Children's charity silent auction item ideas that actually sell

For the general list, see our 100+ silent auction item ideas. A family audience bids on a narrower set, and a children's charity has a few categories that need a decision before they are listed.

Family experiences

• A day out for four: zoo, aquarium, museum, theme park
• A family photography session with prints
• A birthday party at a venue, fully hosted
• A season of a children's activity — swimming, gymnastics, music lessons
• A holiday cottage or cabin weekend from a supporter
• Tickets to a family show, with dinner
• A behind-the-scenes visit somewhere children want to go

These have no retail price a bidder checks against a shopping site, and they suit an audience that is deciding as a household rather than alone.

What the organization can offer

• Naming a room, a piece of equipment or a programme the auction funds
• A tour of the service with the director, where that is appropriate and safe
• A volunteer day arranged for a company's team
• Sponsoring a named programme for a period, with a report at the end
• A commissioned artwork made by the organization's art programme, where participants and families have agreed to it being sold

The last one deserves care. Work made by children can be a wonderful auction item and it needs the agreement of the child and the family, no identifying information attached, and a decision about whether the maker is named at all.

Local goods, which fill the catalogue

• Restaurant and family-dining certificates
• Toy and children's retailer bundles
• Books, games and craft sets
• Haircuts, portraits, soft play passes

What to be careful with

• Photographs of the children you serve — default to photographing the item instead
• Item descriptions that identify a beneficiary, even indirectly
• Anything implying a donor gets access to a specific child or family
• Adult-only items in a catalogue a family audience will browse together
• Items that assume a household budget well above your supporter base

The third one is worth stating plainly to a committee. Access to the organization is fine to auction. Access to the people it serves is not, and no framing makes it otherwise.

If children will be present at the event, also read family-friendly items.