Five Ways to Raise Funds for Your Exchange Program

1. Ask friends and relatives

One of the most effective ways to do grassroots fundraising is letting as many relatives, friends, teachers, counselors, physical therapists, etc. as possible know about your interests. Try to send a letter to 100 or more explaining the program and what you hope to accomplish while you are on it. Ask for a specific amount of money- $50 is a nice round figure, but for older, more established relatives and friends $75 is not too much to ask; for peers and fellow students, perhaps $10 to $25. You may want to break your potential supporters into two, three or more groups, sending a customized letter to each group, based on your relationship with them, or the amount of money you are asking for. If you send out 100 letters asking for $50 on average, and one-half respond, you have raised $2500. Often a few people will be very excited by what you are doing, and many give much more.

Have the people closest to you act as your fundraising committee. A good idea is to have them write letters on your behalf and distribute pledge forms to their co-workers, immediate family and good friends. They might even take their fundraisers role seriously enough to officially organize something like ‘The Committee to Send Julie to Burkina”- which is personal, catchy, and shows you have organized support. It also shows that you are serious about participating in the exchange program.

2. Seek out scholarships

There's plenty of money out there to find, but it will take time. The first step is to research the books, websites and individual foundations/organizations listed on the Financial Aid page. Also ask local social service organizations you are connected with in your community to see if they offer scholarships. Many scholarships have specific requirements, so this will help you to narrow down those that you qualify for and those that you don't. Make sure that you can use the money for an educational program overseas. Once that it done, find out the application process. Many require written essays or interviews, but you can often adapt the same answers for different scholarships. Start this process early to make sure you apply by the deadline.

3. Ask local businesses, service clubs, religious centers or disability organizations

Local businesses, international service clubs and disability organizations you are connected with are far more likely to support you than are large corporations or national organizations. The key is to make a linkage between the owner of the business, club president or organization’s director and you or someone close to you. You may want to approach the businesses, club or disability organization with a letter first, enclosing all relevant material and a pledge form, then follow up with a phone call. Asking for $100 or more is not unusual. International service clubs include Lion’s, Elks, Rotary and Kiwanis, among others.

You might also want to approach groups your parents are involved with or religious centers. These contacts may help take up a special collection at a religious service or a general meeting when coordinated through the proper channels. It is important to educate the members about what you are doing before the collection is announced, via written material and preferably featuring a personal appeal by you during the service/meeting.

4. Have a rummage sale or sell door-to-door

A rummage sale is a good way to sell your possessions and gather support for your cause. Ask others to clean out their garages and closets to donate to you for this purpose. Raffles at the site of the sale or auctions work wonderfully, especially if there is a natural group that would support you in this endeavor (parent’s workplace, church, club, etc). The traditional candy sale can work if you mark everything up enough. Volunteers with artistic abilities can produce their own items (t-shirts, mugs, pins, etc.) to sell, but should try to calculate appropriately the sale price in relation to the cost of the materials and the time spent making and selling the products. Such items could also be sold at a fair or similar event.

5. Hold an Event

Try to get the owner of an entertainment spot (such as recreation venue, movie house or all age nightclub) to give you a certain percentage – or even all – of the cover charges for the night, in return for you guaranteeing a larger than usual crowd that will buy drinks, food, games, etc, at regular prices that night. This is best done in conjunction with a popular band, a guest speaker or something to convince the owner that there will indeed be a large turnout.

Read more fundraising tips!

(Adapted from www.volunteerinternational.org)