Guides & Research
The Ultimate Auction Study: Volume 2
Data-Driven insights to power your next fundraising event
Live and silent auctions remain one of the most effective ways to raise mission-critical dollars. How can you ensure your next fundraising auction performs at its best?
The Ultimate Auction Study: Volume 2 analyzed 4.7 million data points from 4,200+ nonprofit auctions hosted on GiveSmart between January 2024 and March 2025. It offers a data-driven, clear view of what’s driving bids, donor engagement, and revenue growth.
Auction Study Key Findings
This study uncovers the latest trends and benchmarks to help your team make data-driven decisions before, during, and after your upcoming auctions and fundraising events.
Whether you’re planning a gala, golf outing, or online auction, this study helps you pinpoint where to focus for the highest return.
This study offers insights into:
- Top-performing categories from travel to priceless experiences
- Bidding behaviors and timing trends that highlight when donors are most engaged
- Item ROI to better inform pricing and procurement
- Monthly and quarterly performance comparisons to guide your planning
- What’s working in the top 0.1% of all auction items