Fund Raising Ideas

Looking to boost event-day proceeds, Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation eschewed the basic silent auction setup of placing the prizes on a table, instead enlisting a group of hunky male volunteers to roam the crowd showcasing auction items on platters at its Wine, Women & Shoes benefit in February.

At last year’s subway-themed Robin Hood Foundation gala in New York, guests received personalized cards resembling MetroCards that enabled them to donate funds ­anonymously throughout the night at their tables via IML devices, which were ­embedded into the centerpieces.

At the AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s “World of Chocolate” event in November, a silent auction let guests bid at different levels starting at $50. After selecting a bidding level, guests chose a corresponding number on a punchboard. Event staffers dressed as boxers then punched a hole through that number to reveal a prize.

Massachusetts General Hospital’s annual Storybook Ball in Boston traditionally uses carnival-style games as a strategy to raise more money. Guests can purchase access to a V.I.P. area with games including Skee-Ball for $500.

Charity:Water’s benefit in New York last December sold helium balloons for $5 a pop, which guests could release into a 28-foot-tall, 20-foot-wide net rigged to the ceiling. As the balloons filled the space it began to resemble a giant Jerry can, the charity’s symbol.

At the DX Intersection benefit for Toronto’s Design Exchange last November, organizers arranged a balloon-pop raffle. Models wearing body paint sold balloons for $20, $50, and $100. Each balloon had a number inside that corresponded to a prize.

The Artsy team uses technology to project real-time bids at events for organizations like the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Paddle8 offers a platform for nonprofit organizations such as Los Angeles Waterkeeper to raise funds.

Some online auction platforms allow event hosts to use iPads to showcase items and prompt guests to make on-site bids.

Bravo Events and Design Foundry incorporated the silent auction items into the decor. Items were displayed on two walls as well as on tables and stands.

Without the need for bidding sheets, Design Foundry could display the local dining gift certificates and plaques on a mixture of shelves and crates attached to one of the gallery walls. This provided a better vantage point for multiple guests to view the items at once, like in a museum, compared to a table arrangement where only one guest can view an item at a time.

The wall arrangement for the auction items opened up 100 square feet of event space that Design Foundry filled with high-boy and café table seating.

Lounge areas provided a secluded respite for V.I.P. guests and sponsors compared to general admission. Design Foundry mixed tufted chairs with wooden tables, metal stools, and industrial-style accent tables to create the farm-to-table meets urban chic ambience requested by the Board of Visitors.

Chalkboard signs indicated the V.I.P. lounges listing the sponsor levels—each named for various types and bottle sizes of wines—for that lounge.

When using tables in a silent auction layout, planners often face the challenge of how to use them after the items are cleared away. Windows Catering turned the tables to dessert buffets throughout the room within 15 minutes of the auction closing.