Silent Auction Baskets: 5 Tips to Create Unique Gifts

Gift baskets are a staple of silent auction fundraising events. In most cases, the smaller and lower in value an auction item is, the easier it will be for your nonprofit to procure. By bundling several of these items into one basket, you can create one item with a higher starting value, allowing you to bring in higher bids than you would if you placed each small item up for auction individually.

Baskets are also more unique than standalone items, boosting their appeal to participants from the start. To make the most of your baskets, you’ll need to get creative and make them stand out.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the following five tips to help you take your nonprofit’s silent auction gift baskets to the next level:

1. Choose a Theme for Each Basket
2. Combine Physical Items With Experiences
3. Leverage Your Nonprofit’s Partnerships
4. Pay Attention to the Display
5. Describe the Baskets on Their Bid Sheets

The baskets and other auction items you provide can not only increase your fundraising totals, but also help you keep supporters engaged at your event. If they bring home a high-quality, interesting gift basket, they’ll have a memento of a good experience that will remind them to stay involved with your nonprofit. Let’s get started!

Some supporters will come to your nonprofit’s auction to buy a specific item. Others may just browse the tables or your virtual auction platform to find a prize that aligns with their interests or that would make a good gift for a friend or family member. Either way, designing each of your gift baskets around a specific theme will help auction participants find exactly what they’re looking for.

As you narrow down your list of silent auction basket ideas, consider putting together a few prizes that fall into each of the following categories:

• Food and beverages. Baskets themed around chocolate, coffee, tea, charcuterie, craft beer, or any other popular food and beverages will likely appeal to many supporters.

• Home and garden. These baskets often make great gifts, whether the recipient would enjoy a collection of supplies to plant flowers, make their own candles, or take care of their beloved pets.

• Community spotlight. Consider showcasing a particular small business’s offerings by filling a basket with their products, such as a craft-themed basket highlighting an art supply store or a home improvement basket of items from a locally owned hardware store.

• Rec and leisure. The potential ideas for this category are as diverse as your supporters’ favorite hobbies and activities, from movie and game night essentials to bundles of signed sports memorabilia.

• Travel. You could interpret this category in two main ways: either offer baskets of supplies for road trips and air travel or bundle various items that will remind supporters of a popular travel destination.

To add an extra creative touch to your baskets, give each one a catchy title. For example, a chocolate-themed basket will grab more supporters’ attention if it’s called something like “The Chocolate Connoisseur” or “A Celebration of Chocolate.”

Another way to make your baskets more unique is to include a coordinating experience alongside the physical items in each bundle. Doing so also increases the basket’s value and its fundraising potential.

Here are some ideas for experiences you could add to themed baskets to get you started:

• A wine and cheese-themed basket + a tour of a vineyard with a private wine-tasting session
• A basket of at-home spa supplies + a gift certificate for a professional massage
• A bundle of merchandise from a specific band + tickets to the band’s upcoming concert
• A basket themed around a particular city + a vacation to that city

Additionally, some of your baskets might lend themselves to including clothing. For instance, you could add a popular brand of athleticwear to a fitness-themed basket or a pair of hiking boots to a basket of outdoor adventure items. In these cases, it’s best to put a gift certificate in the basket rather than actual clothes. Not only can supporters pick out their preferred size and style, but they also get a memorable shopping experience.

According to the fundraising experts at Winspire, how you procure auction items is just as important as what items you procure. Since baskets contain a variety of items—sometimes provided by multiple vendors—your approach to procurement needs to be strategic. 

Consider leveraging a variety of partnerships in this process. For example, many businesses are willing to sponsor nonprofit auctions by providing prizes as in-kind donations or at a reduced rate. As Double the Donation’s guide to corporate sponsorships explains, these partnerships need to be mutually beneficial to succeed. In return for the items, your organization can promote your sponsors in your event marketing materials.

If you’re adding experiences to your baskets, they can be more difficult to secure. Fortunately, there are a number of solutions available. Some consignment travel providers will curate vacation packages for nonprofits to use in fundraising, and you can get these risk-free if the provider’s model allows you to only pay for what you sell at your event. You can also find nonprofit discounts on tickets to concerts, shows, and athletic events by researching online.

It’s no secret that aesthetically pleasing baskets will catch the attention of more auction participants, leading to a higher potential for bidding wars. To display your baskets attractively, try these ideas:

• Use a creative container that aligns with the theme, such as a tent for a basket of camping supplies or a carry-on suitcase for an air travel essentials basket.

• Make the baskets look full by ensuring that the container size fits the number of items or using filler materials like decorative tissue paper if that isn’t possible.

• Arrange the physical items to frame any tickets or gift certificates so that the high-value items are highlighted.

Wrap each basket in plastic wrap or an environmentally friendly alternative to ensure it’s sold as a unit but the items are still visible. For hybrid or virtual auctions, take photos of each basket to upload to your mobile bidding platform.

Each of your silent auction items should have a bid sheet—either a piece of paper on the table beside the item or a description in your virtual auction platform—where participants can learn more about the item and place their bids. This resource is particularly important for baskets to ensure supporters are aware of all of the prizes they could win by bidding on each bundle.

Some essential elements of gift basket bid sheets include:

• A list of all items that are part of the basket—physical goods, gift certificates, and other experiential items.
• A starting bid amount based on the value of all included items, as well as minimum bid increments.
• A brief acknowledgment of the sponsors or providers that contributed to the basket.
• A place for supporters to add their contact information so you can keep track of who won which items.

At the top of each bid sheet, make sure to include your nonprofit’s logo and a short description of your mission. This way, supporters can understand how their auction contributions will further a good cause.

As you apply the tips above to create your silent auction gift baskets, remember that the goal is to engage supporters so you can raise funds for your mission. After the auction, send a thank-you message to each winning bidder that addresses them by name and mentions the basket they purchased. These personalized messages make participants feel valued, allowing you to retain their support long-term.

Jeff has over 17 years of experience in the Nonprofit and fundraising industry. Prior to Winspire, Jeff worked for 5 years as the Director of Development at Cal State Fullerton before co-founding a company specializing in producing charity auctions for Nonprofits where he successfully produced the auctions for 250 of Southern California’s most successful fundraising events.

In 2008 Jeff founded Winspre with the goal of helping non-profits across the country increase their event fundraising revenue and identify new fundraising sources. Jeff and his team at Winspire have helped over 12,000 non-profits to date.