The Functioning of A Virtual Auction Fundraiser

To properly understand the functioning of a virtual auction fundraiser it is necessary to make a comparison between traditional auctions and the online mode. The two are a world apart as will be seen now.

Traditional Auction

In this form of auction, a venue and an auctioneer have to be hired, the items for sale have to be physically transported to the venue, and additional staff has to be brought in to manage the auction as well as the crowds. The organizers do not have any responsibility for shipping and dispatching the winning items. Even though such events are fun and exciting, these have now been almost stopped after the Covid-19 pandemic when authorities clamped down with lockdowns and strict social distancing norms. 

Virtual Auction Fundraiser

A virtual auction fundraiser is held over websites that make use of specialized auction software for holding the events online. Hence, there is no need to hire a venue or an auctioneer, and only the photos of the items are uploaded to the site. Organizers get fully-managed services starting from registration of the participants to conducting of the bidding to declaring the winners. Once an item is won by a bidder, payment can be made through one of the payment gateways provided on the site. However, it is the responsibility of the organizers to arrange for shipping and dispatch.

Here, a lot of caution has to be exercised by the organizers. A virtual auction fundraiser is open to people in all corners of the globe as it is conducted over the Internet. Since international shipping can be complicated, organizers should make the auction open to all only if they are confident about it.