FAQ

Mobile bidding lets supporters bid from their seat, the back of the room, or from home, removing the need to crowd around a bid sheet. This helps anyone with limited mobility, sensory sensitivities, or other barriers to gathering in one place.

Mix premium experiences with mid-range and entry-level packages so guests at different budget levels find something that suits them. A catalog with variety appeals to a broader donor base, not just major donors.

Yes. Items can be added the same day as your event, so you can round out your catalog right up to the night and respond to what your bidders need.

Yes. Online auctions reach your whole community plus anyone forwarded a link, which means more bidders and more competition for high-value items. Travel packages are exclusive, one-time purchases that bidders can picture using, and they give people a reason to compete.

Start with 3 to 5 experiences. This modest number is enough to anchor your catalog and allows each package to get real attention in your emails, event page, and program rather than being listed in a single line.

You can add experiences the same day as your event. You only pay for an experience if it sells, keep 100% over the cost, and can sell experiences multiple times if bidding gets hot, so there is no risk in adding items late.

Yes. Online auctions reach your whole community plus supporters who cannot attend in-person events, which increases bidding competition. Travel and experience packages perform especially well because they are aspirational and appeal across a wide range of interests.

Set bid increments at 10-15% of fair market value, and start bids 15-20% above cost to ensure profit from the first bid. You can also offer a Buy-It-Now option to let committed bidders purchase immediately at top dollar.

You only pay for an experience if it sells, keep 100% over the cost, and can sell experiences multiple times if the bidding gets hot. You are not too late: items can be added the same day as your event. If a package doesn't sell, you owe nothing for it.

No. The travel package is the vehicle that generates funds, not the message itself. When a package sells for $5,000, that bid amount translates directly into mission outcomes like research hours or patient support. The item itself is irrelevant to your mission; what matters is the dollar amount it raises.

There is no upfront cost or financial risk. You only pay for an experience if it sells, keep 100% over the cost, and can sell experiences multiple times if the bidding gets hot. Items can be added the same day as your event, so there is no commitment beyond what actually sells.

Explicitly connect the winning bid to a specific mission outcome in your marketing materials. For example, state that a $5,000 bid covers patient travel stipends for a month or funds 60 hours of lab research. This positioning shows donors that their bid directly supports your cause, not indulgence.

You only pay for an experience if it sells, keep 100% over the cost, and can sell experiences multiple times if the bidding gets hot. There is no risk to adding packages to your lineup.

Yes. You are not too late: items can be added the same day as your event. Certificates arrive as one-page PDFs with details and photos that can go into your auction materials immediately.

Bundled packages attract higher bids because they tell a compelling story that bidders can picture themselves living, making the perceived value exceed what any single component could achieve alone. Pairing travel or event access with another element creates an exclusive package that is harder to price shop.

Travel packages, exclusive experiences, and mission-connected items consistently outperform traditional merchandise. Travel packages starting at $200 to $500 routinely sell for $500 to $2,000 or more, while exclusive experiences starting at $100 to $300 reach $1,500 and beyond. Items with personal connection to the institution, such as dinner with university leadership or VIP campus tours, also drive strong bidding.

Experiential items regularly fetch three to ten times more than traditional auction fare. Gift cards, even when discounted to 50 to 70 percent of face value, rarely exceed 110 percent of their stated amount, while travel packages and exclusive experiences command significantly higher bids due to their perceived scarcity and personal value.

With Giveback XP, there is no risk. You only pay for an experience if it sells, keep 100% over the cost, and can sell experiences multiple times if the bidding gets hot. You are not too late: items can be added the same day as your event.

It is a golf industry term for a hotel stay plus rounds of golf sold together as one trip. The winner picks the dates within the travel window. It is different from a tournament week, which is tied to a specific event date.

Yes. If the bidding is hot you can sell the same package multiple times, and each sale is a separate booking. Brief your auctioneer before the event so they can offer it to the underbidder on the spot.

No. Giveback XP can help last minute and even on the day of your event. You reserve for free and pay only for what sells, so a late add carries no cost if the room passes on it.

Nothing. You reserve the packages you want at no charge and pay only for the ones that sell after the event. You keep 100 percent of the amount above the cost of the experience.

You owe nothing for that experience. There is no fee, no penalty, and no charge for having listed it.

Up to two years for trips that are not tied to a specific event. Event-based packages, like the Kentucky Derby, the U.S. Open, or the CMAs, are for that year's event. State this on the display card before bidding starts.

When bidding gets competitive on a travel package, you can offer the same experience to additional bidders at the final bid price. If two bidders push a $600 starting bid to $1,200, you can offer the runner up the same package at $1,200. This process can repeat if more bidders are interested, generating multiple sales from a single item.

You only pay for an experience if it sells. If a package does not attract a bid, you owe nothing for it. No penalty, no invoice, and no cost to your organization.

Non-event based experiences come with up to two years to schedule travel, giving winners flexibility around their calendar. Event based packages tied to specific dates like the Kentucky Derby or US Open are for that calendar year's event.

Experience packages generate 15 to 25 percent higher bid amounts because they create personal, memorable moments that alumni value more than physical items. Travel packages, golf outings, and VIP access tap into shared community identity and relationships, which drives stronger bidding participation and sell-through rates above 90 percent.

Travel packages averaging $1,200 to $2,500 and golf outings ranging from $800 to $2,000 perform strongest, especially when tied to leadership or personal connections. VIP and exclusive access items like private dinners, season tickets, and personalized services from known alumni also achieve 90 percent or higher sell-through rates.

You only pay for an experience if it sells, keep 100% over the cost, and can sell experiences multiple times if the bidding gets hot. You are not too late: items can be added the same day as your event, so you can place experiences with confidence without worrying about unsold inventory.

Most households do not hold big-ticket inventory like vacation homes or luxury experiences that drive bidding wars. While your supporters give generously, few have those kinds of items to donate. This is not a failure of your mission, it is simply the reality that creates a gap between what donors can give and what auction guests want to bid on.

You only pay for an experience if it sells, keep 100% over the cost, and can sell experiences multiple times if the bidding gets hot. You are not too late: items can be added the same day as your event. Winners receive a certificate, and all travel logistics are handled after the event, so there is nothing to ship or store.

Contact 50 to 75 potential corporate donors to secure 8 to 12 quality items. Present a clear, professional partnership agreement that outlines tax deduction documentation and recognition opportunities. Service-based businesses like spas, salons, and entertainment venues participate at rates 30 percent higher than product-based businesses when approached with a simple, no-risk proposition.

Mobile bidding platforms now account for 68% of all auction bids, allowing donors to see new items instantly on their phones. Items added as late as 48 hours before an event experience no significant performance penalty, and the 'Just Added' label leads to a 19% increase in click-through rates from the urgency of a fresh opportunity.

Travel experiences operate on a consignment model with no inventory to hold, no shipping to coordinate, and no upfront payment required. You can browse a catalog, reserve experiences, and receive marketing materials often within the same day, making it possible to add an item even if your auction is tomorrow.

You only pay for an experience if it sells, keep 100% over the cost, and can sell experiences multiple times if the bidding gets hot. If an experience does not sell, you owe nothing.

Research shows experience-based auction items generate 40 to 60 percent higher bids than physical merchandise like signed jerseys and framed photos. VIP game day packages typically raise $800 to $2,500, while coaching clinics average $400 to $1,200, compared to $150 to $400 for signed equipment bundles.

Yes. When bidding gets competitive, you can offer the same experience to the second and third highest bidders at the same price. You only pay for an experience if it sells, keep 100% over the cost, and can sell experiences multiple times if the bidding gets hot.

Yes. Items can be added the same day as your event, so you do not need to plan months in advance. You can start by adding one or two experiences alongside your existing memorabilia to see how your community responds.

With a no-risk model, you owe nothing. You only pay for an experience if it sells, keep 100% over the cost, and can sell experiences multiple times if the bidding gets hot. Unsold packages carry zero financial penalty to your foundation.

Yes. Items can be added the same day as your event. You are not too late: reserve what you like for free, pay only for what sells, and keep everything over cost.

The recommended starting bid sits 15 to 20 percent above cost, so profit begins with the first bid. You keep 100% of the proceeds over the cost, and the same package can sell multiple times if bidding becomes competitive.

You set a starting bid 15 to 20 percent above the cost of each experience. The moment bidding begins, your organization is already earning money. You keep 100 percent of the proceeds above the cost, so every bid after that opening number increases your margin.

You owe nothing. You only pay for an experience if it sells. There are no upfront fees, deposits, or inventory costs, so unsold items do not eat into your budget.

Yes. Experiences are delivered as certificates with no physical inventory, so you can sell the same package multiple times if bidding gets hot. Each sale adds a full margin above cost to your total.

Your own tickets and passes are essential to your box office and daily operations. Using them as live auction anchors would undercut revenue you already count on. Instead, anchor the live auction with travel and experience packages, and place your own offerings in the silent auction where they thrive without competing against high-ticket items.

There is no financial risk. You only pay for an experience if it sells, keep 100% over the cost, and can sell experiences multiple times if the bidding gets hot. Items are delivered as certificates, so nothing ships. You can also add packages the same day as your event if needed.

Use the live auction for 20-40 premium travel and experience packages that command attention and high bids. Use the silent auction for 150-300 lots, including your own tickets, passes, and donated goods. This split maximizes total revenue because your institutional offerings support volume in the silent section while travel packages carry the highest revenue potential in the live moment.

Not necessarily. While big-ticket items average 5-12% sell-through at small events under 500 attendees, mid-range items at the same events sell at 50-70%. The gap comes down to format and presentation, not headcount. Silent auctions, bundling, and pre-event promotion can significantly increase big-ticket sales regardless of event size.

There is no financial risk. You only pay for an experience if it sells, keep 100% over the cost, and can sell experiences multiple times if the bidding gets hot. Items can be added the same day as your event, so you do not carry unsold inventory or owe anything on packages that do not sell.

You need interest from just two people in the room. Small school communities often share social circles, and competition between two bidders can drive sales upward. What matters is visibility and whether attendees see the item before or during the event, not the total number of attendees present.

Yes. Giveback XP's commission-based model eliminates financial risk, allowing you to add items with no upfront fees or usage costs. You only pay a commission if items sell above their reserve minimum, making late additions financially safe and low-risk.

Travel experiences, particularly low-ticket Mexico and Caribbean packages, are the top performers. Sporting event experiences, adventure packages, and private villa rentals also consistently outperform physical goods because they appeal to emotion and aspiration.

Adding 5 to 10 items can significantly boost results. Auctions with 20 or more organized items show significantly higher performance metrics than smaller catalogs, so even a modest late addition can push your auction into a higher-performing range.