Finding the funds for a gap year is always listed as a reason that puts prospective volunteers off, but that needn’t be the case. If you choose a structured gap year, with an organisation or charity, they can help you every step of the way.
Abbie Smith is taking a gap year placement to Japan with Lattitude Global Volunteering in March 2012. Below she discusses how her fundraising activities have helped her raise the funds needed for her gap year.
For me starting my fundraising early was really important. Many people think that you have to organise huge events to be a successful fundraiser, but this isn’t the case. I found that doing lots of smaller events meant that I had access to a much bigger pool of people and it also gave me the opportunity to ask for continued donations without feeling cheeky.
Although I have done numerous fundraising activities, without a doubt, my most successful fundraising activity has to be car boot sales. It was easy to find things that I didn’t need anymore to sell and having a stall gave me the opportunity to explain to people what I was raising money for. This often resulted in more generous prices for my goods.
I have had cake sales of my own home-baked cakes. By adding a small amount on-top of the value of the ingredients, I managed to get a good price for my cakes and my buyers went away happy.
Raffles are another good way to raise money. I asked around family, friends and local businesses for donations for prizes. I found everyone to be so supportive. Most people have unused/unwanted gifts that make perfect prizes and do more good raising money than in a box under the bed. Other prizes could be a night’s baby-sitting or washing someone’s car.
My Mum helped me arrange a 70’s themed party in our garden at home and family and friends paid a small fee to come and enjoy the night. This event was so much fun and went way better than I expected.
I’ve now reached my fund-raising goal, including a small bursary from Lattitude Global Volunteering. Now I just can’t wait to go away. I am hoping to gain a whole new outlook on life and experience a once in a life time opportunity. Visiting a different country with a whole new culture is going to be difficult and challenging yet hopefully very rewarding.
Abbie’s top tips for stress free fundraising:
• Start early – It’s never too soon to start planning. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll finish.
• Look in your local papers and directories for a list of where your local car boot sales are. It’s normally around £5 per car, so factor this in when pricing your goods.
• Get family and friends involved – The stress of planning events can be halved if it’s on more than your shoulders.
Tags: family, fundraising, japan