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Money?
<< Read how Jessie Watts raised £1500 >>
Why pay to volunteer?
Many questions are raised about paying to volunteer, and quite rightly so, at face value it doesn’t seem to make sense. Surely the point to volunteering is that it’s free for everyone! But looking deeper into the uses of the money put into volunteering often makes people create a greater understanding of what it goes towards.
- You have to remember that from what you’ve paid the organisation, there will always be running costs to consider along with day-to-day aspect such as food, accommodation and transport for the volunteers on the project while overseas.
- Unlike paid employment abroad, volunteering offers more flexibility with work levels and also gives a wider range of choices when it comes to the types of work and projects available, making it much more interesting.
- Just giving money to a community is unlikely to really change anything, but through your help and input will give them the necessary encouragement and motivation to change their circumstances that might have been lacking and the appreciation.
Filling the Money Gap
How to get the cash together to realise your perfect gapÖ
It really is amazing what you can achieve when you set your mind to it. It might not be easy, but then far better to commit and attack giving it your best, than to not try or to try half-hearted. Remember plenty of people have done it already…
It All Adds Up Over a Year...
| 3 chocolate bars a week @ 50p |
£78.00 |
| Bus ride 5 times a week @ £1.50 |
£390.00 |
| 1 CD a month @ £12.99 |
£155.88 |
| 10 pints a week @ £1.80 |
£936.00 |
| Renting a DVD once a week @ £3 |
£156.00 |
| £2.50 lunch 5 times a week |
£650.00 |
| Grand total |
£ 2365.88! |
Easy ways to earn some money
Have a car-boot sale
Go out 1 night less a week
Make pack-lunches instead of buying out
Cancel the gym and run, play tennis, football, netball outside
Sell old books on Amazon
Sell things that you don’t want/need on eBay
Fundraising
Put yourself in other people’s shoes and think why they should give you their money? What can you give them back? A good cause is not necessarily enough, there must be incentives to the funder to support you. Try to offer something in return.
If you are going to volunteer overseas, it’s possible for you to raise money to help pay towards the cost of your trip. Sound daunting? It is, but there’s the challenge. Sit down with a pen and paper and approach it like you would any project, you can get a good result in the end!
'The fundraising pack really helped me to get started. Being a little apprehensive at first, I wasn't sure who I was going to contact and the best way to approach it. The pack suggested that I approach my old school but stressed the need to offer something in return. I sent the covering letter to my old school to explain what I was doing and what I could offer them and they were really keen to help me out. I organised a slide show and information talk to the sixth form for when I got back showing the work I had done with mad and my school were brilliant and managed to secure £586 funding to help me with my expedition."
Emma Singh, Mad Medic, Kenya 2000
Sponsorship
Think of something impressive you could do that people would sponsor you for. Are you good at sport? A 24-hour row in your local gym or a 20 mile swim in the local lake would get good press and are big challenges that people would put their hand in their pocket to salute. If you make it public, you would get passers by donating too.
How about overcoming a fear? If you hate spiders, how about being sponsored to hold a tarantula for 10 minutes? Scared of heights? What about doing a skydive or a bungee jumping off a famous bridge. Is there anything that hasn’t been done before? Sit in a bath of baked beans for 12 hours!
Some gap organisations even run sponsorship events to help you raise money towards your gap.
“The mad three peaks challenge is a great way to raise money for your trip, see some of the best parts of the UK in 24 hours and meet people who you may be working with overseas.”
Ben Keene, 3 peaks co-ordinator, Madventurer
Approacing Companies For Sponsorship
- Start as early as you can. Many grant-making committees meet quarterly, sometimes only once a year.
- Do your research. Many organisations will only give money for specific purposes or within specific areas. Make sure you meet their criteria. Are you sure they fund individuals?
- Make a list of companies to target & find out the name and department of the person to write to
- Be realistic, see if you can find out the average grant and don't ask for more.
- Ask for a specific sum of money, include a rough budget.
It’s best to write to each person in person, spread your net wide and follow your letters up with a call. In the letter, it’s important that your approach is very clear and you make your point quickly and clearly. Keep it all neat and professional and don’t send more than 2 pages of information; one being the introduction and giving them a feel for you and what you want, the second being for reference about your particular volunteer project and the company that you will be with.
The covering letter should be direct and explain quickly what it is that you are asking them for and how they can help. Introduce yourself so they can get to grips with who you are and what you’ll be doing and why. Let them know what they will get back in return e.g. you could write and let them know your progress or send photos you’ve been up to. It is also an idea to explain how they will be able to donate.
Who to approach:
- Previous schools/ universities. Rotary Clubs/Round Tables. Local media
- Youth cubs. Your local church. Memorial trusts.
Alternative funding sources:
- Local charities, for people living within a particular area.
- Local businesses
- National and General Charities, these offer development grants
- Occupational grants, these help people and their dependants who have worked in a particular trade.
Events
Millions of pounds a year are spent on entertainment, food, drink and games. Everybody likes a good party and enjoys being entertained and going to different events and occasions, so if you satisfy peopleís needs then you could raise money this way. Cake stalls, cheese and wine evenings, street-barbeques, fancy-dress party, fashion show, club nights, making a fool of yourself in publicÖ
Goal setting/targets and tips to keep on track
- Set your target and give it a time frame. Be realistic.
- Write your mission statement of why youíre doing it and look at it whenever youíre wavering
- Set up a separate bank account so you wonít touch it
- Set an appropriate time frame so that itís achievable
If at first you donít succeeded...
Eleanor McCarthy wrote OVER 1000 letters and before she got sponsorship to pay for her first sailing missionÖ
Richard Bransonís first company was a total flop. What if heíd given up thenÖ.
<< Read how Jessie Watts raised £1500 >> 
0845 121 1996
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team@madventurer.com
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