If you are thinking about raising money for a charity by holding a live or silent auction, there are a few things you need to get in order to be successful. Researching live/silent auctions online might make you feel overwhelmed by the amount of information, as well as the prizes the big guys in charities (The Orphan Fund, World Wildlife Fund etc.) are able to offer for the auction itself. These big organizations are able to get celebrity endorsements, and free advertisements to get the bidders excitement levels above the norm. But what about the lesser known charities? What does the average Joe charity have to do to get interest and bids for their charity?

If you do not have access to celebrities or the movie or music industry, you are probably scratching your head to find something to auction that will garner that same kind of excitement at your live or silent auction. Don’t fret; here are some simple ideas to get you rolling to a successful live auction for whatever your charity is.

-Know your charities needs, as well as your audience. If your charity is for children, the auctioning off of family oriented items such as children’s day trips are a good start. If your charity is for animals, use animal related items to be auctioned off. Also, advertise the event at your local SPCA, Veterinarians office, dog park, etc.

-Start blogging and get a newsletter circulating. Social Networking sites are a great way to find volunteers for the event, as well as advertising the auction. Also, if you belong to a church group, bowling league, or whatever social activity you belong too, start talking to them spreading the word is necessary for a successful live auction.

-When putting a call out for event volunteers, look for people who have a personal interest in your cause. People who are not afraid of talking to strangers to ask for donations are your asset to a successful auction. Have a script prepared for the volunteers so there will be less confusion, also phone solicitations are a good source of donations, and a script will definitely help.

-Carry many copies of your newsletter wherever you go. Whether you’re out for brunch with your family, or out for drinks with the gang, speak to the managers of whatever establishment you attend. I suggest starting with a compliment to the manager, to get them receptive, and then tell them who you are what your goals are. They will most likely want to support your goals and even advertise their involvement, free of charge. Once the auction day arrives have their business cards, brochures or banners on the tables with the auction items.

-On the day of the auction, you will need the auction items and tickets for each item. Explain how the auction works by mouth and by placing pamphlets around for bidders to read. You will need to allot the time required to place a bid by, this may vary depending on the type of items you are auctioning. Selling a ticket for a small fee will be the first step to getting bidders to bid on your auctioned items. On the back of the ticket, the bidder will write their name and contact information as well as their bid. This ticket will go in the appropriate box located next to the item they are bidding on. If the bidders wish to bid on multiple items they will have to buy another ticket. After the auction is finished, the bids are compared and the highest bidder wins the item.

Follow up your auction day with announcements on your newsletter and blog. Make it exciting for the winners and the charity involved. To ensure the success of any further auctions for your charity, use the social networks to announce your successes and also the success of the winners. Always be positive, regardless of the outcome of your event, all volunteers, organizers and results should be positive. Good luck, you can achieve great success with a positive spirit and these auction musts.

Author Bio: Visit http://www.madisonsauction.com for antique furniture, collectible memorabilia and for auction catalog.

Category: Business
Keywords: auction,auctions,collectibles,antique furniture,tools