130,500 causes · $320M raised · 4.7 since 2009
How much can a police foundation raise with a silent auction?
Sizing against a town that does not hold one view of the agency.
Free for up to 20 items Unlimited bidders No credit card required
Short answer: whether the purpose was one nobody argues with, and whether the foundation has a voice of its own.
Working it out from a town that does not agree about you
The number is set by how uncontested the purpose is, not by how large the community is.
- Board members and their business networks, screened for conflicts before anybody calls
- Civic and service clubs, which fund concrete public-safety purchases readily
- Retired officers and their families — committed, sizeable and with no current conflict
- Attendance at the community relations events people come to voluntarily
Then apply the purpose test, which matters more than any of the above. A named purchase — a K-9 vest, a victim advocate, a youth programme — is fundable in a divided community where general support for the department is arguable.
What moves it
An uncontested purpose
A K-9, a youth programme, victim support, co-response. Specific purchases are fundable where general support is arguable: K-9 unit fundraising.
The foundation's own audience
A foundation that only appears on the department's channels reaches only people who already follow the police. An independent list is both wider and truer to the structure.
Business support, screened
Local businesses give readily and some of them should not be asked. The screen reduces the pool and protects the total that matters.
Community event attendance
The people at a youth academy graduation are there voluntarily, which is a better audience than a general mailing.
Setting the goal
Name a purchase, publish its price, confirm the city will accept it, and report with a photograph of the equipment in service. A foundation that shows exactly what was bought answers most of the scepticism it will encounter.
Goal and budget mechanics: fundraising goals and budget.
General information, not legal advice for your foundation. Gift acceptance, procurement and ethics rules for a public agency differ by state and municipality — your city attorney and the department's own policy decide how any of this applies.
More guides for Police Foundations
The separation that protects everyone Equipment grants
And the displacement question K-9 unit fundraising
The most fundable thing you have Item ideas that actually sell
And what would look like access Getting items donated
Who may donate, and who should not Community relations events
Where the audience actually is
Frequently asked questions
What determines the number most?
Whether the purpose is one nobody argues with. Specific purchases — a K-9, a youth programme, victim support — are fundable where general support is arguable.
Do we need our own audience?
A foundation that only appears on the department's channels reaches only people who already follow the police. An independent list is wider and truer to the structure.
How should we report?
With a photograph of the equipment in service and the price published. Showing exactly what was bought answers most of the scepticism a foundation will encounter.
Fund the equipment and open bidding
Name the purchase and publish its cost. Free for up to 20 items, no credit card.
Free for up to 20 items · Unlimited bidders · No credit card required