BeCause

Five Reasons Why: San Diego

November 28, 2018
Days are reaching their shortest lengths and temperatures are approaching their yearly lows. In many parts of the country, this is the perfect time for a non-profit to use one of our fundraising auction travel packages to send a supporter to San Diego, one of America’s sunniest and most temperate major cities. But nice weather isn’t the only reason for your donors to consider Southern California as a destination.

Want to spice up your auction? Here are five reasons to give your supporters as to why they should be looking at San Diego as a travel destination.

The Animals – San Diego is a city that loves its lions, tigers and bears. Of course, there’s the world-famous San Diego Zoo, with its sister site Safari Park, which attracts tourists from around the world each year. But there’s also Butterfly Farms, which features a 2,000-square foot vivarium (the largest in Southern California) filed with the beauties. And for families, the Children’s Nature Retreat in neighboring Alpine is a ranch-style sanctuary that lets kids explore and view the animals in an unstructured fashion.

The Beaches – San Diego has several neighborhoods named after their nearest beaches, and the atmosphere in each is slightly different. The party is on Pacific Beach, especially for those in and recently out of college, while Ocean Beach is home to some great breweries and restaurants. Mission Beach, meanwhile, is a great destination for young families with Belmont Park and The Wave House leading the way.

The History – One of the city’s most popular neighborhoods is Old Town San Diego, said to date back to the area’s first European settlers. Today, it’s a reminder of both the town’s Mexican heritage and how the city was originally built. People come today to visit the State Historic Park area or, surrounding that, some of the best-known Mexican restaurants in San Diego.

The Adrenaline – The regularly-perfect weather allows San Diegans to get outside and get the heart pumping. One of our trips to the city allows your supporters to ride – and even pilot! – an America’s Cup race yacht. Surfing may be the most popular pastime of residents, and if your donors don’t know how, there’s plenty of schools and teachers. And there’s plenty of chances to go kayaking, rock climbing and even zip-lining over the natural beauty of Southern California.

The Beer – San Diego is regularly competing with cities like Portland for the title of America’s Beer Capital, and one brewery tour will tell you why. According to the San Diego Brewers Guild, there are 126 breweries in the area, from 13 Point Brewing Company to Wild Barrel Brewing. Some of the more famous ones include Stone Brewing, Modern Times Beer and Karl Strauss Brewing Company, but when there’s a new brew seemingly every block, your donors can make up their own minds as to the best.
To leave a comment, please click here.

Where to Go for Thanksgiving – and Why

November 21, 2018
More than 54 million travelers will hit the road or the skies for Thanksgiving this year, the most since 2005, according to AAA. Many will be heading home to their families for the break, but others will be using the days off from work to go somewhere new. And some will do both, with spread-out families converging on one vacation locale.

It’s a great season for donors to use one of our non-profit fundraising auction travel packages. The key is, which one? Thanksgiving is often seen as a family holiday, but what that means depends on each different household.

Since there’s no one-size-fits-all travel package that will satisfy everyone on the day of thanks, we prefer to think about the choice in terms of some questions. Ask these to your big-money donors in advance of your gala auction to get an idea of what destinations are on – or should be on! – their minds.

Question number one for supporters looking at a Thanksgiving getaway: Warm or Cold? There’s something to be said for touch football in the snow with the family, or a cozy, roaring fireplace. But if your donors live in a cold climate, there’s also something to getting a break from the winter chill. Skiing in Telluride, Colo. or lounging on the beach in the Caribbean?

Once you find the right climate, think about the right accommodations. How much space is needed? Thanksgiving is traditionally a time during which families gather; with a villa, like the five-bedroom one in our “A Transcendent Taste of Tuscany” package, even the extended relatives can experience a holiday to remember. Our trips to destinations like Bali, Italy, certain Caribbean islands and even Australia have these kinds of housing – and for those who prefer the colder weather, our Telluride adventure can accommodate a family of four, as well.

Finally, what kind of holiday celebrators are your supporters? Do they love Thanksgiving itself, or is it about the ritual? Either way, there are packages that can be big sellers. Any New York trip, for instance, can put your supporters in the biggest celebration of the holiday that the country has to offer: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! In 2018 it is celebrating its 92nd edition and draws in people from around the world for its floats and balloons. In addition, football has, in many families, become as associated with Thanksgiving as stuffing or turkey. Each year, the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions hosts opponents, with a third pair of combatants rotating among the rest of the league. If you’ve got donors who are fans of one of the six teams, we can send them to enjoy the contest in person!


To leave a comment, please click here.

Travel Like a Royal

November 14, 2018
Donors have many different reasons for bidding on one of our non-profit fundraising auction travel packages. Maybe it’s a destination with nostalgia attached, maybe it’s a chance to bring the entire family together under one roof, maybe it’s to attend a major event.

One that we hear on a regular basis is to visit the same places at which the British royal family vacations.

That shouldn’t be too big a surprise; more than 29 million Americans watched the wedding between Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle. Interest in the monarchy always runs hot, and especially when a prince or princess visits the states.

If you’ve got donors who want to follow in the royal footsteps, and if you want to capitalize on Royal Madness, here are some destinations to keep in mind.

Some of the biggest moments in recent royal family history have come while on the road. It was at the northern slope of Mount Kenya where Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton, in 2010. Go sixty years back, to 1958, and Kenya was also the country where Princess Elizabeth found out about her father’s death – and became queen in the process.

For warmer weather, a cruise through the Caribbean has been a favorite for some royals through the years. For instance, it was the honeymoon for Princess Margaret and her husband Antony Armstrong-Jones. The couple enjoyed it so much, they made a special trip back to Bahamas a few years later for a vacation.

On the other side of the temperature coin, the royal family spends a great deal of time in the Alps when winter comes around. It was the first holiday for Prince William and Kate after the arrival of Princess Charlotte, for instance – and the photos of the foursome (including Charlotte’s older brother, Prince George) became viral sensations online.

But it would be Balmoral Castle in Scotland that would become a favorite of Queen Elizabeth. It’s the royal family’s “vacation home,” and a particular favorite of the queen, who visits at the end of almost every summer. It’s a 50,000-acre estate that features a total of 150 different buildings and, with Elizabeth’s fondess for the home, every living royal has spent some time in Scotland.

The castle doesn’t have to be real to attract a literal princess, though. In 1993, Princess Diana took young William and Harry to Disney World in Orlando. Reportedly getting around the park through secret underground tunnels, Diana was spotted all around the Magical Kingdom with the kids in tow. She rented out the entire 10th floor of the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa to make it happen.


To leave a comment, please click here.

What’s New at Mitch-Stuart

November 07, 2018
Throughout the year, we are constantly on the lookout for new travel opportunities and places to add to our Destinations of Excellence® catalog. We recently added a group of new trips to our offerings, featuring cities all over the world and events that your supporters may not be able to access themselves.

Here’s a survey of the newest non-profit fundraising auction travel packages, straight from our latest catalog.

Foodies: For your donors motivated to travel by their taste palate, Mitch-Stuart has a couple of new trips that supporters will love. They can dine at the chef’s table at Long Meadow Ranch, a favorite of Napa Valley. If something a little less formal strikes their fancy, there’s an awesome walking food tour of Austin, where the city’s world-famous barbecue is on offer.

Sun Seekers: Vitamin D is on offer year-round in San Diego, and our trips there feature activities that will get your donors out in the sun, like racing an America’s Cup yacht, taking a gondola cruise, dining on a cruise ship and a tour of a local favorite, the Lions, Tigers and Bears Sanctuary. Oh, and there’s a beach or two worth checking out, too.

European Adventurers: Do you have supporters who want to explore western Europe? If so, Mitch-Stuart now offers trips Portugal for wine tasting, to Barcelona for flamenco dancing, and to Paris for skip-the-line access to the Eiffel Tower. These adventures are not only wonderful for donors, but make great gifts for recent college graduates, as well; who wants to backpack when you could stay in luxurious accommodations instead?

Travelers with a Ticket: There are few more classically “New York” experiences than seeing a show at Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center; with one of our three new trips to the Big Apple, your donors can not only be in the audience, but also behind the scenes with a private tour. Sports fans, meanwhile, can head to the Orlando area with tickets for the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by Mastercard.

Luxury or Energy: Europe doesn’t have a monopoly on great destinations, of course. In the new catalog, we’ve added trips to two amazing locales, with two very different vibes. Your supporters can head to Thailand for paradise-like luxury in a five-bedroom villa – space for the whole family! – and have meals whipped up by a private chef. For those looking for more energy, there’s Marrakech, with its history, its sights and its bazaars.

Interested in offering any of these new trips at your gala auction or as the prize for a raffle? Reach out to Mitch-Stuart today!


To leave a comment, please click here.