How to Plan an Ebay Charity Auction

Going, going, sold! Auctions have long been a way for businesses, individuals and charities to raise money. Thanks to the Internet, auctions can now reach a wider audience and can run 24-hours a day. eBay does everything they can to make the process painless and productive for you.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A charity
• Items to auction
• A computer with Internet access

1. Develop a realistic fundraising goal. This will give you an idea of what you will need to do to reach your goal. To research the amount you could potentially raise, compare the prices of similar auction items on eBay.

2. Decide the best time to hold your auction. If your auction coincides with seasonal events, it will get more notice. For example, if you are auctioning items to fund autism awareness, you should hold it during Autism Awareness Month.

3. Gather the items you want to auction. If you can get celebrity items to auction, they often bring in a higher value. Be sure each item includes a signed certificate of authenticity.

4. Register on eBay by visiting their home page and clicking "Register." Follow the directions on the screen. Create a user ID that is specific to your charity. Set up your "About Me" page and include the following information: charity logo, a description of what your charity does, who your charity helps, a link to your charity's Web site.

5. Create a seller account and decide how long you want the auction to last. To maximize your fundraising goal, you should list the item(s) for 10 days. This will give more people time to bid and view the item(s). If you have a lot of items to auction, you can stagger or overlap the open bids. This will keep your cause in the spotlight for a longer period of time.

6. Advertise. The more people who know about your auction, the more successful the fundraising will be. You can advertise on the Internet radio, TV, newspaper, through direct mail or even on the Goodyear blimp. Just make sure the advertising costs are within your budget.

7. Start selling by clicking the "Sell" button at the top of the page. EBay will then walk you through the quick steps to listing your items. Be sure to include pictures of the items you are auctioning.

8. Wait and see. This is probably the most nerve-wracking part of the process. Keep your fingers crossed that the bids keep going up. Celebrate when they do.

9. Pack and ship the items that were sold as soon as possible.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep shipping costs in mind. The less the item weighs, obviously, the less the shipping will cost you.
• Want a professional to handle your charity auction? Find a trusted auction management agency and hand them the reins.