Help Raise Funds For Amma’s Boston Tour through 2nd Annual Auction
Posted on 02. Feb, 2010 by admin in Announcement, Featured
An auction held last April (2009) at Swamiji’s retreat in Marlborough was a huge success. So this year we are excited to announce an expansion of the auction to include service offerings and a wider selection of items.
It is an incredible opportunity to support Amma’s Boston tour in yet another way. You can either donate items or take home with you some great bargains from the auction. Not sure how a silent auction works? Click here to see how easy it is to participate!
Please contact us for donating to this auction or if you have any questions/suggestions.
Date and Location: Feb 20, 2010 during winter retreat at Marlborough, MA.
Donate articles or services
We invite you to donate new items or services for this auction. Here are some examples of items that have been donated at similar Amma auctions throughout the country.
Amma used or blessed items- Gift certificates
- Artwork
- Unique/new clothing items
- Sailing classes
- Vacation rentals
- Home remodeling
- Cooking classes
- Yard cleanup
Here are some simple guidelines for donation of items:
1. Kindly submit following information for all items or services you would like to donate.
i. Brief description - A few lines about the item and what might interest others to purchase it. Please explicitly indicate if it is an Amma used or blessed item. We shall be happy to help you with the write up if you need.
ii. Fair Market Value - This is what the item may cost at a retail outlet. For example, a wool shawl may cost $75 in a store. It could be the price you paid or what you think it would sell for. For a service, it would be the regular fee charged.
iii. Opening bid - Lowest reasonable price that should be charged for the item. The shawl may start at $30. For a service, say a massage, the starting bid may be $40 for an hour of massage if the Fair Market Value is $60 per hour.
iv. Location of service - Specify city and state a client needs to travel to receive service. If you will travel to client location, please state the travel time or radius you are willing to commute and your reference location.
2. All donations of items and services are subject to approval by our auction committee. If accepted, you will be notified via email within a few days of your submission.
3. Please bring all items to retreat in Marlborough and deliver them to auction desk (across bookstore) by 9am. In case you are not able attend the retreat, kindly check with your satsang coordinator to see if someone will deliver the item for you.
4. If donating a service, please provide a gift certificate for the auction table. Certificates can be sent via email and will be printed by an auction coordinator or can be mailed via USPS. Details will be sent with acceptance email.
5. If there are no bids on your item, you must pick it up at the end of the retreat.
How does a silent auction work?
Each item will have a sign up sheet next to it with the following information:
- A short description
- Fair Market Value - The price you would pay for an item at a retail outlet or for a service normally.
- Minimum bid - The lowest starting bid that can be placed for the item.
- Bid increment - The minimum amount by which the next person has to increase his/her bid.
For example, if the item being auctioned is a weekend rental for a condo at a ski resort, a valid description may be like:
Description: 2 bedroom condo available for any weekend in March at Killington. Condo has fireplace, Jacuzzi tub and access to fitness center with pool. Mins from trails and restaurants. Condo sleeps 6.
The Fair Market Value: $350
Minimum Bid: $120
Bid Increment: $20
Here is an example of how a bidding sheet looks.
| Name | Phone Number | Bid |
| Bidder One | 978-555-1212 | $120 |
| John | 978-555-9999 | $140 |
| Mary | 978-555-6789 | $165 |
| Bidder One | 978-555-1212 | $185 |
In this example, Bidder One wins the weekend rental for $185 which is still well below the Fair Market Value of $350. Bidder One will have to pay for the item at end of auction (i.e. end of retreat). Payments are accepted in cash or check made out to M.A. Center. For bids on services, you will receive a gift certificate for the respective service with instructions on how to claim the service.
A portion of your donation may be tax deductible. You may contact the auction table for further details. Also, please consult your tax adviser regarding your personal tax situation to determine your eligible deductible amounts for your donations.
We thank you for your cooperation and look forward towards an enthusiastic response to this silent auction for Amma.
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Dunja Moeller
03. Feb, 2010
I would like to donate 2 items in the value of $160 each.
Item#! To open up your breathing, let go of stress and nourish your body and soul experience an “Art of Natural Breathing” session
Item#2 Letting go of incomplete experiences on the cellular level and increasing your movement letting go of “issues in the tissue” allow a “Bodymemories” bodywork session to enliven your being