Live Auction Gala Check List for Fundraising Events

“Prepare while others are daydreaming.”

– William Arthur Ward.

Fundraising is a lot of hard work, so the sooner you get your team gathered and begin checking the box on the TO DO LIST items, the better prepared you will be when the much anticipated date arrives.

Here is a collaborated Check List of TO DO’s that will help the event chair and the teammates see the big picture of what needs to be done.

One year out from event date: Note: A lot of these items are on-going every month

Set date of the event
Pick Venue
Select Theme for the evening
Establish the Fundraising Goal
Secure the MISSION STATEMENT
Build your event planning team
Contract a Professional Fundraising Auctioneer
Develop Sponsorship packages and ticket price for event.
Recruit Corporate Sponsorships
Brainstorm entertainment if you are having a band or dj for event
Build your budget and stick to it
Target Your Audience
Determine Branding – Develop a corresponding graphic design for your event
Sign contracts – Save copies

9 Months out from the event date:

Begin securing silent auction items and live auction experiences and packages
Develop and organize a way to keep track of all items being donated
Choose a mobile company that will provide mobile bidding for silent auction and ticket sales
Send on-going Thank you’s to donors
Secure Sponsorship packages
Create a guest list of potential attendees for the evening
Use free Social Media platforms to advertise your event
Choose catering options and secure menu and drinks for the evening
Design invitations
Hire entertainment
Evaluate and create a decorations plan with committee

6 Months from event date:

Have monthly meetings with your Auctioneer
Invite Major Donors
Use digital marketing
Instruct committee members on progress being made monthly
Decide on alternate forms of revenue being raised for the evening like raffle drawings, wine pulls, games like Heads or Tails
Save the date invitations can be made and sent out at this time
Secure an Emcee for the evening
Decide if bidding numbers will be used. If so, make them
Establish the itinerary for the event from start to finish.
Begin collecting decoration theme items to decorate the venue
Begin fundraising before the event and asking for donations
Plan Parking. Hire a Valet parking service if needed
Have monthly meetings with the venue and catering person assigned to your event
Visit the Venue:
- Design a written drawing for stage, silent auction items, bars, etc
- Test out wifi. If you can’t get an adequate signal, you will need to get a booster Wifi. (Mobile bidding doesn’t work without quality wifi)
- If venue is offering sound system, TEST it out. If renting out the sound system, get references

3 Months from Event date:

Send out invitations
Hire a Social Media specialist to manage accounts especially the last 3 months if not before
Continue acquiring Silent Auction and Live Auctions items
Make final edits with catering service
Begin a written Script
Produce the mission statement that will be used for the evening. This could be in a form of a video or a speaker
Produce Silent Auction signage that will be used for each item with silent auction
Produce Live Auction signage for a live auction table
Acquire all pens, paper, tape, etc needed for event
Determine ‘Fund Appeal’ levels

1 month From Event Date:

Advertise Live auction items on Social Media
Meet with Mobile Bidding company and follow their rules on when items need to be given to company to be entered on site
Give Auctioneer Live Auction list so he/she can order the items
Organize Payments to vendors
Have the florist/decorations committee prepared with numbers of tables and areas to be decorated

The Final 4 weeks ahead:

Confirm RSVPs. Get a final head count that needs to be given to catering and venue for seats at tables
Finalize Script to be given to the emcee and auctioneer
Finish the silent auction line up
Develop a plan for all items to be transferred to the venue
Finalize Seating
Confirm media attending
Plan Clean-Up

The Day of the Event:

SMILE
Arrive at venue with the Team to set up silent auction and decorate venue early
Mobile company should set up early in afternoon
Auctioneer arrive and test the sound system
Set up a time for team members and volunteers to get dressed for event
Make a “meet up” time with all volunteers and tell them what their duties will be
Ensure you have copies of all instructions, directions, phone numbers, keys, extra parking permits, forms, name tags for volunteers, seating charts and guest lists with you
Have water set up on the stage for the emcee, speakers, and auctioneer
Bring comfy shoes to the event
Give a Warm Welcome

After the event: