Auctions are a popular and effective way of raising money for schools and clubs, but most seem to focus on items that have been donated from local businesses or from within the community. Finding donations can be hard work and you often don’t have control over what businesses are willing to give, meaning you might end up with items that are not relevant to your supporters.
There are plenty of items that you can auction to your community – either directly to the kids or parents, that may be free to provide, but are actually incredibly valuable. Obviously you will need to get your Principal on board for most of these ideas, and they also make great raffle prizes and incentives as well as auction prizes.
Unique auction items which won’t cost a cent but could earn you $$$
- Allow the winner to name a building, room, playground or oval at your school (it might be a permanent name or last for 12 months/school year).
- Fete VIP package – if you are holding a fete, create a VIP package which will include food and drinks, a reserved carpark, raffle tickets, tokens for rides and games, and ‘spending money’ for various stalls for the whole family.
- Free Dress day for a whole class – the winner’s class/year group gets a free dress day.
- ‘Money’ to spend on buying new books for the school library (sponsored by the P&C or whoever would pay for the books) let the winner select books to go in the school library (with a special bookplate in the front of each book, saying who the books were ‘donated’ by).
- Choose a charity – the winner selects a charity to support for the next gold coin/free dress day.
- Chance to paint a mural or graffiti wall at the school.
- Movie and popcorn party for the class.
- T-shirt signed by the staff – can be a plain t-shirt or a school shirt.
- Family tickets to all the school events to be held that year including food and drinks.
- VIP seat for school assembly (big cushy armchair, beanbag etc).
- Position at school for a day (the most obvious would be Principal but also consider art teacher or head coach for a day, canteen manager or another fun position within the community).
- Reserved car park for a week, month or term.
- Choose a free dress theme – the winner gets to select the theme for the next free dress day (check out some great ideas here).
- 5-10 minutes extra playtime at lunch for your class (every day for a week, every Friday for a term etc).
- Class artwork – having each class make a unique piece of art is a hugely popular and effective (and cheap) way to raise funds. Check out my entire Pinterest board on great class art ideas.
- Private art class (from art teacher), cooking class (from canteen manager) or music class (from music teacher) or free tutoring from a generous teacher.
- Choose a new menu item for the school canteen (for a term or a year).
- Depending on the people within your school or local community they might allow the winner to spend a day at their workplace – free movies for a day, ride shot-gun with the Mr Whippy van, spend a day at the local vet etc.
- Free canteen lunch once a week for a term (or free icy pole every Friday for a term).
- VIP Seats for a special school event, such as movie night (check out how to create a VIP area here).
What other ‘free’ items can you sell at auctions?
