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Thinking ahead: Trips by Season

July 22, 2015
There’s a point, usually sometime in February, when most of the United States is willing to spend any amount of money to get out of a cold, dark winter and spend a week warming up on the beach. There’s also a point, usually around August, when much of the country would give anything to sit in the snow at the top of a mountain.

When planning a fundraising gala, the calendar already plays a big role. But when thinking about which of Mitch-Stuart, Inc.’s non-profit fundraising auction travel packages to offer, it’s also important to consider for when your supporters are planning. If it’s August, can they squeeze in a beach vacation before school? Or have they already set their sights on winter break? Picking a trip with luxurious accommodations and once-in-a-lifetime experiences is easy. Make sure you think about the season of your gala in order to pick a trip with maximum interest in that moment for the highest bids.


Fall: The leaves are turning, the heat is breaking and school is back in session. Your donors attending a fall gala are more likely to have just returned from a major vacation than at any other time of the year, and turning around and planning another seven-day excursion might seem like a lot. This might be a good time to schedule a winter or spring weekend getaway. Give your supporters a chance to do that with a three-day, two-night high roller experience in Las Vegas, featuring anything from show tickets to rounds of golf. It’s just the energy infusion one would want, and even springtime in Sin City avoids the triple-digit temperatures, to boot.

Winter: Last year, Boston got 110 inches of snow. The last of that record-breaking snowfall finally melted on July 14. Needless to say, much of the country will be looking forward to sun and sand by the time the depths of winter hit. But also remember that those same donors may be starting to lock in summer plans at this point. It could be the perfect time, for instance, to auction off one of our eight-day, seven-night sojourns to Bali. Our summer is their winter, technically, but with its location being so close to the equator, the island never really gets cold by our standards.

Spring: In some ways, choosing trips to auction off in the spring can be the most difficult of the season-based decisions. Fall is a busy time of year for many donors, after all, with school resuming and the work schedule ramping up for many professionals. But if there’s one national obsession that Americans always make time for, it tends to be football. With Mitch-Stuart’s “Go to Any Game in 50 Markets!” package allows donors to pick the NFL (or, if they prefer, baseball, basketball or hockey) game of their choice for a three-day, two-night sporting experience. And if your donor base is still basking in the glow of post-Super Bowl glory (we see you, Bostonians), the spring might be the time to allow one to book a chance to see the local side repeat, with the “Winner Takes All at the 2016 Super Bowl!” package.

Summer: Remember when you were a kid, and you complained to your parents that it was too hot? Did they tell you to think of something cold to cool off? Booking a winter vacation to Aspen for skiing would certainly qualify as both “cold” and “cool”! The “Aspen Winter Wonderland” package sets donors up with a home base in the mountain resort town for five days and four nights of skiing, spa pampering and dining. Serve an ice cream dessert at your gala, and your supporters will forget about the shirt-dampening humidity outside.

Our Travel Experts have answers for all seasons. If you’d like to offer one of these travel packages – or any of the excellent options in our catalog – reach out today!
Las Vegas
 
 
Bali
 
 
Football
 
 
Aspen, Little Nell


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