Silent Auction Fundraising

Whoever invented the concept of a silent auction fundraiser was definitely a thinker. What a great idea! The general premise is that people in the orgnization attempting to make money go out and solicit donations from community businesses. The donated items are then placed on tables with bid sheets, and people go around and write how much money they are willing to pay for the item. There is a time limit, so it gets fun at the end if there are several people bidding competitively on the same item. I have been to a variety of these events; some were quite fancy, while others were more informal. I remember bidding on a Bertoia chair at one of them. I did not end up winning it, but at least I forced the person who did to write down a higher bid, therefore benefitting the charity even more.