How much can a literacy organization raise with a silent auction?

Short answer: whether the book world was invited, and whether the goal was a pairing rather than a total.

Working it out from tutors and the book world

One committed volunteer base, and an affinity ecosystem almost nobody in this sector works.

• Tutors, current and former — trained, professional, and asked only for hours
• Authors, bookshops, publishers, writers' groups and book clubs in your area
• Employers with frontline workforces, who have a business case for workplace literacy
• The cost of one tutor pairing for a year, which is your unit

Divide the reachable audience by the cost of a pairing and you have the honest number of pairings this could fund. If it is two, say two — it is a clearer ask than a total and it is what a bidder is actually buying.

What moves it

The book world

Authors, bookshops, publishers, writers' groups and book clubs — an entire affinity ecosystem that overlaps your cause exactly and is barely asked.

A pairing as the goal

"Fund a tutor and a year of one pairing" is bought; a total is considered. See tutor programme sponsorship.

Employers with frontline workforces

Workplace literacy and English have a direct business case, which makes the ask reciprocal rather than charitable.

Tutors, current and former

A large trained volunteer base with professions of their own, mostly asked only for hours.

Setting the goal

Name a number of pairings, publish the cost of one, and report in the same unit — tutors trained, pairings supported, childcare terms funded. Aggregate throughout; no learner appears.

Goal and budget mechanics: fundraising goals and budget.

General information, not legal or programme advice for your organization. Learner confidentiality obligations depend on your funding and your own policies — your programme leadership decides how any of this applies.