How to Use Auction Analytics to Raise More Money

If you kept track of fundraising KPIs and ran reports through an analytics tool, you’ve already finished step one of data analysis for your auction fundraiser. 

Step two will take us a little deeper with your data. It’s time to take a look at what your data says about your fundraising, and most importantly, how you can raise more money at your next event. 

To start, you’ll want to take a look at five key areas of your data:

To turn your analysis of each set of metrics into an actual fundraising strategy, keep reading! We’ll take a look at specific changes you can make depending on which metrics you fell short in. 

We’ll be referring to the metrics generated in CharityAuctions’ reports, but similar data can be found in any software you choose for collecting fundraising data.

How to Track Metrics Year-to-Year and Across Events

The easiest way to store fundraising data is to use fundraising software, and there are plenty of options to save you time on data collection. 

But where most software falls short is comparing year-to-year stats—and that’s where your organization will learn the most about what to improve.

To track the metrics we’ll cover in this post across multiple events, we recommend hosting your events through CharityAuctions so you can use the Auction History feature. The feature keeps a thorough record of everything from your events and it compares the performance of all your past fundraising events (not just auctions).

Organizations using Auction History have seen a 32% increase in their fundraising. That’s because tracking performance across events shows you a clear picture of what’s working and what’s not instead of a single snapshot that leaves you guessing.

Now let’s review how to change your strategy based on your data.

1. Review Your Financial Efficiency

Metrics to Analyze: Total Revenue, Net Proceeds, ROI

Every nonprofit's ROI goals will be different depending on how established your organization is, but an increase in ROI per year of 5% to 15% is a healthy benchmark.

If your overall ROI is low… Focus on cutting your biggest costs. Going fully digital is often the best way to slash major expenses. You can also dedicate more staff time toward finding sponsorships or get creative about replacing costs with donations (think venue donations instead of venue fees, or donated catering instead of paying a caterer).

If your ROI is consistently lower with certain event types… Take a hard look at whether those formats are worth the effort. Sometimes it makes sense to steer away from resource-heavy events that aren't paying off. But don't write them off too quickly—high-cost events may still have value for cultivating major donors or raising awareness for your cause.

2. Find Donor Participation Patterns

Metrics to Analyze: Bidder Outcomes, Active Bidders, Average Items per Donor

For online auctions, you might notice lower participation compared to in-person events. It’s easier for donors to register, browse from home, and choose not to participate online—but that doesn’t mean your auction performed poorly. If your net revenue and ROI are high despite a low number of bids, you're doing fine.

If overall participation feels sluggish… It might be time to reformat your auction entirely. If you haven't done so already, the best step you can take is to incorporate mobile bidding. Mobile bidding is a huge driver for participation.

If only a handful of donors drive the most revenue… Assess whether that’s holding you back, or if focusing on your few major donors is working for you. If we follow the 80/20 principle, then only 20% of your donors will be the ones bringing in 80% of your revenue. But if you do need to engage more of your donors, diversify your catalog. This could mean sourcing items that appeal to different interests or sourcing items from a broader price range. 

If many donors only bid once… Try lowering bid increments, dropping starting bids, or tweaking your outbid notifications to keep people engaged.

If bidding drops early… Spotlight items during the late phases of your auction through social media or test staggered closings (setting different closing times for each item instead of everything ending at once).

3. Evaluate Item Performance

Metrics to Analyze: Average Sale vs. FMV, Item Final Price, Bids Per Item

When comparing final selling prices to fair market value, don’t be worried if your items close below FMV—that’s completely normal. Silent auction items normally close at about 87% of FMV.

If items regularly close far below FMV… Assess the quality of your items, your item sourcing strategy, and your item presentation. In general, aim to get more experiences into your catalog and ask for donations that better fit your organization’s niche.

If certain categories are selling low or get ignored… Phase them out in favor of consistent winners. Item Category Performance in your CharityAuctions Auction History report will tell you how each of your categories perform year-to-year.

4. Analyze Marketing Channel Effectiveness

Metrics to Analyze: Conversion Rate, Referral Tracking, Marketing Materials and Communications History

All of the above metrics will tell you which of your outreach channels and marketing materials are the most effective for recruiting auction attendees. If you’re setting goals for email outreach, research says that emails sent by nonprofits have a 29% open rate and a 3% click-through rate on average. 

If your emails aren’t getting opened… You can try a number of strategies. Test new subject lines, test new email schedules, or segment your email list. For example, send first-time bidders a “how to participate” email, while sending a VIP preview of top auction items to loyal donors.

If your emails have high open rates but low click through rates… Strengthen your emails’ call to action and the urgency in your messaging. You can do this by tying your auction directly to the project or cause you’re funding, letting donors know that time is running out to bid, or highlighting a few high-demand items that donors won’t want to miss out on.

If social media isn’t converting followers into auction attendees… Take a close look at your content strategy. Are you posting generic auction announcements or specific high-quality content like auction item showcases, countdowns, and behind the scenes glimpses? Also consider recruiting help to manage your social media pages.

5. Track Donor Retention Rates

Metrics to Analyze: Donor Retention Rate, Donor Growth Trends

If you’re looking for a healthy benchmark, the average donor retention for nonprofits is 46% and the average first time donor retention is 23%. Don't worry if you're not hitting those numbers right away—improvement over time is what counts.

If donor growth is flat or first-time bidders don’t return… Focus on better donor relationships and listen to what your donors need. It could be time to send out a survey to find out why donors are unsatisfied. You may need to set up faster thank-you messages, write better appeals, or even lessen your fundraising appeals to take donor fatigue into account.

If you’re losing major donors… Use your auction report to identify your top bidders and create VIP experiences for them, like a one-on-one phone call to say thank you, an invitation to a donor appreciation event, or behind-the-scenes updates on how their contributions are making a difference.

Get Unique Data Insights Now

Still have data you’re unsure how to interpret? 

CharityAuctions generates unique AI Insights based on your event data. Just scroll to the bottom of your Auction Dashboard to find strategy recommendations based on gaps in your performance.

By using the right technology and strategies, your next event can crush your fundraising goals and help you achieve your organization's mission.

Tom Kelly

Tom Kelly, TEDx speaker and CEO of CharityAuctions.com, helps nonprofits raise millions through auctions and AI. He hosts The Million Dollar Nonprofit podcast and inspires leaders to live their legacy, not just leave it.