Before the Auction

Choose the right time for your auction.

Choose a professional auctioneer for your live auction.

If you run a small auction, use a volunteer.

Prepare the plan of auction that will available to guests when they arrive.

Increase your auction revenue by selling wine and coctails, organizing lotteries.

Invite guests approximately 90 days before the event.

Send reminders at regular intervals to those who have sent their RSVP.

Prepare description cards for the host or auctioneer.

Purchase or rent a clear display case.

Obtain all necessary charity auction supply list items.

Make sure your auction packages are unique.

Try not to buy items that will be auctioned off.

Auction

Keep it as short as possible.

Make sure the first package is exciting and has a high probability of being sold for more than the established value.

Consider having someone in the audience willing to start the bidding on an item.

Start the minimum bids low - well below 50% of the value.

On the big ticket packages, check whether donors are willing to double their donation.

Use a raffle drum to select a winning bid.

Download or Print this Charity Auction Checklist

Get a printable version of this checklist in your preferred format: PDF, Word, Excel, or print directly from your browser.

Who it's for

This Charity Auction Checklist is for teams that want consistent execution, less rework, and clear ownership.

Standardize quality - run the same Charity Auction steps every time, regardless of who executes
Save time - reuse a proven Charity Auction workflow instead of rebuilding processes from scratch
Improve accountability - assign owners and see what's done vs. what's pending
Onboard faster - use the Charity Auction checklist as the SOP and training guide
Coordinate across roles - handoffs are clear and everyone works from the same source of truth

How to use this Charity Auction Checklist:

Start by saving it - save as a Template if you'll reuse it, or as a Checklist if it's a one-off project.
Customize it once for your workflow - remove what doesn't apply and add your team-specific steps.
Assign ownership and execute - set owners/due dates where needed and track completion as work happens.
Reuse without rebuilding - when Charity Auction comes up again, start from your saved version and run it with clear ownership.

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