Should we offer family trips or couples’ getaways at our school gala?
For Private & K-12 Schools, your live auction can offer both family trips and couples’ getaways – and it costs nothing to try.
Every year, the parent committee at a Private & K-12 School debates the same thing: should the live auction feature family trips or couples’ getaways? The room is full of families, but the biggest bids don’t always come from the family packages. With new chairs taking over each year and no upfront money to risk, the argument feels impossible to settle.
At a private school auction, families often bid on Disney trips or sports packages because it feels like a shared purchase. Couples’ getaways, like a weekend in Napa, attract higher individual bids from parents who would book that trip anyway. The debate happens because each committee chair wants to maximize the school’s biggest fundraiser of the year, but they don’t know which format will bring more money.
Offering both family trips and couples’ getaways doesn’t stretch your budget because consignment packages cost nothing until they sell. You set a reserve (the school’s cost) and keep everything above it. The recommended starting bid is 15 to 20 percent above that cost, so each item profits from the first bid. Since the same package can sell more than once at a lively school event, you can double or triple profit without buying extra inventory.
Browse over 140 travel and experience packages at Giveback XP. Reserve any that fit your audience, family and couples’ options alike, with no payment. You’ll get a one-page display PDF and marketing email for each. Add them to your live auction lineup, even the day of the event. 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.
Your live auction runs with a mix of family trips and couples’ getaways. Parents bid on what they want. The school makes money on every sale, and no one argues about which format works better. The next year’s committee can do the same, or switch it up, with no risk.
Other questions about live auctions for private & K-12 schools
what auction items raise the most money at a school gala
Travel and live-event experiences consistently out-raise goods and gift certificates, because parents bid on things they'd buy anyway. Aim for 6 to 12 live items, start bidding 15 to 20 percent above cost, and let a hot package sell to more than one family.
will big ticket auction items sell at a small school event
Room size matters less than having two interested bidders, and a school room usually has them. Since nothing is owed on a package that doesn't meet reserve, a small school can put a big trip on the table with zero downside.