130,500 causes · $320M raised · 4.7 since 2009
Apparatus and gear fund auctions
What you name the auction is, in our judgment, the decision that matters most.
Free for up to 20 items Unlimited bidders No credit card required
Plenty of fire department auctions are named "Annual Fundraiser" and raise for "the equipment fund". Both are accurate, and both ask the district for something abstract. People fund objects rather than accounts.
Name the object, publish the quote
Get the real quote and use the real number. A quoted figure for a thermal imager reads as true because it is; "about twenty thousand for equipment" reads as an estimate someone made up. If you can publish or summarize the quote itself, do — small districts respond to that kind of transparency in a way that is hard to overstate.
Then name the auction after the object. "Engine 4 Replacement Auction." "Turnout Gear for Six." "Thermal Imager Fund." Every post, every item, every share carries that name.
When the number is too big for one auction
A new engine costs more than a district-wide auction is going to cover. Do not raise against a number you will visibly miss. Instead:
- Raise against a phase — the down payment, the year-one payment on a lease
- Raise against a named component — the pump, the aerial, the radios, the gear that goes on it
- Raise against a matching grant requirement, if you have one — a matching requirement is the strongest framing we know of for a fire department, because it makes every dollar visibly do two jobs
State plainly which of these you are doing. A district that understands it is funding the down payment on a truck is more motivated, not less.
Make the progress visible
The goal bar is what carries a capital campaign. Put it in every post. Post when it moves. Post when it crosses a threshold. We would treat the progress bar as the campaign rather than as a feature on the auction page.
Close the loop, because next year depends on it
When the equipment arrives, post it. Photograph the piece, name every donor and sponsor, hold a push-in or a delivery event and invite the businesses that donated. A department that visibly bought the thing it raised for has an easier ask next year than one that raised money and never mentioned it again.
This is also the offer that makes procurement easier — see getting items donated.
Approvals for capital fundraising and gift acceptance: approvals and legal requirements.
More guides for Fire Departments
Revenue benchmarks from platform data Volunteer department fundraisers
Running it with an all-volunteer roster Working with the auxiliary
Two entities, one auction Item ideas that actually sell
What a fire district bids on Getting items donated
Why the ask should come in uniform Calendar & merchandise auctions
The format, and the consent rules Tax rules and receipts
Three entity types, three answers Approvals and legal requirements
Chief, commissioners, council, state
Frequently asked questions
Should we raise for a specific piece of equipment or the general fund?
A specific piece, with the real quoted number. People fund objects, not accounts. Naming the auction after the equipment and publishing the actual quote asks for something specific; a general equipment fund does not.
What if the equipment costs more than we could ever raise?
Raise against a phase, a named component, or a matching grant requirement, and say plainly which you are doing. A matching requirement is the strongest framing we know of, because it makes every dollar visibly do two jobs.
How do we keep momentum through the auction?
Treat the progress bar as the campaign rather than a feature on the page. Post when it moves and when it crosses a threshold. Visible progress toward a named object is what gives a reader a reason to check back.
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