Silent auctions are classic nonprofit fundraisers—with good reason, as they’re among the most engaging and lucrative events your organization could host. As participants bid on their favorite items, they foster a fun, competitive environment while raising funds for your mission.
To make the most of your silent auction, you’ll need to plan strategically, and one of the most critical aspects of your preparations will be procuring the right auction items. The best charity auction prizes are unique—i.e., not easy to find in retail stores—and align with the interests and budgets of the supporter segments you most want to attract to your event.
In this guide, you’ll find more than 150 silent auction item ideas to help your procurement team get started and some bonus tips to secure them more easily.
Travel-Based Silent Auction Items
Travel-related items are typically best-sellers in silent auctions. They appeal to a broad audience, add a unique element to your auction experience, and often bring in the largest bids among your prizes! Consider procuring a few big-ticket vacation packages and some smaller travel accessories so all of your auction participants can bid on the items that fit their budget.
Featured Item Ideas
Tropical Resort Getaway
Revenue Potential: $$$
Audience Appeal: +++
Supporters in need of a relaxing break will love an all-inclusive stay at a resort in a warm paradise. While they should have plenty of beach time built into their itineraries, make sure your vacation package includes a standout activity unique to that location. For example, winning bidders could attend a traditional luau in Hawaii or enjoy bioluminescence kayaking in Puerto Rico’s famous Mosquito Bay.
International City Sightseeing Tour
Revenue Potential: $$$
Audience Appeal: +++
For the travelers in your supporter base who enjoy an action-packed vacation, whisk them away to a city around the world they’ve probably dreamed of visiting. In addition to touring popular landmarks and museums in that city, let the winning bidders experience other unique aspects of that destination, such as a private gondola ride in Venice or a nighttime cruise on the Seine to enjoy the lights of Paris.
Dream Disney Vacation
Revenue Potential: $$$
Audience Appeal: ++
Auctioning off a trip to the Happiest or Most Magical Place on Earth will entice supporters with young children and self-proclaimed “Disney Adults” alike. Include tickets, accommodations on or near the Disney properties, and gift cards for food and merchandise at the parks in your Disneyland or Disney World vacation package.
Additional Travel Ideas
- Luxury hotel stay
- Cruise with ports of call at popular destinations
- Airline gift certificate
- Winery tour and tasting
- Ski chalet stay with mountain passes
- Tour of several major national parks
- Beach or lake house rental
- One-week timeshare
- Hot air balloon ride
- Helicopter ride
- Pet-sitting services or boarding
- High-quality luggage
Community Spotlight Silent Auction Item Ideas
Travel-related auction items cater to faraway locations with wide appeal, but you can also look to your local community for valuable, enticing silent auction ideas. Procuring community spotlight items for your silent auction benefits your nonprofit and the local businesses that provide the items. Your sponsors receive publicity during your event, and your organization can form lasting partnerships with them while bringing in revenue at the same time.
Featured Item Ideas
Historic & Cultural City Site Tour
Revenue Potential: $$
Audience Appeal: +
If your nonprofit is located in or near a mid-sized to larger city, you likely have a lot of history and culture right at your fingertips. Whether supporters are new to your area or always love learning more about where they live, a day-long private tour of your city’s landmarks, museums, historic homes, and other essential sites can be a hit.
Local Arts Company Performance Tickets
Revenue Potential: $$
Audience Appeal: ++
If you have a professional dance company, regional theatre group, or symphony orchestra near your organization, support their artistic endeavors by auctioning off great seats at their most popular performances. Consider audience demographics when selecting shows—for instance, older supporters might enjoy an orchestra’s classical concerts, while younger participants may prefer to watch a popular movie where the soundtrack is performed live by the symphony.
Full-Service Spa Day
Revenue Potential: $$
Audience Appeal: ++
Help supporters unwind after a long week by partnering with local spas, nail salons, massage therapy practices, or similar businesses. Curate a standard set of spa services as your auction prize (for example, a Swedish massage, regular-polish mani-pedi, and classic facial), or let the winning bidder choose their experiences within a specific budget.
Additional Community Spotlight Ideas
- Dinner with the mayor or a city council member
- Private, behind-the-scenes tours of businesses or factories in the area
- Sponsorship of a park bench with the supporter’s name on it
- Passes for classes at a community recreation center
- Three years of oil changes at a local car dealership
- Certified mechanic work for auto repairs or detailing
- Landscaping services for your home or business
- Certificates for home improvement or repairs
- Car washes once a month for a year at a community car wash
- Dry cleaning services for a year
- Flower deliveries from a local florist
- Use of a local event venue for a large celebration like a wedding or anniversary party
Food and Beverage Silent Auction Items
In addition to highlighting your nonprofit’s community through experiences and services, you can also showcase the food and beverages unique to your area at your silent auction. Food and beverage items are often favorites among auction participants, especially those who would rather bid on consumables instead of bringing additional permanent items into their homes. As your supporters likely have different food and beverage preferences, make sure to have a variety of options available.
Featured Item Ideas
Bar Crawl
Revenue Potential: $$
Audience Appeal: ++
Give supporters a fun night out with their friends by letting them try some of your city’s top bars and pubs. Include tickets for drinks and snacks at each establishment in the bundle, as well as pre-arranged transportation to keep everyone safe as they enjoy themselves. (Warning: Remember to verify that the winner of any prize involving alcohol is at least 21 years old!)
Food Truck Tour
Revenue Potential: $$
Audience Appeal: ++
Similar to the bar crawl, let participants get a taste of everything your city has to offer with a tour of its food trucks. You can either let the winning bidder and their friends visit several trucks in one day or have them choose a location for their favorite trucks to come and provide food—whether that’s their birthday party or just another lunch break at the office.
Dinner Date Night
Revenue Potential: $$
Audience Appeal: +++
Partner with a high-end, award-winning restaurant in your city to create a multi-course dining experience for the winning bidder and their date. After dinner, give them tickets to see a movie or show together, and provide wine or champagne and chocolate for them to enjoy when they get home from their night out. Pre-arranged transportation is also highly recommended for this prize.
Additional Food and Beverage Ideas
- Cooking classes taught by a local chef
- Meal at a themed restaurant (medieval times, pirates, etc.)
- Weekend brunch with friends
- Pizza delivery each month for a year
- Catered workplace breakfast or lunch
- Custom birthday cake from a local bakery
- Private wine or beer tastings
- Vintage or rare bottles of wine
- Local beer or micro-brew samplers
- Behind-the-scenes brewery tour
- Afternoon tea at a park or botanical garden
- Tea or coffee samplers
- Gourmet chocolate boxes
- Assortment of locally made candy
- Charcuterie board kit with cheese, crackers, and other toppings
- Sampler of dried herbs, spices, and cooking oils
- A year’s supply of coffee from a popular coffee shop
Sports and Fitness Silent Auction Ideas
Part of the appeal of many sports is that they rally a community together around a common goal. Some auction participants may want to attend athletic events or own items related to their favorite sport, while others might prefer new ways to be physically active themselves.
Featured Item Ideas
Local Team Season Tickets
Revenue Potential: $$
Audience Appeal: ++
Sports fans often love to show their spirit for the teams in their area, so season tickets for college or professional sports close to your nonprofit will likely be a big hit. If you have multiple local teams that excel in the same sport—whether they play in different divisions of their leagues or are direct rivals—try to secure equally good seats for both teams to appease all fans in your supporter base.
Major Athletic Event Experience
Revenue Potential: $$$
Audience Appeal: +++
While some of your supporters likely hope to vacation in specific destinations during their lifetimes, others may have attending a major sporting event like the Super Bowl, NBA Championship, World Series, World Cup, or Olympics on their bucket lists. Fulfill their dreams by selling tickets to any of these events that are coming up soon after your auction, along with the required travel arrangements.
Luxury Golf Course Tee Time
Revenue Potential: $$
Audience Appeal: +
It’s common to pair a silent auction with a charity golf tournament to increase both events’ fundraising potential. If you’re combining these fundraisers or have many dedicated golfers in your target audience, consider offering them the opportunity to win a day at the nicest golf course in your area or even an overnight trip to a luxury course in a different city.
Additional Sports and Fitness Ideas
- Signed sports memorabilia like jerseys, balls, equipment, and helmets
- Passes to sports halls of fame around the country
- Signed, framed photos of famous sports personalities
- Rare baseball cards
- Golf clubs and apparel
- Opportunity to sit in on a local sports radio show
- Behind-the-scenes tour of a sports network’s studio
- Catered tailgate party before a high school or college football game
- Pro lessons for any sport
- Driveway basketball hoop and basketballs
- Lawn games such as cornhole, spike ball, or ladder ball
- Supplies for popular racket sports like tennis, badminton, or pickleball
- A year’s membership at a gym, pool, or rec center
- Passes to group fitness classes like yoga, Pilates, or Zumba
- Personal training sessions
- Gift certificates for popular athletic apparel brands
Music and Entertainment Silent Auction Item Ideas
There is something for everyone in the world of music and entertainment. Tickets to popular entertainment events are often hard to come by, so these silent auction items tend to bring in a lot of revenue. Just make sure to research upcoming attractions and stay up-to-date on pop culture news so you feature items your supporters will readily use.
Featured Item Ideas
Concert Tour of the Summer
Revenue Potential: $$
Audience Appeal: +++
Save fans of popular artists or bands from getting stuck in ticketing website queues while trying to secure nosebleed seats, and instead auction off two to four of the best tickets in the house. Add more value to the concert experience by including free merchandise, vouchers for food and drinks at the venue, and even backstage passes or photo opportunities with the performers to the bundle.
Entertainment Awards Show Experience
Revenue Potential: $$$
Audience Appeal: ++
Music enthusiasts, theatre lovers, or film buffs in your supporter base would probably love to experience the glitz and glam of the Grammys, Tonys, Golden Globes, or other major awards shows. As with any prize that requires out-of-town travel, arrange transportation and accommodations for the winning bidder in addition to securing tickets.
Signed Music Memorabilia
Revenue Potential: $$
Audience Appeal: +
Some music lovers enjoy having instruments or concert posters signed by their favorite artists—from the Eagles to Taylor Swift—as decorations for their homes. Playbills or window cards signed by the original Broadway cast of a musical can be appealing as well. (Warning: Always check the legitimacy of any signed memorabilia before featuring it in your auction!)
Additional Music and Entertainment Ideas
- Exclusive CD or vinyl editions of popular albums
- Professional DJ services for a party, wedding, or other event
- Season tickets at a local performing arts center
- Merchandise bundles themed around specific artists, movies, or shows
- Tickets to new or popular Broadway shows
- Seats at a live taping of a reality, game, or talk show
- Behind-the-scenes tours of movie sets or TV studios
- Musical instrument or voice lessons
- Tickets to a major film festival
- Attendance at a movie premiere
- Tickets to a comedy or improv show
- Ballroom dancing lessons
Family-Friendly Silent Auction Items
If your donor base includes families, it’s ideal to feature some family-friendly auction items. These prizes help engage supporters of all ages in your nonprofit’s mission—not only the adults who bid on the prizes, but also the children who benefit from them. Plus, many parents and grandparents are looking for ways to make new memories and enjoy quality time with family.
Featured Item Ideas
Zoo, Aquarium, or Children’s Museum Memberships
Revenue Potential: $
Audience Appeal: ++
While traditional corporate sponsors are invaluable for procuring auction items, other nonprofits might also be willing to help with your event, especially cultural organizations. See if a zoo, aquarium, or kids’ museum in your area will contribute an annual membership that a family who wants to create fun, educational experiences for their children will be excited to bid on.
Amusement Park Day
Revenue Potential: $$
Audience Appeal: ++
Let families enjoy a day together at your nearest theme park by auctioning off four or more passes as a set. You might also include a gift card for food, locker rentals, and souvenirs at the park or a “survival kit” with a backpack, sunscreen, water bottles, snacks, and towels if there are water rides to round out this prize.
Hot-Button Toys
Revenue Potential: $
Audience Appeal: ++
Including popular toys in your auction can help busy parents and grandparents check some birthday or holiday gift shopping off their lists. To maximize these prizes’ revenue, try to feature toys that are more expensive and harder to find than the average, such as large Lego sets and American Girl Dolls. If you want to feature smaller, widely available items like stuffed animals or mystery collectibles, bundle several into one prize pack to increase their value.
Additional Family-Friendly Ideas
- Child care at a local daycare
- Family photo shoot with a professional photographer
- Family painting by a local artist
- Children’s room design by a professional decorator
- Backyard swing set or jungle gym
- After-school gymnastics or dance classes
- Season passes to community pools
- Birthday visit from a performer dressed as a popular character
- Book reading with a favorite children’s book author
- Group outing for laser tag or go-karting
- Passes to a mini golf course or trampoline park
- Roller skating or ice skating sessions
- Games and shoe rentals at a bowling alley
- Kid-friendly craft sets or science kits
- “Take Your Child to Work Day” experiences
- Inflatable rentals for parties
Education-Focused Silent Auction Item Ideas
Education and classroom-related silent auction items are the perfect addition to a school fundraiser. Even if you’re not hosting a school auction, remember that many parents are looking for new ways to enrich their children’s education in and out of the classroom. Also, they’re another vehicle for making the youngest members of your community aware of your organization and its mission.
Featured Item Ideas
Class Party Pack
Revenue Potential: $
Audience Appeal: ++
Help family members celebrate a birthday, holiday, or goal achievement in their child’s class with a party starter kit. Include snacks, craft materials, games, and prizes in the pack, making sure all items are age appropriate for the target audience and adhere to school rules (for example, don’t add candy that contains peanuts if your local elementary school is peanut free).
Back-to-School Shopping Spree
Revenue Potential: $$
Audience Appeal: ++
Make the beginning of the year easier for parents by compiling a pack of gift cards to popular retailers where parents can buy new school supplies, clothes, shoes, and books for their children. As an added bonus, consider arranging transportation for a day and a personal shopping assistant to turn it into a full experience.
Reserved Prime Parking Spot
Revenue Potential: $
Audience Appeal: +
For high school students who drive themselves to school or highly involved parent volunteers, finding a good, legal parking spot on campus day after day can be challenging. Take away the guesswork by reserving a parking spot in front of the school (that isn’t already designated for another purpose) and auctioning off the right to park there for a full school year.
Additional Education-Focused Ideas
- Ride to or from school in a fire truck
- Lunch with the principal
- Reserved seats for graduation ceremonies
- Front-row seats at a school play or sporting event
- Catered breakfast or lunch for child’s class
Seasonal and Holiday Silent Auction Items
Theming some of your silent auction items around upcoming holidays or seasons can generate higher bids since they appear very relevant and stir up excitement for the time of year. For example, if your auction is in the fall, you might look ahead to the holiday season in December, while an early spring auction would lend itself to preparation for the summer.
Featured Item Ideas
Holiday Lights Tour
Revenue Potential: $
Audience Appeal: ++
Arrange a minibus or limo ride (complete with warm drinks and festive snacks) for a winning bidder and their family or friends to drive around the neighborhoods in your community that put on the best holiday light displays. Alternatively, if there is a nearby farm, park, botanical garden, or other public venue that creates a large light show each year, secure tickets to that display for your auction.
Seasonal Show Experience
Revenue Potential: $$$
Audience Appeal: ++
Elevate your performing arts-related auction offerings leading up to the holiday season with tickets to local performances of The Nutcracker ballet, the play or musical versions of A Christmas Carol, or a special holiday concert by a popular artist. Or, send supporters on a trip to New York City to experience the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, or the New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square in person.
Family Thanksgiving Dinner
Revenue Potential: $$
Audience Appeal: ++
Partner with a restaurant or catering company to take the stress out of Thanksgiving meal preparation for an auction participant. Award them a prepared turkey, an assortment of classic sides like stuffing and green bean casserole, and pies or other fall-themed desserts. Make sure to specify approximately how many people your dinner serves so bidders can plan accordingly.
Additional Seasonal and Holiday Ideas
- Santa Claus or Easter Bunny visit to your workplace or child’s school
- St. Patrick’s Day dinner at an Irish restaurant
- Valentine’s Day romantic dinner for two
- Prime viewing spot for July 4th fireworks
- A spot on the main float in a city holiday parade
- Skiing and snowboarding equipment and lessons
- A week of summer day camp or overnight camp
- Water sports equipment such as surfboards, kayaks, or water skis
Technology Silent Auction Item Ideas
Featuring the latest technology—both big-ticket devices and smaller add-ons—can help attract younger participants to your silent auction. Although many of these items can be found at regular stores, they retail for high prices. Supporters will likely be interested in getting them at a slightly lower price at auction, but they’ll still place significant bids if the items are brand-new.
Featured Item Ideas
Video Game Starter Pack
Revenue Potential: $$
Audience Appeal: ++
Center this bundle around a popular, recent gaming system—the latest versions of the Sony PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch are likely your best bet. To increase the pack’s value, include additional controllers for multi-player gaming and several popular games.
Annual Streaming Subscriptions
Revenue Potential: $
Audience Appeal: +++
It’s estimated that more than 80 million U.S. households will stop paying for traditional TV and rely only on streaming services by 2026. Help these cord-cutters continue watching their favorite shows by auctioning off annual subscriptions for their favorite platforms, such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, and Max. Music streaming service subscriptions, like Spotify or Apple Music, are also an option.
Photography Bundles
Revenue Potential: $$
Audience Appeal: +
Avid photographers in your supporter base would probably love to buy a high-quality digital camera and accessories (additional lenses, a tripod, etc.) at your auction. Plus, film photography is experiencing a resurgence, so securing a vintage film camera or adding disposable and Polaroid cameras to other packages may also appeal to auction participants.
Additional Technology Ideas
- New smartphones
- Tablets or e-readers
- 4K/Smart TVs
- Computers or laptops
- Smart watches
- Fitness trackers
- Bluetooth headphones and speakers
- Record players
High-End Goods for Silent Auctions
Technological devices aren’t the only luxury items that sell well at silent auctions. Although high-end home goods, personal items, and appliances are more subject to personal preferences than other auction items, chances are they’ll line up with some supporters’ wants, and they also make great gifts if participants would rather purchase them for someone else.
Featured Item Ideas
Trending Kitchen Appliances
Revenue Potential: $$
Audience Appeal: +++
Many of your supporters would likely be thrilled to find popular kitchen gadgets at your auction, from air fryers to espresso machines to ice cream makers. Increase these prizes’ value by including relevant recipe books or arranging a cooking lesson that uses the appliance for the winning bidder.
Local Antique Furniture
Revenue Potential: $$
Audience Appeal: +
Antiques are among the most unique physical goods you can feature in silent auctions, and finding locally produced pieces adds an extra-special touch for passionate buyers. Reach out to local antique dealers or shops to secure these pieces, and ask them about the story behind each item so you can share it with interested bidders.
Designer Brand Shopping Spree
Revenue Potential: $$
Audience Appeal: +
Let supporters who love fashionable clothing shop the top brands to their hearts’ content with a pack of gift certificates. If you have several stores featuring these designer brands at your local mall, consider taking the winning bidder on a guided shopping day as well.
Additional High-End Product Ideas
- Jewelry
- Designer purses
- Paintings or sculptures
- Crystal dishes, vases, or stemware
- Snow blowers or lawn mowers
Silent Auction Gift Basket Ideas
Gift baskets are a silent auction staple! By combining several low-value items in a basket, you can raise the overall value of even the most commonplace items to attract high starting bids. Center each basket on a creative theme, package it in a way that looks as appealing to auction participants as possible, and include a listing of all included items to ensure supporters know exactly what they’re bidding on.
Featured Item Ideas
Airport Must-Haves
Revenue Potential: $
Audience Appeal: +++
This basket is great for your frequent flyers looking to replace their supplies and for first-time air travelers. Bundle together a neck pillow, earbuds, small paperback books, a portable phone charger, TSA-approved containers for travel toiletries, and an airline gift certificate. Instead of a traditional basket, consider packaging these items in a carry-on suitcase to add value and visual appeal.
Makeup Essentials
Revenue Potential: $
Audience Appeal: +
Supporters who enjoy high-quality makeup often want to stock up on many supplies at once. Include a variety of lipsticks, eye shadow palettes, eyeliners, mascara, and makeup brushes in the basket, plus a gift card to a beauty supply store so the winning bidder can choose face makeup products like foundation and powder that match their skin tone. Also, consider asking the store to set up a consultation with the winner so they can learn new techniques and find the best products for their needs.
Pamper Your Pet
Revenue Potential: $
Audience Appeal: +
Make two versions of this basket: one for dog owners and one for cat owners. Collect a wide selection of toys, treats, essential supplies, and certificates for pet-sitting or grooming services, all geared specifically toward each type of pet. For example, you might include a leash and tennis balls in the dog basket and a scratching post and catnip in the cat basket.
Additional Gift Basket Ideas
- At-Home Spa Day: facial masks, bath bombs, scented lotion, neck massager
- Movie Night: popcorn, boxed candy, throw blanket, movie theater gift card
- Beach Party: beach towels, sand toys, sunglasses, sunscreen, tropical beverages
- Wine and Cheese: assorted cheeses and meats, charcuterie board, high-end wine
- Home Chef Starter Kit: baking pans, kitchen utensils, cooking oils, spices
- Campfire: s’mores supplies, unique camping gear, campground pass
- Game Night: assorted board games, cards, and video games
- Aspiring Artist: paints, paintbrushes, palettes, canvases, sketchbook, colored pencils
- New Baby Needs: baby bottles, diapers, blankets, bibs, pacifiers
- Garden in a Box: gardening gloves, seeds, pots, succulents, spade, watering can
- Road Trip Ready: car trunk organizer, cooler, travel snacks, car phone charger, car games, gas station gift card
BONUS: Top Procurement Methods for Silent Auction Items
Now that you have plenty of ideas for items to feature in your next silent auction, you’re probably wondering exactly how to procure them. The trick with auction items is to secure the most valuable items at the lowest possible prices so you can manage your budget effectively and put as much funding as possible toward your mission after the event.
To accomplish this goal, there are three procurement strategies you can use, each of which is best suited to certain types of auction items:
- In-kind donations. Since these gifts cost your organization nothing, try to procure as many of your smaller auction items (i.e., physical goods and gift certificates) as possible through this method. Both individual donors and corporate sponsors can donate auction items. For best results, tailor your in-kind donation requests to each individual potential donor according to which items on your wishlist they’d be able and willing to contribute.
- Nonprofit discounts. If you can’t get a business to contribute an auction item for free, at least negotiate a reduced price with them. Many event venues and other locations that sell tickets for experiences offer nonprofit discounts, but they aren’t always well advertised, so contact them directly to find out.
- Consignment. Experiential auction items involving travel are typically the most difficult to procure for little to no cost—it isn’t often that a company has the resources to simply give your nonprofit transportation, accommodations, and unique activities. Fortunately, there is another option: going through consignment auction travel providers like Winspire!
How Winspire Works
Winspire provides unique, curated charity vacation packages to nonprofits across North America to use as prizes for fundraising auctions and raffles. Your organization can get started with Winspire in four easy steps:
- Choose from Winspire’s list of 200+ vacation packages, or Experiences, based on what you think will appeal most to your supporters.
- Promote these Experiences to your supporters—Winspire will provide relevant photos for each vacation package that you can use in your event marketing materials.
- Offer the items at your event with no risk, because you only pay for what you sell at your event.
- Provide a voucher to each winning bidder so they can book their vacation through Winspire—there is no additional work required for your nonprofit!
When you sell our Experiences at your silent auction, every dollar you raise above the Nonprofit Cost (list price) goes directly to your organization, allowing you to easily maximize your event revenue. Since Winspire’s founding in 2008, we’ve helped our nonprofit clients raise more than $110 million for their missions!
Wrapping Up: Additional Resources on Silent Auction Items
No matter which silent auction items you offer at your event, the key is understanding participants’ preferences. Consider surveying some loyal supporters in your target demographic(s) to see what item ideas appeal most to them. Then, lay out a plan for which items you’ll feature and how you’ll procure them by asking for individual donations, partnering with businesses in your community, and seeking out dedicated auction item providers. Happy fundraising!
For more information on silent auctions, check out these additional resources:
- How to Procure Auction Items: The Complete Nonprofit Guide. Dive deeper into our favorite strategies for procuring a wide range of items for your nonprofit’s silent auction.
- How to Create a Standout Silent Auction Donation Request. Discover some best practices for asking for donations of silent auction items from individuals and businesses.
- Silent Auction Display Ideas: Complete Guide + Template. Once you’ve procured prizes for your silent auction, learn how to display them so they catch participants’ attention.
