Advancement · Grants & Funding

Every donated item,
ready for the bid table.

Log each item as it arrives with a description bidders can trust, its fair market value, an opening bid and a minimum raise. Print a bid sheet with the ladder of bids worked out and the value stated, and keep the thank-yous and acknowledgments on track.

Add an itemWhat you get
$12one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $12

Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Grant writer’s desk, $49 for 32 items.

Auction items

The worked example is three made-up items for a school’s spring auction: a cabin stay, a class quilt and a year of pizza. Items save on this device only.

Loading the item form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Advancement · Grants & Funding$12 · included with Classroom and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A record per item with the event, item number, title, description, category, donor, value, opening bid, minimum raise, restrictions and expiration; a five-point display and paperwork checklist; a printable bid sheet with the bid ladder and value; flags for opening bids above value or below 30 percent, certificates expiring near the event, a missing value and $250-plus gifts without an acknowledgment; item count and totals.
Who it is for
Development staff, PTA and PTO volunteers, booster clubs and school foundation staff running silent auctions.
Format
Browser catalog with a saved record per item. Prints a bid sheet per item, one item record, the whole catalog or a blank intake form; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$12 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Grant writer’s desk ($49) and the Advancement Suite pass ($99), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Grants & Funding space in Caveat Advancement.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Add each item as the donation comes in, with the donor’s name as it should appear.
  2. Set a fair market value, then an opening bid and a minimum raise.
  3. Fix anything flagged: values, low or high openings, expiring certificates.
  4. Print a bid sheet for every item the week of the event.
  5. After the event, send thank-yous and the written acknowledgments donors need.

Add an item

Why the value goes on the bid sheet

What a winning bid is made ofWinning bid $300 for an item valued at $260Value received $260gift $40Only the part abovevalue can count asa charitable giftWhat a winning bid is made ofWinning bid $300 for an item valued at $260Value received $260gift $40Only the part above value can countas a charitable gift.
This is why every bid sheet states the item’s value. The bid sheet you print here does it for you.

For bidders

A winning bidder receives something of value, so only the amount paid above the item’s fair market value can count as a charitable contribution. Stating the value on the bid sheet and in the catalog lets bidders know where that line sits, and when a payment is over $75 and partly a gift, the charity must give a written disclosure.

For donors

A business or family that gives goods worth $250 or more needs a written acknowledgment to claim a deduction: describe the item, but do not put a value on it. People who donate their own time or services cannot deduct its value. Your treasurer or tax adviser has the final word.

Sources

  1. Internal Revenue Service. Publication 1771, Charitable Contributions: Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements (irs.gov), including auctions and quid pro quo contributions.
  2. Internal Revenue Service. Publication 526, Charitable Contributions (irs.gov): contributions of property and services.
  3. Internal Revenue Code section 6115: disclosure for quid pro quo contributions over $75.
  4. Internal Revenue Service. Publication 561, Determining the Value of Donated Property (irs.gov): fair market value.

The worked example is made up. Tax points are stated in general federal terms and are not tax advice; your organization’s treasurer or tax adviser comes first. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.