How do we keep raising money when our membership is aging and shrinking?

Many posts and chapters face aging, shrinking membership. The people who show up still care deeply. They bid to honor, not just to win. The challenge is that fewer people in the room can mean fewer bids. For Veterans & Military Family Organizations, the answer is not more events. It is richer auction packages that raise the per-person take. Adventure-based experiences, golf trips, and budget-friendly international excursions are what sell, as groups like Folds of Honor and Green Beret Foundation have seen.

Each experience starts with a recommended bid 15 to 20 percent above cost. That means profit from the very first bid. You reserve what you like for free and get print-ready marketing PDFs. There is no upfront payment and no risk. If an item does not sell, you owe nothing. The same package can sell multiple times if the bidding gets hot, which doubles or triples profit on one item.

Your next move is to pick a few travel and experience packages that fit your crowd. Giveback XP helps you fine tune the number based on your audience size. 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. Mobile bidding also brings in family and community beyond the room, which helps when attendance dips.

After the event, you send the winners’ details and the travel team gets everyone squared away. Donors have up to two years to travel for most experiences. Your volunteers do less, your event raises more, and your mission stays front and center.