A Golden Ticket That Gives More Guests a Chance to Play
The idea that stopped me in my conversation with Brian Rechtman of BlueTree Marketing was a raffle in which the winner chooses the trip.
Most travel raffles ask everyone to want the same destination. A wine country getaway sounds wonderful to some guests and uninteresting to others. Brian’s Golden Ticket offers a small selection of different experiences, so a supporter can buy a chance without having to fall in love with one itinerary. BlueTree can also tailor the choices to the organization’s budget and audience.
Why it caught my attention
As an auctioneer, I spend a lot of time thinking about who gets to participate. A live auction can be thrilling, but a guest who cannot spend several thousand dollars on a vacation may never raise a paddle. A $100 raffle ticket gives that person another way into the evening. It also opens the door to supporters who cannot attend the event.
Brian walked me through an example using a $2,500 trip cost: sell 100 tickets at $100, bring in $10,000, and keep $7,500 for the nonprofit before other expenses. A sponsor could underwrite the trip, leaving the ticket revenue for the mission. These figures illustrate the concept; confirm current trip pricing and terms with BlueTree. Ticket sales could exceed 100 if demand and the published raffle terms allow.
The part I had not expected was Brian’s answer to my next question: what if ticket sales disappoint? He described a provision under which the promotion becomes a 50/50 cash raffle if sales do not support the trip cost. The trip is not purchased, and the winner and nonprofit split the cash pot. That is a useful backstop, although an organization would need to make the terms clear to buyers from the outset and confirm the raffle rules that apply where it operates.
The prize is only part of the strategy
I liked that Brian did not treat the choice of trip as a catalog exercise. He talked about learning what an organization wants its event to accomplish, then finding a fit. Sometimes a travel item freshens an auction that has offered the same donated condo for years. Sometimes the goal is a strong return. A casino night might suggest Las Vegas, but theme alone does not tell you whether the guests will bid.
For a smaller organization curious about consignment, he suggested trying a lower-priced trip first and learning from the response. He can adjust the number of hotel nights to bring a package closer to a target cost. Every package also includes BlueTree’s Blue Glove concierge service for the winning traveler, as Brian later confirmed by email.
That conversation changed how I think about the Golden Ticket. Its appeal is not simply that the prize is travel. It gives donors a choice, gives more people a place in the fundraising, and lets the nonprofit design the offer around its own audience. The ticket price, expected sales, sponsor, prize cost, and fallback terms still need careful planning. Done thoughtfully, though, it could create a moment of shared anticipation well beyond the few guests bidding on a live auction trip.
I would start with one question: how many people in your community would be glad to take part at this price? Then ask BlueTree to help shape the trip choices and economics around the answer.
Karen Wrege founded Capital Benefit Auctions, where she helps nonprofits design auctions and fund-a-need appeals around their audiences and goals.