A Noble Gift: Transforming Charity Auctions

What if your charitable donation could earn you a spot at the Superbowl, a day skiing with Mike Tindall MBE, or a place in the action at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix? Knowing well that 100% of your bid went directly to charity, with no hidden costs... Enter A Noble Gift, the charity auction platform that runs year-round, featuring unique lots where every penny supports the cause. What is more, it's female-led and was born out of a testing trip to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. The way all great things start, obviously.

A Noble Story

In 2020, during the challenging times of lockdown, Trina Little, Co-Founder of A Noble Gift, faced the difficult battle of a cancer diagnosis. In response, her sister Georgina Hammond, also a Co-Founder, decided that a daring challenge was in order. Taking on Tanzania’s 5,895m Mount Kilimanjaro felt like the perfect test. Growing up, these sisters weren’t accustomed to weekends filled with pitching tents and hiking up hills—an 'outdoorsy' challenge was far from the norm for them. Yet, despite the odds, they climbed and conquered it. And they weren’t alone. Trina and Georgina climbed alongside five other amazing women, each with their own stories linking to cancer, to raise money for a local cancer charity.

The group initially set out on their trek with the goal of raising £10,000 for charity. However, when they realised the charity needed £100,000 to fund a life-saving piece of equipment, their target grew to an ambitious £100,000. In the end, they surpassed both targets, raising over £150,000 in total. What a climb. How did they do it? Friends, family, and contacts of the group were encouraged to donate prizes for an online auction. These included exclusive, money-can’t-buy experiences that were successfully sold. As 100% of the prizes were donated, 100% of the funds were able to go directly to charity – no funny business! Following this success, the online auction was launched as a year-round platform where brands and philanthropists could donate exceptional lots to be auctioned in a completely ethical, transparent and noble space.

Big Connections, Big Prizes

A Noble Gift has successfully built strong connections with leading brands and philanthropic organisations, positioning itself as the go-to platform for maximising the value of extraordinary prizes. To mark the launch, A Noble Gift hosted a panel discussion at The Savoy, where we heard from the founders and a range of individuals involved in the platform, from both the charity and brand partnership sides. The discussion was led by Dame Tracey Crouch, Non-Executive Director of A Noble Gift and one of the climbers who successfully reached the peak of Kilimanjaro.

James Brown, Trustee of Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), highlighted that A Noble Gift offers “a great way to give back to donors” by providing a platform for brands and charities to immediately utilise auction lots, saving charities the cost of organising events. Annelise Kerrison, Fundraising and Events Specialist at Wings for Life, shared the success story of A Noble Gift’s partnership with the charity, where tickets they had provided for a weekend of skiing with Mike Tindall sold for £14,100 on the platform.

A Noble Gift has cultivated strong ties with sporting bodies, including the NFL, Chelsea FC Foundation, and Tottenham Hotspur Foundation. Will Stone, Head of Social Impact at the NFL, discussed the organisation’s desire to expand its year-round presence in the UK beyond the Superbowl and how charity plays a key role in developing this. He noted that A Noble Gift has enabled this connection with the UK without taking a large cut. “It’s like the wild west out there with these different platforms,” Stone remarked. Laura Cordingley, CEO of Chelsea FC Foundation, shared that A Noble Gift has “opened their eyes to how we can work more creatively with auction items.” Luke Lloyd-Davies also joined the panel as Former COO of Rocket Entertainment Group and having founded Rocket Sports with Sir Elton John in 2012. He expressed the importance of having the “commercial side fit around philanthropy and not the other way round” and also of authenticity, particularly its importance to celebrity.

How it Works

With this authenticity at its core, A Noble Gift is committed to complete transparency in its process. Here’s how it works: Incredible prizes are donated and listed on the website, where anyone can place a bid. Once the auction ends, the winning bidder is contacted with details of the prize and a personal contact at A Noble Gift for any questions or queries. When placing a bid, a full price breakdown is provided, so the bidder knows exactly where their money is going. A modest platform fee of 18% + VAT is added to the bid, which enables the full amount to go to charity while keeping the platform operational. This fee covers the costs of running the platform, supporting promotional campaigns, sourcing more amazing lots, and providing pre and post-sale support. It’s this fee that allows A Noble Gift to build on their work, ensuring 100% of your bid goes directly to charity, with no hidden costs in between. It’s like a “dopamine-hit shopping experience,” says Georgina Hammond, Co-Founder

Find out more about A Noble Gift and explore the current lots via anoblegift.com