Public Interest Auction

About the Public Interest Auction

Hosted by our Public Interest Center annually, the Public Interest Auction brings hundreds of students, faculty, alumni, and friends together to bid on a wonderful range of goods, services, and experiences. Auction proceeds support the Center's programs and initiatives, including our:

Summer Public Interest Fellowship Program
Spring Break Service Program
Center Fellows Program
Pro bono programming

With this vital support, St. John's Law students build practical knowledge and skills hands on while giving back to their communities.

2025 Public Interest Auction

Join us in person for this year’s Rock 'n' Roll themed event and experience the excitement as you bid high and often for items on silent and live auction blocks.

Date

Thursday, March 27, 2025

Location

Cafeteria
St. John’s School of Law
8000 Utopia Parkway
Queens, NY 11439

Support the Auction

You can support the 2025 Public Interest Auction in multiple ways:

Donate goods, services, or experiences

We welcome a range of donated goods, services, and experiences. Friends and supporters can complete our donation form online.

Make a monetary gift

Every gift helps us meet our goal of supporting the Public Interest Center's programs and initiatives. To make a monetary gift, visit our giving page and select "Centers" and then "Public Interest Center" from the designation menu.

Sponsor the event

Sponsoring the 2025 Public Interest Auction is a wonderful way to support this important fundraiser. Please visit the 2025 Public Interest Auction website to learn more about sponsorship opportunities and to become a sponsor.

Bid high and often

Join us and bid for a great cause! Head over to the 2025 Public Interest Auction website to purchase your tickets to attend. That's also where you'll soon be able to preview the amazing goods, services, and experiences that will be up for bid.

Thank You!

Thank you for supporting the 2025 Public Interest Auction. Your generosity will make a world of difference to St. John’s Law students as they engage in public interest work and activities that promote social justice and serve the public good.

Donations to the Public Interest Auction are tax deductible. Please see the accordion section below for additional tax deduction information.

More Information

No Donation is Too Small!

We mix and match small items to create wonderful, themed baskets. Here’s just a sampling of popular donations:

Theater, concert, and sporting event tickets  
Vacation home and resort packages 
Golf outings at premier courses 
Streaming service, meal kit, Amazon Prime, and other subscriptions  
Personal and home electronics 
Wine and spirits 
Fine jewelry  
Artwork and home décor

Ready to Donate?

Friends and supporters can complete our donation form online. If you have any questions about your donation, please email Public Interest Center Director Jeanne Ortiz-Ortiz at ortizorj@stjohns.edu.

Monetary Donations & Sponsorships

If you donate money to support the Auction, St. John’s University will give you a gift/tax receipt for your monetary donation. This also applies to sponsorships, as long as you don’t receive anything in return for sponsoring the Auction.

Non-Monetary Donations

If you make a non-monetary (in-kind) donation to the Auction—goods, services, or experiences to auction off—please email Public Interest Center Director Jeanne Ortiz-Ortiz at ortizorj@stjohns.edu and she will send you a form that you can complete and submit for tax purposes.

Auction Item Wins

If you win an auction item and pay more for it than its fair market value, St. John’s University will give you a gift/tax receipt for the difference.

The IRS recognizes St. John’s University (Tax ID 11-1630830) as a Section 501(c)3 nonprofit. Your payment above the fair market value (FMV) is a gift and may qualify as a charitable deduction for federal income tax purposes.