Forgot to Include the Live Charity Auction Items in Your Program Benefit Auction Schedules Can

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Sometimes charity auction catalogs are misplaced before the live auction begins. Other times a catalog isn't printed. Some groups print a program, but fail to include the live fundraising auction items, either because the items weren't yet decided by the printing deadline, or because they simply forget to include them.

To help guests follow along with the order of sale in the live auction portion of your fundraising auction, you'll want to provide some type of schedule. This can be placed on the table in advance of the guests arriving. This way, guests don't need to carry the schedule with them as they shop and mingle during the silent auction.

A schedule is particularly critical if you have a number of items to sell (I'd say anything more than 6) and expect guests to tune-in and tune-out throughout the evening.

Guests can visit with their neighbor, glance at their schedule, and still have a sense of what item is being sold, thanks to your schedule.

"I'm interested in item 18," your guest thinks, "And it looks like the auctioneer is selling item 10. Well in that case ... I've got time to go to the restroom ... or get a drink ... or call my spouse."

The schedule is not meant to be fancy or elaborate.

In many cases, it's produced at the last minute in-house, either because the schedule has changed or a listing of the live fundraising auction items was forgotten entirely (and usually it's the latter).

The schedule can take several forms.

It can be a notecard with the items listed in order of sale. (see top photo)

It can be a folded 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of paper with the items listed and briefly described.

It can be a tent card propped up on the table for all guests to refer to. (There are usually two tent cards per round table.)

If you've truly forgotten to describe the live auction items anywhere, I advocate using the folded 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper method and putting one on each person's place-setting.

You'll want to include short descriptions of each item so the guest has an idea of what is for sale and is aware of any restrictions. The restrictions are important to include simply because we don't want a guest to buy an item, and then complain, stating that they wouldn't have bought that trip to Montana, had they known it could only be used in the winter.