Thanks to everyone who made our March 1 2025 auction a big success! Together we raised about $36,000.00 this year to support our church community, which was above our $25,000 goal. That includes our special raise-the-paddle ask which you responded to with an amazing $6,425 to fund audio visual accessibility needs. That's awesome!

Click the Statement link to see what you got and/or who purchased your items/events.

Our Feb 28 2026 First UU Auction theme is: Making Waves

Come visit our table in Beech Hall for more exciting info!

Save the Date!

Can you believe we are already thinking of next year? Save Saturday
February 28 2026
for more fabulous auction fun!
The Live Auction is 119 days away, and we're not quite ready to accept your donations yet...

Auction donations will be accepted starting November 10, and the deadline is October 20 by midnight.

Be Creative! In prior years, this auction has featured events, services, homemade delicacies, and handcrafted treasures to be auctioned off live. Additionally, larger events and smaller and/or seasonal items are sold for a fixed price. If you have any questions about donations, please reach out to the auction team at auction@firstuucolumbus.org. If you aren't sure what to offer, browse the catalog to see what others have offered. There you will also find links to prior years' catalogs.

Welcome! Our auction is more than fundraising - It helps us find fun ways to be together all year! Do you have a special talent or service to offer? Can you host a dinner or lead an outing? Then you've come to the right place! Have questions? Email us at auction@firstuucolumbus.org.

Catalog

Browse and bid on items & events (You can see past catalogs here too) Calendar

See when events are scheduled Statement

View your events' guest lists & see your purchases




How to Log in and Donate. Watch the video here.

(Note: To Bid Online, login first - this will make bid buttons appear by the catalog items) Back to top

How to enter a new donation

  1. Pick the most appropriate category for your donation:
    • Art/Handcrafted
    • Collectible/Antique
    • Community & Camaraderie
    • Electronics
    • Excursions
    • Food Items
    • Gift Certificates & Baskets
    • Housewares
    • Jewelry
    • Meals and More
    • Miscellaneous
    • Services
    • Tickets
    • Vacation/Lodging
  2. Craft a catchy title
  3. Write engaging descriptions with dimensions, colors, materials, etc.
  4. Physical items should have minimum bids of at least $15. Services should have minimum bids of at least $10.
  5. Make sure to check the box “Is this a physical object?” if your donation is a “thing.” If so, please indicate how you want the winning bidder to get it from you.
  6. Putting in a picture of your item is very, very important. Your auction team can help you with this. To combine multiple pictures you can make a 'collage' here.
  7. If you are hosting an event, you should pick a date and time. Check the auction calendar to avoid conflicts with other
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Auction Donation Suggestions

    VACATIONS

  • Any kind of lodging or vacation home

    OUTINGS AND TOURS

  • Clintonville (or downtown Columbus, etc.) scavenger hunt
  • A picnic at a Metro Park shelter
  • Educational excursions to historical houses, museums, or places
  • Tours of the Statehouse, art museum, Franklin Conservatory, Ohio village, a neighborhood, etc.
  • Tour at CMA and lunch
  • Hot air balloon ride
  • Birding at a local park
  • Birding trip in the Spring at Magee Marsh
  • Remodeled kitchen tour
  • A house tour highlighting good interior design/decorations
  • Tour of hobby room- train setup; doll or woodworking shop
  • Bike trips

    FUN GET TOGETHERS

  • Game nights
  • Movie night with snacks
  • Oscar-themed party (or any themed party)
  • 1950s Sock Hop at church

    HOW TO

  • Cooking classes offered at home or at the church
  • Art classes or lessons
  • Knitting lessons

    TICKETS

  • OSU football tickets
  • Holiday Pops or Columbus Symphony Choir tickets
  • Tickets to a play, opera, concert, festival

    GIFT CERTIFICATES

  • A gift certificate for your favorite local restaurant
  • Gift Certificate to Tony Haygood Concert at CMA and lunch
  • Gift Certificate for a Mozart to Matisse Program at CMA and lunch

    MEALS AND MORE

  • Dinners, lunches, brunches, etc. – these are always a favorite and typically sell out. If you don’t want to host on your own, find another person and do the event together!
  • Progressive dinners (great for a few UUs in an area to join forces and offer)
  • Cocktail parties with heavy appetizers
  • An afternoon tea with scones and other treats
  • Chicken coop tour (Carolee Noonan and Donna Adassa) with hosts providing egg dish to eat (plus egg nog, haha)
  • Backyard barbecue

    FOOD TO OFFER

  • Any specialty food items you make (jam, wine, beer, cakes, pies, BBQ sauce, pesto, etc.)
  • Pies and specialty baked goods to be made to order
  • Tastings - Chocolate, potato chips, wine, etc.

    SERVICES

  • Services such as offering to crochet or knit a particular item for a winner, or to make them a quilt
  • Cat or dog sitting services
  • Tech or computer services
  • Bathroom cleaning
  • Car wash or detail - Car detail went for $400 at live auction for summer institute
  • 1 hour of cleaning
  • 2 hours free babysitting

    REALLY GOOD STUFF

  • Heirloom items you don’t want but might be a treasure for someone else
  • Nice or one-of-a-kind jewelry
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