How to Fundraise for a Volunteer Trip

If volunteering is something that you’ve been wanting to check off your bucket list and you found a volunteering abroad program to get involved in, the best way to start is by fundraising for your trip. Many people are willing to help raise money for your trip if you take the time to educate and promote ahead of time. Take a look below for some ideas on different ways to fundraise for volunteering abroad.

7 Volunteer Trip Fundraising Ideas

1. Restaurant Fundraiser: Chipotle’s fundraiser program gives back 25% of event sales (subject to achievement of a minimum of $150 total event sales), and the fundraisers are easy to set up online. With a digital fundraiser feature, supporters have the option to either order in store or can order online by using the Chipotle app or through chipotle.com. Just make sure they order online for pickup at the participating restaurant during the timeframe of your fundraiser. To apply for a fundraiser with Chipotle, click here. When hosting a Chipotle fundraiser, make sure that the funds are going towards an organization or non-profit for your volunteer trip and not an individual.
2. Fundraising Page: Set up an online page to provide information about your upcoming volunteer trip and instructions on how people can support. Using an online page to fundraise for a volunteer trip allows people from anywhere to donate to the cause and can be shared on social media and other online platforms. For instructions on how to promote your volunteer trip fundraiser with a Facebook event, click here.  
3. Virtual Fundraising Challenge: Participate in an online challenge with other volunteers to raise more money for your volunteer trip. This could include participating in a virtual run, with friends and family donating per mile or completed kilometer.
4. Ask for Frequent Flyer Miles: Since many volunteer trips require travel, a great way to cut expenses is by asking supporters to donate their existing frequent flyer miles towards your trip. Often times, travel expenses can be one of the highest expenses of the trip, so this can help significantly with cost.
5. Bake Sale: Work with other volunteers to host a bake sale to raise funds for your upcoming volunteer trip. Ask friends and family to make their favorite baked goods and be sure to advertise the event in advance to gain participation.
6. Send Letters: An oldy but a goodie, sending letters to family and friends can be a great way to fundraise for volunteering abroad. Be sure to tell your story and why you’re passionate about volunteering as well as the impact the trip will have on you and others. When people receive personal letters asking for support, they are more willing to invest their time and money.   
7. Alternative Spring Break Fundraising: Alternative Spring Breaks are ones that allow students to spend their spring break volunteering with the organization of their choice. There are many options for students, with organizations such as United Way, Global Citizens Network, and Habitat for Humanity offering volunteer opportunities during spring break. Thousands of students participate in Alternative Spring Break, and Chipotle fundraisers have helped hundreds of student groups raise money to support these trips. If your school group is looking for spring break fundraising ideas, consider hosting a fundraiser with Chipotle to receive 25% of proceeds for your trip, assuming your fundraiser reaches the $150 sales minimum.

We hope that these fundraising ideas helped you create a plan to raise enough money to participate in a volunteer trip abroad. If your Chipotle fundraiser helped take you on an Alternative Spring Break or other volunteer trip, tell us your story.