How to raise more at our scouting council’s annual dinner auction?

Scouting councils run on tradition, and the auction can fall into a pattern. Often, the same cakes, gift baskets, and local certificates appear each year. Tables are sold to corporate sponsors and volunteer leaders who share the outdoor mission, but the items may not stir the kind of bidding that hits a new high. One real travel experience, a fishing trip, a professional sporting event, a family adventure, changes the bidding dynamic. The process is easy to hand off: your staff and board choose the packages, and a travel team handles the winner bookings afterward.

There’s no extra budget line needed. Reserve experiences for free; you only pay for an experience if it sells, keep 100% over the cost, and can sell experiences multiple times if the bidding gets hot. You are not too late: items can be added the same day as your event. The recommended starting bid is 15 to 20 percent above cost, so profit begins right away. Winners get up to two years to travel, and the booking is handled for you.

This week, contact Giveback XP. Browse over 140 experiences, from outdoor adventures to major sporting events. Choose a few that fit the outdoor ethos of your council’s supporters. You’ll get a one-page PDF display and a marketing email to drop into your auction. If an item doesn’t sell, you owe nothing, so you can try bigger trips without risk. The travel team books the winners’ trips, so your staff stays focused on the council’s mission.

Your dinner auction doesn’t stall at the same number. A single travel package brings fresh buzz, deeper bids, and lifts every other item. The council reaches a higher fundraising total without more work or financial risk. Next year’s event starts fresh with new experiences, still on the same no-upfront model.