How aquariums get auction items donated

For letter structure, follow-up cadence and tracking, see how to get silent auction donations and the donation request letter template.

Two meetings before any asking

Husbandry, dive operations and veterinary, with the whole proposed experience list. What is possible, under what conditions, how many can be supported, and the substitute for each when a system, a quarantine or an animal makes it impossible.

Conservation or education, to write the donation screen. One page: accepted, accepted with conditions, declined. This meeting takes an hour and prevents the situation that has no good ending later.

Then the order

1. Inside the building

Dive team, husbandry, veterinary, the culture lab, education, facilities. Back-of-house access, early-morning gallery walks, animal health rounds. Colleague conversations, and the largest part of the catalogue by value.

2. The dive community

Local shops, clubs and certification schools. They will donate — gear servicing, a course, a charter to a local site — and more importantly they are the audience for your headline lot. Ask for both in the same conversation.

3. Corporate members, sponsors and field partners

Already in a relationship and already screened by the sponsorship process. A field research partner can often offer something no business can — a place on a survey, a researcher's talk.

4. Members with something to give

An aquarium's membership includes photographers, boat owners, business owners and people with holiday homes. Ask the list directly with named examples.

5. Local business, against the screen

Restaurants, hotels, experience providers. This is where the screen does its work and where a solicitor needs it in hand rather than in someone else's inbox.

How to decline without losing the donor

The screen will produce refusals, and how they are handled decides whether the donor stays. Three things that work:

• Lead with the redirect, not the refusal — "we can't take the charter, but a harbour tour or a day on the water without fishing would be perfect"
• Explain in one sentence and do not lecture. They are trying to help
• Come back to them next year with a specific ask that fits, so the relationship carries on rather than ending on a no

Handled this way, the screen frequently produces a better item than the one offered, and a donor who now understands what the organization stands for.

What to offer

The item listing, a post to a membership list of local families, recognition at the event, and a receipt from the correct entity, named rather than implied.

Timing

• Twelve weeks — husbandry and dive meeting; conservation screen written
• Ten weeks — other departments; membership and retail coordination
• Eight weeks — dive community, corporate members, field partners
• Six weeks — the membership list and local business, screen in hand
• Three weeks — catalogue closed; every experience carries its conditions, certification requirements and alternative on its item page

Committee structure: committee and volunteer roles.