Fundamentals of Fundraising Tips and Examples on How to Successfully Fundraise!

Why Fundraise Accessibility: Fundraising can make the experience more accessible to all interested parties. Every dollar amount raised goes directly toward the travel program thereby decreasing cost expectations for travelers (and parents). Team Building: Fundraising often builds a great sense of achievement by getting all travelers and supporters involved in contribution. Community Support: A fundraising event or series of events can help raise the profile of your school/travel program and your cause within the community thereby attracting new members and supporters. Merit: Fundraising allows travelers to feel some pride of ownership by making them feel as though they have earned the travel opportunity that the funds have provided. Life Skills: Youths who participate in fundraising services often develop an awareness and sense of responsibility that is likely to transcend their work ethic and attitude as an adult. Additionally, fundraising can help to foster a greater sense of self-worth and appreciation.

How to Get Started Set up a Meeting: It is important to hit the ground running. Once you have students signed up for your trip, host a separate meeting to specifically discuss fundraising. During this meeting you should establish a goal, appoint a pointperson, as well as set expectations and deadlines. Create a Website: Having your own website that discusses the trips and the needs, can be one of the easiest most cost-effective ways to fundraise! There are many websites that allow you to create a page for your trip and allow donors to donate directly online. Check out Donnorschoose.org and kickstarter.com. Of course don t forget to use social media to keep students and donors updated with the progress! Get Creative: Fundraising doesn t have to be all work and no fun! Ask around for creative ideas that will not only help your students make their goals, but allow them to have fun in the process. Keeping students motivated is key to successful fundraising. Be sure to reward all goals, even the small ones!

Host a Fundraising Meeting First Meeting: Once students have signed up for the trip, set up a meeting specifically geared towards fundraising. Make sure parents attend the meeting to discuss possible fundraising ideas and come up with a strategy for your group. The earlier you start the better! At this meeting you can establish goals, set a timeline, share and brainstorm fundraising ideas. Financial Support: Have Parents & Students complete a budget form and use this as a basis for forming goals. Will fundraising money cover all or a partial amount of the tour fee? Think about covering specific components of the tour as well (lunches, tips, insurance, optional excursions etc.). Establish a Point Person: Whether it be a chaperone, parent or student, there needs to be a dedicated point person for the group. Set tasks and make a note of who is responsible for what. Keep meeting minutes which can later be shared by email to everyone at the meeting. It is important that everybody understands what is expected of them by the end of the meeting Plan Ahead: Set a date for your next meeting. Regular meetings will maintain enthusiasm and involvement and will allow you to track progress and review fundraising ideas. Make sure every meeting has a clear purpose and don t forget to recognize even the smallest of achievements!

Money Management Set Expectations: It is very important to set expectations from the beginning and make sure everyone is on the same page. Some things to consider are: How to Distribute the funds: Do you want to distribute the funds evenly among all participants, or will you distribute based on performance or how many hours each participant volunteered? If you chose to distribute based on performance, be sure to have a clear method of keeping track and measuring each participant s effort. What s the Cancellation Policy: If a student cancels from the trip, where will those fundraising funds go? Will the student need to pay those back? Create a Contract: Create a form that both the student and parent sign that shows they acknowledge and support the goals and strategies of the fundraising plan. Storing the Funds: If your school does not have a separate account for fundraising, it may be a good idea to open one up on your own. Be sure the account is separate from your personal account. With a new account you will be able to create an Alias on the account, i.e. Riverside Middle Travel Club. Be sure to put a second name on the account for more transparency and accessibility.

Creative Ideas For Individuals: There are many great ideas for individuals to raise funds on their own. Here are just a few: Sell stock in your trip: Allow friends and family to invest in a portion of your tour by sending them a sponsor letter. In the letter explain some of the interesting things you will be doing/seeing and have them fund a portion of it! For Example- visiting the Prado, cruising on the Seine river, exploring the Colosseum. Then pick up a post card of that particular activity while on the trip and send to them as a thank you! Sell miles on your trip: Divide the your total tour cost by the number of miles in your trip. For Example- $3200 tour fee/11,000 miles = $.30 per mile. Then have friends and family purchase a portion of the trip by buying miles. Internet/Facebook/Twitter: Post statuses, pictures, links to your itinerary and personal donation website (gofundme.com) on your Facebook Odd Jobs: Use the summer, winter, fall & spring breaks to save some extra cash! Babysit, Mow lawns, Cook dinner for a family, etc.

Dear, I am planning to participate in an amazing educational program by traveling with my fellow students from (school name) in (month/year). We ll spend a total of (number of days on trip) together immersing ourselves in local culture and history. Here are some of the awesome activities that are planned for us on our (trip destination) tour: (Insert 3-5 activities here, each with a separate bullet point so the recipient of this letter will know a little bit more about what you re going to do on your trip) In order to take part in this totally unique adventure, I need to raise $(insert price of trip). Please help me by sponsoring a portion of my trip. Any contribution you could make would bring me that much closer to this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Please send your contribution and the bottom portion of this letter to me at (insert student/parent name, mailing address including state and zip code). Thank you for considering this. Call or email me if you have any questions or want to hear more about this really great learning opportunity. Explorica is the educational travel company organizing our trip and you can check out our tour online at (insert link to tour itinerary). Sincerely, (Name of student) (Telephone # and/or email address) Sample Sponsor Letter Be sure to adjust these dollar amounts and activities to your tour itinerary Yes, I will sponsor (name of student) for: $15 Sponsor my lunch for a day $40 Sponsor my horseback ride! $65 Sponsor my Tango lesson & show! $90 Sponsor my lunch for a week $750 Sponsor 25% of my tour $1500 Sponsor 50% of my tour Other Sponsor s Name (please print) Please attach a check made payable to me: (insert student/parent name) Mail it to me: (insert mailing address including state and zipcode) *I m a corporate sponsor donating more than $100 and would like to be contacted about being featured in the school newspaper or at a student event. Please call me at:

Creative Ideas For Groups: Coming together to raise funds can be extremely rewarding. Not only will your group continue to gain excitement for their trip, they will also be building lasting relationships that will continue through their trip and onward! Here are some great examples for fundraising with a group: Product Sales: Scrip Program (gift cards), Joe Corbi s Pizza Kits, Entertainment books, Candy boxes can all be a great way to fundraise but remember to keep upfront costs to a minimum! Community & School Events: Bake Sales, Spaghetti Dinners, Date Night Babysitting, Group Yard Sale, Prom Dress Sale are other ways to give back to the community while earning a little along the way! Eco-Friendly Fundraising: Community Clean Ups, Recycling Drives can also be a great way to raise the funds.

Have Questions? Contact your Program Associate or attend our Fundamentals of Fundraising Webinar. To Register Go to: www.explorica.com/teachers/teacher-toteacher/webinars