If you run a school auction, you know they can be a lot of work. But they can also be extremely rewarding, both financially and in terms of building a community. 

One of the most difficult aspects of organizing an auction is lining up donations so you’ll have plenty of items, like attractive gift baskets, at your event. It can be time-consuming and even discouraging when you solicit a donation and don’t hear back from a company. 

So we think our Ultimate Donation List can be an essential resource for you. This Message Boards thread was created organically by people like you. Community members regularly share helpful tips with each other. For example, a person recently offered several good planning ideas, saying, “I've found some pretty great tips and ideas on here so I just wanted to share a few of my own.’’

One of her best suggestions was to add a self-addressed stamped envelope when sending a donation requests by traditional mail to make it as easy as possible for a vendor to respond.

Also, some community members go out of their way to boost others up. As one community member said recently on the thread, “Please don't get to discouraged about no's. My typical expectations for receiving donations from companies is 15% to 20% for local businesses, 10% for businesses in your state, and 5% for national corporations. There are just so many nonprofits that are asking for donations that they can't give to everyone.”

So, yes, auctions are not always easy. But our Ultimate Donation List can make a big difference. 

For additional auction resources: