OES relies on its annual Auction to help fulfill the school’s mission: Preparing students for higher education and lifelong learning by inspiring intellectual, physical, social, emotional, artistic, and spiritual growth so that they may realize their power for good as citizens of local and world communities. This year we celebrate our 38th Annual Auction on March 9, 2024.

The special appeal raises funds for OES's flexible tuition program.
 

To bid on an Auction Package, Class Art Project or to secure your spot in Count-Me-In party or Night School event, you must log in to the online bidding site with your mobile phone number or email address via the link sent by OES. All auction bidding will be conducted through Greater Giving Online Bidding. Bidding will begin on March 1, 2024 and close the evening of March 9, 2024.
 
If you are attending the event in-person, you will receive a personalized bidding link via text message and email when the online auction opens on March 1. Please use the personalized bidding link to place all bids in the online auction.

If you are unable to attend the event in-person, you must log-in to the online bidding site with your mobile phone number or email address via the link sent by OES on March 1. You can register and bid anytime between March 1st and when online bidding closes on March 9th at 7:30p.m. You will be asked to register a credit card when registering and this card will be charged the week after the Auction. 
 

Click your personalized bidding link to go to the online bidding page. Use the ≡ to open the menu for Bids, Favorites, and Categories.

From there you can select: 

• Favorites - Packages that you're watching; 
• Bids - See Packages that you have bid on already, been outbid on, or purchased; 
• Act Now - Sort Packages quickly by No Bids, Currently Open, and more;
• Use the magnifying glass or scroll down to search for Packages.

Within a Package:

• Use the star ☆ to save Packages for later viewing;
• Bid - Place a single bid at the next increment;
• Bid More - Place a Max Bid. The system will bid in your favor until you are outbid or the auction closes;
• Buy Now - Purchase the Package;

Multi-Sale Packages like raffle tickets or sign-up parties are sold at a set price rather than being bid on. Click Buy and then select the desired quantity.
 

Each year Lower School classes create dynamic art pieces for auction. These one-of-a-kind pieces are created with love by students Pre-K thru 1st Grade and coordinated by teachers, room coordinators, parents, and auction committee volunteers. These works of art will be on display at the Auction and are available to view and bid online.

Each year the auction committee secures donations for fun parties that our community is invited to participate in. These parties are hosted by community members throughout the year ahead and have a specific theme, date, location, buy-in price and maximum guest count. Secure your spot for a memorable time with friends! Spots are available to purchase in the online auction.

We have not one but two opportunities to win! Drawing to take place Saturday, March 9 and the winners do not need to be present to win. ​​Raffle tickets for a weekend at the Headlands Hotel ($50; 400 tickets available) or a reserved parking space ($100; 150 tickets available) are both available for purchase online. 

If you win an auction package, our staff will contact you to arrange pick-up after Auction night on the OES campus.

Whether you attend in-person or online, we welcome donations to directly support our flexible tuition program at OES. You can make your donation in-person at the event by raising your bid card when the auctioneer asks during the program, or donate online anytime in the mobile bidding platform.  For donations above $1,000 you may choose to give by stock transfer, matching gifts or donor advised funds.

Auction - The sale of property that takes place in a public forum, involving open and competitive bidding.

Auctioneer - The person responsible for conducting a sale by auction. This person “calls” the property at an auction, recognizing bidders and acknowledging the highest bidder.

Bid - The signal to the auctioneer by a prospective buyer, indicating the specific amount buyer is willing to pay for the lot if buyer wins the bidding. Bids are legally binding.

Bid Number - The number issued to each person who registers at an auction.

Under Bidder - A term used to describe someone who bid the second highest amount, just below the winning bid, at auction.

Bid Card/Paddle - An object displaying the number assigned to a bidder when he/she registers at the auction. To place a bid, simply raise your paddle until the auctioneer acknowledges you. If you win the auction, your paddle number is recorded alongside your bid. 

Online Auction/Mobile Bidding - Auction that is held online through mobile devices.

Bid Increment - The amount by which the auctioneer increases the bidding. In general, the auctioneer will request bids of about 10% higher than the previous bid. The figure is generally rounded up or down at the auctioneer's discretion.

Buy Now - Purchase at a fixed price.

Bid Tracking - “Watch” a package to track it without placing a bid.

Proxy Bid - A method of bidding for those who cannot attend the auction. Proxy bids are also called absentee bids.

Paddle Raise/Special Appeal - Request for donations at a predetermined dollar amount. To participate, the bidder raises a Bid Card at a dollar amount announced by the auctioneer to make a donation. OES's Special Appeal is for flexible tuition.

Raffle - A type of contest where you purchase a ticket for a chance to win a prize.

Heads or Tails - Player pays $25 per person to play a game of chance. Everyone stands and competes to guess which side a coin will land. Players place their hands on either their head or tail. Auctioneer tosses a coin and announces heads or tails. Those eliminated sit down. Play continues until one person is left standing. Price for last person standing.

Wine Wall - Opportunity to choose a random bottle of wine from a wall or table. Bottle are sold for $25 per bottle or three bottles for $70. Value ranges from $25 to over $100.

The ticket price includes:

• social hour appetizers and one signature cocktail (while supplies last),
• a three course dinner,
• beer and wine during dinner, and
• the after party.

A portion of the ticket price is tax deductible. 

If you purchase tickets: Ticket holders can either submit a group name for a table of friends or ask to be seated with other parents from their grade or division. Any tickets purchased together will be seated together. This can be a fun way to get to know parents in your grade or division. 

If you purchase a table: Purchased tables are arranged closer to the stage. After purchasing a table, an RSVP link will be sent from the auction team for you to forward to your table-mates.

If you have any questions, preferences, or need for special accommodation, just email the auction team at auction@oes.edu.

The OES Auction has traditionally included a theme. Some guests go all in and love to dress the theme to the fullest. Many guests are more comfortable in cocktail attire. And others use the theme as inspiration for jewelry, accessories, hair styles, or make up. See our Pinterest board to get a few ideas. 

Please note, costumes are not required.

Our menu is subject to change depending on seasonal sourcing. 

 

Yes! We’ll mail Auction Catalogs to all in-person attendees the week prior to the event. The Catalog is also available as a digital copy for online viewing here. We encourage in-person attendees to bring their copy with them to the event. All package descriptions are available online via the online bidding platform.

Doors open at The Portland Art Museum Mark Building at 5 p.m.

Metered street parking is available around The Portland Art Museum.

Or consider a rideshare or taxi to get you safely to and from the auction.

Upon your arrival, proceed the Mark Building and Check In where you will receive your bid card and table number. You will be asked to provide a credit card at check in if you haven’t pre-registered a credit card already.

Live Auction bidding is available to guests attending in-person. Contact auction@oes.edu to arrange for a proxy bidder for live packages if you are unable to attend in person.

To bid during the Live Auction, hold your bidder number high until the auctioneer acknowledges your bid. The amount of your bid will be the amount called out by the auctioneer at that moment. If you are the winner of a Live Auction package, the auctioneer announces your bidder number as the bid winner. A volunteer will then ask you to sign an acknowledgement form which will validate you as the bid winner. You must sign the form to validate your winning bid. 

Yes! The wine wall is returning this year as a cosmic ring toss game. A tremendous collection of bottles have been curated by auction volunteers. For this game, wine bottles are assorted and you'll be given a ring to land around the neck of a bottle. The bottle the ring lands on is yours! The Wine Wall Ring Toss game is only available for in-person attendees.

We will continue to monitor the incidence of Covid-19 in the Portland area. OES is guided by CDC and OHA recommendations. Event details may be subject to change; any new information will be communicated prior to the event.

Auction packages and certificates are available for pickup on campus at the Auction Office located in Morris House. Please call or email us to let us know you're coming at auction@oes.edu or 503.416.9368.