There are many ways you can help support our annual auction:

• Donate! We need your special talent, gift, place, or connection. Need ideas? We have last year’s catalog and a wish list on the auction webpage to guide you. Questions about hosting Count-Me-Ins (CMIs)? Check out the CMI FAQ below. You can submit your donation online or feel free to reach out to Katrina Sitter to brainstorm your contribution.
• Underwrite, any amount: Do you want to support the auction but aren’t sure you have the time or place to donate? Underwriting is very helpful and provides extra funds to round out something special that our auction committee might be working on. Contact Katrina Sitter to learn more.
• Fund-a-Future: You can donate during the online auction or raise your paddle during the live auction. No competitive bidding is required. All “Fund-a-Future” donations go directly to financial aid.
• Buy your tickets: Tickets go on sale in February each year. Note: Once purchased, tickets are non-refundable. If your plans change, your ticket purchase can be converted to a Fund-a-Future donation or a faculty ticket. Please let us know of unused seats as soon as possible!

Guests will be seated at tables of 10. To be seated with a certain group, each person should specify all people in their group at the time their tickets are purchased. Do this by clicking on the “Seating Preferences” link in the menu on the auction website. We will seat you with parents from your class if you do not specify a request. If you have multiple students, please note the grade you would like to be grouped with, or allow us to seat you at an appropriate table. If you do not have your group at the time of purchase, complete the seating preferences form, which will be posted here in February, with your group by March 1. Please send seating questions to auctions@menloschool.org.

• Read the catalog: It will be posted on this webpage approximately two weeks before the event. Get together bidding groups. Check your calendars.
• Indulge yourself: Bid online, buy tickets to the party, or organize a bidding group (a powerful bidding syndicate) to snag one of the unbelievable live auction or premier online items. And take advantage of any one of the online auction’s CMIs (Count-Me-Ins). These parties or gatherings are specifically designed to share across the community. Anyone can sign up to join and many will sell out quickly, so don’t be late.
• Consider creating a bidding group: When you and your friends form a bidding group, you can bid together on one item and share the cost of the winning bid. Just choose one person or family to bid on behalf of the group; they’ll confirm with the auction team how to divide the cost.
• What should I wear? Many parents enjoy dressing in theme for the auction, but it is absolutely not required. Feel free to get creative! Need a little inspiration? Check out this Pinterest page of ideas put together by the Auction team (coming soon). Don’t let the dress code cause you stress; we just want to see you there!

Count-Me-In (CMI) events are a significant part of Menlo’s online auction and are a wonderful way to build community throughout the school year while raising funds for financial aid. CMIs range from intimate parties like book brunches and murder mystery dinners, to big blow-outs like the Moms & Margaritas and Bollywood parties. There are also lots of activity-based events, like hikes and classes – that give people an opportunity to interact with parents they might not otherwise have a chance to meet. We encourage you to check out past auction catalogs for some inspiration!

Any Menlo parent, PAL, faculty, or staff member is welcome to host a CMI! The number of hosts usually depends on the size and cost of the event, with the maximum generally being 10 hosts or host families. Be sure to have one or two lead hosts who will communicate with the Auction Committee.

Hosts should determine a few options for event dates, then send a request to the Auction Committee’s Calendar lead (Jennifer Sung is the lead for the 2024 Auction). The Calendar lead will check the School and CMI calendars and will let you know if your dates are available or suggest alternatives. The Auction CMI calendar fills up quickly, so be sure to get your request in as soon as you can.

Because CMIs are fundraising events, the parent hosts are responsible for all CMI event costs. Hosts can determine the best way to divide costs across the hosting team. Usually, the costs are split evenly, but there have been events where one or two hosts cover a larger portion and split the remainder across the team (e.g., one host pays for an expensive band and the rest of the team splits the other costs). Be sure to make costs clear with your host team in advance to avoid any confusion! Some hosts use the app Splitwise to help record expenses and divide costs across the host group.

The auction team will help you determine ticket price. The price for a CMI is per person (not per couple) to ensure easy tracking of attendees.

Nope! Hosts are already included as attendees of the event.

Hosts will receive an auction statement after the auction closes that lists the CMI event(s) they are hosting. Donors should consult with their tax advisors regarding IRS regulations.

Yes! You will need to follow some steps to ensure your event runs smoothly. The MSPA has guidelines for on campus events here.

After the online auction closes, the auction team will send the hosts a list of everyone who purchased the CMI event. It is the host’s responsibility to send out invitations/communications around the event to the attendees. Late sign-ups will be forwarded to the hosts as they come in.

Hooray, and thank you! Feel free to reach out to Erin Grant and Cat Porten, the Online Auction Leads for 2024.