Auctioning Trips for a Good Cause

With the debates about drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska is the site of an environmental battlefield. The state is also home to Generous Adventures, a nonprofit travel auction group that regularly hosts bidding to benefit the environment. And don’t worry, you don’t have to trek all the way to Alaska to get in on the auctions. Everything happens in cyberspace on Generous Adventures’ Web site, https://www.generousadventures.com.

I love this site because the proceeds go to environmental groups working to keep the world healthy, safe and green. So you are supporting worthy charities and getting some great travel bargains at the same time.

At any time, there are more than 100 ongoing online auctions on the Generous Adventures Web site. The trips vary, but most lean toward the exotic, and all are run by environmentally friendly tour operators.

What can you bid on? A three-day wildlife safari in Borneo had a bid of $175 at last check. A four-night tour riding elephants, rafting, hiking and biking in Northern Thailand was going for $275. Three days of whale watching in Newfoundland for one adult and two children was up for $400. Two nights for two guests in an authentic adobe house in Santa Fe, N.M., was going for $75.

Bids can change by the minute, and auctions close every two weeks or so.

“It’s very rare for these trips to be auctioned off for more than they’re actually worth,” says Sally Oberstein, the site’s director. “Usually people get them for a lot less than their face value.”

Registering to bid is free and easy, and your personal information is kept confidential. Once registered, you can bid on any of the ongoing auctions.

There are a few categories to choose from--Resorts & Lodging, Outdoor Adventures, Nature & Wildlife, Exotic Destinations and Special Interests. You can even do a keyword search on the site if you have a specific trip or destination in mind.

Things rarely get out of hand with bidding wars, and bids are made in $25 increments. The site will automatically e-mail you if you’re outbid or if you win. And you only have to zap over your credit-card number after you’ve been declared the winner.

All the travel items on the site have been donated by parties deemed environmentally sound. Generous Adventures chooses three charities a year to receive profits from the auctions. The Waterkeeper Alliance, an umbrella organization headed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that supports several water conservation groups, is the current beneficiary of many of Generous Adventures’ auctions. Another recipient is the Natural Resources Defense Council, which campaigns internationally for efforts to save the planet’s natural treasures.

Site director Oberstein started Generous Adventures as a traditional auction program in 1997 with the same mission it has now: to raise money for environmental organizations through bidding for environmental travel.

Soon after the organization began, it became obvious that the Web was the way to go, and it has been a cyberspace success ever since. Tour operators get exposure from their donations on Generous Adventures’ Web site, charities get some money, and travelers are extra happy with where their vacation money is going.

“It’s a win-win-win situation,” Oberstein says.