Our Spring and Fall Auctions are our primary fundraising events after our pledges. It is a great way to raise money for OCUUC, get to know people in the congregation, get some truly spectacular event, goods and services, all while having fun!
Spring Auction: We are Family!
Saturday, May 17th, 4 pm
What is the auction?
For newer folks, our auction raises money for the general operating budget. We offer opportunities to spend amazing time together; slide shows of trips we have taken, yoga lessons, tarot readings, sing-alongs, back yard BBQs, sip and paint. Sometimes we offer things folks might do without us such as theater tickets or weekend getaways at our vacation homes or time shares. Sometimes we offer our services such as event planning or math lessons. We also love items such as succulent gardens, gift baskets, hand made jewelry or garments, even electronics or bicycles.
The first step is to offer something! What will you offer? A hike, a dinner, a night of charades? A jar of your home-made jam, a ride to the airport, or a pool party. Bingo night, anybody? It's a huge win-win and so much fun. Make your donations and be sure to attend the auction, at OCUUC on Saturday, May 17th.
Register on our auction site ahead of time
The next step is to enter it into our auction software so it can be sold. We have new auction software! (Oh, no, not CHANGE! We can do this hard thing!) The Auction Committee is very excited about the new possibilities and looks forward to your feedback. Some things will be different. Overall, we feel the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The most important things will remain - we will have fun raising money!
Auction site
To access the auction site site, go to Spring 2025 Auction. Check out our detailed instructions on using the Auctria site.
Auctria app
Register for the auction
Another change is that everyone who intends to participate in our Spring 2025 Auction, whether as a donor or buyer, needs to register in the software. Please register before the auction date! This will enable you to participate in online bidding, donate items to be included in the catalog, and get assistance if needed. We considered importing everyone from our database, but Auctria’s strong recommendation was to encourage those interested to each register themselves.
Submit items and events
You may submit your items and events online at Spring 2025 Auction or grab a form at the auction table on the patio on Sunday.
The Auction Table on the courtyard after the Sunday service is a great place to get information
Items entered in the software must accepted by a Committee Member, so it will take a day or so before it will show up on the website. We need to add things like the type of item and category before it can be posted. Remain calm – we will get there!
You may also submit any questions to auction@ocuuc.org. We will have a training in the Victoria Room after church each Sunday in April and a table in the courtyard for paper submissions and support.
We offer dinner before the auction and you have your choice of bringing your favorite disco food or buying a ticket for $10. You can sign up for either at the Auction Table. Questions? Want to volunteer? Buy a raffle ticket? The Sunday Auction Table is your place! You may also reach out to auction@ocuuc.org.
Deadline to submit donated items and events to be included in the catalog is Sunday, May 4th
Stuff we've learned about offering items
- Market your item in the description and tell us how wonderful it is!
- If you are offering a dinner or other event, set the date - undated events “TBD” don’t sell well. There is a calendar you can click on to see if your date is already taken. We can have more than one event per day but would prefer not to unless one is in the morning and one is in the evening or one has very limited slots.
- A word about how many “slots”. A painting will have one slot, a painting class may have many slots. You must choose a number. Our advice is to have an event for 6-10 people. This tends to generate the best bidding scenario.
- There is an easy to use way to upload a photo. Items without photos don’t sell as well. A generic photo is better than none at all. The committee may add one if you don’t. You can load more than one photo with this software.
- If events are to be held at the church, please request a room now through admin@ocuuc.org
Check the Blast for more updates, ask an Auction Committee member on Sundays at the Auction table, or email us at auction@ocuuc.org if you have any questions.
Silent auction
After you are registered and submit your items by May 4th, the fun begins. Starting May 5th the Spring 2025 Auction site will be ready to accept bids for our online auction. Have a great time bidding away! If possible, we will have these items on display at the live auction on May 17th. The online auction ends May 18th at 6 pm, just in case you have money left to spend!
Live auction
Come to the LIVE AUCTION – WE ARE FAMILY at 4 pm on May 17th. Check in and get your paddle, show off your disco bling, learn a line dance, and get your picture taken! Then we will have dinner before the Live auction about 5:45. Bid early and often!
You may pay that night or wait for our complete statement of what you bought and sold after the online auction closes the next day. Let’s raise money for the church together!
Helpful tips
The auction is open to all: Members, Friends, Visitors and their friends and relatives. Here’s how it works:
Plan your bidding
Peruse the online auction items for donations and plan what you want to bid on.
When do I pay?
You can pay for your purchased auction items at the close of the auction with a credit card, or you will be billed, which must be paid before the next auction (they're held in fall and spring).
In addition to your bill, you will also be sent a list of the items you offered and who bought them.
What if I buy a seat for an event and I can’t attend?
You are financially responsible for the seat you bought as it could have been sold to someone else. You can offer your place to a friend (especially a new member or visitor who wasn’t at the auction) or you can contact the host to see if they want to invite someone else.
What if I offer an event and then can’t host it?
You can try to find another day, time or type of event that you are able to host. Remember that you promised something that someone was willing to pay for. The sooner you contact your buyers to work out another plan, the better.
Are there any other guidelines?
Things to keep in mind:
Families: When you are deciding what to offer, keep in mind parents like to do things with their children (such as a bounce house party in your backyard or a hike and a picnic), children like to do special things without their parents (such as making crafts for holidays or a trip to the zoo) and parents like to do things without their children (such as poker night). We try to have a good mix.
Timing: Auctions are organized approximately twice per year – spring and fall. Try to plan some things that happen months from now.
Work involved: It is really fun and a lot less work to host an event with a friend. Talk to your friends about hosting together or just brainstorm ideas for offerings.
Questions?
Contact auction@ocuuc.org or stop by the Auction table in the courtyard on Sunday morning.
Auction statements
You can view a summary of your purchases including the prices you offered. Simply login to your account at Spring 2025 Auction and check your purchases.
All of the auction items that you purchased will be listed. If you donated any items, just click on the 'donations' link to see who bought your items.
Why should you join in?
- The people who attend the auctions have a good time and enjoy good food.
- We raise money towards the Church’s operating expenses.
- Those who attend get something direct and tangible in return for a donation to the Church.
- Many of the events offered for auction are a great way to find people in the church with similar interests and are a wonderful way to share your hobbies, interests, and special places with others.
- Often the events purchased get you to places and activities that you might not ordinarily go to or engage in because you are unaware of them.
- The events offered at the auctions provide important social interactions to help build our community through building personal relationships.
- Both the buyers as well as those offering items for purchase achieve satisfaction knowing that they are helping our Church community.