Paddle raise (fund-a-need)
Run a live giving moment with preset amounts and real-time totals that update on screen as donors give. Both in-room and online donors can participate.
More donors give. Higher fund-a-need totals.
Live Event Night
Live auction software
built for event night.
Run a live fundraising auction with mobile bidding, paddle raise (fund-a-need), spotters, and instant checkout. All from one platform. No upfront cost.
Trusted by 50,000+ organizations. $1B+ raised for nonprofits and schools.
No credit card requiredNo upfront costGo live when you're ready
+43%
Average increase in paddle raise totals
<15 min
Average setup time to go live
50,000+
Organizations trust CharityAuctions
$1B+
Raised for nonprofits and schools
100% FreeTop auctions raise 38% more. This shows you how.
Free 14-page PDF · 250,000+ events studiedMost Auctions Leave Money on the Table.Get the Playbook That Fixes It.
We broke down what the best charity auctions do differently. This free guide gives you their step-by-step plan. Copy it. Raise more. Stress less.
- What top 1% of auctions do first
- Scripts that pull in more bids
- Night-of checklist for your team
- PDF in your inbox in 60 seconds
4,200+ fundraisers downloaded this weekNo credit card. No spam. Ever.
+43%Paddle raise lift
50K+Organizations
$1B+Total raised
4.9/5Platform rating
<15 minAvg. setup time
$0Upfront cost
Event Night Tools
Everything you need to run a live charity auction.
Run check-in, bidding, paddle raise, and checkout from one platform. Built for speed and simplicity. No tech person required.
Live bid entry + spotters
Enter bids fast, track winners, and keep the room moving. Spotters enter bids from any device. No dedicated hardware or tech setup required.
Faster bid entry. Fewer errors. Smoother program.
Mobile bidding (no app)
Guests bid from any phone using a link. No downloads, no friction, no barrier to participation. Works for both silent and live auction items.
Fewer barriers. More bids per item.
Instant checkout + invoices
Fast check-in and winner checkout built in. Winners pay from their phones when the auction closes. No checkout lines, no chasing payments.
Funds collected faster. No checkout chaos.
Live displays + leaderboards
Show real-time totals, top bidders, and fund-a-need progress on any screen. Keeps the room engaged and the energy high throughout the program.
More engagement. Higher final totals.
Reporting + donor exports
Export donor, winner, and item reports for follow-up and accounting after the event. Clean data ready for thank-yous, reconciliation, and next year's planning.
Clean data. Fast post-event follow-up.
No credit card requiredNo upfront costFree support included
Silent + Live Combo
Silent auction tables.
Live program. One platform.
Run your silent auction items alongside a live bidding program. Guests browse items at display tables, bid from their phones, and pay instantly at the end of the night. All from one platform.
Silent auction items with mobile bidding. No paper bid sheets.
Live auction program with spotters for fast bid entry.
Paddle raise (fund-a-need) built in. Track totals live on screen.
One checkout for all items: silent, live, and fund-a-need.
Online bidders can participate alongside in-room guests.
Live Auction in Progress
Annual Charity Gala 2026
Current Bid
$4,200
Item 14 of 22
Bidders
231
active tonight
Fund-a-Need
$18,500
raised so far
How It Works
How to run a live fundraising auction.
Build your event, run your program, and collect payments from one platform. No tech person required.
01
Build your event
Add items, set bidding rules, set up check-in, create tickets, and prep paddle raise amounts. Do it all before event night at your own pace.
02
Run event night
Use spotters and live tools to enter bids fast, show real-time totals on screen, and keep guests engaged throughout the program.
03
Close and get paid
Winners pay from their phones after the event. No checkout lines. Export donor and item reports for follow-up and reconciliation.
Built For Event Night
Live events for every fundraiser.
From school auctions to black-tie galas, run a smoother live event with mobile bidding, paddle raise, and instant checkout.
Galas and black-tie fundraisers
Run a polished live auction with paddle raise, spotters for fast bid entry, and real-time totals on event night. Designed for the pace and energy of a live room.
Schools, PTOs, and booster clubs
Volunteer-friendly live event tools with mobile bidding and fast checkout to keep lines moving. No tech person required. Anyone can run it on event night.
Foundations and hospital events
Pair live bidding with donor reporting and post-event exports for clean follow-up and reconciliation. Unified data from all revenue streams in one platform.
Community and faith fundraisers
Simple setup, automated notifications, and an all-in-one checkout flow for recurring events. Free support included. No upgrade needed to get help from a real person.
Paddle raise (fund-a-need)Live auction + spottersSilent + live comboTickets + tablesMobile checkout
FAQ
Live auction questions, answered.
Everything you need to know before event night.
Live auction software helps you run a fundraising auction on event night. That includes bid entry by spotters, paddle raise (fund-a-need), mobile bidding for guests, real-time displays, and instant checkout. CharityAuctions combines all of these tools in one platform with no upfront cost and free support included.
Yes. You can run a live paddle raise with preset giving amounts and real-time totals that update on screen as donors give. Both in-room and online donors can participate. That maximizes the emotional energy of the ask and the total raised.
Spotters are volunteers or staff who enter bids during a live auction program using any phone or tablet. When the auctioneer calls a bid, a spotter enters it into the platform in real time. No dedicated hardware or tech setup required. Any device with a browser works.
No. Guests join from any phone using a link. No app download required. This removes the biggest barrier to participation and means more people actually place bids on silent auction items during the event.
Winners receive an invoice automatically and pay from their phones when the auction closes. No checkout lines, no manual invoicing, no chasing payments. Funds are collected faster and your team can wrap up the night without the usual chaos.
Yes. CharityAuctions accepts all major credit cards for checkout. You can choose to absorb processing fees, pass them to bidders, or split them depending on what works best for your organization.
Yes. CharityAuctions supports both silent and live bidding in the same event. Run timed silent auction items alongside a live auctioneer segment. All in one platform, with one checkout for all items at the end of the night.
No. CharityAuctions is designed to be run by volunteers and event staff. No technical background required. Free support is included with every account, so if anything comes up on event night, a real person is available to help.
Yes. You can start building your live event with no upfront cost and no credit card required. Free support is included with every account. No upgrade needed to get help from a real person before, during, or after your event.
Ready to Start?
Your best event night
starts here.
Mobile bidding (no app), paddle raise, spotters, instant checkout, and clean reporting. All in one platform. Free to start. Free support included.
No credit card requiredNo upfront costFree support includedGo live when you're ready