GiveHub Live Auction Feature Blueprint

Overview

This blueprint defines a Live Auction feature for GiveHub that complements the existing Silent Auction system and positions GiveHub as a more complete fundraising and gala platform for schools, churches, nonprofits, and community organizations.

The goal is to let an organization run an entire event in one system:

• Ticketing / registration

• Donations

• Silent auction

• Live auction

• Paddle raise / fund-a-need

• Checkout / settlement

• Receipts / reporting

This document is written so it can be handed directly to Leap as a product + engineering build spec.

1. Product Vision

Core idea

GiveHub already supports silent auctions, where guests browse and bid asynchronously. A live auction module should support the on-stage, fast-paced bidding experience typically used during galas and major fundraising events.

What it should accomplish

• Let staff run live auction items from a control panel

• Let the auctioneer or spotter quickly record bids by paddle number

• Show the current item and bid live on a projector / TV screen

• Assign the winning bid to the correct attendee

• Add the winning live auction item to the attendee’s final checkout/cart

• Support Fund-a-Need / Paddle Raise donations during the same event

• Keep reporting unified across ticketing, donations, silent auction, and live auction

Strategic value

This moves GiveHub closer to a full gala/event fundraising suite, similar to platforms like GiveSmart / OneCause / Greater Giving, but with a more accessible and flexible approach for GiveHub’s market.

2. Recommended Rollout Phases

Phase 1 — MVP (must-have)

Build the minimum version that can run a real event:

• Live auction item setup

• Paddle number assignment

• Auctioneer control screen

• Admin bid-entry interface

• Live display / projector screen

• Manual mark as sold

• Winner assignment to guest / bidder

• Add won item to checkout/cart/invoice

• Basic live auction reporting

Phase 2 — Strong operational upgrade

• Quick-add bidder lookup

• Spotter mode for multiple staff members

• Bid history timeline

• Undo / correction controls

• Reserve price support

• Display-only public live screen with QR code to attendee event page

• Fund-a-Need / Paddle Raise mode

Phase 3 — Premium / advanced

• Mobile-assisted bidding during live auction

• Text alerts to winning bidders

• Auto-advance item queue

• Auctioneer “going once / twice / sold” workflow animations

• Display themes / branding customization

• Sponsor overlays / slide support

• Reconciliation exports

3. Primary User Roles

Organization admin

Sets up the event, imports or assigns bidders, configures items, runs reports.

Auction manager

Controls live auction flow on event night, chooses current item, records bids, closes item, marks sold.

Spotter / staff helper

Quickly identifies paddle numbers and relays or enters bids.

Auctioneer

Uses projector screen and control cues to run the room.

Bidder / attendee

Holds a paddle number, wins items, pays during checkout.

Checkout staff

Views attendee balances and processes payment for donations + silent auction + live auction winnings.

4. Core User Stories

Setup stories

• As an admin, I want to create live auction items for a specific event.

• As an admin, I want to define starting bids and bid increments.

• As an admin, I want to assign paddle numbers to registered attendees.

• As an admin, I want each attendee to have a unified event account/cart.

Event-night stories

• As an auction manager, I want to queue live auction items in order.

• As an auction manager, I want to start an item and make it visible on the display screen.

• As an auction manager, I want to enter bids quickly by paddle number.

• As an auction manager, I want to correct mistakes without breaking the bidding flow.

• As an auction manager, I want to mark an item as sold and attach it to the winner.

Attendee / settlement stories

• As a winning bidder, I want my item to appear on my final balance automatically.

• As a checkout staff member, I want to see all charges in one place.

• As an admin, I want a report showing gross live auction revenue by item and by bidder.

Fund-a-Need stories

• As an auction manager, I want to record pledge levels ($5,000 / $2,500 / $1,000 / etc.) during a live ask.

• As an attendee, I want those paddle raise commitments added to my account like a donation pledge.

5. Recommended MVP Scope

The MVP should focus on speed, clarity, and reliability. In a live event, the staff cannot fight the UI.

MVP features

1. Live auction items within an event

2. Paddle number assignment

3. Current-item control panel

4. Quick bid entry by paddle number + amount

5. Bid increment shortcuts

6. Real-time bidder leader + amount display

7. “Sold” action with winner confirmation

8. Checkout/cart integration

9. Simple projector/live display

10. Basic live auction reports

Explicitly defer for MVP

• Fully open self-service mobile live bidding

• Complex anti-sniping logic

• Proxy bidding

• Auto-voice calling / AI auctioneer prompts

• Multi-room auction synchronization

6. Product Architecture Recommendation

Treat Live Auction as a separate auction mode under the event system, not just a tiny toggle inside silent auction.

Why

Silent and live auctions have different operating models:

• Silent auction = distributed bidding over time

• Live auction = centrally controlled, rapid-fire, staff-led bidding

They should share common entities where useful, but the UI/workflows should be specialized.

Recommended structure

• events

• event_attendees

• auction_bidders (or bidder profile attached to attendee)

• auction_items

• auction_bids

• auction_wins

• fund_a_need_pledges

You can still reuse some of the existing silent auction models if already present, but do not force the live workflow to use a silent-auction UI.

7. Data Model / Schema Proposal

Below is a clean schema concept. Leap can adapt names to the existing GiveHub database patterns.

7.1 auction_bidders

Represents a person authorized to bid at an event.

Suggested fields:

• id UUID

• event_id UUID

• attendee_id UUID nullable

• user_id UUID nullable

• display_name text

• email text nullable

• phone text nullable

• paddle_number integer

• status enum (active, checked_in, disabled)

• payment_profile_id text nullable

• notes text nullable

• created_at

• updated_at

Constraints:

• unique (event_id, paddle_number)

7.2 auction_items

Use one unified table if possible for both silent and live items.

Suggested fields:

• id UUID

• event_id UUID

• auction_type enum (silent, live)

• title text

• description text

• image_url text nullable

• donor_name text nullable

• package_value numeric nullable

• starting_bid numeric

• bid_increment numeric

• reserve_price numeric nullable

• buy_now_price numeric nullable

• display_order integer nullable

• status enum (draft, queued, active, paused, sold, unsold, closed)

• start_time timestamptz nullable

• end_time timestamptz nullable

• winning_bid_amount numeric nullable

• winning_bidder_id UUID nullable

• sold_at timestamptz nullable

• created_at

• updated_at

7.3 auction_bids

A unified bid table works well if it stores bid source and auction type.

Suggested fields:

• id UUID

• event_id UUID

• item_id UUID

• auction_type enum (silent, live)

• bidder_id UUID

• paddle_number integer nullable

• amount numeric

• entered_by_user_id UUID nullable

• source enum (mobile, admin_panel, spotter_panel, import, system)

• status enum (valid, voided, corrected)

• notes text nullable

• created_at

Indexes:

• (item_id, created_at desc)

• (event_id, auction_type)

• (bidder_id)

7.4 auction_wins

Do not rely only on the item record for settlement. A dedicated wins table is safer.

Suggested fields:

• id UUID

• event_id UUID

• item_id UUID

• bidder_id UUID

• amount numeric

• auction_type enum (silent, live)

• checkout_status enum (unpaid, in_cart, paid, voided)

• checkout_record_id UUID nullable

• won_at timestamptz

• created_at

• updated_at

Constraints:

• unique (item_id) where not voided

7.5 fund_a_need_levels

Suggested fields:

• id UUID

• event_id UUID

• title text

• amount numeric

• display_order integer

• is_active boolean

• created_at

7.6 fund_a_need_pledges

Suggested fields:

• id UUID

• event_id UUID

• level_id UUID nullable

• bidder_id UUID

• amount numeric

• quantity integer default 1

• entered_by_user_id UUID nullable

• source enum (admin_panel, spotter_panel, mobile, import)

• status enum (pledged, paid, voided)

• created_at

8. State Machine / Workflow Design

Live auction item states

Recommended states:

• draft

• queued

• active

• paused

• sold

• unsold

• closed

Example flow

1. Admin creates item → draft

2. Ready for event night → queued

3. Auction manager starts item → active

4. Bids are entered during the live call

5. Item ends as either:

   • sold with winner + amount

   • unsold

6. Event closes item history → closed

Important rule

Only one live auction item should be active per event at a time in MVP.

This keeps projector logic and admin controls simpler.

9. Admin Experience / Screens

9.1 Live Auction Dashboard

This is the main admin page for the event.

Sections

Left column

• Event info

• Current status

• Queue of upcoming items

• Search for item

Center column

• Current item card

• Image

• Title

• Description summary

• Starting bid

• Current bid

• Leading paddle number

• Bid buttons / quick actions

Right column

• Bid entry keypad

• Paddle lookup

• Recent bids list

• Controls: Sold / Undo / Pause / Skip / Mark unsold

Top bar actions

• Start next item

• Open projector display

• Open spotter mode

• Open fund-a-need mode

• Refresh live sync status

9.2 Live Auction Item Setup Screen

Fields:

• Item title

• Long description

• Photo upload

• Donor / sponsor

• Fair market value

• Starting bid

• Bid increment

• Reserve price (optional)

• Display order

• Internal notes

Actions:

• Save draft

• Queue for live auction

• Preview on projector screen

9.3 Paddle Assignment Screen

Capabilities:

• List attendees

• Auto-generate paddle numbers

• Manually edit paddle numbers

• Search by name/email/phone

• Print simple paddle list/export

• Flag missing payment method or incomplete profile

Columns:

• Paddle #

• Attendee name

• Email

• Phone

• Check-in status

• Card on file status

• Notes

Helpful action:

• “Assign next available paddle number”

9.4 Checkout Screen Enhancements

A bidder’s account should show one consolidated event balance.

Sections in the account

• Tickets / registrations

• Donations

• Silent auction wins

• Live auction wins

• Fund-a-Need pledges

• Fees / adjustments

• Total due

This is critical because the live auction should not create a second payment process.

10. Auctioneer Control UX Details

The control UI must be built for speed under pressure.

Must-have controls

• Start item

• Increase bid by standard increment

• Increase bid by custom increment

• Enter manual amount

• Assign bid to paddle number

• Confirm latest valid high bidder

• Mark sold

• Mark unsold

• Undo last bid

• Pause item

Recommended layout behavior

• Large buttons

• High contrast

• Minimal modal interruptions

• Keyboard shortcuts supported

• Search paddles instantly

• Current leader always pinned to top

Keyboard shortcuts

Recommended:

• N = start next item

• S = mark sold

• U = undo last bid

• P = pause

• Enter = submit bid

• Number keys usable in amount field

11. Bid Entry Patterns

There are 3 likely operational styles. Support all eventually, but MVP should prioritize the first two.

Pattern A — Staff enters paddle + amount

Example:

• Auctioneer calls $1,000

• Bidder raises paddle #112

• Staff types paddle 112, amount 1000, submit

Pattern B — Staff taps increment and paddle

Example:

• Current bid $1,000

• Auctioneer calls $1,250

• Staff taps +250

• Enters paddle #112

• Submit

Pattern C — Spotter stations

Multiple staff members can enter proposed bids, but only auction manager confirms them.

This is best for later phase if real-time sync is stable.

12. Projector / Live Display Screen

This should be a separate full-screen route, optimized for a TV/projector.

What the audience sees

• Event logo / branding

• Current item image

• Item title

• Brief description

• Current bid in very large font

• Leading paddle number (optional masking available)

• Status text: Now Bidding, Going Once, Going Twice, SOLD

Optional display modes

1. Standard mode — shows all key info

2. Minimal mode — huge current bid only

3. Sponsor mode — event branding or sponsor logo in corner

Important settings

• Show paddle number or hide name for privacy

• Auto-refresh in real time via websockets or polling fallback

• Failsafe reconnect banner if connection drops

13. Fund-a-Need / Paddle Raise Mode

This deserves special treatment because it often raises major revenue.

Workflow

Admin configures levels such as:

• $10,000

• $5,000

• $2,500

• $1,000

• $500

• $250

During the event:

• Auctioneer announces level

• Staff records paddle numbers for each commitment

• Each pledge is added as a donation/pledge to the bidder account

Admin screen

Show:

• Current giving level

• Big amount buttons

• Quick paddle entry

• Count of commitments at current level

• Running subtotal for Fund-a-Need

• Total across all levels

Projector screen for Fund-a-Need

Show:

• Campaign title

• Current ask amount

• Running total raised

• Number of donors

• Optional sponsor / impact text (e.g. “$1,000 sponsors one child for camp”)

14. Business Rules

These rules reduce confusion and data issues.

Core rules

1. Only one active live auction item per event in MVP.

2. A live bid must always be associated with a bidder / paddle.

3. Final sold amount must match the winning bid or require explicit override note.

4. Sold items create a record in auction_wins.

5. Checkout must read from auction_wins, not only raw bids.

6. Voiding a bid should preserve audit history.

7. Voiding a winning item should require elevated permission or explicit note.

8. Paddle numbers must be unique within the event.

Good admin permissions model

• Viewer: can watch dashboard only

• Event operator: can enter bids and mark sold

• Event manager: can edit items and correct wins

• Org admin: full access incl. financial overrides

15. Error Handling / Recovery

Live events are messy. The system needs graceful recovery.

Common mistakes to support

• Wrong paddle entered

• Wrong amount entered

• Sold too early

• Duplicate bid entry

• Winner dispute

• Lost connection on display screen

Recommended safeguards

• “Undo last bid” button with 1-click confirmation

• Bid correction workflow that marks original bid corrected not deleted

• “Reopen sold item” permission for managers only

• Offline-ish visual states with reconnect messaging

• Visible audit trail for all changes

16. Reporting Requirements

At minimum, admins should get the following reports.

Live auction summary report

• Total live auction revenue

• Number of live items sold

• Number of unsold items

• Average winning bid

• Highest winning bid

Item performance report

Per item:

• Title

• Donor/sponsor

• Starting bid

• Winning bid

• Winning paddle

• Bid count

• Status

Bidder summary report

Per bidder:

• Paddle number

• Name

• Silent auction wins total

• Live auction wins total

• Fund-a-Need total

• Grand total due

• Payment status

Fund-a-Need report

• Total by giving level

• Donor count by level

• Grand total pledged

• Paid vs unpaid

17. Real-Time Tech Recommendation

For event-night confidence, Live Auction should use real-time updates.

Ideal

• WebSocket / realtime subscription for:

  • current item changes

  • new bids

  • status updates

  • sold state

  • fund-a-need totals

Fallback

• Poll every 2–3 seconds if sockets fail

Why this matters

• Projector screen must reflect bid changes quickly

• Multiple admin/spotter devices need consistency

• Checkout should update shortly after item sells

18. Suggested API Endpoints / Server Actions

Leap can use REST, RPC, or server actions depending on the stack. The following is the conceptual API surface.

Item management

• POST /events/:eventId/live-auction/items

• PATCH /events/:eventId/live-auction/items/:itemId

• POST /events/:eventId/live-auction/items/:itemId/queue

• POST /events/:eventId/live-auction/items/:itemId/start

• POST /events/:eventId/live-auction/items/:itemId/pause

• POST /events/:eventId/live-auction/items/:itemId/mark-unsold

• POST /events/:eventId/live-auction/items/:itemId/sell

Bid entry

• POST /events/:eventId/live-auction/items/:itemId/bids

• POST /events/:eventId/live-auction/items/:itemId/bids/:bidId/void

• POST /events/:eventId/live-auction/items/:itemId/bids/:bidId/correct

• POST /events/:eventId/live-auction/items/:itemId/undo-last-bid

Bidder / paddle management

• GET /events/:eventId/bidders

• POST /events/:eventId/bidders

• PATCH /events/:eventId/bidders/:bidderId

• POST /events/:eventId/bidders/auto-assign-paddles

Fund-a-Need

• GET /events/:eventId/fund-a-need/levels

• POST /events/:eventId/fund-a-need/levels

• POST /events/:eventId/fund-a-need/pledges

Reporting / checkout

• GET /events/:eventId/live-auction/report

• GET /events/:eventId/bidders/:bidderId/account-summary

19. Checkout Integration Design

This is one of the most important parts.

Desired behavior

When an item is marked sold:

1. Create/update auction_wins

2. Add the amount to the bidder’s open event account

3. Make that visible on checkout immediately

Account summary example

A bidder account should show something like:

• Tickets: $300

• Donations: $250

• Silent auction wins: $425

• Live auction wins: $4,200

• Fund-a-Need pledges: $1,000

• Total due: $6,175

Important decision

For MVP, I recommend:

• Live auction wins create a chargeable record immediately

• final payment still happens at event checkout unless a card-on-file auto-charge option exists

Later option

• auto-charge winning live auction item to card on file, if organization enables it

20. Suggested UI Components

Leap can build reusable components for faster implementation.

Admin components

• LiveAuctionDashboard

• LiveAuctionQueue

• CurrentItemCard

• BidEntryPanel

• BidHistoryList

• PaddleLookup

• SellItemModal

• FundANeedControlPanel

• BidderAccountSummary

Public / display components

• LiveAuctionDisplay

• CurrentBidHero

• AuctionStatusBanner

• FundANeedDisplay

21. UX Design Notes for Leap

Tell Leap to optimize for:

• Big tap targets

• Clean high-contrast layout

• Low-latency UI updates

• Minimal multi-step forms during live operations

• No unnecessary confirmation dialogs during bid entry

• Mobile-friendly admin screen for tablets

• Full-screen responsive display for projector/TV

Good design style

Because this is event-night software, it should feel:

• calm

• clear

• premium

• fast

Avoid cluttered dashboards or tiny controls.

22. Security / Audit / Permissions

Since money is involved, audit history matters.

Must log

• who entered a bid

• when a bid was entered

• bid corrections

• winner assignment changes

• sold amount overrides

• voids / reopen actions

Recommended permissions

• event_live_auction_view

• event_live_auction_operate

• event_live_auction_manage

• event_financial_override

23. Notifications (Later Phase)

Not required for MVP, but valuable.

Potential notifications

• “You won item #7: Beach Vacation for $4,200”

• “Your current event balance is $5,100”

• “Thank you for your $1,000 Fund-a-Need pledge”

Channels:

• SMS

• Email

• in-app attendee page

This could pair nicely with GiveHub’s broader event engagement tools.

24. Edge Cases to Plan For

Leap should handle these cleanly:

• Same bidder wins multiple items

• Bidder has no payment method on file

• Paddle entered that does not exist

• Item sold at amount different from last bid

• Item pulled before bidding starts

• Item paused due to dispute

• Fund-a-Need pledge entered twice accidentally

• Admin enters custom increment lower than current high bid

25. Success Metrics

Once launched, GiveHub should track:

• number of events using live auction

• average live auction revenue per event

• number of live items sold per event

• fund-a-need revenue per event

• checkout completion rate

• operator error rate / corrected bids

• average time to close a live auction item

These metrics will help you validate product-market fit quickly.

26. Suggested Pricing Strategy

Given GiveHub’s audience, this could be a premium add-on.

Possible pricing models

Option A — per event add-on

• Live Auction: $199–$499 per event

• Fund-a-Need included or separate premium tier

Option B — percentage model

• 1%–2% of live auction revenue

• cap to keep nonprofit-friendly

Option C — included in premium gala package

• ticketing + silent + live + fund-a-need + checkout

My recommendation

Lead with a simple per-event add-on first. Easier to explain and sell.

27. Competitive Positioning

Messaging could be:

“Run your full fundraising gala in one platform.”

Benefits to emphasize

• One system instead of separate tools

• Easier event-night operations

• Faster checkout

• Better donor experience

• Unified reporting

• More revenue potential

This is especially strong for schools, churches, and local nonprofits that feel priced out of enterprise auction platforms.

28. Exact Build Prompt for Leap

Use the following as the implementation prompt.

Leap Prompt

Build a new Live Auction module for GiveHub Events that complements the existing Silent Auction feature.

The Live Auction module should allow nonprofit, church, and school event staff to run on-stage auction items in real time, assign bids by paddle number, display the current item and bid on a projector screen, mark items as sold, and automatically add winning items to the attendee’s checkout balance.

Product Requirements

Create the following core areas:

1. Live Auction Items

   • Add support for auction_type = live

   • Event admins can create, edit, reorder, queue, and manage live auction items

   • Fields should include title, description, image, donor/sponsor, starting bid, bid increment, reserve price optional, and display order

2. Bidder / Paddle Management

   • Add event-level bidder records with paddle numbers

   • Each paddle number must be unique within the event

   • Allow manual assignment and auto-assignment of paddle numbers

   • Link paddle records to attendee/user records where available

3. Live Auction Dashboard

   • Build an operator dashboard for event-night use

   • Show queued items, current live item, current bid, leading paddle number, recent bid history, and fast controls

   • Only one live auction item should be active at a time per event in the MVP

4. Bid Entry Workflow

   • Staff can quickly enter bids by paddle number and amount

   • Support quick increment buttons and manual custom amount entry

   • Store every bid with audit details including source and operator

   • Provide an undo last bid action and bid correction workflow

5. Projector / Display Screen

   • Create a separate fullscreen route for live display

   • Show item image, title, short description, current bid, and auction status like Now Bidding, Going Once, Going Twice, SOLD

   • Update in real time using websocket/realtime subscriptions, with polling fallback

6. Sell / Winner Assignment

   • When an item is marked sold, confirm winning paddle and final amount

   • Create a win record and attach that amount to the bidder’s event checkout/account balance

   • Support mark unsold / reopen item with permissions

7. Checkout Integration

   • Event account summary must consolidate tickets, donations, silent auction wins, live auction wins, and fund-a-need pledges

   • Checkout screens should display all balances in one place

8. Fund-a-Need / Paddle Raise Mode

   • Add a separate operator mode for fund-a-need pledges

   • Admin can configure giving levels like 10000 / 5000 / 2500 / 1000 / 500 / 250

   • Staff can record paddle commitments quickly and attach them to the bidder account as pledge/donation records

   • Include a fullscreen display mode with campaign title and running total

9. Reports

   • Add live auction reports for revenue, sold items, unsold items, highest bid, item-level results, bidder totals, and fund-a-need totals

Data Model Guidance

Use or extend the existing auction schema if possible, but ensure these concepts exist:

• auction_bidders

• auction_items with auction_type

• auction_bids

• auction_wins

• fund_a_need_levels

• fund_a_need_pledges

Every bid and change must be auditable. Avoid deleting financial records; instead mark them voided/corrected when needed.

UX Requirements

This UI is for fast-paced live event use, so optimize for:

• large tap targets

• very fast bid entry

• minimal modal interruptions

• keyboard shortcuts where useful

• responsive layout for desktop and tablet

• a clean, premium event-night design

Rules

• Only one live auction item active per event at a time in MVP

• Paddle numbers unique per event

• Sold items create a win record used by checkout

• All bid corrections and overrides require audit logging

• Reopening sold items should require elevated permission

Technical Notes

• Prefer realtime sync via websocket/subscription for operator and display screens

• Add polling fallback if realtime disconnects

• Keep logic modular so later we can add attendee mobile live bidding

Please generate:

• database migrations

• backend actions/endpoints

• admin pages

• projector display pages

• fund-a-need mode

• checkout integration updates

• report queries

• seed/sample data for testing a gala event

29. Shorter Version You Can Send Leap in Chat

Here is a more concise version if you want a tighter message:

Build a Live Auction module for GiveHub Events to complement Silent Auctions. We need event-level paddle number management, live auction item setup, an operator dashboard for rapid bid entry by paddle number, a realtime projector display screen, the ability to mark items sold and assign the winner, automatic posting of live auction wins into the attendee’s checkout balance, and a Fund-a-Need / Paddle Raise mode with configurable giving levels and running totals. Optimize for gala use with large controls, fast workflows, audit logging, and one active live item at a time in MVP. Please create the schema changes, admin UI, realtime display pages, checkout integration, and reporting.

30. My Product Recommendation

Yes — I think GiveHub should build this.

Why I believe it is worth it

• It fits your current event/fundraising product direction

• It serves schools, churches, and nonprofits well

• It increases average event value

• It helps unify gala operations under GiveHub

• It creates an upsell opportunity without building something totally outside your lane

My recommended order

1. Live auction MVP

2. Fund-a-Need mode

3. Reporting polish

4. Mobile-assisted bidding later

That sequence gives the best balance of speed, value, and implementation practicality.

31. Final Recommendation to Kyle

If you want GiveHub to feel more like a full event fundraising platform instead of just a donation platform with some event tools, Live Auction is a smart addition.

For your audience, I would position it as:

Silent + Live + Fund-a-Need + Checkout in one system

That is a very marketable bundle.