Why Trips Outperform Other Auction Items in 2025

By Trevor Nelson, Co-founder of HGA Fundraising

The rubber band effect

During the pandemic, people lost travel, adventure, and shared experiences. When events returned, rather than snapping back, that pent-up demand snapped forward — making trips and experiences the highlight of any fundraising event.

Donors were eager to reclaim the experiences they’d missed, like travel, connection, and shared memories.

Trips and Experiences satisfy both sides of the donor brain

Every bidder has two voices in their head:

The logical side: “What am I getting for my money?”
The emotional side: “How does this make me feel?”

Few auction items give donors both the thrill of winning and the fulfillment of giving — but trips do.

Logic: “I get to go on vacation to Tuscany!”
Emotion: “My donation helped send 30 kids to camp, fund cancer research, or keep a shelter open.”

That balance transforms giving from an impulse into a moment of meaning. And allows donors to leverage both their giving budget AND their travel budget at the same time — a rare overlap that feels rewarding on every level.

That’s why donors don’t hesitate to bid boldly on trips and experiences. It’s an easy and reliable way motivate generosity.

Why experiences consistently outperform physical items

Across thousands of events we support each year, trips and experiences consistently outperform traditional auction items such as art, jewelry, or memorabilia.

Why? Because experiences have universal appeal and social validation:

Couples bid together (“Let’s do this trip!”).
Friends outbid each other playfully (“You take the Costa Rica, we’ll take Tuscany”).
Every winner shares the story long after the gala — and that story circles back to your mission.

“Your vacation packages, along with our auctioneer, rocked the house at the Ghirardelli Golf Classic benefiting Boys & Girls Clubs of San Leandro! Huge shout out to the HGA Fundraising team for setting us up and helping create a smooth experience for all!”

– Boys & Girls Clubs of San Leandro

When event staff are witnessing new levels of donor excitement and willingness to give, it’s proof that fundraising tools like HGA do more than just raise money — they build momentum.

The HGA difference: fundraisers, not travel agents

At HGA, we don’t sell “vacations.” We provide fundraising tools.

Our #1 goal is to help nonprofits like yours raise more money. That’s why every HGA trip is:

Designed for donors (24 months to book, white-glove concierge service)
Structured for auction flexibility (packages that can be sold multiple times)
Backed by data from 2,000+ events a year

Every successful auction helps fuel real change in the communities you support.

How to use trips in your next event

Here’s how you can use HGA trips to motivate donors and maximize results.

Implement a proven strategy

HGA’s “Vacation Station”: Feature multiple trips in their own branded section. This new silent auction concept lets donors participate in exciting bidding wars to try and win their dream vacation.

The Golden Ticket: An exclusive and exciting raffle concept that raises $10,000+, and allows the winner to choose between multiple destinations. Explore how HGA’s Golden Ticket strategy works.

Advertise early

Prepare your donors to give by promoting trips beforehand. This gets donors to mentally “pack their bags” before the night of your event.

HGA makes this simple by providing fundraisers with media kits containing digital and print-ready materials for every trip.

Offer multiple price points

From domestic weekend getaways to week-long vacations in Europe, there’s a trip for every giving level.

Always tell your story

Tie every bid back to your mission, e.g. “Every trip sold tonight sends 10 kids to camp.”

For more guidance, visit our fundraising resources page — packed with free content, webinars, podcasts, and coaching designed to help you plan smarter and raise more.

Travel is about hope

Trips are outperforming other auction items in 2025 because they tap into something deeper — our shared desire for connection and discovery.

Travel is an essential part of many donor’s lives. And in a world where donors are increasingly looking for experiences rather than more “stuff”, trips are most powerful auction item you can offer.

Ready to Raise More Money? 🙂 Talk to a fundraiser today.