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April Foolish Travel

March 30, 2016
April Fools’ Day is Friday. Do not believe anything.

There may be no holiday more custom-built for the Internet than April Fools’ Day. Between joke articles on websites, the yearly Google “product announcement” video and the constant silliness of social media, the web goes all out for April Fools’ Day like Boston does for St. Patrick’s Day.

If you’ve got donors who go all-in on April 1, who push for your charity to send out fake fundraising letters or posts faux sonograms on their social media feeds, they may also be the type of person who would love to travel to one of comedy’s meccas, one of the cities responsible for the development and production of humor. There are several Mitch-Stuart fundraising auction travel packages that can put your supporters within a stone’s throw of comedy history.

Despite its reputation for being teeming with tear-jerking dramas, Broadway has shown its ability to be fall-down funny over the past 15 years in particular. Shows like “The Book of Mormon,” “Spamalot” and “Avenue Q” combine stage theatrics with big laughs, whether it’s social satire or pure silliness. “Mormon” is still on Broadway to this day, while “Avenue Q” has moved to an off-Broadway house. Of course, the rest of the city has deep roots in comedy, as well; Carolines on Broadway and Gotham Comedy Club are two of the most famous stand-up stages in the country, and incubators like The Pit NYC and Upright Citizens Brigade feature the next generation of funny people first. For those interested in the recent history of comedy, Chicago is an interesting choice for a vacation. It was here that Second City, the improv troupe and school that gave the world everyone from Alan Arkin and Fred Willard to Tina Fey and Chris Farley. Stretching back to the 1950s, when the comedy team of Mike Nichols and Elaine May were seen on stage at a Second City predecessor, the city of Chicago gave talented funny people room to create comic personas without the glare of Hollywood or New York’s bright lights. It’s also the home city of two classic comedies of the 1980s, “The Blues Brothers” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” For the best in comedy today, though, Los Angeles may be the destination. Improv theaters like The Groundlings and Upright Citizens Brigade have been the primary farm systems for “Saturday Night Live” cast members for decades now, and everywhere from the Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard to the Whole Foods in Pasadena (no, really!) now hosts stand-ups. One of our favorites is the Largo at the Coronet, a 280-seat theater near the Beverly Center shopping mall that hosts the best in alternative comics – stars like Patton Oswalt and Sarah Silverman are regulars there – in an artist-friendly environment (no cell phones and no talking in the theater). Bonus: It’s next door to one of the best cocktail lounges in the city, the Roger Room, making for a quintessentially L.A. one-two punch.

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Break for Spring

March 23, 2016
Maybe schools have it right, after all.

After a winter of tough weather, indoor activities and heavy coats, people are ready to get outside and run around at the first sight of the sun. Schools have long accepted this fact, giving kids a week off to go and burn off that pent-up energy. Starting with the Colgate swimming team heading south to Florida in 1935, the modern Spring Break is often wrapped up in parties, alcohol and an ever-increasing amount of corporate sponsorship (see: Most Florida beaches throughout the month of March).

But just because one leaves academia behind doesn’t mean that a Spring Break becomes unnecessary. After a full winter of going from home to car to office building and then back, getting into the outdoors for a few days can do wonders for the spirit. At Mitch-Stuart, we offer fundraising auction travel packages for all times of year, but many of our trips can help melt away the winter doldrums and serve as a spring break for the post-graduation set. Want some ideas for adventures to offer for auction at a spring-flavored gala? How about…

On the Links: Months off due to weather can leave a golf swing pretty rusty. And one way to get that Vitamin D infusion is by walking 18 pristine holes somewhere in the southern half of the country. Resort towns like Hilton Head, South Carolina and Scottsdale, Arizona feature numerous course options for the semi-pro player all the way down to the weekend hacker. Meanwhile, desert towns like Palm Springs and Indian Wells are still temperate enough in the spring to play all day; those triple-digit mid-day temps don’t start showing up consistently until June.

Hit the Beach: Yes, plenty of college kids will be heading to cities in Florida, Texas or Southern California to celebrate the season (and we can send your donors to those places as well, if they want to join the revelry). But for those who prefer their beverages in containers other than red Solo cups, the Caribbean makes for a great getaway. Whether it’s five days in Aruba, Bermuda or Jamaica, there’s no place to get reacquainted with sunshine than on a beach chair, listening to the waves roll in. And for those with a limited vacation window, the Caribbean is a closer journey than you might think; take off from Manhattan in the morning, and you’ll be in Aruba in time for happy hour, for instance.

Head to the Islands: For students, hopping a flight to Hawaii usually is out of the question; between the travel time and the expense, the 50th state does not attract the kind of collegiate crowd one would expect based on its stunning beaches and warm climate. But for those who are just looking to miss that last cold snap at home and defrost under the springtime sun, there may be no more scenic place in America to do it than Hawaii. And with ten different trips to the islands, encompassing stays on four different islands, all the views of the state are available.


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Celebrating America’s Diversity

March 16, 2016
This Thursday, people around the country will fill Irish bars, drink a pint of Guinness and toast St. Patrick, the patron saint of the Emerald Isle. But while, for many, intoxicants and green clothing will make up the bulk of the revelry, there’s a great amount of cultural significance to the day in this country; it’s a celebration of the Irish people who meant so much to America’s development when they began coming to the United States en masse in the 19th century.

These types of celebrations, these recognitions of cultures that have contributed so much to the American fabric, can be great reasons to travel to some of America’s favorite cities. For your donors who win a fundraising auction travel package from Mitch-Stuart, here are some great holidays worthy of a trip.

According to numbers from the Migration Policy Institute, there are more people from Mexico in Los Angeles County than there are in any individual city in Mexico itself, save the capital. With such a large population, it’s no wonder that L.A. is a national leader in Cinco de Mayo celebrations. But while every Mexican food restaurants from Tinseltown to the border will offer some sort of special menu, and some revelers will be much more interested in the libations of the country than the culture, those with an interest in the heritage of our southern neighbors will head to Olvera Street, in downtown Los Angeles. There’s food and drink, of course, but there’s also music, exhibitors, and traditional dancing. Even bigger: The street’s Dia de los Muertos celebration each year stretches for almost a week, and includes nightly processions and stunningly-decorated alters.

Long considered the largest Chinatown outside of Asia, San Francisco’s version of the neighborhood throws one of the biggest Chinese New Year parties in the country. The area around Telegraph Hill in the City by the Bay plays host to a parade, a run, and a gorgeous street fair with great food, merchants and artisans teaching traditional Chinese cultural arts like lantern- and kite-making. About a half-million attendees walk the streets each year during the celebrations, making it a popular choice for travelers looking to see San Francisco through the prism of one of its oldest neighborhoods.

Spotlighting New York City for its celebrations of international culture feels like a cheat; in the Big Apple, nearly every nation in the world has a sizeable population (and, in many cases, a pride parade). One of our favorites, since we love to travel for foodie adventures, is the Feast of San Gennaro, held in the city’s Little Italy neighborhood. There’s a procession here, as well, but there’s also musical entertainment, remembrances and ceremonies, and – most importantly – all sorts of Italian food. Restaurants and cafes open their doors and offer special menus, those with bigger stomachs participate in a cannoli-eating competition and chefs demonstrate how to add that touch of Tuscany (or other provincial cuisines) to any home-cooked meal. The 2016 edition is expected to draw more than a million visitors to lower Manhattan from September 15-25.
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We’re Heading to Boston – Join Us!

March 09, 2016
We’re packing our bags, getting plenty of rest and trying to find where we put our heavy coats. The AFP International Fundraising Conference takes place in Boston on March 20-22, and we’re excited to announce that we’ll be on the exhibit hall floor at Booth #918, talking with attendees about our non-profit auction travel packages! We’ll also be sharing out booth with our friends at Grandstand Sports, the home of one-of-a-kind autographs, posters, game-used equipment and other mementos that make for fantastic auction items.

If you or someone in your organization is attending the conference, here’s a cheat sheet of some of the highlights:

GONE! 3 Fundraising Auction Mistakes How to Engage New Donors, Solicit High-Profit Auction Items and Break Revenue Records Every Time! – Our friend Kathy Kingston has her own seminar! The author of “A Higher Bid” will break down the three most commonly-made mistakes in preparing for and executing a fundraising auction, and give attendees the knowledge needed to use a fundraising auction as a catalyst for donor development. And even better: Kingston will make her way from her lecture to our booth, #918, for a Q-and-A session and refreshments. (March 21, 11:00-11:30 a.m.)

Leveraging Social Media to Engage Millennials & Drive Event Fundraising – Social media will likely never replace a personal call or mailed invitation for gala events, but getting the word out on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms can help introduce your fundraiser (and non-profit) to the broader world, and gives your supporters an easily-shareable invite so that they can bring friends. KC Fox of Eventbrite and Darian Heyman of the NUMI Foundation will take attendees through the best practices of the digital space. (March 20, 10:15-11:30 a.m.)

Donor Surveys For The Win – You know who donated money to you, whether it was as a gift or with a winning bid at a fundraising auction. But do you why they did? Shanon Doolittle breaks down the art and science of the donor survey, how to analyze the results and how to use that new information. It’s a seminar with practical tips that can be immediately put in place. (March 22, 3:15-4:30 p.m.)

Boston Pizza and Taverns Tour – No, this isn’t a seminar about how to throw a pizza party in a bar as a fundraiser. Instead, it’s a three-hour walk around the city, stopping in at different pizzerias, taking a ferry ride and seeing some of America’s oldest and most historic pubs. It’s one of our favorite parts of our “The Savory and Smooth Tastes of Boston” non-profit auction travel package, and if you’re in Boston the Saturday before the conference, it may be a great way to see the city.

Again, we’ll be set up at Booth #918 throughout the conference. Stop by and say hello!
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Do You REALLY Make Money from the Highest Bidder?

March 07, 2016
(NOTE: On occasion, we love reaching out to our friends and partners in the non-profit fundraising world to find out what they’re thinking about when it comes to helping charities raise the most money possible. This week, auctioneer and SocialSmarts founder Corinne Gregory tells us how activity, not deep pockets, drives auction fundraising. Enjoy!)

If you’ve ever been to an auction – and I’m assuming since you are reading this, you are already a veteran of at least one event -- you are aware that the “high bidder” is the one the auctioneer sells the item to when the bidding has concluded.  So, it’s natural to believe that the “high bidder” is the one who is making the money for the charity during a Live or Silent Auction.

Well, folks, let me be the one to break it to you: It isn’t true! Yet so many charities covet the “high bidders” because they truly believe that these individuals are going to make “more” for the cause. Even most auctioneers will work particularly hard on getting to the “high bidder” because they feel this is where their energies should be focused. And that may be costing you money and not making you more as you would expect.

First of all, there is a common misconception that, in order to make more money at your event, you need to invite more people with high net-worth. While it would seem to make sense that people with more money will be prime targets to spend more and be your “high bidders,” frequently the opposite is true. When people have ample discretionary income, they tend to buy things that they want as it comes along. They aren’t going to wait around and save up just to “buy” at your auction. That’s not to say that these individuals aren’t generous or won’t contribute to your auction’s bottom line, but they aren’t going to be the ones generating the most bid activity.

So then, if the people at the top of your buying pyramid aren’t going to be the ones generating the most bids, who is going to help you make more money? The answer is simple, really: “everyone else.”  Activity is where the money is.

Why is activity so important? Well, although we do collect money from the “high bidder,” each time someone puts their bid number down on a Silent Auction form or raises their Bid Card during the Live Auction they are raising more money for the charity. The second, third and fourth high bidders are helping raise the price of that item. Ultimately, the high bidder is the one who is determined to hang in there and out-bid the competition. So, as I like to say to my auction audience, “It’s the job of the second, third and fourth high bidders to make sure that the winner pays appropriately!”

So, if we are “making money” from any and all bidders that participate, it’s crucial to have audience engagement. We want them all to bid -- more bid cards in the air means the revenue to the charity increases. That means, as an auctioneer, I need to be courting the second and third high bidders, giving them permission to stay in the game, and not just focusing on one or two potential high bidders. In fact, I coach my audience, letting them know they can “play along” all they want -- be my second and third high bidders all night long. But, if they don’t actually want the item, they should pull their cards down before I say “Sold!”

So, remember, while we do ultimately collect the money from the high bidder, we make money from every guest that places a higher bid on a Silent Auction form or raises their bid card during the Live Auction. It’s important to keep your entire audience engaged and interacting because, even if they don’t win, their participation ensures that the charity does.

(Big thanks to Corinne Gregory for sharing her insights with us this week! For more information about her, go to auctionhelp.com and corinnegregory.com.)
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