Fundraising

Fundraising is a great way to raise substantial funds to support your journey. In the past, Ikando volunteers have contacted their local community by writing letters to ask for support, or even organized community events - like concerts, art shows, game programmes such as bingo, and bake sales. They have also received donations from private enterprises, local companies, and international organisations, because these companies love to lend a helping hand to volunteers. Fundraising is a good opportunity to inform others of what you are going to do, and it will allow you to get the financial assistance that you may need to make your international volunteering dream happen.
Ikando is happy to help with any fundraising activities, and can provide you with a letter that you can send to organisations to prove your commitment as a volunteer.

Begin by listing people and organizations that you know and trust, because these people will be the first to help you achieve your goal. You should ask everyone you know (and even some you do not know) to contribute to your cause - you never know who will be willing to donate.

Write your goals, hopes, and reasons for volunteering. When writing your fundraising letter, explain how their donation will make an impact by allowing you to meet these goals while helping a community in need. Please remember not to write too much information, but just write clearly, precisely, and to the point. This will help donors to know about your desires for them to aid in a good cause.

You may find that asking for a specific amount of money is the most successful approach. Let them know the total amount that you are hoping to raise. You may even want to outline the specific cost, perhaps daily expenses, of your placement.

When approaching companies, express a sense of urgency. This limits their time to decide as to whether or not to donate - you will find this easier because you will be forewarned as to whether you should keep trying with other organisations or not.

Please acknowledge all contributors with a thank you letter, which recognizes and praises their help. You will want to be as polite and thankful as possible, so you may choose to write a thank you letter and include a printed list of your supporters' names. Some volunteers like to host a small open house before they leave on their expeditions to publicly recognise and thank supporters.

Promise to reward your contributors with a follow-up presentation about what occurred during your volunteer work. Offering to give a presentation upon your return is a great way to secure funding from religious organisations, civic groups, alumni associations, educational institutions, and just about all contributing organisations When you are away keep in touch with your donors by writing e-mails or reports from your placement. Evidence, like pictures of the community that you worked with or the children that you taught, of your actions abroad, helps people to better understand and see where their money has made a difference. Pictures of you working overseas can be good reminders of how their money made a positive impact on the world.

Always remember to stay in contact with your contributing organizations Remind them and assure them of their importance to you - by telling them that you do need and appreciate their support.

University funds
If you are a student, one major source of funding is your own college or university. Many are allocated a certain amount of funds for student activities particularly if the placement can be integrated into an academic or service-learning course.
Please contact your university to find out more.

Grants
Another common way to raise money is through grant proposals. With a grant proposal, you apply to many charitable organisations, such as the Prince’s Trust, to request funding.

Local businesses
Local businesses may make a contribution to your volunteer cause. Approach the business with a letter first, enclosing all relevant materials and a pledge form. Then, follow up the proposal with a phone call or personal meeting. For a positive example of local businesses that support international volunteers, one volunteer's placement was funded through a grocery shop because the shop was pleased just to have the publicity.

Events
When planning an event, always make sure that the expected amount of income will surpass the amount of time and money put into the event. If you work hard at your event, you can raise the entire amount of money that you will need for your volunteering work.

Sales
A traditional way to raise money is through bake sales, arts and crafts sales, garage sales, in fact just about any type of sale that interests you. If you know someone who is a baker, an artist, or a published writer, you can ask them if they would like to donate their creations, so that you may allot the sale towards your fundraising placement.

Raffles
For a raffle, groups can obtain donated items from local shops, companies, and restaurants. A fundraiser can use these items and raffle them off, usually at a larger event such as a dance. If there are no large items to raffle off, sometimes groups buy their own - like a television or a stereo. As long as the proceeds are higher than the purchase price, raffles are effective methods of fundraising.

Media
Perhaps one of the best ways to promote awareness and to raise funds for your upcoming international adventure is through utilizing the local media. You can circulate a press announcement to publications with which you may be affiliated, such as your local newspaper, alumni magazines, church bulletins, or any organization bulletins. Having a short piece published is a wonderful start on your fundraising quest.

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