How Free Online Auction Sites Boost Fundraising
                     How Free Online Auction Sites Boost Fundraising
Remember the traditional auctions where people milled around in a confined space, 
checking items kept on tables and feverishly biding for them encouraged by an 
auctioneer. There was always fun and excitement in the air and a lot of bonhomie among 
the participants. Auctions were and still is a profitable way for organizations to raise 
funds for any cause.  
All that has now gone for a toss. The Covid-19 pandemic and resultant lockdowns and 
implementation of strict social distancing norms have put physical auctions on the 
backburner. Fortunately for the fundraisers, this vacuum was quickly filled by Internet-
based free online auction sites that offered not only the same benefits of the usual 
auctions but more. Now, instead of commuting to your favorite auctions, all that you 
need is an Internet-enabled device such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop to attend an 
online auction from the convenience of your home or while on the go. 
What do free online auction sites bring to the table in the world of auctions and how 
does it benefit the fundraisers? 
Here is a detailed look at some of these points. 
Minimum expenses: Conducting traditional auctions can cost the organizers 
substantially. Setting up the required infrastructure like hiring the venue and an 
auctioneer and transporting the goods for display can add up to a lot, eating 
away the profits made. Free online auction sites, on the other hand, charge 
only minimum administrative fees for conducting an auction. Additionally, only 
the photographs of the items are displayed on the site thereby reducing 
transportation costs to nil. Fees of third-party service providers like payment 
gateways though have to be paid
Fully managed platforms: When you conduct auctions on free online auction 
sites, you get fully managed services. The software takes care of the 
registration of the participants, displaying the items on the site, conducting the 
bidding, declaring the winners, and providing payment gateways. All that the 
organizers have to do is to arrange for shipment and delivery after the event is 
over. 
Conducting the bidding: This aspect of the process on free online auction sites 
needs some more explaining as it is entirely conducted online. A participant 
will enter a bid for an item and thereafter need not closely follow the 
proceedings. Once that bid is crossed by someone else, a notification is sent 
online and a higher bid if desired can be placed. 
Customer support: Customer service is available 24x7 on free online auction 
sites. This is very necessary as online auctions are not restricted to a specific 
time of the day or night. Being Internet-based, anybody from all over the world 
can bid on these sites cutting across time zones. Since, organizers never know 
when a participant will raise a query, round-the-clock customer support is very 
necessary. 
Free online auction sites are increasing in popularity because of the many 
benefits on offer.