silent auction donation request email

How to Write A Winning Silent Auction Donation Request

A successful appeal for silent auction donations includes three things: 1. A compelling story hook 2. A concise description of your organization’s work and silent auction event 3. A clear, specific ask of the business Let’s look at each of these elements in more detail.

Silent Auction Donation Request Template and Sample Letter

Instead of starting from scratch, get access to our free silent auction donation request template! You can customize this template to suit the needs of your organization and silent auction event. We’ve also included a sample letter to show you what this template looks like in action. ????

5 Questions to Help You Brainstorm A List of Companies to Reach Out to

You will be most successful in reaching out to smaller, locally-owned businesses—especially those where you (or your board members, staff team, volunteers, etc.) are a customer of or personally know the owner or manager. The types of businesses that typically donate to silent auctions are those looking to expand their customer base and show off the...

More Tips For Asking Companies to Donate to Your Silent Auction

Soliciting donations for a silent auction is a straightforward process, but it’s one that requires consistent effort. The good news is that you don’t have to go through the tedious process of sourcing items and reaching out to businesses for donations all by yourself. Enlist a team of volunteers or board members to streamline your outreach. As you ...

How do I write a silent auction donation letter?

Avoid the temptation to sign the letter from your entire organization. Choose an employee, board member, or key personnel to represent you. Included with your letter should be a silent auction item donation form to get additional and specific information about the item they’re donating.

Should you send an auction item request letter?

For the businesses who didn’t respond to your email campaigns or form submission, you may consider mailing them an auction item request letter as well. Since letters don’t form chains or hyperlink to webpages like a drip email campaign would, you need to include more information in your mailed letter than you would in an email.

What types of businesses donate to silent auctions?

The types of businesses that typically donate to silent auctions are those looking to expand their customer base and show off their products. When brainstorming which companies to reach out to for your silent auction, ask yourself the following questions to see if you can come up with 20–25 businesses to reach out to:

What is a donation request letter?

Donation request letters are nonprofit fundraising letters to be sent out to individuals or other organizations, like local businesses. While these letters can be sent out at any time of the year, they are particularly effective during the holiday season in November and December, when people are feeling more charitable.