Your Fundraising Toolkit
Let’s Start Raising Some Money!
So, you’re ready to start fundraising?
Now, what’s your plan of action?
We’ve compiled the best advice on how to tackle fundraising. Read through all the ideas provided and get started on the fundraisers that you like best! A good strategy would be to have an ongoing fundraiser while supplementing with a few more fundraising events (i.e. selling bracelets & promoting your online fundraising page). One per month will give you plenty of funds rolling in! So scroll down, take notes, and let’s get going!
Where do I start?
Reach out to people the old fashion way by writing them a letter! We have provided a letter template for you to personalize here. Express your enthusiasm and passion towards the cause, explain the reason to why this is important to you, and even add a picture of yourself. Hi-jack your Christmas card list from your parents and have a field day! Take one weekend to stuff those envelopes and send as many of them as possible! Include a link to your online fundraising page or an address to send a check. The donation average is $50 or more, so this is worth your time.
This letter endorses you as an official volunteer with GIVE. It legitimizes you in order to reach out to businesses, restaurants, newspapers, and anywhere requiring a professional donation process. GIVE is not a non-profit or 501c3, but you can assure these businesses that their donations will be going directly to project funds, which is expressed in this letter.
10 Easy Ways To Save Money!
Let’s start simple – make these lifestyle changes and you can save quick!!
1. Cut out buying coffee: That daily $5 coffee costs you $150 per month!
2. Minimize Clothing Expenses: Quit spending your money on clothes just for one year. If you ever need clothes, see if you can get what you need from a second-hand store first!
3. Limit Eating-Out at Restaurants: Only allow yourself to eat out once a week, or even once a month! Invite friends over to cook with you!
4. Only Carry Cash: When going out with friends, only bring cash with you so you don’t spend more money than you think!
5. Check for Discounts & Coupons Always: Before purchasing anything online, check on RetailMeNot, Coupons.com, GroupOn, and Valpak for ways to save!
6. Get Rid of Cable: In the age of Hulu, Netflix, and free streaming TV, there’s no reason for you to be spending $50 per month on cable television. Get rid of it and just watch everything online for free, and save that unused money for traveling!
7. Apps That Save for You: Digit & Acorns will move your money into a saving account automatically to save your money over time without you even having to think about it!
8. Do Frequent No-Spend Weekends: Save money and go on a hike, invite friends over, go on a bike ride, volunteer in your community, go to the library, watch a movie at home, pack your lunch and eat outside!
9. Carry a Water Bottle: Instead of buying water, save your money & the environment by carrying a reusable water bottle! If you like some flavor, infuse it with some fruit or make your own iced tea so you never have to buy drinks!
10. Drive Less: Plan rides with your friends, ride your bike, or walk whenever possible to cut out how much you’re spending on gas!
Essential Quick Tips
Here are 5 tips to keep in mind throughout this process…
Click the headings below, take notes, and let’s get started!
Express Your Passion To Travel and Explain the Projects You Will Be Involved With...
When people hear your genuine passions to experience different cultures, learn about the world, and provide opportunity to marginalized communities. It is rare you will find someone who doesn’t want to support you. Tell them that you will be building schools, water tanks, sustainable farms, teaching English, etc! Feel free to get the project specifics from our website! Their funds actually how GIVE is able to keep those opportunities by funding the projects through your volunteer fee. That’s an incredible thing are people will be on board to help you do that.
Personalize & Be Creative...
Personalize your donation request by contacting people directly rather than in mass form if possible! People are less likely to turn you down if you talk to them personally face-to-face, in a message, or on the phone. Explaining your individual interests to those you reach out to could make a huge difference. People want you to succeed. And have fun by trying some creative initiatives for outreach!
Network...
Reaching out to family and friends in your community is a great place to start. Contact all the potential sponsors that you can think of, including: grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and co-workers. After you compile a list of people, send out your fundraising letter to request donations. When they show an interest to support you, ask if they would be willing to pass it along to their family, friends, and co-workers as well! Do not forget to contact local businesses and community organizations to make donations.
Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff...
With fundraising, you will come across some “no’s” along the way. Focus on your end goal instead of people that turn you down. There are people interested in hearing about your international volunteer program and who will encourage you to volunteer abroad. Be persistent and remind yourself that people will help, even if some do not. Every no gets you closer to a yes! Don’t forget – you must ask to receive!
Always Say Thank You!
It is incredibly important to thank people for their donations. Thank them either in person, over the phone, or send them a card. Your donors will appreciate you thanking them for their kindness. You can even send them a small souvenir or picture after you get home! Also, it’s a great way to stay on good terms with people in case you need to reach out again!
3 Essential Steps To Success
Step 1: Pick A Fundraiser…
…as a matter of fact, pick a few!
Whether your fundraising solo, or with a crew – first things first lets make a plan! Below are a few community fundraisers that other past volunteers have used to be successful in the past. You can use them as is, tailor them toward your community, or create your own. If your fundraising with a group of people, throw a community fundraiser, split the workload, and split the money raised! The key is the diversify your efforts and try a few different things to be successul!
Community Fundraiser Ideas
Bake Sales
Traditional bake sales are great ways to earn some money! With a group of people, determine and assign various baked goods for everyone to make. Check with your university about health guidelines and if they allow the sale of home made goods. Include donation boxes on your bake sale table as well as some people may not want to purchase goodies. Be sure that the prices fit your audience: if it’s college students, try to stay under $5 for each item. In addition, you can check with local grocery stores to see if you can set up a table at the entrances to sell your baked goods on the weekends!
Birthday & Holiday Donations
When your birthday, Christmas, Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day rolls around, tell your friends and family that you would love to exchange gifts instead for donations for your trip!
Pie-In-The-Face
Get some tubs of whipped cream and some paper plates, cover yourself in a trash bag, and get people to donate to pie you in the face! Invite your friends to join, make some posters, crank up the music, and have fun! Tip: Host this event during dad’s weekend at your university, dad’s LOVE this event and will be super willing to donate!
Drive For Donations
This of this as a personal Uber Ride! Tell your friends you’ll drive them around campus for a minimum $5 donation per ride! Instead of Uber downtown on Saturday, they can donate to your trip!
Throw A Sports Party!
Host a party in your home or at a local bar during a sporting event, and charge a small fee to be involved. During the game, give out prizes for touchdowns, certain plays, etc. Encourage people to dress up for the sporting occasion, and maybe even think about point squares will all money raised donating to your trip and the winner wins a prize!
Host a Car Wash
A good ole fashion car wash can be hosted at any local business with great success. Grab some friends and family members to help you out! Make some posters and post up at high traffic area to get people to your car wash!
Throw A Themed Party!
Throw a party to fundraise for your excursion, and pick a fun theme for you and your guests (i.e. Nicaragua, Tanzania, SE Asia, Around the World)! You could even find a local band to play at your party. Your decorations, food and refreshments can follow the party theme as well. Include on your party invitations that you are having the party to raise money for your trip with GIVE. Charge an entry fee at the door and have a great night!
Yoga For A Cause
Host a yoga class taught by yourself or a yoga friend! Make it a donation based class outdoors or in a secluded reserved room. You can memorize a class from online and lead yoga to your group!
Poetry Night
Have a slam poetry night on your campus. You can contact a poetry or writing group on campus to write/read poetry for your event, ask your friends to write poetry or find other poets who want to get involved. Charge a fee at the door, provide refreshments and snacks, and have a great night of poetry!
Have a Cook-Off!
Buy a ticket to taste and judge home cooked meals. Find friends or other GIVE Volunteers to have a cook off. People can buy tickets to taste and judge your creations!
Raffle & Silent Auctions
Ask businesses if they’d be willing to donate gift cards, items, or coupons to your cause. Or, if a parent or family friend has a skill or item they can donate, ask if they’d be willing to donate as well. The best way to utilize these items is to create a raffle! You can purchase raffle tickets at your local Dollar Store. Determine a fair price for the raffle tickets and sell them for a couple dollars, providing drawing dates and details. It’s best to create a first, second, and third place prize so people know they have a better chance to win your prize.
Host a 5k!
Partner with your local park services or event services locally to set up a 5k fundraiser! Get campus organizations to sign up for $10-$20! Give it a fun theme!
Social/Game Night!
Arrange and host a social gathering, party, trivia night, minute-to-win-it game night or some other fun activity for donations. Invite people over and charge a small fee to come. Be a good host: provide beverages, snacks, music and a prize for the winner. If each person that attends your event pays $5, you could raise a lot of donations while also having a fun night with your friends!
Benefit Concert
Make friends with a band at your university and ask them to host a concert for you! See if a bar will allow you to host with them or set it up in your own backyard. Invite all your friends with a cover charge of $10 towards your trip and the band gets new fans!
"Mile-Long Dollar"
Go around local neighborhoods, provide details about what you are collecting donations for and ask for a donation of $1. If you receive a donation, invite them to the local track (or public area) for the reveal of the mile-long dollar. Continue this until you have collected enough dollars in order to stretch a mile in distance when connected end-to-end (approx. 10,560 dollars are required). Then the day of the public gathering, connect all of the dollars in order to stretch around the track 4 times, I would suggest playing music, having snacks, make it fun and be creative!! If, on the day you don’t have enough dollars have an announcer and encourage the crowd to donate more to make it to that 1 mile mark — most of all have fun! If you’re having fun, the crowd will too!
Community Mural
Organize a community mural where people can donate to add to your painting! For example, you can start it off with a tree and people can add their handprint or paint something on your mural.
Movie Night
Reserve a room on campus to show a movie or documentary on a projector! A great way to incorporate a movie/documentary related to your future travels. And splurge to offer some popcorn!
Wing Eating Contest
Get teams to sign up for your wing eating contest! Partner with a local business for wings and a prize as a donation or discounted. Make a bracket and the winter gets a gift certificate! This event can work for any kind of food!
Have a Coffee Morning
Find the director or manager at the hub on your campus where students often hang out. Explain your excursion as well as provide the materials provided by GIVE and your own materials. Ask if you can set up a table to give out cups of coffee for donations or charge $1 for each cup of coffee. Set up information on the table and decorate your donations jar with trip pictures, pictures of yourself, a blurb about GIVE excursions and a catchy saying. This is a great fundraising tool: coffee is cheap to make and people love a great cup of coffee. You may even find that the coffee shop in the area will donate ground coffee for your fundraiser!
Dance off!
Can you dance? Or have some friends who can dance? Go to a high traffic area, put out a donation jar with a sign about your trip, and put on a show with some bumpin’ music!
Step 2: Advertise!
…advertise, advertise, advertise!
Post on your own Facebook and Instagram! Not once, but multiple times! Create a Facebook event! Send personal messages and emails for invites to your events! Make flyers and posters to pass out! Speak with other organizations, Greek life, and local businesses to get the word out! The only way for people to donate is if they’re aware of a fundraiser – so go get the word out!
Step 3: Repeat!
Once you’ve finished your first fundraiser, pick a second, and then a third…and do it again!
Pick another fundraising event, make sure you advertise thoroughly, and start collecting funds towards your trip! Our most successful volunteers diversify their fundraising efforts – planning and facilitating a handful of small, successful fundraising campaigns over the course of a few months. Rather than putting “all your eggs in one basket” – instead sit down and think about how long you have until your trip, and tangible fundraising goals you have each and every week. What are small actionable things you can do to save money that month (i.e. cutting back on eating out, driving less to save on gas, making coffee at home etc.), and what are one or two small fundraisers you can execute to achieve your goals?! If you feel stuck, don’t panic. Call us in HQ and we can help you create a fundraising strategy!
Trading Goods & Servies For Donations!
With this route, the options are endless!
Whether it’s getting crafty or trading your time – this is a fundraising strategy even the busiest college student can do! Make handmade art, jewelry, food, the options are endless!
- As with all fundraisers – make it personalized and tell your story! People are way more willing to buy your product or donate to your fundraiser, when they know their money is is going to a good cause.
- Find cheap materials, or better yet get them donated! Use the endorsement letter to approach businesses to donate materials to you cause.
- Sell online on your own social media or Etsy, get set up with your local farmer’s market, partner with a local business or grocery store to set up a table outside.
“I got together with other GIVErs at my school to sell grilled cheese! At OU we have meal plans and used that to buy bread, cheese, butter, and foil. We used a propane grill so that we don’t have to rely on a plug, and set up on Court Street which is the busiest place because of the bars! We did it almost every weekend and got a ton of support!”
Help a Neighbor
Become someone’s personal assistant for the day for donations! There are always people who can use your help. For example, an elderly person who does not like to drive in stormy weather. Take a few hours to go grocery shopping, clean their house or pick up someone’s dry cleaning. You can post an add to Craigslist, or pass out fliers around your neighborhood!
Clothing Swap
Get rid of your old clothes and exchange for something new with a clothing swap. Arrange with your university to have a clothing exchange on-campus. Invite your friends and advertise in university housing to bring their old clothes, shoes and accessories to your clothing swap. They can either trade what they bring with other items at the swap or purchase clothes for an amount that you choose. People can still attend your clothing swap if they don’t bring anything to exchange; they just purchase items directly from you. It is a good idea to sell each item for a flat fee: people will be inclined to stop by to check out the selection and you will not have to spend time pricing individual items.
Community Outreach
There are always local community members who are in need of a babysitter, house sitter, pet sitter, dog walker, or yard worker. Ask around or put up flyers in your local community. You can also look on Craigslist for people who post similar odd jobs. Make sure that you explain your trip as well as provide necessary information, people may be more inclined to donate more for your hard work if they know it is for a good cause!
Garage Sale
Take Spring Cleaning seriously this year and sell the stuff that you don’t use. You can have a garage sale, sell your items on Craigslist or Ebay, or sell your clothes to a consignment shop like Buffalo Exchange. Ask your friends to join you as well and start cleaning out your closets/rooms.
Teach A Skill
Maybe you know a language, can dance, play an instrument, paint, or anything at all! Advertise classes to teach your skill at a flat rate or donation based.
Sell With Yankee Candle
Twice a year Yankee Candle offers fundraisers by selling their candles and 40% of proceeds go towards your trip! Find your regional representative here on their website and get started! You know all your aunts are going to love to buy some candles from you.
Local Donors, Grants & Scholarships
Grab your endorsement letter & go out and get some support!
Visit Local Businesses!
Visit local businesses and meet with business owners in your area. Provide them with information about GIVE, the GIVE endorsement letter and whatever else you think will personalize your donation request. Tell them they don’t have to donate that day, but they can think about it. Either leave them with an envelope that you’ll pick up the next day or give them a pre-stamped envelope to send back to you. Return the next day to pick up your envelope or wait to receive it in the mail. It is very important to send personalized thank you letters if you receive donations.
Inquiry to Local Restaurants
Explain your trip to the manager or owner of a local restaurant and ask them if they would be willing to make a deal for a donation. Offer suggestions such as you hosting a challenge in the restaurant, promoting their restaurant, bringing a certain number of friends or cleaning their property in exchange for a donation.
Coin Jars
Visit local businesses that have a lot of customer traffic, such as beauty salons, pizza shops, sandwich shops, ect. Explain your trip to the manager and ask if you can leave a (tasteful) jar for people to leave change to help raise money for your trip. It is helpful if you have your jar with you during your initial visit. Decorate your jar with photos from the program, a photo of you, a small blurb about the program and some sort of catchy phrase, like “Change donations to change.”
Match Your Donations
Whichever type of fundraising you choose, it is a great idea to find donors to match the donations that you receive. Friends, family or local businesses may be interested in matching the amount that you raise to help you fund for your trip. Knowing that the amount you raise will be matched by someone will increase your drive to fundraise.
Grants & Scholarships
Search online volunteer abroad grants and scholarships. Apply to as many as you can find! Also, connect with your academic advisor and other resources on campus to find some abroad grant and scholarship opportunities. Some might require you to take course credit, which can do with our academic course!
The following list is for grants and scholarships found in October 2017. We will update this list as we find new applicable options available for applicants.
Tour Radar | Volunteer Forever | Live Like Ally | World Nomads | Hi USA | Go Overseas | Allianz | GoAbroad & Lonely Planet
If you have other options you’d like for us to add to our list, please email them to info@givevolunteers.org.
Fundraising For Your Deposit
Don’t have enough money to save your spot – let us help!
You have now put down a minimum of $50 to begin fundraising for your deposit! You can now make incremental payments towards your deposit and use these fundraising materials to get to that full trip deposit to save your spot officially!
Treat your Volunteer Profile as a Savings Account to directly make payments toward your deposit, then continue paying off your total balance with your fundraising!
Remember, if you are pinching pennies and in cases where every dollar counts: send checks instead of making payments online to avoid the 2.9% PayPal processing fee.
Your Advantages in the Fundraise4Deposit Program:
- GIVE will know your fundraising for a trip and alert you if it’s close to filling up
- We’ll work with you to get on your preferred trip date
- Early access to fundraising materials, endorsement letter and templates, and coaching
Fundraising For Your Deposit FAQ’s
What if you don't reach the full trip deposit?
Fundraising4Deposit funds have a lifetime guarantee, forever. You can always apply the money a trip anytime in the future.
What if you need to change your trip dates?
That’s no problem, you can change your dates to a different trip, as long as there is space available! (Note: Be sure to refer to our Terms and Conditions as cancellation policies apply!)
You want to have an amazing, life changing experience and people want to support you to make that a reality! Fundraising WORKS and is the gate key to getting you abroad without breaking the bank!
Good luck & we’ll see you overseas!
And don’t forget – if you get discouraged or hit a roadblock, call us in the office for advice! We’ve all personally fundraised for our own trips and we’re here to help. In the meantime check out some of our past volunteers’ fundraisers below!