BeCause

Case Study – Scottsdale Cultural Society

March 26, 2014
One donor is heading to Bali. Another is off to Maui, staying at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua. And yet another fulfilled a self-described “bucket list” item by attending the Grammys in Los Angeles in January of 2014.

When the Scottsdale Cultural Council needed to add an extra element of “WOW!” to its ARTrageous fundraising gala, it turned to Mitch-Stuart for help. And one unforgettable night later, the organization has raised a tremendous amount of money and offered its biggest backers once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

The Council, which can be found on the web at sccarts.org, offers the citizens of Scottsdale and visitors chances to be a part of world-class art while also fostering younger or newer artistic voices. That can mean anything from concerts and performances at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts to exhibits at the Museum of Contemporary Art and even public works seen throughout the city.

All of that, of course, takes funding, a portion of which is brought in every year at the ARTrageous gala. This year, Natalie Cole was the special guest, and the evening’s theme was “An Unforgettable Evening.” As a part of that, the SCC worked with Mitch-Stuart (and our technology partner, GiveSmart) to offer “Unforgettable Travel Packages,” including our show-stopping trip to the 2014 Grammy Awards.

“We wanted to try something new and the trips were fun and exciting,” according to the organization’s Director of Donor Relations Eileen Wilson. “Our event committee members thought that by offering the trips it elevated the level of our silent auction and caused a buzz at the event.”

Utilizing GiveSmart’s silent auction technology and Mitch-Stuart’s expertise in travel arraignment, SCC was able to cause that buzz and add to an already “unforgettable” evening.

“The experience was very easy,” Wilson added via email. “And [the] customer service was excellent.  I was actually surprised that we sold multiple trips.”


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Big Tickets, Big Cash

March 18, 2014
It can be intimidating for any non-profit organization, no matter the size, to ask for larger donations. Smaller and mid-sized organizations in particular can feel intimidated to try and add zeroes to the end of donation checks. But there is only one way to get bigger donations: Ask for bigger donations.

Since we pair with organizations all the time to offer vacation auction packages sold on consignment, we hear the objections all the time, the thinking from some groups that their donors don’t have the money to be able to bid on a trip. Our response is fairly straight-forward: Give your donors a chance. Just ask!

In order to do so confidently, it can help to remember these three factors that any organization has in its favor:

• These people like you. A charity auction at a gala or other fundraising event is a celebration of like minds, brought together by a single passion or outlook on life. It is your organization, your passion, which is driving that room. These are not strangers, they are not people on the other ends of cold calls, but your non-profit’s friends. If you can’t ask your friends for help, who can you ask?

• Shopping lists can line up with auction lists. Unlike a straight donation, a charity auction comes with its own tangible reward. Beyond the satisfaction of helping a group do good, donors can also win memorabilia, dinners and even the trip of a lifetime. Maybe it’s a proud parent who was looking for a graduation gift for a daughter or son. Maybe it’s an anniversary surprise. No matter what the reason, your donors may be in the market for a vacation – and surely they’d like to help your non-profit at the same time.

• All it takes is an excuse. It’s impossible to force someone to donate money. Strong-arming someone into opening his or her wallet is not charity. But, it can be easier for a person to donate more money if there’s a secondary reason behind it, or an incentive as big as a ticket to the Grammys, a ski weekend in the Canadian Rockies or just a much-needed vacation. Giving people another impetus to donate can loosen up pockets.

The biggest plus about consignment selling is that there is no risk to the organization. If a trip doesn’t sell, it doesn’t sell. But like the oddly-philosophical Wayne Gretzky once said, “you miss 100 percent of the shots that you don’t take.”


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Las Vegas Spring Break for Families

March 12, 2014

There was a time when the lobby of the MGM Grand featured a massive statue commemorating “The Wizard of Oz” and the back of the property held an amusement park. There was a time when one of the most popular businesses along the south end of the Las Vegas Strip was a major arcade. Before the promise that “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” the largest city in Nevada tried desperately to market itself as a family-friendly destination. That pretense has been gone for years, but as Las Vegas has grown, it has added opportunities for families to enjoy time together. If your donors have children, big or small, a chance to support your charity and win an auction for a trip to Las Vegas doesn’t have to mean finding babysitters and leaving the offspring at home.

Taking a dip in the hotel pool is always a good place to start when traveling with kids of all ages. But not all pools in Las Vegas are created equal for children. At the MGM Grand, the “lazy river” circles the pool deck and there are also shallow pools for the very little ones. There’s also a waterslide for kids at the pool at Excalibur. But the most interesting aquatic experience for kids (and adults alike!) may be the Trainer for a Day program at the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage. For one afternoon, anyone 13 years old and up can swim with, feed and interact with a bottlenose dolphin in a secluded habitat seemingly far away from the commotion of Las Vegas Boulevard.

Going to a show in Las Vegas does not have to mean staring at half-naked showgirls, either. Sin City is America’s capital of magic, for instance, so seeing a performer like Mac King at Harrah’s is a great way to enjoy the Las Vegas experience. His stage show combines magic and humor in a family-friendly setting, complete with an afternoon start time. Over at the Venetian, meanwhile, comedian Rita Rudner plies her trade. Known as one of the cleanest comics of her generation, Rudner has been one of the reigning comedy stars of the city, selling more than one million tickets in Las Vegas since beginning her run there more than a decade ago.

A trip to Las Vegas with the family doesn’t have to stay within the city borders, either. The southwest is filled with beautiful vistas and opportunities for hiking, mountain climbing and other activities. Just outside of the city, Red Rock Canyon attracts more than one million visitors each year, people drawn to its red cliffs, its wildlife and abundance of hiking trails. There may be no more popular Vegas escape, though, than one of the myriad of helicopter tours of the Grand Canyon. Though the Arizona landmark is 300 miles or so away from Las Vegas, it still attracts visitors looking for a chance to see one of the country’s most spectacular views. Many of those same helicopter tours also take patrons for a ride over the Strip, giving the tourist chances to take in two breathtaking, if entirely different, vistas.

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Springtime in New York

March 04, 2014
As of the end of February, the winter of 2013-14 has been the seventh-snowiest in the history of New York City. Nearly 60 inches of snow have fallen in the Big Apple, and with another storm making its way through the metropolis on the first days of March, there’s a chance that this winter could move into the top five of all time. But even during the coldest, dampest, darkest days of the season, there is hope. Even though it may not feel like it, the sun will return, the birds will chirp, and the Mets will lose a lot of baseball games. Spring will come.

Experienced travelers know that spring is one of the most magical times of the year in New York City. The energy is indescribable; millions of people who have spent the last few months cooped up in small apartments and layers in coats and sweaters go back outside, all at once. It’s the perfect time to drop in for a visit, or to send your donors via a charity auction, raffle or other fundraising event. Of course, Central Park is one of the first landmarks that comes to mind when one thinks of a New York spring. The most visited urban park in America is more than just a place to sit in the sun and relax, though; the Central Park Conservatory leads walking tours of the park’s gardens, art and iconic views, among other topics. There’s even a seminar on bird-watching, designed specifically for families and led by members of the city’s Audubon Society. Meeting places and reservation information is all available on the Conservatory’s website, which cuts back on aimless wandering around the park, asking random strangers if they are “with the tour.” While Central Park may have more than 150 years of history going for it, one of New York’s newest urban parks is stealing its older brother’s spotlight. The High Line has gone from rail to trail, with the mile-long stretch of elevated track that runs through the lower west side of Manhattan reopened to the public as a park in 2009 (with an extension opening in 2011). From the walkway, the tourist has a view of the Hudson River to the west and the shops of the Meatpacking District and Chelsea to the east. In addition, it may be the most lodging-convenient park in existence; it literally runs through the Standard High Line hotel. Not every spring event revolves around a single park, though. At times, the entire city gets wrapped up in one going-on, such as when the sailors come to town. Yes, Fleet Week is more than just a plot line from that one “Sex in the City” episode. For one week out of the year, New York City honors the Navy and Marine Corps. 2014 marks the 30th anniversary of the event, and the city will be filled with ship tours, military demonstrations and tributes to fallen heroes. Thank a hero, check out a warship and get caught up in the spirit of a city finally released from the grasp of winter weather.

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