News

Silent Auction At A Charity Event?

Posted on by AFGI

Raise More Money at Your Next Charity Silent Auction With the Right Auction Items

A charity silent auction is an excellent way to generate some funds for your group

Want to raise some more money at your next charity auction? Have you considered hosting a silent auction? At Auctioneers Fundraising Group International (AFGI) we’ve been helping a wide range of organizations raise much-needed funds by hosting successful silent auctions for over 40 years.

Every silent auction for charity is unique. We’ve organized auctions for everyone from local high schools to large A-list celebrity events. Over the years we’ve noticed some trends and we’d like to share them with you to help your group. Here are some of the most popular items to sell at your next silent auction.

Silent Auction Item Suggestions

  • Once-in-A-Lifetime Experience – Everyone is looking for an adventure. Putting together a unique travel experience is something that will gain the attention of people of all ages. A well-designed travel package can take your silent charity auction to the next level and provide you with an excellent way to promote your auction in advance on your website, social media, email newsletters and through any other forms of marketing that your organization utilizes. There are lots of travel agents that can work with you to design a unique and memorable travel experience. Ideally, the travel agency will provide your group with lots of attractive promotional materials. Save marquee items such as vacation packages to the end of the silent auction.
  • Artwork – Over the years we’ve seen a lot of bidding on unique and interesting artwork pieces. Many people attending your charity silent auction will be interested in purchasing something for their home or for a gift. People enjoy a local touch to artwork, try to find a local artist who will provide a painting on consignment. There are various websites that will create a custom canvas from a photo. Take a photo of a local scene and have a canvass made. This is a very inexpensive way to generate bids.
  • Family Vacation – Many of the people attending your charity auction will have children and they will be looking for something to do with the entire family. For example, Disney offers some very strong savings to registered nonprofits. Create a family vacation package with hotel vouchers, restaurant and gas cards and admission to attractions. These bundles will create a lot of excitement and generate a lot of buzz and profits for your silent auction.
  • Signed Memorabilia – Signed memorabilia makes for a great auction item. Regardless if it’s a professional athlete, an actor, or a musician; a signed item can generate a lot of funds for your cause. Try reaching out to your local sports teams and see if they can provide your charity with signed memorabilia.
  • Offer a Night Out – Who doesn’t love a night out on the town? Auctioning off a dinner for two at a nice restaurant is always a great item to feature. Be sure to have a gift card that will give the buyer a nice meal, desert, and some drinks. Many restaurant owners will be excited at the promotion they will gain from auctioning off a gift card to their establishment.
  • Have Something for the Kids – A lot of parents are looking for something to do with their kids, especially during the summer months. Work with a local merchant and put together a package that will entertain children.

Over the years we’ve been lucky to have organized some great silent auctions for charities. It’s important to have to right items up for auction to generate the buzz and revenue your group deserves. The best auctions have a wide range of items up for bid, with a couple big ticket items.

Get creative and combine smaller items into themed baskets, this will help keep your silent auction interesting. Network with local merchants and get them involved. You’d be surprised at how many local businesses will be eager to donate to your cause.

Need More Items for Your Charity Silent Auction?

 At AFGI, our team has your group covered; we have access to a wide range of items that we can sell at your charity auction. The best part is, you will be our partner and we’ll guarantee you a percentage of the final highest bid.

You, of course, will receive all of the proceeds from the donated items you sell at the silent auction. With AFGI, your charity will receive more money than any other auction company offers. All you need to do is deposit the cheque – we’ll handle the rest!

Contact one of our professional fundraising silent auction specialists today at AFGI.ca to alleviate the work and worry associated with your next event. Ensure its success!

Live Auction Services – Toronto Taste 2017

Posted on by AFGI

AFGI was Excited to Provide Live Auction Services to the Recent Toronto Taste Fundraising Event

Live Auction Services - Toronto Taste 2017

Toronto’s best chefs, beverage sellers joined forces to unite Toronto food lovers in raising $925,000 for Second Harvest during the 27th edition of Toronto Taste.

AFGI was proud to take part in the Second Harvest live auction on Sunday, June 4th, 2017 lakeside at Corus Quay. The fundraiser presented and sponsored by The Daniels Corporation, raised $925,000 for Second Harvest. The non-profit serves an important role in our community by serving 1.8 million people facing hunger in the Toronto region.

“Toronto Taste is a monumental event that helps Second Harvest continue to provide fresh, healthy food to Torontonians experiencing hunger. Its legacy is a testament to the ongoing generosity of our sponsors, donors, chefs and our incredible staff and volunteers, who are critical to the event’s success,” said Debra Lawson, Executive Director, Second Harvest. “The funds we raise account for 20% of Second Harvest’s annual revenue and help provide millions of meals to those in need.”

Our team had the privilege of organizing and running the live auction portion of the event. The auction featured some exciting items for bidding such as some exciting chef dinner packages including dinner at Bob Blumer’s LA home and an exclusive opportunity to join renowned chef Roger Mooking on a tour of New Orleans. Dinner packages from Michael Smith, Michael Hunter, Roger Mooking and Bob Blumer raised a total of $46,000 for the charity.

Attendees of the fundraiser were treated to a diverse selection of food and drink from over 90 of the region’s best restaurants and beverage vendors including Baro, Lavelle, Kanpai Snack Bar, Bar Reyna and Ufficio, all new this year. The event featured well-known chefs including Guy Rawlings (Montgomery’s), Anne Sorrenti (The Oakwood Hardware Food & Drink and Chopped Canada winner) and Eric Chong (R&D and MasterChef Canada winner) entertained guests in the Chef Challenge. As the event concluded Guy Rawlings was awarded the winner of the Chef Challenge.

Toronto Taste successfully raised $925,000 for Second Harvest through generous bidding and donations. Bob Blumer, Second Harvest Ambassador and long-time supporter, reached his goal of personally raising $165,000 that will be used towards purchasing a truck for Second Harvest through an anonymous donor that came forward to top up the fundraiser funds.

Purolator Inc. came forward and donated an additional truck to Second Harvest. The company has a long-standing track record of supporting the charity and their work and their generous donation will have a great impact on helping those facing hunger in our city, as the truck will be used to transport food to hundreds of social service agencies across the GTA daily.

Funds raised from the Toronto Taste will help Second Harvest provide 1.8 million meals for children, adults and seniors experiencing hunger in the city. The charity was first established in 1985 and has now become the largest food rescue charity in Canada. Second Harvest works to rescue otherwise wasted surplus fresh food and brings it to social service agencies throughout Toronto. It’s estimated that the group has rescued and delivered over 116 million pounds of good food, thus preventing 50 million pounds of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere. Second Harvest’s vision: No Waste. No Hunger.

At AFGI, we are privileged to bring our years of auction experience to events such as  Toronto Taste and help them achieve their fundraising goals. We are proud to have helped such an important cause for our region. Learn more about Second Harvest and their important work at  http://www.secondharvest.ca/.

Toronto Taste 2017 raises $925,000 for Second Harvest

Silent Auctions – Fundraising Auctions

Posted on by AFGI

SILENT AUCTIONS

Silent Auction - Silent Auctions with AFGI.ca

Silent Auction Consultation:
Advantages of Partnering with a Professional Auction Company for your Silent Auctions 

Many non profits have turned to hosting silent auctions as a great way to quickly generate funds for their organizations. Not only can silent auctions generate money, they provide an excellent platform for increasing engagement and awareness about your organization’s cause.

In order to have a successful auction you will either need a lot of items for sale, or you need a lot of attendees bidding aggressively on a select number of high-end items. The combination of sourcing items, marketing the event and the actual running of the silent auction can be an overwhelming task for any organization. That’s where our experienced team of professional auction professionals at Auctioneers Fundraising Group International (AFGI) can help. We’ve been in the auction business for over 40 years and we have a track record of success running silent auctions for a wide range of Toronto non profits.

Many silent auctions fall victim to simply not having enough items that catch attendee’s attention. Not only are there not enough items that generate interest, but oftentimes auction items are not organized properly.

Our silent auction consultation provides a unique service that many Toronto organizations have benefited from. We can provide items for your auction, allowing your attendees the ability to bid on a wide variety of inventory. Our buying power and auction experience allow us the ability to stock your silent auction with a great selection of items that stir up excitement at any auction. Your non profit will earn a percentage on the final bid price on any item we supply and sell at your auction. This, in combination with making 100% of the proceeds from items your group supplies makes an AFGI hosted silent auction a profit-generating event.

We know how to organize your auction items and group them together to get maximum attention and bids. All bidding areas will look amazing, the layout of the auction will make foot traffic move along effortlessly and will make all items stand out.

In addition to having lots of great items on the auction block, your organization will need to be extremely organized. The more you plan, the more money your silent auction will generate. We walk your organization through the entire silent auction planning process. Every silent auction is unique and we work with you and your team to ensure that all of your needs are addressed right from the beginning. It happens all of the time, auctions fall victim to not having not enough room, too few tables, poor lighting, lack of bidding sheets and pens and various other things can quickly kill the momentum of any silent auction. Our team will not only ensure that every detail is accounted for, we’ll bring a touch of class to your fundraising auction that only 40 years of experience can provide.

We live in a cashless world and many silent auctions are not prepared. Assuming that your attendees will be carrying enough cash to purchase items can be a costly mistake. We provide electronic payment devices that will accept a wide variety of payment methods including major credit cards and Interac. People are more likely to spend more when there are able to use their credit card or bank account. Also, this will limit the amount of transactions being paid with cheques.

At AFGI we are a family of auctioneers and we bring this experience to every silent auction we work on. Each of our auctioneers attended the world-renown ‘World Wide College of Auctioneering’. Excitement, passion, experience and professionalism are a given at every one of our auctions.

We’re proud of the reputation we’ve earned running profitable silent auctions. Our goal is to provide no cost and no risk silent auctions with absolutely no hidden fees. At AFGI we want to be your silent auction partner, we provide unlimited event consultation and advice from day one and will take care of everything from the auction’s full set-up to the eventual tear down. We take care of all details so you and your team don’t have to.

Our team is here to help take your silent auction to the next level. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your organization’s fundraising.