After your fundraising auction ends, you're left with mountains of data. But which numbers actually matter? Which reports should you share with your board, and what will genuinely guide your strategy for next year?
Not all auction metrics are created equal. Some reports will transform your future events, while others simply confirm what you already know. Understanding the difference saves you hours of analysis and helps you make better data-driven decisions.
Here are the five essential auction reports that are worth your time:
- Financial Summary
- Item Performance
- Bidder Activity
- Attendee Statistics
- Marketing Report
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Manually tracking and creating reports for fundraising events is a thing of the past. Modern auction software automatically tracks event data as donors register and bid. You get comprehensive reports in seconds.
Even better, you get real-time analytics during your event. Instead of waiting until afterward to see what worked, you can monitor performance metrics as bidding unfolds. Your team can adjust your strategy on the spot—raising enthusiasm if bidding is dying, or altering starting bids if items are ignored.
Different auction platforms generate slightly different reports under various titles, but the core metrics will be the same.
Financial Summary Report
This is your event's financial scorecard—the document your board wants to see first. It answers the fundamental question: "Did we achieve our fundraising goals?"
Auction Metrics to Notice:
- Net Proceeds
- Total Fees
- Revenue Breakdown
Your Revenue Breakdown shows exactly where your money came from: item sales, direct donations, ticket sales, or sponsorships.
Revenue Takeaway:
- ROI
- Auction Success
Calculate your return on investment to determine if the time, money, volunteer hours (and stress) generated worthwhile results. If you spent $12,000 but raised $85,000 in net proceeds, that's an exceptional 7:1 ROI.
Don't neglect your sponsor revenue in your revenue breakdown. Sponsorship revenue should balance out event costs to maximize your ROI.
Year-over-year financial trends also help you set realistic fundraising goals for future events.
Item Performance Report
This reveals which items attracted competition and which were ignored. It’ll tell you what items you should bring again next year, and which ones should be phased out.
Auction Metrics to Notice:
- Items Sold
- Sell-Through Rate
- Number of Bids for Each Item
- Item Starting Bids
- Item Final Bids
Item Performance Takeaway:
- Best & Worst Performing Items
- Best & Worst Performing Categories
- Ratio of Final Bid to FMV (Fair Market Value)
- Donor Budget
These performance metrics show donor preferences in detail. When an item attracts 18 bids and sells for triple its value, you've found something donors truly want. Items with zero bids or a final bid far below its value means a mismatch between what you're offering and what your audience values.
The ratio of final bid to fair market value is particularly revealing. Items that sell for 150-200% of retail value show care for your cause (as opposed to bargain hunting). It also shows which items are genuinely desirable.
Category analysis is equally important. If sports memorabilia consistently outperforms dining by 3:1, focus your procurement there.
Understanding donor budget is critical too. If most items sell for $100-$500 with few exceeding $1,000, you've learned about your supporters' spending capacity. This should influence both procurement strategy and starting bid prices.
Bidder Activity Report
This report identifies your top spenders and their preferences. Use this to send personalized thank-you's, gather feedback for future events, and tailor items for top bidders.
Auction Metrics to Notice:
- Active Bidders
- Total Bids Placed
- Top Bidders
Bidder Activity Takeaway:
- Engagement Rate (Ratio of Active Bidders to Total Registered)
- Total Interest in Auction
- Top Priority Donors
Your engagement rate is one of the most diagnostic auction metrics. If 250 guests registered but only 60 placed bids, your 24% engagement rate reveals room for improvement. Perhaps items didn't align with donor interests, starting bids were too high, or you didn't highlight your cause effectively.
Identifying top bidders is essential for donor stewardship. If your top spenders all gravitated toward experiences rather than physical goods, focus your procurement strategy there. Make an effort to send them a handwritten letter as a thank you as well!
Total bids placed indicates overall auction excitement. When this metric increases year over year, your event is building genuine traction.
Attendee Statistics Report
Your software will organize some data from your attendee list. Combine this attendee list with your organization’s donor data—it will reveal the full picture of which demographics were interested in your auction.
Auction Metrics to Notice:
- Attendee List
- Total Registered
Attendee Statistics Takeaway:
- Demographics
- Donor Retention
- Marketing Efficiency
Demographic insights can be pulled from donor age, addresses, profession, and more. The demographics of your attendees and most engaged bidders should shape venue location, timing, and items.
Donor retention is arguably your most critical long-term success indicator. Combining auction data with your donor data should reveal returning guests vs. first-timers. Healthy donor retention—around 37% retention rate—signals that people value your event and want to support your mission year after year.
A low total registered number may point to poor marketing efficiency. You may have had the perfect auction strategy, but if no one is aware of the event (or the event didn’t pique their interest), you may not reach your fundraising goals.
Marketing Report
If your auction emails, social media posts, and links were tracked through your auction platform, then you may receive a marketing report. If you tracked your marketing through another platform, you may find these auction metrics there.
Auction Metrics to Notice:
- Views per Post
- Email Open Rate
- Response Rate/Conversion Rate
Marketing Report Takeaway:
- Marketing Efficiency
Again, even a perfect auction strategy will fall flat and top-tier auction items will receive low bids if marketing is neglected. Track metrics like social media views and email open rates—they will tell you if your marketing strategy needs to be revamped.
New Auction Reporting Features with CharityAuctions
CharityAuctions is your go-to platform for real time analytics and comprehensive reporting, all in one place. Easily download reports from our suite to consolidate auction data with your databases and CRMs.
CharityAuctions also takes auction reporting a step further than other platforms with two core features:
- Auction History: CharityAuctions doesn’t just generate reports for individual auctions. It generates year-over-year reports that compares all archived events and reveals trends over time.
- AI Review: Our AI integrations analyze your reports and data, generating personalized suggestions to help improve your auctions.
Set up your auction page for free to explore our comprehensive reporting suite.
Or read our complete Charity Auction Analytics & Reporting Guide for more about auction data.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I review my auction reports?
Review your reports immediately after your event while details are fresh, then revisit them when planning future events. Year-over-year comparisons reveal trends that single-event analysis might miss.
Should I share all my reports with my board?
Focus on the Financial Summary for board presentations, supplemented with key highlights from Item Performance, Bidder Activity, and Marketing that explain your results. Board members appreciate concise, actionable insights over exhaustive data dumps.
How can I improve my auction metrics year over year?
Use your Item Performance data to eliminate underperforming categories, leverage Bidder Activity insights to cultivate top donors, and analyze Marketing Statistics to refine social media and email strategies. The key is treating each report as a strategic guide, not just historical documentation.
Do I need special software to access these reports?
Most modern auction platforms include automation features that generate these reports. If your current system doesn't provide comprehensive reporting with real time analytics, it may be time to evaluate other platforms that offer better performance metrics and data tracking capabilities.
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