Every silent auction is going to be different, not a one is going to have the exact type of people showing up, it will always be a big mixture. Your goal for putting on a silent auction is to have every item sell for a very hefty profit. But saying to do this and actually doing it are 2 totally different things. First you will have to consider your event, what is it about, when is it, who is attending, what kind of items do you think they would bid on.
When I speak of what your event is going silent auction donation ideas to be about, I am mostly talking about weather or not it is going to be themed, or is it going to be focused on the charity itself. Sometimes for certain charity events there is not a lot of items that will go with the theme of the charity. For example the AHA might not sell Omega 3 & 6’s just because they know it is good for the heart. However on the other hand if you are the Humane Society and you are holding a silent auction, there is a good chance that a lot of the people attending your event are animal lovers and probably have one of their own. If this is the case, items like – doggy spas, doggy haircuts, new items for their cats (not really sure what they like), are going to sell really well because people will want those items and if it goes to a good cause it is almost guaranteed that these items will go.
When I speak of when it is, I am referring to the season. Is it going on around Christmas time? If so maybe the service of putting up Christmas lights and taking them down with a free tree removal will be something someone will be more than happy to bid on. Same goes for if it is summer and you are offering a wonderful vacation package to an exotic location. These items go great with the mood of the season.
When I speak of who is attending I am talking about all aspects. This is important because you want to know your demographics. You wouldn’t offer a deep sea fishing trip to a group of mostly females, or the other way around a spa treatment to a group of men (unless they plan on getting it for their significant other). Also in terms of financial status, you wouldn’t want to only have items that are thousands of dollars if your target demographics show that most of the people attending are in a lower tax bracket then the ones that usually bid on those types of items.
Basically being really creative in coming up with ways to reach the emotions and interest of your donors or people attending your event is your goal. Make it absolutely so targeted to their tastes and it will be really difficult for them to say no.