The short answer. An online charity auction is a silent auction that supporters join through a link and bid on from their own phone or computer, wherever they are. A hybrid auction is one auction that guests in the room and supporters at home bid on at the same time. To run one:
- Choose a virtual auction platform with no app to install, outbid alerts by text and email, and maximum bids.
- Load your items with good photos, clear descriptions, and pickup or delivery details.
- Invite supporters through your email list, newsletter and social media, and give them a reason to come back before the close.
- Plan how winners get their items before bidding opens.
Online auctions became a lifeline for Canadian charities when in-person events stopped, and many organizers kept them afterwards because they reach more people. This guide covers how to choose an online auction platform, how to set up and promote an online or hybrid charity auction, and the practical questions that trip up first-timers. We make MobilBid, a Canadian auction platform, so we use it for the examples.
Online, hybrid and in-person auctions compared
The same auction software can run all three. The difference is where your bidders are and how long bidding stays open.
| Format | Where bidders are | How long it runs | Good for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online only | Anywhere, on their own devices | Days or weeks | Charities without a gala, or with supporters spread across a city or province | Item delivery, and keeping interest up until the close |
| Hybrid | In the room and at home, in the same auction | Often opens online days early and closes during the event | Galas, golf tournaments and school events with supporters who can't attend | Timing the close so both audiences know when it ends |
| In person | At the event | One evening or one day | Events where the room's energy drives the bidding | Leaving out supporters who couldn't come |
What to look for in a virtual auction platform
Most online auction platforms in Canada can list items and take bids. These are the details that decide whether an online charity auction raises money:
- No app to download. Every extra step loses bidders. With MobilBid, supporters text a number or click a link and bid in their browser, on a phone, tablet or computer.
- Outbid alerts by text and email. Online bidders aren't watching the auction. The alert is what brings them back.
- Maximum (proxy) bids, so a supporter can set a limit once and let the platform bid for them. See proxy bidding explained.
- Scheduled opening and closing times, so the auction starts and ends on time without anyone on duty.
- Scheduled messages, to announce the opening, remind people near the end and say thank you.
- Donations alongside the auction, so supporters who don't win anything can still give.
- English and French for bidders, for national charities and audiences in Quebec and New Brunswick.
- Canadian pricing and a Canadian company to call when something goes wrong.
For a full comparison of pricing models and questions to ask vendors, read how to choose silent auction software in Canada.
How to run an online charity auction, step by step
- Open an account. With MobilBid, an account is free, and you can build a test auction before you commit to anything. Request a free account and we'll email your login.
- Set up the auction. Add your logo, welcome message and opening and closing times. Import items from a spreadsheet or add them one by one, with photos, descriptions, starting bids and increments. Our tutorial videos walk through each step, and phone and Zoom training is included.
- Test it. Use the preview to check every item as a bidder will see it, then place a few test bids from your own phone.
- Invite bidders. Share the auction's text number and link in your emails, newsletter, social media posts and donor lists. Ask your board and volunteers to forward it. An online auction only raises what its audience bids.
- Keep them bidding. Outbid alerts do most of the work. Add scheduled messages for the opening, featured items, the last day and the last hour.
- Close and deliver. Bidding stops at the time you set. MobilBid works out the winners and sends them their invoices, and you follow your pickup or delivery plan.
- Thank everyone. Tell supporters what the auction raised and what it will pay for. Your post-event reports include every participant's contact details.
How long should an online auction run?
Long enough for word to spread, and short enough to keep a sense of urgency. Bidding picks up as the close approaches, so a longer auction mainly gives more people time to find it. A week to ten days suits most online-only auctions: one weekend to discover it, and a weekday evening close when people are home.
For a hybrid event, a common pattern is to open bidding online several days before the event and close it during the event itself. Youth Singers of Calgary ran its 2021 silent auction online for ten days before its virtual gala, and the silent auction proceeds alone equalled those of previous in-person years. Read the Youth Singers story.
Hybrid auctions: one auction, two audiences
In a hybrid auction, guests in the room and supporters at home bid on the same items, see the same current bids and get the same outbid alerts. Nothing needs to be kept in sync, because there is only one auction.
- In the room, put the big-screen leaderboard up so guests can see the bidding and your sponsors.
- At home, send scheduled messages timed to the event, so remote bidders know when the close is coming.
- State the close time with the time zone in every message, for supporters across Canada.
“Another important feature is the ability to share the auction with those not in attendance, or who may not be present during the close.”
Choosing items for an online auction
Online bidders can't pick an item up or try it on, so the description has to do the work. Give dimensions, what's included, expiry dates and any restrictions. Use clear photos taken in good light.
Items that need no shipping do best: gift cards, restaurant and hotel stays, experiences, lessons, and services from local businesses. Physical items work well if winners can collect them locally.
“We learned that auction items receive more bids and sell at a higher price so not as many items are required.”
Getting items to online winners
Decide this before the auction opens and say it in every item description:
- Central pickup on set dates and times, at your office or a sponsor's location, is the simplest option.
- Delivery or shipping, if you offer it, should be priced and described up front, so winners aren't surprised.
- Digital delivery works for gift cards, certificates and experience vouchers.
Our guide to closing the auction and checkout covers payment and pickup in more detail.
Who runs online and hybrid auctions with MobilBid
Kids in Camp chose MobilBid for a hybrid event after comparing eight auction companies. CLIQ Interior Design moved its holiday party auction online during the pandemic and kept it online after in-person parties returned. Humber River Hospital Foundation used online bidding to reach more people at its golf tournament.
“Even though we had our first in-person party again in 2022, we continued to host the auction online through MobilBid because of its easy-to-use, friendly platform.”
What an online auction costs with MobilBid
The price is the same for online, hybrid and in-person auctions: 5.5% of silent auction sales and 1.5% of donations and live auction items, with a $220 minimum and a $2,500 maximum per event. There is no limit on how long an auction runs or how many people bid, and your bidders are not asked for tips. Card processing fees and applicable taxes are separate. See pricing or try the fee calculator.
Common questions
What is a virtual auction platform?
A virtual auction platform is software that lets supporters view auction items and bid online, from a phone or computer, instead of on paper at an event. Good platforms also send outbid alerts, accept maximum bids, close the auction automatically and report the results.
Is there an online auction platform made in Canada?
Yes. MobilBid is built and supported by a Canadian company in Toronto. Prices are in Canadian dollars, bidders can use the auction in English or French, and support is by phone Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm Eastern.
Can supporters bid from a computer?
Yes. With MobilBid, supporters can bid on a phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer. On a phone they text the auction's number to get a link; anywhere else they can use the auction's link.
Can we run an in-person and online auction at the same time?
Yes. A hybrid auction is a single auction that guests in the room and supporters at home bid on together, with the same items, current bids and outbid alerts.
How do online winners get their items?
You decide, and you should say how in every item description before bidding opens. Most charities use central pickup on set dates, digital delivery for gift cards and certificates, or priced delivery for larger items.
How long should an online charity auction run?
Long enough for supporters to hear about it and short enough to keep urgency. A week to ten days suits most online-only auctions. For a hybrid event, open online a few days before and close during the event.
Run your next auction on MobilBid
Open a free account and build a test auction, or talk it through with us. You only pay when you run a real event: 5.5% of silent auction sales, $220 minimum, $2,500 maximum.