How to Tabulate Silent Auction Bids

Keeping track of bids by paper and pen.

Auctions are a great way to maximize fundraising efforts by appealing to people's love of competition. A silent auction has all the benefits of a traditional auction while creating more chances for bidders who can't attend an auction event in a short time frame or who are just a little shy. However, the challenge with a silent auction comes in figuring out how to tabulate bids to determine a clear and fair winner. By planning both your ballots and your events, you can ensure that your silent auction runs smoothly.

Instructions

1. Give bidders a clear set of instructions, written or verbal. Take bidders through the process and explain the rules and proper procedures for bidding. Instruct them that any bids that aren't completed according to the rules won't be considered valid or qualify to win.

2. Create a separate tabulating page (or series of pages) for each item. Make sure each page has clear horizontal lines to indicate each new bid with differentiated spaces for the name of the bidder and for the amount of the new bid. For extra security, hang the pages up on a wall or stand near the item, and make them large so that they can be seen and so that it's difficult for anyone to cheat by scribbling out previous bids.

3. Require that each bid be verified. Instruct bidders to both print and sign their name for each new bid so that you can not only identify who the bidder is, but verify their identity at the end of the auction by using their signature if a bid is contested.

4. Allow only bids in ink. Pencil bids can be erased or changed, so require that your bidders use only permanent ink to write down their bids.

5. Make the bidding easy to keep track of while it's going on. Assign someone from your organization to monitor the bidding process. Keep the bidding tab sheets in plain sight at all times.

6. Cross out any bids that don't qualify while the auction is going on. Draw a single line through any disqualified bids, including bids that are lower than bids made previously. Inform bidders of this process in the rules.

7. Award each lot (item) to the highest qualifying bidder at the end of the auction.

References

• "Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits: Real-World Strategies That Work" by Ilona Bray J.D.; 2008