Fundraising for World Challenge

Doubtful

Hi, not sure where to post this, so I know it may be moved, but I certainly need to up my income to help my son pay for his World Challenge trip next year. He is going to Borneo for a month and has to raise about 80% of the money himself. Does anyone have suggestions for fundraising, either that he can do by himself or that his team can do together. He is only 14 at the moment, so is restriced to the type of work he can do. He has a Saturday job and is working during school holidays occasionally, but needs to raise alot, about £3,000 in a year.

I know all MSE'ers all full of great ideas, so please post if you have gone through this type of thing already or can think of anything (legal) we or he can do to fundraise.

jessicamb

would car washing be an option?

D4WNO

What about doing general jobs for the neighbours, trimming hedges, mowing gardens, looking after pets whilst they are away? I'm sure if he asks them nicely and explains what it's for there'll be a few things they might pay him to do

abimonster02

Are either of you par tof a community group or club? AM thinking maybe you could arrange a car boot sale, craft fair or event which the team of them with back up of adult helpers could organise and the revenue from stall holders fees and entrance fees plus maybe a raffle could be used to contribute to the cost of the trip.

Maybe a fundraising car wash day or an auction of promises? maybe get him and his team mates to contact companies to donate prizes. they could donate their time or skills eg car washing once per week for a month or lawn mowing once a week for a month as lots that people could bid for.

These kinds of things are easier if you have a target audience eg parents at a school, church congregation members etc

hth

RachyClaire

I know it seems like a lot of money, but dont worry! I still remember the look of horror on my mums face when I came home from guides one night and told her I wanted to go to America and it was going to cost £800-1000!!! (She told me they'd help but I'd have to do most of the work myself!!) I've done fundraising for a few trips and expeditions since then, the biggest being £2000 to go to Madagascar as part of my uni course in just over a year. Its good because it teaches the value of money rather than mum or dad writing a cheque!! And fundraising can be bloody good fun!! (one day I hope to work helping find funding for expeditions!)

Start off small, its much easier to ask 100 people for £1 than one person for £100!!!! My first fundraising thing for madagascar was a quiz which I sold for £1 each and gave a £25 prize (which the winner very kindly donated back to me!!) I sold over 100 quizzes to family and friends, and it took very little effort. It was all cryptic clues, so you couldnt just google for the answers, if you'd like me to make one just let me know!

Why not get some of the others who are going on the trip and have a car wash, I know our local macdonalds let groups use their car park for them sometimes. An afternoons work and you could make £200-300 depending on how generous people are feeling!

Ask for Cash for Xmas and Birthday Presents (or vouchers for millets or blacks, cos Im guessing he's going to need some lovely new outdoor gear!!)

Some sort of sponsored event?

You could also apply for grants etc, you can find info on this in the Directory of Grant Making Trusts (Local library will have one) be prepared to spend a day trawling through it though, its a few complicated and extremely large book!

Car boot Sale, Jumble Sale, Fete, Disco, (or any of the above + raffle! write to local businesses and get them to donate prizes, we got some excellent ones, 2 cinema tickets, bottle of expensive wine, dinner for 2 at nice restaurant etc) Odd jobs/dog walking for friends and rellies. Theres also a fundraising section on the World Challenge website with ideas and they have people to help with fundraising and make sure your on track (I applied a couple of years ago for that job!!)

Sorry for such a long post but its something I'm very enthusiastic about, young people having the opportunity to do something amazing like that and them not just having it handed to them on a plate!!!

abimonster02

Doubtful wrote: »

Hi, not sure where to post this, so I know it may be moved, but I certainly need to up my income to help my son pay for his World Challenge trip next year. He is going to Borneo for a month and has to raise about 80% of the money himself. Does anyone have suggestions for fundraising, either that he can do by himself or that his team can do together. He is only 14 at the moment, so is restriced to the type of work he can do. He has a Saturday job and is working during school holidays occasionally, but needs to raise alot, about £3,000 in a year.

I know all MSE'ers all full of great ideas, so please post if you have gone through this type of thing already or can think of anything (legal) we or he can do to fundraise.

How are things going? Have you decided upon any events yet? I was thinking you could try contacting Capital One as they are a big employer in nottingham and do community type things. You may find that they would make a donation or possibly even let him go in and do something eg sell quizzes/ raffle tickets?

Worth a try?

hth

Jakg

Does he play an instrument? 2 of my friends went Busking to raise money for World Challenge and came back after 3 days with £2k between them (!).

coffeebean

Hi,
My son went to India & the Himalayas last year with World Challenge, and had the best time ever.
His school did a lot of fund-raising, they held quiz nights, BBQs, sponsored sports things, all as group activities and the money went into a group fund. For his personal fund-raising he cleaned cars, walked dogs - £5 for half an hour, dog-sat, baby-sat, cut peoples' lawns and did bits of gardening. He too was 14 when he started to raise the money. It was nearly two years of quite hard work but he got there in the end. We did have to help out a bit, of course, but it was worth it! believe me when your son returns from the expedition you might do what I did - walked straight past him because I didn't recognise the tall, tanned, mature looking person who was standing there!
I did have a month of worry though, although I would never admit it to him - email and communications are very scarce in the Himalayas, but they did manage to find an internet cafe in Manali and could send emails home to reassure us parents who were tearing their hair out!

Doubtful

Sorry guys not been on for a while as computer blew up! Anyway thanks for the replies, but this is now off, unfortunately there was not enough interest at his school, only 5 pupils turned up for the first meeting! Anwyay I'm sure he will have other opportunities in the future.

newman_91

hey i'm 17, i've just been asked about world challenge and have to raise £2500 by next year. I did have a job but due to the recession they cut my hours to the point of not having one anymore. Our local fast food outlets don't have car parks otherwise we would take up that idea. Are there any other ideas at all? does anybody know anything about doing sponsered sports events and have any bright ideas of how to set them up as i'm completely stuck .

jaytee1_2

Good ideas Rachyclaire - my daughter needs 1,325 by next year to go to Morocco. I will certainly give the quiz a try. Another idea is for a parent/friend/relative to take a box of books to work,leave it in the rest area(if they have one) ask people to take a book they like, but replace it one they have finished with and put a small donation in a box 20p, 50p, whatever they want. The stock of books remains the same and it is a continual way of getting small donations but people are happy to part with a small amount of change. It all adds up !