Almabase supports running fundraising auctions as part of your events. Whether you're hosting a gala dinner, a multi-day fundraising campaign, or a community event, you can enable auctions to let your supporters bid on items and experiences — raising funds for your organization.
Almabase supports two types of auctions:
1. Silent Auctions
Silent auctions happen entirely online through your event's auction site. Registered participants can browse available items, place bids, and track their status — all from their browser. Bidding happens over a defined time window, and the highest bidder at the end wins the item.
Common use cases:
Multi-day online fundraising campaigns where supporters bid remotely
Virtual or hybrid events where in-person attendance isn't required
Pre-event engagement — open bidding days before a gala to build excitement
2. Live Auctions
Live auctions are designed for in-person events where an auctioneer manages the bidding process. Items tagged as "live" are displayed on the auction site for preview, but bidding happens at the event itself. After the auctioneer determines a winner, an admin records the winner and the winning bid on the platform.
Common use cases:
Gala events with a live auctioneer on stage
High-value items where competitive in-person bidding drives higher bids
Hybrid events that combine a silent auction (online) with a live auction (in-person)
Combining Silent and Live Auctions
You can run both auction types within a single event. For example, a three-day fundraiser could have silent auction items available online during the first two days, with a live auction event on the final day. Items tagged as "live" will appear on the auction site with a badge that says "Available at live event only", letting bidders know to attend the in-person event for those items.
Key Capabilities
Flexible scheduling — Set start and end times for the overall auction, and control when individual items become available for bidding
Fund designation — Route proceeds from different items to different funds (e.g., Physics Department fund on Day 1, Chemistry on Day 2)
Payment windows — Define when winners can pay for their items after the auction closes
Bid notifications — Bidders receive periodic updates on their bid status, including AI-generated summary emails
Saved cards & auto-charge — Bidders can save a payment card before the auction begins. Admins can optionally require a saved card to participate. When the auction closes, winners can be auto-charged — no manual checkout needed
Admin dashboard — Monitor bids, manage items, assign live auction winners, and track participants from a central dashboard