Gather art. One of the best ways to have a successful art auction fundraiser is by recruiting talented local artists. Your first step to a charity art auction fundraiser is to gather fine art to sell in the auction. If you run a gallery or art museum, this may be an easy task as you will have connections with local artists. Otherwise, you may have to team up with a local gallery or art school to make those initial connections and receive art donations.
Hire an auctioneer. A seasoned auctioneer can raise more money at your auction than one who is not experienced. It is important to choose an auctioneer who knows art and can help you evaluate each piece. Also, you want the auctioneer to know what he is talking about as he describes the art during the auction.
Get the word out. If no one comes to your auction, you will not make much money. In addition to letting your regular supporters know about the auction, you will want to hang up flyers, send articles to your local newspapers and ask radio stations for non-profit air time. Most have free time set aside where they read event announcements.
The more patrons you can get to come to the auction, the more money your fundraiser will bring in. Successful auctions can bring in at least several thousand dollars.
Set a minimum opening bid. Many art auction fundraisers are to raise money for a charity. Those who attend should be willing to donate a minimum amount for that purpose. For example, you might set a minimum opening bid of $20.
Decide on forms of payment. Checks and cash are the most common forms of payment. If you are concerned about checks with insufficient funds and subsequent fees, you may choose to accept cash only. If your organization is set up with a merchant account and can accept credit cards, you may want to offer this option.
Another option is to go with a service like PayPal or Accept By Phone, which both offer you the ability to phone in a credit card number and receive payment. You will have to pay a small fee or percentage to use this service.