Photo Credit: Smile Outreach International
How Friendly Competition Helped Raise $387,000 for Smile Outreach Intl.
The strategy started with knowing what would resonate with the people in the room.
The organization knew its donors had an appetite for adventure — and a little friendly competition.
Many of Smile Outreach's supporters are dentists who travel internationally through its mission trips, giving their time and expertise to help provide dental care in underserved communities around the world.
Our mission is to relieve pain and suffering caused by untreated dental disease, by offering dental surgeries and services to those who are unable to access care.
Smile Outreach also knew how hard its donors work, making the opportunity to bid on an exciting getaway a natural fit for the evening.
As Laurie explained, “Our donors love trips and get competitive!"
That insight gave Smile Outreach a natural starting point for its auction.
Rather than simply adding travel to the lineup, the organization selected destinations that would appeal to their audience, then customized each experience with thoughtful additions that gave guests more reason to picture themselves winning.
A Travel Lineup Crafted for Their Donors
Smile Outreach presented four LuxGive travel experiences to the auction, giving donors a range of ways to picture their next getaway—from European escapes and French wine country to the Amalfi Coast and the mountains of Montana.
The strategy delivered meaningful fundraising results: LuxGive experiences alone generated $54,000 for Smile Outreach, becoming a significant part of the gala’s overall fundraising.
Just as importantly, Smile Outreach didn't treat the experiences as one-size-fits-all.
Each destination was customized with additional touches designed to give winning bidders more freedom to enjoy the experience in their own way.
European Dreaming
For donors drawn to the romance of Europe, European Dreaming offers nine nights across up to three iconic cities, from the Mediterranean ease of Barcelona to the art and history of Florence or the energy of Berlin.
How they customized it:
- $100-per-person excursion credit to give guests the freedom to add local experiences along the way, from guided city tours to cultural discoveries.
- $100-per-person transportation or concierge credit to make moving between destinations seamless or add an extra layer of personalized service.
Two donors ultimately won European Dreaming, creating multiple opportunities to turn enthusiasm for the experience into fundraising.
We chose to use consignment experiences as they're unique and we can sell multiple. Our donors love these trips!
Bordeaux Bliss
Set among the vineyards near Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux Bliss invites guests to slow down and embrace the French art de vivre, with a private pool, expansive grounds, and Grand Cru wine country just beyond the estate.
How they customized it:
- $100-per-person excursion credit to go beyond the villa and immerse themselves in the region, perhaps with a wine tour and tasting or time spent exploring Saint-Émilion.
- $100-per-person dining credit to savor a meal at the villa or indulge at one of Saint-Émilion’s acclaimed restaurants.
Two donors won the experience, allowing Smile Outreach to capture more of the demand for a destination that resonated with its audience.
Amalfi Sunsets
In the heart of historic Amalfi, Amalfi Sunsets brings guests into the rhythm of Southern Italy, with a private terrace overlooking Piazza dei Dogi and the coast's restaurants, cafés, and boutiques just steps away.
How they customized it:
- $100-per-person excursion credit to make the most of the coast, from a wine or olive oil tasting to a romantic sunset boat charter.
- $100-per-person dining credit toward an in-villa meal or concierge-arranged dining, creating another opportunity to linger over an evening in Italy.
Once again, two donors won the same experience, turning one popular package into multiple fundraising opportunities.
Whitefish Wanderlust
Surrounded by the mountains of Montana, Whitefish Wanderlust offers an alpine escape with panoramic views, a private hot tub, and Whitefish Resort and Glacier National Park close by.
How they customized it:
- $100-per-person excursion credit to choose how they experience the mountains, from outdoor adventures to exploring the region’s breathtaking Grand Teton National Park.
- $100-per-person dining credit toward in-villa meals or concierge services, giving guests the option to enjoy a relaxed meal back at the penthouse after a day outdoors.
One donor won Whitefish Wanderlust, rounding out a lineup that gave guests very different ways to picture their next adventure.
Turning One Popular Experience Into Multiple Winners
The ability to sell each trip multiple times was an important part of the strategy behind Smile Outreach’s auction.
In a live auction, multiples allow an organization to sell the same consignment experience to more than one interested bidder at the final winning bid price.
For example, Instead of a single donor winning a $2,500 experience, three interested bidders could each take it home at $2,500—turning one auction item into $7,500 in winning bids.
For Smile Outreach, that strategy aligned naturally with an audience that already had a strong appetite for travel experiences.
“We chose to use consignment experiences as they're unique and we can sell multiple. Our donors love these trips!” shared Laurie.
Each of the four customized experiences was sold to multiple winners, helping the organization capture more of that demand.
Expert Tip
When an auction experience generates genuine competition, the excitement doesn’t necessarily have to end with one winning bidder. In Smile Outreach’s case, multiple donors wanted the same experiences, allowing the organization to turn that demand into additional fundraising opportunities.
That’s one of the advantages of consignment: nonprofits can offer experiences without purchasing inventory upfront, giving them room to build more opportunities into their auction without taking on financial risk.
For Smile Outreach, the combination of customized experiences, strong audience fit, and a strategy built around multiple winners helped turn seven travel experiences into $54,000 in fundraising.
Making the Experiences Feel Personal
The organization customized every experience, adding thoughtful details that gave donors more flexibility to personalize their stay in a way that suits them best.
The goal wasn't simply to make the packages bigger. It was to make them feel more considered.
Those additions included:
- Excursion credits gave guests the flexibility to choose activities in their destination
- Dining credits that could be used toward in-villa dining, concierge services, or local restaurants
- Transportation and concierge credits provided guests with added flexibility and a seamless travel experience
- Customized product and event collateral helped bring each experience to life at the gala
By understanding their audience and what mattered to them, Smile Outreach could take already-valuable travel experiences and make them feel more personal to the people bidding on them.
Photo Credit: Smile Outreach International
The Impact Behind the Bid
There's a natural tension at the heart of a fundraising auction: donors should feel excited about what they're bidding on, while the organization needs every bid to ultimately serve a greater purpose.
For Smile Outreach, travel helped bridge those two things.
The experiences gave donors something tangible to get excited about, while the funds raised will enable volunteers to continue providing vital dental care and services to communities in need across the globe.
$54,000 of the gala's fundraising came through the LuxGive travel experiences, adding meaningful support to an evening that ultimately reached $774,000 with the founder's match.
In that sense, bringing travel consignment into the auction gave Smile Outreach a way to connect something its donors valued with the work they were gathered to support.
The next adventure might begin with a winning bid. But for Smile Outreach, its impact continues long after the trip ends—helping make the organization's next mission possible.
Key Takeaways from Smile Outreach International’s Success
✅ Know what your donors value
Smile Outreach understood that its primarily dental audience loved unique travel experiences, helping the organization choose auction items that generated excitement and competition.
✅ Customize experiences for your audience
Smile Outreach added excursion, dining, transportation, and concierge credits, giving winners more ways to personalize their trips and make the most of each destination.
✅ Use consignment to expand your auction
Smile Outreach brought high-value travel experiences into the auction without purchasing inventory upfront, creating more opportunities to fundraise without the same financial commitment as buying items outright.
✅ Capture demand with multiple winners
When more than one donor wanted the same experience, Smile Outreach used consignment to turn that demand into additional fundraising opportunities.
Need Additional Guidance?
If you're considering travel consignment and would value a sounding board, our Fundraising Consultants are available to walk through your questions, review your event strategy, and provide structured guidance tailored to your organization.
Whether you’re exploring fit, evaluating risk, or preparing for internal approval, we’re here to help.
At LuxGive, we believe in the transformative power of travel. Our mission is to help nonprofits raise more funds at auction through once-in-a-lifetime villa and resort experiences.
Our travel experiences feature Premium Guest Services and access to an exceptional portfolio of exclusive homes, resorts, and VIP events around the world.
Whether it’s a luxury Caribbean villa, an enchanting Tuscan apartment, or an alpine lodge steps from the powder, we have something for all your clients' needs.