130,500 causes · $320M raised · 4.7 since 2009
Environmental organization auction item ideas that sell
You do not need the cruise. You have ground nobody else can walk on.
Free for up to 20 items Unlimited bidders No credit card required
For the general list, see our 100+ silent auction item ideas. This catalogue is built from access and expertise, which is both the mission-safe answer and the better one.
Land and access
- A guided walk, paddle or ride on land you hold or steward
- A night in a cabin, bothy, field station or campsite
- Access to a site normally closed to the public
- A dawn chorus walk, a bat walk, a stargazing night
- A private tour of a restoration project with the person running it
Science and survey participation
- Joining a bird ringing session, a small mammal survey, a moth trap morning
- A place on a bioblitz or a river survey
- Water quality sampling with the monitoring team
- Tree planting or hedgelaying with the practical team, taught properly
- Adopting a monitoring station, a nest box scheme or a transect
These are the strongest lots and their ceiling is who will lead them. Agree a number with staff before listing rather than after the bidding suggests more.
Expertise
- A habitat or garden assessment at the winner's own property
- A native planting plan, or a wildlife-gardening consultation
- An invasive species identification and removal plan
- A soil or water test with interpretation
- A talk to a school, a club or a business
- A photography morning with a naturalist who knows where things are
The property assessment is the item to build. It sells to people who have never given the organization anything, costs an afternoon, and turns a household into somebody doing the work on their own land.
Goods that fit
- Native plants, trees and seed from a local nursery
- Quality durable outdoor gear, optics, a serviced bicycle
- Restored tools, secondhand equipment, repair services
- Local food, honey, preserves and produce boxes
- Work by local artists depicting the landscape
What the screen keeps out
- Long-haul flights, cruises and travel packages sold on the destination
- Fuel, motoring and off-road experiences
- Plastic-heavy hampers and single-use goods
- Fast fashion and short-life novelty items
- Anything from a company whose record the organization campaigns on
- Access to land where the visit would disturb what you are protecting — ask the ecologist, not the fundraiser
The last one is the specifically environmental version of the problem. The full screen: carbon-conscious item sourcing.
Frequently asked questions
What are the strongest items?
Land access and survey participation — a guided walk on ground you steward, a bird ringing session, a night in a field station. Unbuyable elsewhere, and their ceiling is who will lead them rather than demand.
What is the item to build?
A habitat or garden assessment at the winner's own property. It sells to people who have never given the organization anything, costs an afternoon, and turns a household into somebody doing the work on their own land.
Are there access items we should not sell?
Anywhere a visit would disturb what you are protecting. That is an ecologist's call, not a fundraiser's.
What kinds of goods fit?
Native plants and trees, durable outdoor gear and optics, restored tools and repair services, local food, and work by artists depicting the landscape.
Ready to start your auction?
Name it now and set it up later. Free for up to 20 items, unlimited bidders, no credit card.
Free for up to 20 items · Unlimited bidders · No credit card required