Why TravelPledge Never Pays Auctioneers to Sell Its Experiences

To some, this headline may come as a surprise. Is it true that providers of auction items pay benefit auctioneers a commission whenever their items sell?

You bet it happens. In fact, it’s the industry norm.

Providers of auction items work on a fixed-price consignment model and are motivated to leverage auctioneers to sell as much of their product as possible. In most cases, nonprofits have no idea that their auctioneer has someone in their pocket.

As a result, the auctioneer could suggest items that aren’t the perfect fit for the audience or nonprofit. The nonprofit will generate a smaller net donation…and be none the wiser. Winning bidders are also in the dark.

At TravelPledge, we believe something is fundamental broken with this model. It is the NONPROFIT who hires the auctioneer to help them raise the most money. Auctioneers should work for the nonprofit, uninfluenced by ulterior motivations and solely focused on helping the nonprofit raise more money.

We never pay auctioneers to promote our experiences.

That’s why we never pay auctioneers to promote our experiences. We are proud to rely on our product instead of under the table dealings to drive our business. We want as much money as possible to go to the great causes. Our selection of fun experiences and unique model crush “old school” consignment, a fact recognized by nonprofits and auctioneers who are interested in maximizing their donations.


Directory of TravelPledge Certified Professionals

This story has a happy ending. We believe so strongly in transparency between auctioneers and nonprofits that we’ve put together a Directory of TravelPledge Certified Professionals. Nonprofits can identify auctioneers and fundraising professionals who are well known for looking out for the best interests of their clients. Each TravelPledge Certified Professional agrees to operate in a financially transparent and legally compliant manner and coach key strategies to maximize your donations.


We Love Auctioneers (And So Do Our Experience Providers)

We’re rapidly growing our network of certified fundraising professionals and auctioneers. We do our best to keep them up to speed as we bring on new golf courses, resorts, and luxurious “bucket list” experiences for fundraising auctions. We think it’s in everyone’s best interest if the auctioneers have a chance to personally experience new additions to properly promote them and raise the winning bids. So, we’re working with experience providers to ensure that TravelPledge Certified Auctioneers and Fundraising Professionals are able to experience many of our getaways first-hand. If you are an auctioneer or consultant, learn how you can get involved.