Rotary club silent auction item ideas that actually sell

For the general list, see our 100+ silent auction item ideas. A club has a source most organizations do not: a membership of business owners and professionals who can provide things nobody sells.

What members already own

• A week at a member's cabin, lake house or condo
• A day on a member's boat, with the member
• A round at a member's club, as their guest
• A ride in a member's classic car, plane or tractor, as appropriate
• Season tickets for a game the member cannot attend
• A member's holiday apartment in the off season

These have no comparable retail price and they cost the member nothing they were using. They are also more interesting to bid on than anything a business can donate, because the winner gets a day with a person as much as an asset.

What members' businesses can provide

• Professional services: a tax return, a will, a survey, a design consultation
• Trades: a day of landscaping, a plumber's afternoon, a painted room
• A restaurant's private dining room for a group
• A printer's job, a photographer's session, an accountant's hour
• Equipment or vehicle hire for a weekend
• Wholesale-priced goods donated at cost by a member who sells them

Professional services are the most under-used category in club auctions. They cost the member time rather than stock, most members have never been asked for one, and the bidder gets something they would otherwise pay full rate for.

Things the club can do

• A meal cooked and served by the board at the winner's house
• Naming a project the auction funds, or a plaque on it
• The head table at the signature event, or the president's table
• A member's parking space at a downtown business for a month
• Speaking slot at a meeting, where it suits the club's programme

The wider business community

• Restaurant and retail certificates, in volume and bundled
• Hotel stays and experience packages
• Local art and craft
• Sports and event tickets

Useful as catalogue filler and basket contents. They will not carry the auction, and they cost the most effort per item to obtain.

What to be careful with

• Merchandise carrying the Rotary emblem or Marks, which needs a check with your district before it is produced
• Anything implying influence over a club decision, a grant, or membership
• Items where the member is really discounting rather than donating — say which it is on the item page
• Alcohol, where your venue or state rules restrict its transfer

General information, not tax or legal advice for your club. Club structures and Rotary International guidance vary and change — check your own club and foundation documents and your district before acting on anything here.