Creative donation ideas for silent auction?

[CheapMom]

I can spend between $100-$500 on an item to donate to a silent auction. The audience will mostly be business men and women- any ideas of an item that might get a lot of attention?
What is the most interesting item you have ever seen at an auction (or on ebay)?
If only I had a grilled cheese with a miraculous virgin Mary imprint on it.
Ideas Please

 

[T. Lynn]

Here are some good ideas that was posted on a thread recently.


Previous DIS Thread

 

[HaleyB]

Organization services
Spa package
Lawn service for a year
Errand running service
Do you have any of those places that will cook dinners to your specifications and freeze them so you end up with instant healthy meals?

With business people I would focus on services, anything that saves time or makes life easier.

 

[disneysteve]

Organization services
Spa package
Lawn service for a year
Errand running service
Do you have any of those places that will cook dinners to your specifications and freeze them so you end up with instant healthy meals?

I guess you really need to know your audience. I'm a busy professional and while I think these are all nice ideas, I wouldn't be interested in any of them personally. I'd be more likely to bid on things like nice dinners, show tickets, weekend hotel packages, stuff like that.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I was at a silent auction lastnight. It was an annual scholarship fundraiser. I think that you have to know your audience and the theme of the night. Is it going to be really fun and festive and out going or something more sedate? Anyways here was some of the things that were popular

Spa package(included gc for spa and spa like things to use at home)
Hotel getaways (included bottle wine, dinner at nice place, hotel stay, and tixs to something)

Weekend getaways(one/two night stay and included some kind of tourist thing)

Lawn packages (a wheelbarrow filled with things for making a nice lawn inclduing soil, seeds, gloves, laterns, birdhouse)

Party baskets (glasses, champagne, chocolates, video rentals, and nice munchies)

Party basket( glasses, margarita stuff, GOOD salsa and chips, mexican blanket, festive party lanterns)

Movie night( pizza gc, movie rental gc, bottle wine, 2 2liters, glasses and themed paper plates/napkins)

Pet baskets were huge as well as small children baskets

Just know what kind of mood the fundrasier will have. Lastnight's was all about partying and carrying on especially with the St Patricks holiday. Good luck

 

[Ozymoe]

Most busy professionals I know would love a massage...where the masseur or masseusse comes to the office over one's lunch hour and gives a 30 minute massage.

If anyone is known for a private hobby (cooking, for example...offering to cook a dinner for 2/4/6 or 8 at someone's home...with the donor providing the main and specialty ingredients) is always a big hit, especially if the chef is a minor celebrity or well-known in the community.

I don't know what you would "like to do/be good at" specifically, but I have also seen a "birthday party for 12 children" go for a nice amount. This one had the donor doing all the planning (collaborating with the parents), baking/buying the cake, ice cream, party favors, balloons, planning and supervising the games and doing the basic clean-up after the party. If I remember correctly, the parents had to provide any food (other than cake and ice cream), but the donor would help serve it. Of course you could always include food too...pizza, chips and soda come to mind as good options that kids love as special birthday treat food.

Lol...we always tried to serve healthier options at our parties so we would never have bid on a birthday party!...but hey, maybe a "birthday party with healthy options" would be a big ticket item! I've never seen it, but maybe giving parents the choice would be a real bid getter!

 

[CheapMom]

Thanks - I like these ideas- The folks at this event are coming from all over the USA so it would be hard to offer a weekend trip... Travel expenses will probably be too high for many.
I saw a compnay that offers balloon rides and they have 150 locations accross the US- We could give a GC for a balloon ride for 2.

I am really hoping for something that draws a lot of attention- more than I am worried about how much $ it brings in.

 

[disneysteve]

The folks at this event are coming from all over the USA so it would be hard to offer a weekend trip.

Not a problem at all. You can get a gift certificate for a national hotel chain, like Marriott or Hilton. Include GCs for a national movie chain, national restaurant chain, etc. People could use it regardless of where they live.

 

[CheapMom]

Not a problem at all. You can get a gift certificate for a national hotel chain, like Marriott or Hilton. Include GCs for a national movie chain, national restaurant chain, etc. People could use it regardless of where they live.

I am afraid that saying- $350 GC at Marriot hotel and dinner at the Outback Steakhouse- (or whatever) is a lot less interesting than saying "Weekend in LasVegas" or similar- I don't feel that a generic GC will generate much interest. Unless I (read: you smart people) could think of a really clever way to package it, give it a cutesy name...

 

[rdsx28]

HI,
I think a nice idea is always a basket of all different types of alcohol.Our church has done this with all different types of liquor and they have gone over well.

 

[bush]

People from all over the country - that makes it more difficult.

I work for a nonprofit and we have a major fundraiser one week from today. I would recommend items that are small and portable but would create interest. A couple of items that we have had good luck with that may work for you are: sterling silver necklace from Tiffany's; and a baseball and jersey signed by Lance Berkman - this one brought in over $2,000! (we're in the Houston area)

Good luck!! Be sure to let us know what you decide!! I'm always taking notes for the next year!!

 

[DisneyArk]

We've been to a few silent auctions lately. Here are some ideas that went over really well (generated a lot of buzz). Some of the people wanted the items for themselves and some wanted them for their kids.

autographed memorabilia from sports players

Ipods

PlayStation Portable

Satellite radio with a 1 year package

 

[malibuconlee]

Some good ones I've seen:

Tickets, and hotel room to a professional game. Baseball was the one I've seen.

A tour/flight for a set period of time with a local pilot. I ALMOST bought that for DH. I should have, it went really cheap.

I saw one where one of the committee ladies and her husband would take a small group out for a ride on their boat and provide cocktails for the group. I think they also had dinner in there as well.


One thing they also did that raised quite a bot of money was a "Dessert Auction". After the buffet dinner they auctioned off a huge table full of desserts.

 

[crjack]

HaleyB I love your ideas...mostly because I want them all! The only other one I would add is Merry Maids or something similar to clean my house as well!!!!

If people are traveling smaller and portable items are probably better (unless you can ship them later to the winner)

Can you do a wine/beer/coffee or food of the month type of gift. I'm thinking of something from a Harry & David type of vendor???