Online Silent Auction Software for Your Charity
Simplified Auction Management
Chance2Win gives your charity its own online silent auction website. Upload unlimited auction items with photos, a description, and a minimum bid for each one, set the start and stop time, and run everything from one dashboard with up to two admins.
One Dashboard for Every Bid, Bidder, and Payment
The Chance2Win admin dashboard shows every bid and bidder while the auction runs, and tracks winner payments when it closes. You connect your own payment processor (Stripe, Square, Authorize.net, or PayPal), so winning bids are paid to your organization’s account.
No paper bid sheets to collect and no spreadsheet to reconcile.
Create Personalized Experiences
Stay Engaged with Automatic Notifications
Max Bidding: Bid Once and Stay in the Running
Run Your Charity Auction Online With Chance2Win
No cash handling, no paper bid sheets, and no prizes left behind at the event hall. When bidding closes, each winner gets an email and pays by card on your Chance2Win auction site.
How to run an online silent auction, step by step
- Collect your items. Ask local businesses, families, and board members for donations, and note what each item is worth.
- Add each item online. Upload photos, write a clear description, and set a minimum bid.
- Set the bidding window. Choose the start and stop time for the whole auction.
- Share your auction link. Post it on social media, send it by email, and print it on event flyers so supporters can bid online.
- Let the bidding run. Bidders get an email when they are outbid, and max bidding keeps busy supporters in the running.
- Close and collect. At the stop time, each winner gets an email and pays by card on your auction site, and you track every payment in the dashboard.
Silent auction or raffle: which raises more?
It depends on your items and your crowd. A silent auction works best for a handful of high-value items that people compete for, like a vacation stay or signed memorabilia. A raffle works best when you want many supporters to take part at a lower price, such as a basket raffle or a 50/50. Many fundraising events run both. With Chance2Win each one is its own site, so you can pair an online silent auction with a basket raffle.
Can people bid from their phones?
Yes. A Chance2Win silent auction is a website, not an app, so donors bid in the web browser on their phone or computer. There is nothing to download. Bidders create an account once, then place bids or set a maximum bid on any auction item.
How long should an online silent auction run?
A bidding window of one to two weeks is common for an online auction. It gives donors time to look through every item and come back after an outbid email. If you also hold an in-person event, set the stop time for the night of the event, so the last round of online bidding happens while your crowd is together.
Is there a free app for silent auctions?
Some silent auction tools are free to the organization and are funded by an optional tip that bidders see at checkout. Chance2Win works differently: the organization pays a package price, starting at $329, and winners pay their winning bid by card on your auction site. Consider which model fits your donors before you choose.
What are the downsides of an online auction?
- Less room energy than a live auction. Pair the online bidding with an in-person event, or a raffle, to keep the excitement up.
- Bidders need an account. Share the auction page link early so donors sign up before the bidding gets busy.
- Delivery takes planning. Decide in advance how winners pick up or receive donated items, and say so in the item descriptions.
- Some prizes need the right processor. Stripe and Square prohibit regulated prizes such as wine, bourbon, cigars, and firearms.
What to look for in online silent auction software
- Online bidding with clear item descriptions and photos for every auction item.
- Starting bids you control, so no item sells below what it is worth to your fundraising goal.
- A way to set a maximum bid, so busy donors stay in the running.
- Automatic outbid alerts that bring bidders back before the auction closes.
- Card checkout for winners and one list of every bid, bidder, and payment.
- People you can call. Chance2Win support answers the phone at (813) 699-9325, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm EST.
Not sure what to auction? See the silent auction items that raise the most.
How much does online silent auction software cost?
Chance2Win silent auctions come in two packages, and the organization pays the package price:
- Starter, $329: for auctions with up to $5,000 in sales. If sales go past $5,000, the next $5,000 is $130.
- Elite, $459: for auctions with up to $10,000 in sales, then $329 for each additional $10,000.
Both packages include unlimited auction items, two admins, and a connection to Stripe, Square, Authorize.net, or PayPal. Your payment processor charges its usual card fees. Running a raffle at the same event? That is a separate Chance2Win raffle site with its own raffle pricing.