The Texas Society of Homeopathy's journey from paper bid sheets to a digital auction that reached hundreds more supporters
For more than three decades, the Texas Society of Homeopathy has hosted an annual conference dedicated to educating professionals and home prescribers.
Like many established events, fundraising was centred around a traditional silent auction. Donated items were displayed at the conference, attendees wrote bids on paper sheets, and volunteers managed the inevitable end-of-event scramble to calculate winners and collect payments.
It was a familiar process.
But as the organisation grew, one question became increasingly difficult to ignore:
Why was the auction only reaching the people in the room?
When Janelle Cole took over responsibility for the auction, she saw an opportunity to bring a long-standing fundraiser into the digital age - without losing the community spirit that made it successful in the first place.
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Looking Beyond the Conference Floor
The annual conference typically attracts around 35 in-person attendees. However, the organisation's wider audience is much larger, with more than 150 members and hundreds of additional supporters following its work through newsletters and other communications.
For Janelle, that represented untapped fundraising potential.
I knew that our customer base was much broader than the physical attendees.
A traditional paper-based auction meant participation was largely limited to those physically present at the event. Moving online offered the opportunity to engage virtual attendees, members and supporters who otherwise wouldn't have the chance to bid.
That realization sparked a search for an online auction platform.
Finding a Solution the Board Could Trust
Like many nonprofits exploring digital fundraising for the first time, the decision wasn't just about features. Security, payment processing and transparency were top priorities.
Janelle began researching online auction platforms, watching videos and comparing options before discovering GalaBid. What stood out wasn't just the functionality - it was the clarity.
As she explored the platform, she found straightforward information about costs, security and payment processing, helping her confidently answer questions from board members and stakeholders.
One feature proved particularly important.
The funds don't actually go through GalaBid, they go straight from the credit card to our account. That was a huge point with a lot of our board members.
After a short introductory call with the GalaBid team, the Texas Society of Homeopathy was ready to launch its first digital auction.
A Simpler Way to Manage Auction Items
One unexpected advantage emerged before bidding had even begun. In previous years, donated items needed to be shipped, stored, transported to the venue and managed throughout the event.
With GalaBid, that process changed dramatically. Using the printable item booklet with QR codes meant auction participants simply needed to scan the code to see the item and relevant details online.
Instead of collecting every item, this enabled most donors to retain possession of their items until the auction closed. The result was less handling, fewer logistics and significantly less work for organizers. As Janelle explains,
I didn't have to deal with physical products. I didn't have to haul them to the conference.
For volunteer-led organisations, reducing administrative burden can be just as valuable as increasing participation.
Setting Up the Auction Was Surprisingly Easy
For many fundraisers, the thought of moving online can feel daunting. Janelle's experience was quite the opposite.
Uploading auction items, adding images, writing descriptions and including supporting information was a straightforward process that she largely managed herself.
It really was very quick, very easy to do.
Multiple images could be added to each item, helping bidders better understand what was on offer, while detailed descriptions and links provided additional context where needed.
The flexibility proved particularly useful for educational products, courses and specialist items that benefited from more explanation than a traditional display table could provide.
Building Excitement Before the Event
One of the biggest advantages of moving online was the ability to start promoting the auction before the conference began. A few weeks before the event, Janelle had already loaded the auction catalogue and started sharing links through social media and email newsletters.
The response was encouraging. Supporters were discussing items, expressing interest and planning their bids before the auction had even opened.
Rather than waiting for attendees to discover items during the conference, the organization was able to build anticipation well in advance.
Fundraiser Takeaway: If you're running an auction as part of an event, don't wait until event day to start promoting it. Sharing individual auction items through email and social media can create excitement, increase participation and give supporters more time to engage.
Blending Digital Convenience with In-Person Engagement
Although the auction was online, the conference still benefited from a physical presence. One feature Janelle particularly appreciated was GalaBid's printable auction catalogue. With a few clicks, she was able to generate a professional-looking booklet showcasing every item in the auction.
I didn't need to do anything. I just went in and chose the option to print a booklet of items.
The catalogue proved especially useful for attendees who preferred to browse a printed list before heading online to place bids.
By combining digital bidding with physical event materials, the organisation created an experience that worked for everyone.
The Moment That Sold Her Completely
Anyone who has ever run a traditional silent auction knows what happens when bidding close:.
- Volunteers gather bid sheets.
- Winners are calculated.
- Payments are chased.
- Questions are answered.
It's often one of the most stressful parts of the entire event. For Janelle, it was the moment GalaBid made the biggest difference.
If you've ever done a silent auction, you know at the end of the auction you spend all this time tallying things up and going through the papers.
This time, there were no paper sheets to sort through and no manual calculations to complete.
I closed the auction and then all the payments happened and it showed up in our bank account.
Her verdict?
It was just the easiest thing.
Looking Ahead
Following the success of their first online auction, the Texas Society of Homeopathy plans to continue building on the approach and involve additional volunteers in future campaigns.
They're also exploring features such as SMS notifications and live auction displays to create even more engagement during their events.
For Janelle, however, the biggest benefit was simple:
Moving online allowed the organization to extend its auction beyond the conference room while dramatically reducing the workload involved in running it.
Key Lessons for Fundraisers
Don't Limit Your Auction to Event Attendees
Your supporters don't need to be in the room to participate. Opening bidding to members, supporters and virtual attendees can dramatically expand your potential audience.
Start Promoting Early
Building awareness before the event gives supporters time to browse items, plan bids and get excited.
Simplify Your Logistics
Where possible, let donors retain and fulfil auction items directly. It can save significant time and effort.
Make It Easy for Everyone to Participate
Combining online bidding with printed catalogues or QR codes helps bridge the gap between digital and in-person audiences.
Automate the Administration
Removing manual payment collection and winner calculations frees up volunteers to focus on delivering a great event experience.
For organisations looking to modernize long-standing fundraising traditions, the Texas Society of Homeopathy's experience demonstrates that moving online doesn't mean losing what makes an auction special - it simply means giving more people the opportunity to take part.
