Website to recycle unclaimed auction lots for charity
Howard Lake | 6 February 2008 | News
A new online auction site, BuyOnceGiveTwice, is to help charities maximise their auction income by recycling unclaimed prizes.
Even though supporters at a charity auction can pay thousands of pounds for a luxurious, often unique prize, some of them never get round to collecting or redeeming their prize, especially if it is an event or experience prize. BuyOnceGiveTwice aims to recycle these prizes to raise funds for charity again at no cost to the charity.
Any purchaser of a charity auction item who has not redeemed their prize can now contact the site and re-auction the lot for the charity. The original charity will receive 60% of the resale value and, once re-sold, the new purchaser can nominate their favourite charity to receive the other 30%.
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In other cases, where the purchase has returned the lot to the charity to re-sell, the charity can contact BuyOnceGiveTwice directly and it will receive 90% of the resale value. This also applies in cases where the original purchaser defaulted on payment.
BuyOnceGiveTwice uses the remaining 10% of sales income to cover the costs of running the site.
The first lot to be re-auctioned on the site went live on 1 February. A three day trip to the Italian Alps to watch World Cup skiing, complete with four star accommodation and flights for two, it comes from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The charity will therefore receive 90% of the resale value.
BuyOnceGiveTwice has been set up by Mia Woodford and Emma Leschallas who spotted the potential of wasted lots after raising £500,000 at a single auction at the Cura Ball.
Woodford explained the site’s creation: "I have a long history with charity events and auctions," she said, "and along with my business partner Emma Leschallas became increasingly frustrated at the thousands of charity auction lots being left unclaimed each year. BuyOnceGiveTwice is a simple idea that will help charities effortlessly increase their fundraising revenue."
Leschallas added: "We handle everything from listing and marketing the items to taking payment and despatching the items, so the charity needs hardly lift a finger".
The site is already working with Breast Cancer Campaign, Changing Faces, the Motor Neurone Disease Association, Orchid, JDRF, Ovarian Cancer Action and Starlight.
www.buyoncegivetwice.co.uk
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.