If your organization is planning an auction fundraiser, you know that procuring great auction items is a huge part of the process. While getting donated items from local businesses is always great, there is another way to raise even more money in your fundraising auction. That is to provide unique travel packages that cannot be easily found elsewhere, so that your constituents are happy to pay a premium.
We provide one-of-a-kind travel and vacation packages on consignment for use in live, silent, and online charity auctions and fundraising raffles.
What We’ll Cover
- What Are the Best Vacation Package Ideas for Fundraisers?
- Criteria for Selecting the Best Vacation Packages
- How Much Can Vacation Packages Raise?
- How Our Auction Consignment Packages Work
- Five Top Reasons to Offer Our No-Risk Auction Travel Packages
- How to Promote Charity Vacation Packages
- Using Charity Auction Software
- Frequently Asked Questions on Charity Auction Travel Packages
What Are the Best Vacation Package Ideas for Fundraisers?
Vacation packages are among the most profitable and exciting charity auction and raffle items because they combine luxury, adventure, and memorable experiences into one irresistible prize. Whether your organization hosts a gala, golf tournament, online auction, or raffle fundraiser, travel experiences can generate competitive bidding and boost donor engagement.
The key is choosing vacation packages that appeal to your audience while offering strong perceived value. Here are some of the best vacation package ideas for fundraisers that consistently perform well at charity events.
Beach Getaways
Relaxing beach vacations are perennial crowd-pleasers. Packages to destinations like Hawaii, the Caribbean, and Mexico attract a wide audience and work especially well for live auctions.
Our popular beach getaway packages can include:
- Luxury resort accommodations
- All-inclusive dining and drinks
- Spa treatments
- Snorkeling or other water excursions
These packages appeal to couples and families with children, making them versatile fundraising ideas.
All-Inclusive Mexican Vacations
All-inclusive resorts in Mexico remain one of the top-selling fundraising travel packages because they offer exceptional value and broad appeal. Destinations such as Cancun and the Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta, and Los Cabos provide luxury experiences at accessible price points for your supporters.
These packages can include:
- Resort accommodations
- Unlimited food and beverage packages
- Live entertainment and activities
- Airport transfers
- Adults-only options
Mexico vacations are particularly effective for online auctions and raffles because donors instantly recognize the value.
Disney Vacation Packages
Family-friendly experiences are highly desirable fundraising prizes for youth sports organizations and school fundraisers, and Disney vacations consistently generate excitement. Disney packages appeal to parents, grandparents, and multigenerational families looking to create unforgettable memories.
Wine Country Experiences
Wine tasting getaways are ideal for upscale galas and donor audiences interested in culinary travel. Napa Valley, Sonoma, Tuscany, and other well-known wine-producing destinations can command impressive bids, especially for live auctions with higher-income attendees.
Our wine country packages may include:
- Vineyard tours
- Private tastings
- Gourmet dining experiences
Golf and PGA Experience Packages
Golf travel packages are a natural fit for charity golf tournaments. We offer international golf packages and PGA championship events.
Popular options with golfers include:
- PGA Tour event packages
- Luxury golf resorts
- Celebrity golf outings
- Private club experiences
European Culinary Tours
International travel experiences can become headline auction items, generating significant bidding momentum. Culinary tours through Italy, France, Spain, or Greece appeal to donors seeking bucket-list travel experiences.
Culinary packages go beyond food and wine tastings to include cooking classes and events with private chefs.
Cruise Vacation Packages
Cruises appeal to a broad donor base because they combine transportation, accommodations, dining, and entertainment into a single experience. Caribbean, Alaskan, Mediterranean, and river cruises are especially popular.
Cruises work well for both silent auctions and raffle fundraisers due to their strong perceived value.
Ski Resorts and Retreats
Winter travel packages attract outdoor enthusiasts and adventure travelers. Destinations like Aspen, Vail, Park City, Whistler, and Lake Tahoe can create strong bidding competition during seasonal fundraising events. These packages are especially effective for corporate fundraisers and affluent donor audiences.
Ski vacation packages may include:
- Luxury lodging
- Lift tickets
- Equipment rentals
- Private lessons
- Après-ski dining experiences
African Safari and Adventure Travel Packages
Unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences tend to drive emotional bidding and donor excitement. African safaris, eco-tourism adventures, and exotic travel experiences stand out, even in crowded auctions. These high-end experiences are ideal for major fundraising galas seeking marquee auction items.
Adventure packages may feature:
- Guided wildlife tours
- Luxury safari lodges
- Photography excursions
- Cultural experiences
- Conservation-focused activities
Wellness and Spa Retreats
Wellness travel continues to grow in popularity, making spa and wellness retreats attractive fundraising prizes. Luxury spa packages appeal to donors seeking relaxation, self-care, and rejuvenation. Spa retreats often resonate strongly with women-focused fundraising events and nonprofit donor communities.
Criteria for Selecting the Best Vacation Packages
Since all of these ideas sound wonderful, how do you select the best vacation packages that will sell well at your auction?
When selecting vacation packages for your fundraiser, focus on experiences that align with your audience’s interests and budget expectations. The best fundraising travel packages combine strong perceived value with memorable experiences that inspire donors to bid generously while supporting your mission. Selecting the best vacation packages for your event and audience is one of the most vital parts of your success. You don’t want to include items that have little appeal or cost too much for your supporters.
Another advantage of our program is that your package winners can customize their travel dates, room upgrades, excursions, and even destination options. Flexible experiences encourage stronger bidding participation.
How Much Can Vacation Packages Raise?
The amount a vacation package can raise depends on several factors, including your audience demographics, auction or raffle format, package exclusivity and perceived value, and the effectiveness of promotion before and during your fundraiser.
Average Revenue Potential for Vacation Packages
Many nonprofits see vacation packages generate anywhere from a few hundred dollars to well over $10,000. Luxury and once-in-a-lifetime experiences often become headline live auction items that create excitement throughout the evening.
Typical fundraising ranges for our travel packages include:
- Silent auction travel packages: $1,00–$5,000
- Live auction travel experiences: $3,000–$20,000+
- Online auction vacation packages: $1,000–$5,000
- Vacation raffles: $5,000–$20,000+
Live Auctions Often Generate the Highest Returns
Luxury vacation packages are especially effective during live auctions, where energetic auctioneers and the social atmosphere can build excitement and encourage competitive bidding. A desirable travel package can quickly escalate into a bidding war among attendees.
Raffles Can Also Deliver Strong Revenue
Vacation raffles can also produce impressive fundraising results, particularly when paired with online ticket sales and strong social media promotion.
Instead of relying on a single winning bid as in auctions, raffles generate revenue through high participation volume. For example, selling 1,000 raffle tickets at $25 each generates $25,000 in gross revenue. If your nonprofit cost is $5,000, that’s $20,000 in revenue for your organization.
Tips to Maximize Vacation Package Revenue
Building anticipation before bidding opens can significantly increase donor interest and final revenue totals. After all, not too many people will be able to buy a vacation package on a whim, but if they’ve considered it for weeks before an auction, they may be ready to bid.
To increase the fundraising potential of travel experiences, nonprofits should:
- Promote packages well before the event – make sure your audience is ready to spend money
- Use professional photos and descriptions – we include these with all of our items
- Highlight the limited availability or exclusivity of travel packages – supporters want a bucket-list experience
- Include upgrade or customization options – winners can often upgrade or customize their experience
How Our Auction Consignment Packages Work
With our travel packages, your organization keeps all funds raised above the listed Nonprofit Cost. For example, say your organization wants to auction the Under the Tuscan Sun package with a nonprofit cost of $1,799. If your group can auction it for $5,000, your organization has just raised $3,201 with very little effort. You can even sell it twice and double your earnings.
Here is the process for reserving our travel packages for your next auction or raffle:
- Your organization selects a package or packages that best fit your constituent base. We offer domestic and international travel, family packages, virtual experiences, and unique opportunities.
- Contact us to place a reserve on the package. We will put you in touch with our trusted partner, who manages the program and can answer any questions you may have.
- Advertise packages widely to draw in bidders. You can promote the items on your fundraising website, social media platforms, and event flyers.
- Auction or raffle the packages with confidence, and without paying any money up front.
- Your organization receives the funds from your winning supporters.
- You are billed and buy the item only after successfully selling it for an amount above your cost or designated reserve amount. You are not obligated to purchase the package if you cannot reach the listed nonprofit price at your auction.
- We send the package tickets and contents directly to your winning bidder and provide support through our travel concierge team. Your team doesn’t manage any of the details or take on any other tasks.
Schedule a call here with one of our auction-item experts to learn more. Please note that you must contact us to verify the availability of auction packages.
Five Top Reasons to Offer Our No-Risk Auction Travel Packages
- Offer Priceless Experiences. Many of our packages are simply priceless! This means that we procured them via our special connections built over years. Whether going behind the scenes with a California vintner, being a NASCAR driver for a day, or backstage passes to major music and awards ceremonies, we offer all kinds of once-in-a-lifetime bucket list opportunities for your bidders.
- Only Buy What You Can Sell. With our No Risk Auction Items, you place a hold on items of interest and only buy them once you have successfully auctioned them at your event. There are no upfront costs, so your organization is guaranteed to make money on each item.
- Let Us Handle the Details. Our travel concierge and booking service support each travel package. You do not need to be an expert or manage the details; we do that. Once you purchase an item, we send the tickets and package details directly to your winning bidder.
- Sell Items Multiple Times. Sometimes packages are so popular that multiple constituents bid above your reserve amount. Why limit the experience to just one winning bidder? Maybe friends want to book experiences and travel together. With our consignment auction packages, you can sell items multiple times and earn more for your organization.
- Save Staff Time. Auction planners know that securing high-value items as donations takes a lot of time and effort. But you need these items to get attention and raise the kind of funds your organization is looking for at your charity auction. Our No Risk Travel Packages will create the buzz your event needs without taking loads of time for meetings and sponsorship proposals. We can even help with last-minute procurement needs if you find your auction is not coming together as planned.
How to Promote Charity Vacation Packages
Since our vacation packages are curated for you, all your organization needs to do is promote them! Once you’ve selected the right packages for your audience, promotion is the next most important part of selling these items. Consider promotion on these channels:
- Email teaser campaigns
- Social media posts and countdowns
- SMS marketing
- QR code promotion at events
Using Charity Auction Software
Charity auction software is essential to help event planners organize and manage the details of hosting successful fundraising auctions.
If your charity auction is virtual, let our auction websites do all the work for you. Simply create your website and add auction categories and items. Set the time for online bidding and begin advertising your auction online and via social media channels. Bids are made online and via text. Auction winners are automatically charged, and winning bid notices can be automated.
If your organization is hosting a gala or other fundraising event with your auction, mobile bidding continues seamlessly during the live event. Text-to-bid functionality makes it easy, and all bidding is completely mobile.
Frequently Asked Questions on Charity Auction Travel Packages
Yes! If your organization does not sell a package, you will not be charged anything for the hold.
Yes! Be sure to check your state and local raffle laws, but vacation packages make desirable auction items.
Be sure to know your audience and what they can afford. We offer a variety of packages for different interests and budgets, including family packages, national travel packages, and international travel packages.
Nonprofits keep all proceeds above the advertised Nonprofit Cost.
Yes, most of our experiences must be booked within one year of the winning bidder’s purchase, and travel must begin within two years of the purchase date.
Yes, this is one of the best things about using our consignment packages! Once you reserve a package for your nonprofit, you can sell it multiple times.
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