some highly popular pop culture items can include:
Game night is a family tradition. Whether your family loves Monopoly, Trivia, or Pictionary, the time spent with loved ones is what really counts. Game night baskets can include:
These baskets do really well for family events involving parents and young kids.
Some people would rather play outside than in. These individuals are drawn to adventure and jump at the chance to try something new. If your event audience is younger, you may want to include an adventure basket targeted to their desire for experiences.
Adventure baskets can contain gift certificates for skydiving or ziplines, or they can focus on exploring your local china town and learning a new culture. It depends on the kind of gifts you can acquire from businesses for the event as well as how much donors will be willing to spend.
Techies are another group of passionate individuals. Bluetooth and Apple items will always bring in a crowd. Your tech basket should combine a few high-priced items with lower-cost fun tech toys and appeal to older and younger tech gurus.
Cigars may bring memories of your grandfather and his buddies to mind, but many young men are drawn to the cigar culture and everything it involves. Cigar baskets can combine a few different cigars with a bottle of hard alcohol. Other items you can include in the basket are:
You’d think the cost of gas prices would eliminate America’s love of cars, but the car culture keeps going strong. Anyone who loves cars knows they take a lot of care.
Car baskets that include air fresheners, polish, polishing cloths, floor mat sets, and oil change certificates will appeal to car lovers. A first aid car kit may be more enticing for those not as obsessed with their car. Some other items can include:
Now’s the time to combine all those items you received that don’t fit in the other baskets. A mystery basket can bring fun and excitement to your event, especially if you promote it the right way.
A few weeks before your event, you should start sharing a few hints about the items in your mystery basket. Make sure there is at least one item worth the donors’ trouble and money. Find a way to hide the things in your basket at the event. That may mean a paper bag or wrapping paper. Just make sure it draws donors‘ attention.
A gift certificate bouquet is another way to auction a collection of gift certificates that may not bring in high amounts on their own. A collection of gift cards to major retail shops may encourage donors to spend more. Inspire your event attendees to check out the bouquet by dressing it up in a vase or planting pot.
One of the best things about farmers’ markets is you can find items you can’t get anywhere else. High-quality food items, spices, handmade soap, quality crafts, and more! Almost every town has a farmers’ market, and your nonprofit probably has at least a few farmers’ market groupies. Ask for in-kind gifts from local vendors and have fun collecting a few more items to create a basket that your donors will love.
Parents want a date night, but options for most are few and far between. A basket including everything a couple needs for a night on the town without the trouble to plan it is exactly what parents want. Start with a gift certificate to a popular restaurant, and add a night at a hotel, comedy night, or movie. The point is to help them feel pampered and childless for one night.
Craft baskets are another idea you can match to your audience. Do you have donors who love to knit or scrapbook? A craft basket that includes quality yard and needles, ribbons, ink pads, stamps, stickers, and cards will appeal to crafty individuals. If you have a variety of crafts in your basket, more attendees will be interested.
Does your town have a local celebrity, or does your nonprofit have any famous donors? Depending on how famous they are, you can offer the chance for lunch, a one-on-one lesson, or a tour of their office, movie set, or locker room. You can also include signed pictures or memorabilia and items or activities they’re known for. Be sure to choose a celebrity that fits your donor base.
This basket can also be called a staycation package. Your nonprofit must include enough tickets for a family of four to local theme parks, zoos, and museums. You can also add tickets to a concert or local theatre for more interest.
Your target market for this basket is families, so you can also include items to make car trips easier with young children. Parents and children will appreciate a car seat organizer with games, books, and easy-to-clean art projects.
As popular as silent auctions are, there are many ways your organization can create baskets that stand out from the crowd and bring in a new audience. Silent auctions require a lot of work, and finding the right tool to raise funds with the event is essential.
Thousands of nonprofits use Donorbox, the all-in-one fundraising solution, to raise funds online with events like silent auctions, galas, raffles, and more. Here are some noteworthy silent auction events and campaign pages by nonprofits using Donorbox –
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Kristine Ensor is a freelance writer with over a decade of experience working with local and international nonprofits. As a nonprofit professional she has specialized in fundraising, marketing, event planning, volunteer management, and board development.
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Kristine Ensor