What auction items for nonprofits are the best? It’s an interesting question as you are putting together this big event and you need to have items that you can give away in a bid to generate money. Obviously, the items have to be good enough to make people want to come to the event as well as to make them want to offer their money in exchange for them. Charity is nice but no one is paying $100 for something they can but for $10 themselves. So, it takes a certain selection of items that will help get the numbers up.
Before we start listing the items, consider who would benefit the most from having their products and services displayed in auctions for nonprofits? This includes businesses who are trying to get their name out there and would benefit from repeat business. For example, if you own a restaurant, a $100 gift certificate would be a big hit because people can pay $50 for it and you know that they will come in and if they enjoy your place they will come back. The same can be said for things like a cleaning service, a place that offers car washing services or even a place that can provide you with computer services like software and so forth.
The idea is to get people to try you once and then the hope is from there they will use you again. That’s the real advantage for these businesses to be part of these auctions for nonprofits and offer their items up for bid. Now that you know that, you also know what types of businesses you should go after whenever you are in need of finding companies to donate. Yes, people who are friends of your event will have things they want to contribute but as you are trying to get people to really donate, these types of companies are always a good place to start.
With that said, how should you approach them? The smart way of doing it is to make a list of businesses in your area. Then, make a flyer with information about donating auction items for nonprofits, the benefits and so forth. Next, call these businesses and ask what time the owner or manager will be in. Then, if you can go during the slow times for these companies, visit them directly and drop off the information. It’s not pushy and gives you a chance to make an introduction and get your point across.