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Fur Ball and gala auction planning
The year's biggest night, with three revenue instruments competing for one room.
Free for up to 20 items Unlimited bidders No credit card required
For most societies the gala carries a large share of the year, and it usually runs table sales, a silent auction, a live auction and a fund-a-need in one evening. All four draw on the same guests in the same three hours.
A running order that works
- Days before — silent auction opens online, promoted to the invitation list including declines and to adopters
- Reception — browsing, items displayed, staff helping guests bid
- Early dinner — silent auction closes, in sections if the catalogue is large
- Mid programme — live auction, a small number of high-value lots
- Straight after — fund-a-need, while the room is warm
- Rest of the evening — no further asks
The governing principle: the silent auction should be finished, or nearly so, before the live auction begins. Two bidding mechanics running at once in one room split the guests' attention.
Animals at the event
Bringing animals to a gala is the decision most societies get asked about and it deserves a real answer rather than a default yes.
- Choose animals on their tolerance for noise, crowds and handling, not on how adoptable you want them to look
- Have a quiet space and a firm time limit, and give the handler authority to end it early without asking anyone
- Do not use animals in a way that implies an adoption can be arranged on the night
- Agree with staff in advance what may be said publicly about any animal's case
- A short, well-run appearance beats a long one, for the animal and for the room
Where an appearance is not appropriate, video of the animals in the shelter does much of the same work and none of the risk.
Mobile bidding in the room
- Test the venue's signal at the hour of the event, standing where the tables go
- Ask about guest wifi capacity for several hundred devices, in writing
- Staff the room with people whose only job is helping guests bid
- Print QR display sheets regardless — they work when nothing else does
See mobile bidding and display sheets.
Open it before the night
Online bidding several days early reaches adopters and supporters who could not buy a ticket, and the silent auction is the only part of the evening that works for them at all. Items also arrive in the room with bids on them.
See hybrid auctions and silent auction checkout.
More guides for Humane Societies
Revenue benchmarks from platform data Wish list and auction together
Two asks that can add up instead of splitting Item ideas that actually sell
What a shelter can offer that nobody else can Getting items donated
Board, sponsors, and the veterinary community Corporate sponsors
Tiers, and the ones who decline them
Frequently asked questions
Should the silent auction close before the live auction?
Yes, or nearly so. Two bidding mechanics running at once in one room split the guests' attention and both underperform.
Should we bring animals to the gala?
Only with a real plan. Choose animals on their tolerance for noise and handling rather than on adoptability, give the handler a quiet space, a time limit and the authority to end it early, and never imply an adoption can be arranged on the night. Video does much of the same work with none of the risk.
Should bidding open before the gala?
Yes. It reaches adopters and supporters who could not buy a ticket — the silent auction is the only part of the evening that works for them — and items arrive in the room with bids on them.
What is the most common technical failure?
Mobile signal in the room. Test it at the venue, at the hour of the event, where the tables will be, and print QR display sheets regardless.
Ready to start your auction?
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Free for up to 20 items · Unlimited bidders · No credit card required