Online auction and fundraising sites have grown exponentially in recent times after the Covid-19 pandemic clamp down on traditional auctions where bidders mingled freely among the items on display. Fundraising is necessary if non-profit organizations doing charitable work have to survive and what better way to circumvent the restrictions than to go online. Free fundraising sites are now the go-to option over the past on-premises fundraising methods.
If you are choosing from free fundraising sites, what are some of their characteristics that you should focus on?
First, most online auction sites charge a certain percentage of the turnover as commission. For large auctions, this amount can be substantial and can make a serious dent in the total funds raised. However, on free fundraising sites there are no fees for bidders’ registration, displaying items, or placing bids. Only charges payable to third-party service providers like credit cards and other payment gateways is collected from you. This is useful for fundraising organizers who are on a shoestring budget.
Next, and most importantly, free fundraising sites do not charge anything for displaying the itemson the site. Generally, goods and items for charity fundraising are donated or sponsored by local merchants or other donors. Free fundraising sites do not have any space restrictions on their site and you can put on display any number of items that you can reasonably handle. Generally, the number of photographs for a single item on display is restricted to one only on these sites.
On the flip side, free fundraising sites do not arrange for shipping and delivery, unlike the usual auction fundraising sites. You have to take care of the procedure on your own.