Fundraising Ideas – A “Pound in a Purse” Auction

Of all the fundraising ideas we have come up with, the Pound in a Purse Auction is one that our local women’s organization will be repeating every year as part of our regular programming to raise money for our local food pantry.  It’s simple to run and can quickly generate money to donate to a worthy cause; consider incorporating this into another fundraiser such as a silent auction or dinner event.

The rules are simple – everyone brings in a new or gently used purse that contains a pound of something. The contents can be anything as long as it weighs approximately one pound. The ladies were quite creative; the contents we saw ranged from funny to fabulous – coffee, bean soup mix, books, picture frames and home decor, jelly beans, soaps, lotions … you name it!  It was fun to see each winning bidder discover the contents of her new bag.

Pick a person with a strong voice and tons of energy to auction off the purses to the highest bidder.  If you have a larger group, have a couple of runners to stroll through the crowd with the purse being bid on so everyone can get a good look – but no peeking inside!  No one can know the contents of the purse until the bidding is over. You’ll also need a scribe to record the winning bid and bidder during the auction, and someone to collect the money after the auction has concluded.

We had a ball at this auction, and were able to raise several hundred dollars for a great cause.

Need more fundraising ideas?  Consider a basket raffle or reverse auction for your next event.