WHAT ARE SILENT AUCTIONS ?

Silent auctions are an effective and user-friendly mechanism for fundraising. They typically take place during a special event, such as a Gala or a party but do not interfere with the event itself.

Items and/or services are donated by individuals or businesses that wish to sponsor the event. You can expect to find a wide variety of wonderful donations, including hotel stays, restaurant meals, tickets to sporting or cultural events, professional services (legal or accounting advice, tutoring), even jewelry and artwork.

The donated items are listed ahead of time on the school website as well as in a catalogue. This catalogue is provided to all families a few weeks before the annual Gala to give potential buyers the time to review what is available for bids.

All items are displayed during the Gala. Each one is labeled with a description and its market value. A bid-sheet is provided with each item. It includes an opening bid price that is generally lower than market value. Interested bidders will indicate their best offer on that sheet. A bidding process ensues, as every bidder ups the ante, based on a required minimum bid. This continues until the closing of the bids towards the end of the evening.

When the bidding period is over, the bidder who made the highest offer wins the item. All items are paid for at that time and taken home the same evening. Payment can be made by check or credit card.