Silent Auction Company

What Silent Auction Company does

Silent Auction Company is a privately held, Newmarket, Ontario-headquartered provider of turnkey benefit auction services to non-profit organizations, charities, schools, and corporate event planners across Canada and the United States. Founded in 1996 originally running live auctions at Toronto's Historic Maple Leaf Gardens, the company has accumulated 30+ years of operating history and reports delivering 7,500+ auctions that have raised over $60 million for charitable causes. The firm combines a free, cloud-based mobile bidding platform — accessible via custom event links and QR code cards — with curated inventory (artwork, signed sports memorabilia across NHL/NBA/MLB/NFL, vacation packages to destinations such as Tuscany, Bali, Barbados, and Panama, jewelry and handbags) and optional add-on services including professional live auctioneering, "Fund a Need" donation appeals, celebrity and athlete appearance booking, and shipping logistics. Operationally, the platform appears to run on or be tightly integrated with the GalaBid auction platform based on the company's public demonstration link.

The company monetizes primarily through transaction-fee and inventory-margin mechanics rather than client subscriptions: it retains only a 3% credit card processing pass-through on donor-provided items (clients keep 100% of the rest), earns a guaranteed percentage profit payout on its own supplied inventory regardless of final sale price, and accepts optional tips from winning bidders to cover platform costs. GTM is sales-led and event-driven, anchored on a JotForm-sourced free consultation funnel, direct phone and email outreach, an email list (Constant Contact), and an active Facebook and YouTube presence showcasing event demonstrations. No outside funding, parent company, acquisitions, or leadership changes are disclosed; the business appears to be independently operated, bootstrapped, and run with a headcount of 11–50 employees from a single Canadian headquarters.

Name

Silent Auction Company

Legal name

Silent Auction Company

Website

https://silentauctioncompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Silent Auction Company is a Canadian benefit auction service provider that delivers free mobile bidding platforms, curated inventory, and live auction event services to non-profits, charities, schools, and corporations across Canada and the USA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Benefit Auction Services

akta.pro primary industry

Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Silent auction services
• Fundraising auction platform
• Mobile bidding platform
• Benefit auction provider
• Charity event services

Headquarters

HQ city

Newmarket

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Transaction Fees from Donated Items: Organizations retain 100% of profits from donated items they receive, with only 3% deducted for credit card processing fees.
2. Inventory Sales Commission: Guaranteed percentage profit payout to clients from all company-provided inventory including trips, jewelry, artwork, sports memorabilia, home décor, and electronics, regardless of final sale price.
3. Optional Platform Tips: Platform costs covered by optional tips from winning bidders at checkout, with the option to opt out.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Silent Auction Company provides a free mobile bidding silent auction platform and turnkey fundraising event services for non-profit organizations, charities, schools, and corporations across Canada and the USA. The company supplies curated auction inventory including artwork, sports memorabilia, vacation packages, jewelry, and electronics, and handles logistics such as shipping to winners, payment processing, and custom event branding. Revenue is generated through a 3% credit card processing fee on donated items and guaranteed percentage profit payouts on company-provided inventory, rather than charging clients upfront fees or commissions.

Product overview

Silent Auction Company operates a free benefit auction service for fundraising organizations, providing a unified platform combining an online silent auction system with professional event services. The core product is the free digital silent auction platform featuring mobile bidding, custom event links, and QR code access. Organizations can enhance their events with add-on services including Live Auction Services, Fund a Need campaigns, Celebrity Appearance Booking, and promotional materials. The company also supplies auction inventory including vacation packages, sports memorabilia, artwork, jewelry, and electronics. All services are free to organizations, with the company generating revenue from optional bidder tips and inventory sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Silent Auction Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Organizations retain 100% of profits from donated items (minus 3% credit card fees)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Auctria: Auctria is an online auction event management platform used by non-profits to run silent and live auctions. It targets the same event-driven fundraising use case as Silent Auction Company.
• Givebutter: Givebutter offers free and low-cost online fundraising, auction, and event tools to non-profits. Its free-tier pricing and modern feature set put direct pricing pressure on Silent Auction Company's free model.
• ClickBid: ClickBid is a mobile silent auction platform for non-profit fundraising events, offering similar live and silent auction functionality. It is a direct peer in the benefit auction technology market.
• GalaBid: GalaBid is a mobile and online silent auction platform used by non-profits for fundraising events. It is a direct competitor to Silent Auction Company's core platform offering, and notably appears in the company's own sample auction URL.
• OneCause: OneCause provides a comprehensive suite of fundraising software including mobile bidding, online auctions, and event management for non-profits. It directly competes with Silent Auction Company in the charity silent auction space.
• Qtego: Qtego provides online auction and event fundraising technology for non-profits, including mobile bidding and event management. Directly comparable in product offering and target market.
• Handbid: Handbid provides mobile bidding and silent auction software specifically designed for charity and gala events. It is a direct peer in the benefit auction software market.
• CharityAuctionsToday: CharityAuctionsToday offers online and mobile silent auction hosting for non-profit fundraisers. It is comparable in service model and target customer as Silent Auction Company.
• Winspire: Winspire supplies non-profits with curated travel and experience auction packages (vacations, sports, celebrity experiences). It overlaps directly with Silent Auction Company's vacation and memorabilia inventory offering.

Emerging players

• BetterUnite: BetterUnite provides a unified fundraising platform including auctions, giving, and event tools for non-profits. It is an emerging player with broader scope that partially overlaps with Silent Auction Company's auction-focused offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/silentauctioncompany
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/silent-auction-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Silent Auction Company