The Vancouver Timeraiser ran one of the most successful “silent auctions” I have ever been to. (Success, in this case, is measured in the number of people that actually bid or continued to bid on the auction items – moving attendees from interest to action.)
Prior to the bidding was even open, attendees circulated around a room and met local non-profit/volunteer organizations that were in need of volunteers. The interesting thing about the Timeraiser was that it didn’t collect money, it asked for your time. Instead of bidding $5 for a local artist’s painting, you bid 5 hours. If you ended up winning what you bid on, one of the organizations you met that night got your hours. The final catch is that you don’t get to pick up your art piece until after you’ve completed your volunteer commitment.
Once the silent auction portion of the evening started, it was amazing to see how many people felt compelled (and comfortable) bidding on items. Maybe it was the wine, but it could have also been their perfect mix. This mix being:
- The bidders were knowledgeable about where their time would be spent
- There were both external and internal motivators for the bidders (an art piece and a good feeling about helping those in need)
- The currency was priceless
- And it was easy to make a bid. Just write your name on the sheet beside the painting.
Furthermore, even though I didn’t win a painting, I found out more information about organizations that I am now super interested in getting involved with. So really, whether you win/bid/attend, you still walked away happy! Now THAT’S what I call a great auction!
Pick of the post: Eric Hutchinson – Oh!
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