Fundraising for a service trip
 

Hi Lovely GCers,

So a few girls from my sorority are planning on going on an alternative spring break trip this year. We have to raise around $5,000 to cover airfare and the program donation costs. Our program donation is due by February 1, 2013. I know we can raise more than that amount in that time, but I am struggling coming up with ideas.

I am planning on sending out a letter to family and friends as well as businesses in the area. I also was thinking of a late night bake sale, but I am struggling to think of more fundraising ideas.

Any advice?

Thank you!

What is an "alternative spring break trip"? Please tell us that you aren't trying to fundraise for a vacation in Mexico!

You are going to have to sell a heck of a lot of brownies to make that kind of money. You might want to consider something that earns more than a couple of bucks per transaction.

In my experience, "alternative spring break" means that you take a trip and volunteer... instead of partying in Mexico, and the like.

I would like to say something about these so-called service trips for which thousands of dollars have to be raised. They make me throw up. I can't tell you how many times my children and those close to me have been solicited to go on these trips and then we're told that our kids have to raise thousands in support! Why on earth should it cost one person $3-5,000 to go to Mexico for a couple of months (or Nicaragua for a week), especially if they're living in tents and eating locally? It seems like someone is always trying to raise money for these trips and no one around here is falling for those rip-offs anymore.

I was under the impression that they needed $5,000 total... for many people. For their airfare.

But I could be wrong...

I don't know if these particular girls do but I do know that with many trips, especially if sponsored by outside groups, that's what they hit you up per person. As if! One can do a service trip for a fraction of the cost in Mexico.

I've mentioned this site numerous times recently because it has been a really great experience, and I promise I'm not spamming. LOL. It is www.youcaring.com. You can set up your cause and your donation goal, and then email people the link to donate in increments of their choosing. You Caring does not collect any portion of the proceeds and is supported exclusively by donations. At checkout, your donors will be asked if they want to make a contribution to support the site. And unlike other fundraising sites, You Caring will release your funds to you at the end of the fundraiser even if you didn't hit your goal. You can also provide updates to people who visit your page, such as telling them about how you are preparing.

For example, my friend's husband is battling a rare form of cancer and his MIL has posted updates on his treatment and folks can donate. He and his wife are missing a lot of work and they have huge student loans, a mortgage, and travel/lodging expenses because he is receiving treatments at Mayo. It's been a nice way to keep in touch with them and know what is going on, aside from the occasional email they can send out to us.

I've seen people using the site for medical expenses, adoptions, tuition, etc., so it could be a great way for you to solicit your families and friends to meet your goal.

It's with an organization I spent 2 and a half months working with this summer. It is a nonprofit organization that focuses on providing education to children in poorer neighborhoods. It focuses on spanish literacy and english education.

The costs are airfare & a small program donation. The donation covers all of our transportation, our housing, our food, and even traveler's medical insurance.

Having spent my entire summer down there, I know what the program is like and what it has accomplished. It was amazing watching the children grow more confident and gain more knowledge. It's a worthy investment.

EDIT:
if anyone is interested in learning more about this organization, feel free to PM me! I don't want to get this topic off track.

I'm going to look for a list of ideas for "small-sized philanthropies" that would fit what you're looking for. Don't involve a ton of up-front planning, but have been proven effective. It may be a while before I find the list, so be patient. You asked for ideas, and you actually seem receptive (how refreshing). So I am more than happy to give you ideas. How you carry them out, or where you go from there, is up to you.

Off to look for the list (I attended some killer sessions on this very topic).

I have done a couple of things where I worked as special event staff, like the fair is in town or someone company is throwing a picnic and they need like twenty people to run games, serve food, etc. all day. It's a long horrible day, but then it's over and you make a lot of cash.

I really appreciate everyone taking the time to give suggestions.
Some of the other ideas I have come up with have been sober drives to and from local bars and also doing a dorm storm.
Thanks again for your input =)

The only problem I could see with the sober driver fundraiser is the liability issues if something were to happen.

I didn't even think of that... Thanks for pointing that out!

I did Alternative Spring Break through the YMCA all four years of college. Many campuses have this program, and it was very well-run; fundraising more or less covered our own travel expenses (which weren't high, we drove a big van) and a donation to the group with which we worked.

I know this is an old thread, but I'm looking into fundraising ideas for our group. What did you end up doing? How much did you raise? Would you do it again?

We did a Driven Coffee fundraiser (www.drivencoffee.com/fundraising) last year and it worked well, but I'm just looking around at some other fun ideas before we commit for a second run this year.

This thread (www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=139935) is hilarious & has some awesome "out of the box" ideas that I want to look into.

Just wondering what you ended up doing & how it worked out. Thanks!