How to Run a Live Auction

In addition to the General Auction Considerations, the following is a step-by-step guide you can use to help make your live auction a success.

• Recruit an auctioneer.
  • The Jimmy Fund does not permit auctioneers to be paid for their services, but consider soliciting a professional's services as an in-kind donation.
  • The auctioneer does not necessarily need to be a professional, but you'll need someone who is charismatic, comfortable in front of crowds, and who will create interest in the individual items and the overall auction.

• Develop an auction catalogue.
  • Refer to the sample auction catalogue in the Templates and Samples section.
  • Allow the audience to review the auction items before the bidding begins. This helps build excitement.
  • Provide descriptions, opening bids, fair market values, and other pertinent details for each item.
  • Acknowledge each auction prize donor as a way to thank him or her.
  • List items in chronological order based on the order in which they will be presented.
  • When holding a cause auction provide examples of what the dollar amount equaites to:  
    o a $25 gift could stock the Jimmy Fund’s toy closet 
    o a $50 gift could help support a lifesaving clinical trial
    o a $75 gift could help purchase state-of-the-art research equipment
    o a $100 gift could help support the development of new cancer fighting drugs

• Assign and train live auction volunteers.
  • Appoint an experienced person to coordinate auction logistics.
  • Make sure volunteers are clear on their roles.
  • Volunteers can serve as bid spotters, payment collectors, and prize distributors.
  • Train volunteers on auction prior to the start of the event; you most likely won't have time to do a run-through right before the auction starts.

• Communicate all necessary information to the auctioneer.
  • Review the auction catalogue and discuss any last minute changes.
  • Make sure auctioneer knows the minimum bid for each item.

• Develop strategies to encourage bidding.
  • If committee members are interested in bidding on particular items, plant representative bidders strategically throughout the room. It can sometimes take a few minutes for the audience to warm up to the auction process.
  • Be careful! In an effort to increase bids, committee members may end up being the last and highest bidder. No one should make a bid unless they are willing to purchase the prize.
  • If you receive two identical prizes, consider doubling up. For example, at our WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon, two bidders were competing for an item at $5,000. When it appeared the second bidder wasn't going to go any higher, the auctioneer offered to give two identical prizes each at $5,000, effectively doubling the revenue!

• Create a process for collecting winning bids and distributing prizes.
  • Use spotters throughout the room to recognize bidders and take payments.
  • Assign spotters to specific items for which they are responsible for collecting payments and providing winners with their prizes.
  • It is tempting to have spotters take the winner away to pay for their item. This is not recommended, as that person might want to bid on additional live auction items.
  • Bring blank bid sheets to the silent auction in case friends, family, or other participants show up with something unexpected for the auction.
  • Have all the prizes ready to distribute, but do not give out any of the prizes until you have collected the appropriate payments.

• Post Auction Follow-Up.
  • Collect outstanding auction payments.
  • Provide items to winning bidders.
  • Send acknowledgments to all auction prize donors and winning bidders.
  • Complete the Jimmy Fund's required post-event paperwork.