Coordinate the end of the eBay auction with your live event so that those in attendance can see who the winners are. Schedule all the eBay auctions to end within a few minutes of each other. Encourage people to use their smartphones to bid up the items. Provide a few laptops for those that don’t have smartphones. Project your eBay pages on a large screen so everyone can see the action and final bids.

Produce flyers promoting your eBay items and distribute them to others who may be willing to support your cause but who are unable to attend the live event.

Read more on their Facebook profile.

If you want to raise money with this idea, consider raffling off some of the books, having a silent auction for some book related items, or having a free-will offering for the refreshments served.

• A table for four at a popular restaurant that’s hard to get reservations at. You choose if dinner is included.
• The best picnic spot at an overcrowded summer venue. I’m always searching for the picnic table with some shade, close to the beach, but not too far from the parking lot. If I don’t get there early enough, it’s impossible to find.
• Front row pews for Christmas Eve mass. They’re usually free, but coveted during an over-crowded service.
• Front row seats during a performance at your kid’s school. Don’t auction off the entire front row though. You don’t want to create a divide among the parents that can donate and those that aren’t able.
• Best seats in the house for a high school playoff game. Or even press box seats.
• Seats in the grandstand during a parade.
• Front row seating for a free outdoor community concert. Many people would love to get close to the stage but aren’t able to get there soon enough to claim a prime spot.

Little cost will be included with these otherwise “free” fundraising auction items. Have fun with it and you’ll be amazed at how much money a little creativity can raise.

If your application isn’t selected by Vacation Homes for Charity, consider rounding up one or two local donors who have a cabin or condo in a vacation spot that they would be willing to share for a week. Feature these items at your live auction. With the right publicity, you’ll see great results for your fundraising event.

• Have local and national celebrities, citizens, and artists decorate clay masks before the event.
• Reserve space at a nice hotel or restaurant.
• Sell advance tickets.
• Encourage attendees to dress Mardi Gras style.
• Decorate in the theme and have plenty of beads, boas, and masks available for attendees to wear during the evening and take home as souvenirs.
• Serve appetizers, drinks, and small desserts.
• Hold a live auction of the decorated masks.

For more ideas on holding a chocolate fundraiser, check out our Death By Chocolate post.

Professional and aspiring designers transform unusable, discarded, donated clothing into couture fashions and exquisite home decor, which is then auctioned to raise funds to help the poor and homeless. Photographers volunteer to capture images of the event, from the piles of discarded clothing to the final runway event. Caterers showcase their talents in an array of delicious and artistic delicacies.

In 2008, the Discarded to Divine Fashion Show was attended by more than 1,000 people and raised more than $80,000 for St. Vincent de Paul Society.

Check out the details of the event and the fashions at the DiscardedtoDivine.com.

Gabriel Harber Photography captured some incredible images to showcase the event.