Sometimes when you plan a fundraising event, you end up with some problems that are actually “good problems” to have. If you have too many items on hand for your event, this is one of those good situations to be in. Just think — it’s better to have too many items to deal with than to have too few!
When you run into this issue, that means your team did a great job collecting donations and gathering high bid items — like jewelry or trips. Now it’s time to sort through your items and eliminate the fluff. We at AmFund have some tips to help you narrow down your items. This will allow your organization to get the most out of what you have.
Handling gift cards/certificates
Gift cards and certificates are commonly donated items from local businesses who want to support your worthy cause. Try posting your gift cards online ahead of time (mark them up 10 to 20% of the value of the card). This provides those people who can’t attend the event an opportunity to support your organization. Or better yet, use them as a bundled raffle item!
Utilize Mobile Bidding to get a Jump Start
If you have a lot items on hand, it’s always good to get a jump start on the bidding. If your organization utilizes mobile bidding, do an early viewing before the event starts. The goal here is to have a minimum of 50% of the items already bid on before the actual event begins. You could even limit this to VIPs (and offer an early VIP checkout). When you start the bidding off at the event, be sure to pick up right where the online bidding stopped if you are going to have a bid sheet.
Bundle Up your Items
When you have a lot of smaller items on hand, bundle them together into themed gift baskets. For example, you can create “Date Night” or “Movie Night” themed baskets if you have movie tickets, restaurant gift cards, etc. And don’t be afraid to use some of these smaller items as raffle or door prizes. As a last solution, you can always hold on to some items to be used for another event in the future. It’s best to utilize your items in ways that will ultimately best support your organization (sometimes, this means using them later).
Don’t Stress Out Over Too Many Items
Like we said at the beginning of this article, too many items is a good problem to have. It’s all about how you manage these items — this will drastically impact the amount of funds you bring in at your next event.
For more assistance with this situation and any other event planning obstacles that you might run into along the way, reach out to us at AmFund. Our friendly, experienced team will make sure your next fundraising event is a success!
Check out our blog article about how many items to have in your silent auction.