Star Visits and Luxury Goods Can Trump Causes at Charity Auctions

Charity auctions offering celebrity encounters and unique goods are adding a new level of glamour to the philanthropic world, with the cause taking on less importance to the donor than the purchase, says The New York Times.

Charity auctions account for only about 1 percent of overall giving, according to the Association of Fundraising Professionals. But organizers say such events are growing in popularity—and taking in tens of thousands of dollars a pop—as they increasingly offer one-of-a-kind experiences like a tour of a guitar collection guided by U2’s the Edge or a tennis lesson with Andre Agassi.

Coppy Holzman, CEO of online auctioneer Charitybuzz, said the item up for sale usually trumps the charitable beneficiary for bidders. “People want to have access to a celebrity, that’s the primary reason they shop. Or merchandise and experiences that aren’t readily got,” he said.

Restaurateur Jimmy John Liautaud, who paid $42,500 on Charitybuzz for an evening with the Edge to benefit a New York music school, said the “cause wasn’t the reason so much as was the opportunity to meet some folks I thought were cool.”