Check out what Zoe A. (who volunteered twice with ILP) did to fundraise and earn money. This one event helped her a ton and made it possible for her to spend a semester abroad!
We love when volunteers get creative with their fundraising! There really are no limits on what you can do to earn money for your trip abroad and we've seen some pretty unique fundraising ideas!
We've put together tons of info about fundraising for you
Check out our guide and get started ASAP!
Use this idea Zoe did to make your semester possible, or just use it as a bouncing board and come up with more ideas on your own! Either way, you've gotta check it out.
The Basics Of A Party Fundraiser
Okay, so basically Zoe just threw a party (which we love). She had the idea to have a little get together with friends, have some party "supplies" donated and charge admission. Here's how she pulled it off:
Pick A Theme
The type of party you throw can be up to you. Maybe you want to have a board game night? You could do a movie night and invite the neighborhood? Host a dance party complete with snacks and music? Host a camping party where you pitch tents outside and go "wildlife watching" while you watch an episode of Planet Earth under the stars? Celebrate Harry Potter's birthday with a themed party? It's really up to you.
Zoe chose to do a pizza party and went forwards from there!
Keep Costs Low
Obviously the lower your costs, the more you're able to put towards your fundraiser. You'll have to get a little creative here but every little thing adds up.
Get as much donated as possible. If you are wanting to have food, ask local restaurants if they'd be willing to donate food and drinks, or to even give you a discount. If you end up doing an outdoor movie see if grocery stores could donate popcorn, or ask around and see if you can borrow a projector. Use your resources and ask around for donations. Don't be afraid to ask for help, because you'll never get what you don't ask for.
Zoe said:
"I went to pizza shops around town, told them about volunteering with ILP and what I was going to do to make a difference. I was surprised with how many people were willing to donate. I got more than enough pizza and drinks donated for everyone who came!"
Charge Admission
This may seem weird to ask your friends, neighbors, and family to pay an admission but this is going to be how you actually raise money. Keep in mind that they want to support you anyways, you're just giving them a fun experience back. Charge a few bucks or $20! Whatever you feel like is reasonable for the event.
They get food and fun and you get a couple more bucks! Zoe asked each friend to bring $5 and also had a jar for added donations in case anyone was able to donate more.
You can choose the price, just make sure if you do end up buying anything on your own, that the admission price will cover that cost.
Tell Your Friends To Invite Their Friends
The more the merrier ... plus your guests will probably be more comfortable bringing their friends anyways. Make sure you let everyone know that everyone is welcome!
Zoe said:
"Having people invite friends was a huge help. It got the word out more and expanded my circle a lot. Because more people came I was able to raise more money, and I also made new friends."
A total win-win.
If you have limited supplies, like pizza for example, you might consider a way to get RSVPs so that you can better gage how much pizza you'll need.
Talk About Your Cause
When you're spreading the word about the event, don't forget to let people know what your fundraiser is for! You want everyone to understand that the whole point of this get together is to raise money for your volunteering trip.
Then, at the event, make sure to set aside a little time to quickly talk about what you are doing, what you will experience during your ILP semester living abroad, and how it is going to impact you and the children. It doesn't need to be a long speech, just take 5 minutes to thank everyone for coming and supporting you. People are interested to know those things and would love to hear about it, plus knowing what you're going to be doing may encourage them to make added donations if they're able to.
You can find more info about what our program is all about by visiting ilp.org
Have more questions?
Talk to representatives in the ILP office who have fund raised to get more ideas, or ask them any questions you have in in general about ILP!
Click the button below to get in contact with them!
