Know how you feel Mary. A few years ago I made a twin size quilt for the silent auction at the school for autistic children my DIL works at. They usually get very big prices for the donated items but the bidding stopped at $125 after the school's director's handicapped daughter submitted her bid.
Raffles seem the best way to go for raising the most dollars but it does require much more work. Here in Jersey you must register with your town or county, have chance books printed, display the item in various places over a period of time, etc. whereas an auction at the fundraiser doesn't require so much work. May in Jersey