How Pledging And Silent Auctions Make The Perfect Pair

Posted by Ben Crook on 27 December 2017

Hosting a fundraising event? Most orgnisations or individuals we partner with, understand the importance of including a silent auction in their event. However, we have found that often people overlook the live pledging component and how it can impact the total amount raised. Some charities feel like they have to make a choice between an event with pledging donations or a silent auction, when in fact its actually encouraged to use both!

Not familiar with pledging? Pledging is a fantastic way to get people to donate to your cause directly. Some may also refer to this as direct donations, fund-a-need, pledge drive, calls for cash or a giving moment.

Running pledging alongside a silent auction doesn’t have to be complicated either. Givergy’s pledging system, available for any device, is designed to be user-friendly so that anyone can donate at the touch of a button. When used effectively, pledging is a fantastic way to generate funds for your cause!

Why you should include pledging donations alongside your silent auction

• Everyone can participate, irrelevant of their budget
• Flexibility to give outside of the silent auction
• Ditch pen and paper donations, pledging online is more efficient

Pledging and silent auctions are both wonderful and effective ways of fundraising, but depending on the nature of your event they can work brilliantly together. Silent auctions can add a lot of excitement with some fantastic prizes. However, if you are going to implement a silent auction with pledging, you will need to think about what strategy to use to raise as much as possible.

How to Implement pledging alongside your silent auction

• Remember to offer guests Gift Aid or tax relief. This may feel inconsequential but can add up fast
• Include leaderboards at the event, where you can continue to highlight the goal figure and take time out for a specific moment dedicated to encouraging guests to pledge to reach the desired figure
• Make it competitive! Just like your auction, people will pledge more if their pride is on the line. Have your MC highlight tables who donate the most money or who pledge the most frequently to get things going
• Encourage losing bidders in the silent auction to pledge their bid instead

To learn more about Gift Aid and tax relief take a look at the laws for your country:

Australia

Canada

Hong Kong

United Kingdom

United States of America

Read all about the Samba Ball in Singapore, a hugely successful event where both pledges and a silent auction were used to raise funds.

Ben Crook

Chief Operating Officer

Ben is at the forefront of every project in Givergy, listing and actioning constant improvements across the business. With over a decade of experience in the charity and events sector he brings a deep understanding of what the fundraising industry needs to operate effectively and efficiently.