Ticketing and Registration

Whether you choose to host an in-person or a virtual auction, ensuring effective ticketing and registration practices is crucial. After all, it’s how people attend your auction event! Consider the following questions when planning your registration process:

• Will you charge for tickets? If so, how much will they cost? While some charity auctions charge a flat cover fee for participants, others rely instead on sliding donations or overall bid revenue to raise money. If you decide to charge, keep the price low to keep your guests in the mood to give.
• Will you enforce a registration cap? A registration cap is primarily important for in-person events where you may run out of physical space for your attendees. However, even for virtual events, guest limits can lead to a feeling of exclusivity and urgency when you begin to promote your upcoming auction. Be sure to let your supporters know when you’re approaching your limit so they have the chance to register before it’s too late.

For any auction format, having an accurate estimate of attendees allows you to get a better sense of planned revenue and fundraising goals. Simplify the registration process to get as many guests registered beforehand as possible.

Online and Mobile Bidding

The way participants bid for auction items is arguably the most essential function of your auction software. It is directly through your bidding tools that attendees can take part in the auction and support your cause.

Remember, the more straightforward the bidding experience is, the higher the engagement potential and the more money you’ll raise for your cause. 

With the number of mobile transactions drastically increasing, mobile accessibility is a nonnegotiable feature for your fundraising efforts. Your solution should allow users to bid from whichever device they choose—whether that’s a smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer. 

Check Out and Donations

The check-out process is one of the most important elements of your charity auction because it’s what will likely leave a lasting impression on your guests. A streamlined and user-friendly process can leave attendees in a great mood and looking forward to your next event.

Here are a few things to consider when planning the auction’s check-out process:

• Ensure payments are processed securely. Whichever auction software you decide on, make sure it uses a secure payment processing tool. This way, you’ll protect guest information, boosting their trust in your organization, their willingness to give, and your nonprofit’s reputation.
• Speed up the check-out process whenever possible. Be sure to only require essential information for payments, which your team can even collect beforehand to streamline check-out continuously.
• Offer multiple opportunities for additional donations. The revenue coming from auction items is a great way to raise money for your cause, but it shouldn’t be the only way. Make sure guests have the option to quickly and easily make additional donations at your auction, including before, during, and after the event.

With these best practices, you’ll be able to provide a positive user experience by saving time and keeping sensitive personal and financial information secure.

Donor and Attendee Management

Your CRM is the hub for donor profiles, contact information, engagement data, and more. This means it’s your top resource for crucial data that makes supporter outreach possible and provides analytics for your future auctions.

Some auction tools come with their own reporting and dashboard features. However, if you want a more comprehensive look at your data, choose auction software that integrates with your existing fundraising toolkit. This way, the data you collect on auction attendees can be quickly transferred to your donor database.