At first glance, Bora Bora and bobsled appear to have nothing in common. Creative fundraising, however, makes them a perfect match.
People around the world can enter a sweepstakes through Saturday to win a six-day vacation to the South Pacific island while also supporting the USA Bobsled/Skeleton Foundation.
That’s where tropical meets topical.
”We just finished a very successful Olympic Games,” Mickie Knous, Director of Partner and Sponsorship Development for USA Bobsled/Skeleton, told Around the Rings. “How many people and partners and brands are really thinking about a winter sport when our next Olympics is four years away? For us to be on the podium in four years, we need the support now.”
Team USA won three medals, including gold and silver in women’s monobob, at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games. Since 2019, USA Bobsled/Skeleton has partnered with the fundraising platform Omaze to provide sweepstakes for “experiences” such as trips and cars.
Knous said the previous campaigns have raised more than $400,000 for the organization.
U.S. Olympic and Paralympic sports are not funded by the U.S. government and USA Bobsled/Skeleton is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Omaze committed to three years with the sliders. “We don’t buy anything,” Knous said. “Omaze provides all of it for us. With their audience, amplifying and sharing our experience helps increase funds to the organization.”
On its website, Omaze says it believes “the traditional charitable fundraising model is broken” and states the platform has raised over $150 million to support over 350 charities around the world.
”Instead of an auction where the highest bidder wins, we democratize campaigns,” Gregg Clifton, Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships for Omaze, told Around the Rings. “In a sweepstakes, everybody has a chance to win.
”We want dreams to come true for everybody.”
While Clifton would not divulge how many people have entered the Bora Bora sweepstakes, he said “tens of thousands of fans” have supported the bobsled team in previous campaigns.
The Bora Bora vacation includes flights and accommodations at the 5-star Conrad Bora Bora Nui. The overwater villa has its own private infinity pool. In addition, the winner receives $5,000 to go toward expenses such as dining, massages, scuba diving and excursions. The approximate retail value is listed as $25,000, although the winner may elect to take a cash alternative of $18,750.
No donation or payment is necessary to enter and win. However, donations provide multiple entries: $10 for 20; $25 for 125; $50 for 500, $100 for 1,200 and $150 for 2,000.
The winner will be announced “around June 22, 2022,” and has until June 3, 2024, to book the travel.
Sweetening the pot, entrants through Friday could also win a trip to the Maldives.
The fine print for Bora Bora: “This experience raises funds for Charities Aid Foundation America (”CAF America”), a US-registered, 501(c)(3) public charity. 100% of donations for this experience go to CAF America, which will then grant the donations, minus the experience fees and costs, to USA/Bobsled Skeleton Inc.”
Omaze says that for experiences such as cars, vacations or cash, 15 percent of the donation is guaranteed to go the identified nonprofit beneficiary, via a grant from CAF America. “Typically between 65-75%, on average, is used to pay for experience costs such as Prize costs, advertising and content creation, and payment processing fees,” the website says.
Omaze also provides many experiences that involve celebrities. For these, 60 percent of the donation is guaranteed to go to the identified nonprofit beneficiary, via a grant from CAF America.
Historically, across all experience types Omaze nets approximately 12-20 percent, the website says.
Knous said that USA Bobsled/Skeleton is “incredibly appreciative of the partnership” with Omaze, calling it a company that “believes in us. Fundraising and finding partnerships is really difficult, especially for winter sports.”
And while Omaze has offered some cold-weather experiences in the past, such as an Alaska vacation that would seem more apropos for USA Bobsled/Skeleton, Clifton said the Bora Bora trip was a good fit to raise money since “it’s the summer and people want to travel. We’re excited to give the bobsled fans a chance.”
Knous added that Bora Bora “helps in terms of an awareness perspective. When you click on our campaign for Bora Bora, it shows who benefits so people around the world can read a little more about our team. By entering, it’s also helping.”
Knous said the funds that Omaze brings in have had “a slow and steady impact.”
Money has been used to ship sleds to Europe and also pay for transportation and lodging for athletes. The technology component of the sport, which Knous said is “very similar to NASCAR,” is also very expensive.
”At one point we were in a pickle,” she said, “and we bought some sleds the team needed at the time.”
Knous said other national governing bodies in the U.S. have asked for introductions to Omaze and she is happy to help.
”They’re keeping us competitive in this sport,” Knous said. “They helped us get to the podium in Beijing.”
If you would like to enter the sweepstakes, click here. Entries are accepted through June 4.
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