Silent Auctions Online

Create your free silent auction fundraiser and start raising more!

An Online Silent auction is one of the best ways to raise funds for your charity, non-profit organization, school or club. Perfect for fundraising campaigns of all sizes, GalaBid’s free fundraising platform is easy to set-up and simple to use.

CREATE YOUR FREE FUNDRAISER

How do I start my online silent auction ?

To start your silent auction fundraiser, simply sign-up and add as many or as few items as you like. You can source your own auction items, use GalaBid's sale-or-return items, or both! Once you added them, connect your campaign to Stripe for payment processing and you’re ready to go!

Our interactive silent auction platform makes bidding fun and easy for your supporters. Accessible via any device, GalaBid's silent auction app will help raise more for your cause.

Silent Auction Online Explained:

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Why is GalaBid's platform designed to make your silent auction fundraising a success?
  • It's free with the voluntary contribuition option! See how it works.
  • Easy to start. Launch your silent auction site in minutes.
  • Dedicated website with online link for sharing.
  • Use any mobile or desktop device to access your auction.
  • Offer early auction access and pre-event bidding.
  • Online catalogs bring auction items to life.
  • Speedy and secure payment processing.
  • Your campaign can be run entirely online.
  • Perfect for gala events.
CREATE YOUR SILENT AUCTION>

You can also add these fundraising options
to your silent auction website:

online auctions items for bidding

Need auction items?
Want to boost your fundraising total?

GalaBid sale-or-return items are a tried and tested way to boost your fundraising total.  Earn all proceeds above the cost of the item and as a donation is built into the starting bid, you are guaranteed a minimum of 10% profit.

View and click to add your chosen items from your auction dashboard. No payment or credit card required!

How does our no-risk auction items catalog work?

When a GalaBid item sells in your auction all proceeds above the cost price are automatically directed to your Stripe account. Any that don’t sell are simply returned to the catalog, without any cost to you. Easy!  And, your winners are in very good hands. Our redemptions team takes care of the entire booking process. Any questions? Contact us.

sourcing auction itemsMORE ABOUT OUR CATALOG

What is a silent auction and how it works?

Silent auction is where people bid money for items using their mobile or desktop device. It is different to a live auction where the bidding takes place in a venue and people raise their hands or ‘paddle’ to make a bid.

Silent auction participants make bids for items during the allotted bidding period (the bidding period can be fixed to suit your timeframes, but an auction usually runs for a few weeks).  

Bidders can be outbid during the bidding period. At the end of the auction the highest bidder for each item wins!

Read More: What is a Silent Auction and How to Maximize Your Fundraising Results

Why run an online silent auction?

An online silent auction campaign is easier than running a live event. There’s no need to find a venue, entertainment, catering or security. You can set-up and run your online auction website in minutes.

All you need to do is source some amazing items (we can help with that), then everything is organized via your mobile or desktop device. This means you can run the entire silent auction campaign from home!

Your fundraiser will look professional and on brand. The GalaBid silent auction online software includes easy to use custom design features, enabling you to create a dedicated free online auction site, exclusively for your cause. Each silent auction website will have its own link and QR code making it easy to share with supporters by email, social media and in person.

How to run a silent auction online?

If you have a mobile or desktop device, you can run a successful online silent auction. You don’t need to be a professional fundraiser or have any previous fundraising experience.

And you don’t need lots of spare time to run a successful silent auction fundraising campaign. GalaBid has been helping large and small fundraisers for over 10 years. This means we know the online silent auction features and support you need. Our online auction platform is easy to use and fast to set-up. You can launch your campaign in minutes.  

Whether you represent a national charity or you are an individual looking to fundraise for any cause, GalaBid’s silent auction solution has everything you need to help you reach your fundraising targets.

Our Free Online Auction Site is Packed With Good Things

silent auction bidding

Mobile Bidding

An online silent auction campaign means everyone can participate in your fundraiser. Supporters can bid from any mobile or desktop device, from home, at a fundraising event, or from anywhere in the world. Online access extends the reach of your silent auction fundraising campaign and the time supporters have to bid, a winning combination to help you raise more.

silent auction catalogue of items

Branded Silent Auction Catalog

Customize your virtual catalog with your own items or add from a range of items from the GalaBid consignment collection. See your online silent auction come to life with the live preview panel.

mobile alerts silent auction

SMS or email notifications

Real-time mobile alerts make sure silent auction bidders stay in the loop. Automated notifications tell bidders when they’ve been outbid, or when the auction is about to start or end.

payment method silent auction

Instant Payments

Participants can easily pay from their own device. The funds go through a payment gateway called Stripe which integrates seamlessly with the GalaBid platform. Please see Payments for more details.

leaderboard displays

Leaderboard Displays

Create a customized scrolling silent auction leaderboard showcasing each prize item and bid activity. The leaderboard shows successful bidders' names and their current bid. The highest current bid will be leading the pack at the top of the board.  Fire-up the excitement with a countdown timer and donation visualizer to track progress towards your auction fundraising target.

invoices

Invoices

Mobile invoices are generated the moment the auction closes. Sent via text or email, winning bidders receive immediate confirmation of their silent auction success, plus a payment link.

silent auction payment secure

Secure Payment

Our secure payment gateway, powered by Stripe, offers confidence and peace of mind. It's easy to set-up and easier to give. Supporters make payments with a credit or debit card or via Apple or Google Pay.

customized silent auction online website

Custom Design

Design flexibility means you can customise the online silent auction, including home pages, info pages, videos, images and logos to showcase your prizes, your cause and your sponsors.

ACCESS THE LIVE DEMO >

Articles to help you with your silent auction campaign

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Helping fundraisers raise more since 2011

Read more reviews at trustpilot.com

Oct, 2023
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NEW!

"If you are looking for a bidding site, stop here. This was my first time and it is easy to navigate. The reports they offer are phenomenal. The best part is their customer service. At any moment I had a question and posted in the chat, they were there to help me! Even during our busy EVENING event, 5 minutes before the auction was ending, I wanted to know quickly, where to find a report to view winners, top bid, etc. - they were there even then! FanTAStic company to work with!!"

Oct, 2023
trustpilot-stars

GalaBid was very easy to use and quadrupled our silent auction proceeds compared to the previous year (which was all in-person bidding)”

Oct, 2023
trustpilot-stars

“Galabid was really easy to set up and amend as needed. The online chat system was invaluable, and the help menu was really useful for helping to navigate the site. Would definitely recommend to anyone setting up a silent auction whether they have done it before or not..”

Sept, 2023
trustpilot-stars

“Really amazing platform with quite literally all of the features you might need for an auction - even more amazing support team who very promptly answered every question I had and were generally incredibly useful. Will definitely be using again 10/10”

Frequent Asked Questions About Silent Auction

How do I find a silent auction?

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Silent auctions hosted on GalaBid are private and require a specific campaign link for participation. Typically, the link is provided in an invitation which may be sent by email, flier, or posted on a website or social networking site. If you know someone who is hosting or participating in an auction on GalaBid, contact them to request the auction link.

How much does it cost to run an online auction through GalaBid?

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Our free fundraising software means more funds go directly to your cause. There are no minimum amounts to be raised. Training and support are provided via help videos in the system - it's very easy to set-up and run.

How does it work?
Winning bidders and people who donate/buy raffle tickets can make voluntary contributions towards the GalaBid platform's upkeep when they make their purchase/donation. That's how we can cover our costs and continue to support amazing causes, just like yours.

How many items can I add to my silent auction website?

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To keep the fundraising platform loading as quickly as possible we recommend a max of 200 items with up to 10 images each, or 500 with no images.

Can I also have raffle and donation items with my silent auction?

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Yes, you can combine raffle, silent auction and donation item types within one campaign.

What is the difference between a Live and Silent auction?

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A live auction requires an auctioneer and is run in-person in a venue. Bidders raise their hand or paddle when they agree to the bid amount. A silent auction is run on paper or online where bidders enter their bid amount and do so each time they are outbid.

What if the winner doesn't pay for their item?

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All underbidders are tracked and recorded in the platform, we suggest contacting an underbidder to offer them the prize. You can easily add it to the underbidder's invoice by deleting the retracted highest bid. It will then automatically go to the next underbidder for the amount they bid.

Can I re-order my items?

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You can easily drag and drop your items once they are added at any stage of your campaign set-up including once you are live and are taking bids.

How can I edit my items once my campaign is live?

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You can edit your items in the Item section at any stage during the set-up and also once your campaign is live and there are bids on the item.

Can items have multiple winners?

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Yes, you can have up to 10 items per lot, this means that the 10 highest bidders will each win one item.

Can I close bidding at different times on different items?

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This is not a feature yet, however, you are able to lock items individually to stop bidding on them at anytime and keep the current bidder as the highest bidder for when the auction closes.

Can I add reserves to my items?

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Yes, in the advanced options section when editing the item you can enable a reserve and enter the amount you wish, once a bid is place on that item it will say 'Below Reserve' until the reserve amount is met. You can edit the reserve amount at any time.

Is there a max-bid or proxy bid feature?

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Not yet. We are adding this feature in the future, however, our clients tend to raise more without it.

Can I enabled overtime or extended bidding on my silent auction?

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Yes, you can set the overtime to any time you wish, if you set it to 3 minutes then the whole campaign will stay open an additional 3 minutes.

Can I set my auction to close at a certain time?

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Yes, you are able to schedule your auction to close. This will activate a countdown timer on the campaign for your participants to view also. Note, the auction must me opened manually still.

Are participants required to enter their credit card details before bidding?

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This feature is optional, we call it Pre-authorisation and can be turned on in the Payment section once your Stripe account is connected. Participants will be asked to enter their credit card information as part of the registration process, however, they will not be automatically charged at the end of the auction. They will be sent a payment link from the platform which they can select their registered card to pay. Alternatively, admins have the ability to charge participants' registered cards from the admin dashboard if they wish.

How long can I run my silent auction?

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GalaBid recommends 10 - 14 days for the best auction results.

Do bidders receive an outbid message?

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Yes, each time the highest current bidder is outbid they are sent an outbid notification with a link back to the item so that they can bid again.

Who ships the prizes to the winners?

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This is the responsibility of the campaign organiser.

Can I add shipping to my items?

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Not yet, this feature will be added to the GalaBid platform in 2022. We recommend charging your participants outside of the platform for shipping until then.

How do I keep track of who has received their prize?

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In the GalaBid dashboard we have a Checkout Console section where you can mark of items as dispatched from each participants invoice, just select the truck symbol to mark them off. This will then be visible in the reporting section also.

Can I add No Risk Prizes/ Consignment to my campaign?

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Yes, once your campaign is created you can view and add from our catalogue in Items > No Risk Prizes. If these items do not sell you do not pay for them,. If they do every amount over the cost price goes to you.

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Why GalaBid?

With over a decade’s experience, we know fundraising. The GalaBid fundraising platform has helped tens of thousands of events and fundraisers around the world raise more. Our online fundraising technology is specifically designed for fundraisers and is packed with features that maximise results online and at events.

Free and Paid Versions Available

As an alternative to our paid pricing options, GalaBid software can be used free of charge. That's right! On free campaigns a suggested tip to GalaBid is added to participants' invoices. If participants opt out, you still receive the software free of charge.

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