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Five Benefits of Fundraising for Your Next Volunteer Vacation

If you’ve dreamed of traveling to exciting new places to help other people, you’ve likely already experienced some of the common challenges of bringing that dream to fruition: time, money, and fear.

Budgeting for a volunteer vacation can often be one of the greatest obstacles preventing eager folks from volunteering abroad. Finding the money can seem daunting and unfeasible, and even with the time and willingness to go, can put a hold on experiencing the trip of a lifetime. If generating the funds for a volunteer trip has been a significant deterrent in your plans, it might be beneficial to consider an alternative option that is commonly overlooked: fundraising.

For those who haven’t fundraised before, fundraising might seem like a fancy word for asking others for money. Let’s clear up that. More than simply seeking financial support, fundraising establishes a partnership between the volunteer and the supporters. It provides new opportunities for both the volunteer and the surrounding community, and has a number of benefits that might change your perspective on how to come up with the funds for the trip you’ve been dreaming about:

1. Fundraising creates awareness. Too often, enthusiastic volunteers travel to faraway places and have an incredible experience, and yet no one knows about it until they get back and post stirring pictures on Facebook. At that point, the volunteer is whole-heartedly inspired and devoted to carrying on the cause that they lent a hand to. They flood friends and family with talk of their new-found passion and leave others trying to catch up and understand the significance of their sudden desire to provide continued aid. Fundraising helps share this vision and these needs before the volunteer returns with enthusiasm for the cause. It creates awareness for the needs of the community where the volunteer will be working and helps prep others to be interested and excited as well. Plus, the more people that know about needs around the world, the more willing people there will be to help!

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2. Fundraising gets other people involved. As you may have experienced yourself, not everyone has the time to travel and volunteer abroad. But people love to help. Sharing your experience with others and asking them to participate by financially supporting you gives them a chance to help others and get involved in a way they might not have had the opportunity to do before. Think of fundraising as a way to give back to your local community by creating opportunities for others to serve. You can help people in other countries, and provide opportunities to people at home at the same time!

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3. Fundraising creates a community of support. Not only are contributors getting the chance to help people overseas, but they get the chance to help and support YOU. Instead of being a lone ranger on your volunteer vacation and trail-blazing into foreign places on your own, fundraising helps other people be informed about your life and what you're involved in. It establishes a partnership in the work that you’re completing; people will be excited to hear about updates from your trip, as they will be personally invested in the fruits of your labor. And when things get hard during your service projects, you can take comfort in the fact that people at home are thinking and praying for you.

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4. Fundraising is great preparation for kids. Fundraising for a volunteer vacation with your family gives kids a chance to learn about service before ever leaving on a trip. By participating in fundraising activities like car-washes, babysitting, bake-sales, or other community volunteer activities, children develop awareness to the needs of others around them. They will ask questions and seek to understand the significance of their help, and in turn will be able to learn about why they will be going on a volunteer vacation. As a parent, you can use these opportunities to help your child know what to expect, and to get them excited about what they can do to help someone else.

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5. Fundraising brings a return for the giver. Since your supporters are financially contributing to a charity, their donations are tax-deductible. No one ever seems to be disappointed that the money they are giving to help someone else is going to be returned to them at the end of the year.

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Fundraising might be a new concept for you to consider, but it provides a lot of great opportunities for you, your family, your potential supporters, and your community. Let your old perspective shift and give fundraising a try for your next volunteer vacation. You might be surprised at the positive and welcoming response you get!

September Volunteer of the Month: Zoe Romney

Check out more of her story here:  Volunteer of the Month

And vote for Zoe on Globe Aware’s Facebook Page!
 

Globe Aware takes its volunteers’ safety very seriously. Not only do we monitor the U.S. Department of State travel alerts, advisories and warnings and those produced by the equivalent agencies in Canada and the United Kingdom, but we also follow situations in each country closely through our staff on the field and our peer organizations and by calling the Embassies directly. It is our policy to cancel programs whenever there is an official travel advisory issued to a particular country or region. Other warnings are evaluated and assessed, and programs will be adjusted accordingly as Globe Aware deems appropriate. For future travel advice, please stay updated on Globe Aware’s Facebook page for suggestions and insight into current alerts.

Travel the World in your Pajamas!

Globe Aware has joined Pinterest!
Globe Aware has recently joined the online pin board Pinterest. We are sharing beautiful photos for our volunteers past, present and future to add to their own boards. Globe Aware trips are perfect additions to your travel boards, wish list, or bucket list boards. Follow us today! See what other volunteers have experienced: the change they have made in communities as well as the breathtaking beauty of the destination.

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