Fundraising for Volunteer Travel

Some of our volunteers have asked about fundraising for their trip to Peru. One of the great things about volunteer travel, as opposed to regular leisure travel, is that it's easier to ask people to contribute money towards your effort to help children in Peru than your effort to drink Tequila Sunrises at a poolside bar in Cancun.

Fundraising can be done in several ways, and I think it's helpful to look at your potential pool of contributers as occupying circles around you. 

Family and close friends

The first circle are those closest to you, like your immediate family and closest friends. These are the people you would feel most comfortable approaching directly to contribute with no strings attached and would likely contribute the largest individual sums. If they believe as strongly in what you are doing as you are, and they know that you need the financial help to make the trip happen, they could be your best bet. You could ask them to:

• Contribute financial help in lieu of gifts they would otherwise give
  
• Collecting donations on your behalf (think of the parent who sells Girl Guide cookies in their office on behalf of their daughter)
  
• Help you organize a fundraising event (silent auction, party, show, concert)
• Just give you money

In the case of Para el Mundo, we made use of our closest friends and their resources to put together a concert at the Rivoli in Toronto. Our headliner was Samba Squad, an exciting percussion ensemble that had everyone dancing. We had t-shirts and ball caps made and sold craft items previous volunteers brought back from Peru. After ticket sales, donations collected during the show, and swag and craft sales, we had raised about $2000 for PaM that night.

Friends and co-workers

Outside that close inner circle are the remainder of your friends and your co-workers, who would likely attend your fundraiser, kick in a few bucks to your cause, but not make a substantial contribution beyond that. This group is a lot larger than your inner circle, but they still know and trust you. Pitching your plan to fundraise to them should be easy, but they won't feel as obliged to help you out. The key to getting funds from this group is offering something in return, even if its recognition on your website for contributing, or promoting their own business or interest. If you have a blog or a website and they have a band, you can write up a post in return for their contribution. Some ideas:

• Start a blog about your effort to get this trip off the ground. People like these kind of stories, and want the hero (you!) to succeed. In your blog, publicly recognize and thank the people that help you. Be sure to ask for donations which can be done through PayPal or Facebook. Here is an article on collecting through facebook applications.
  
• Find something to sell. You could start an Ebay auction and ask people to donate items that you can sell. If you're really nice, you could offer to share in a bit of the profit! Check out the companies that schools use for fundraising. A simple Google search should turn up hundreds! Find something unique to sell. An educational tour company I worked for once recorded a Christmas CD and made it availabel to schools as a fundraiser!
  
• Hold a fundraiser. It could be something as elaborate as a concert or a show, or as simple as a dinner party. Figure out what your costs will be and sell tickets that will cover your costs and then turn a profit. Add to your profit by selling other items. Don't over-estimate your turnout or choose a venue and entertainer that will leave you struggling if people don't show up in droves. A general rule for expected numbers is only count on 50% of your "yes" responses to show up. People are more polite than they are honest and would rather tell you they are coming than tell you they are not, even if they don't plan on attending.
  

The general public

This is the largest group (obviously) and the hardest to sell. Everyone is asking for money. Everyone is needy. There are people starving all over the world, and with the current economy, people are generally less willing now to let go of their hard earned money to help strangers. The key to getting funding from strangers is having a compelling story, not asking for much, and offering something of equivilent or greater value than what you are asking them to contribute. Ideas for this group would work with the other groups.

• Ask businesses to donate something you can give away or auction/sell in return for advertising, mention of sponsorship, etc.
  
• Sell tickets to a show, or fundraiser you are hosting as above. Make sure to promote the heck out of your event in the media. Contact all the papers and local bloggers!
  
• Start a word of mouth or social media campaign (like on facebook) asking for contributions of $1. Set a target date and maybe a website. Try to find something of value to offer for that $1. Here is a guy who made a ton of cash by selling pixels of a website for advertising. This has laready been done, so you probably won't have any luck replicating it, but it might give you some ideas.
  

One last thing...

Figure out which kind of fundraiser will bring the biggest return for the effort spent. However, no matter what you choose to do to fundraise, don't expect the money to flow easily and without effort. Treat your fundraising like a job, create a realistic goal and work your hardest to achieve it. The surpass it. When you are successful, be sure to thank those responsible for helping you. When you return from your trip, make sure those who helped get copies of your photos and some kind of souvenier. 

Then share your experience with the rest of the world!

The Kitten

One of the memorable experiences I had in Mancora, was finding a kitten on the front porch of the volunteer house. She was the smallest kitten I've ever seen and she was lying on her side, barely moving. I got some milk and she was able to suck it out of my hand, which instantly revived her. She ate a lot and then took a nap on my lap. I sat with her for hours, feeding her and letting her sleep next to me.

The two cats, Toffee and Fat Eddy, that live in the volunteer house now were rescued from a dumpster and PaM has the reputation of saving animals. I guess someone left this tiny kitten, hoping we could help.

I was leaving in less then a week and knew I had to find him a home. I enlisted the help of Gaby, the wonderful volunteer coordinator that will help you even when she doesn't have the time. Basically we were trying to find a home for a baby that needs to be fed every two hours, kept warm (not hard in Mancora), and stimulated to go to the bathroom. Amazingly, one of the volunteers Caitlin, with the support of her parents Michelle and Maggie, agreed to take on the kitten. I was so relieved and grateful I almost cried.

So many animals in Mancora need help and don't get it. I was happy to play a small role in this one cats life, but also sad to know that I couldn't do more for so many other animals. I dream of a veterinarian volunteering in Mancora and I would love to return and start a community run animal rescue.

PaM/Voluntraveler House in Mancora Peru

This is a video slideshow of the accommodation used by our volunteers in Mancora Peru. 

Learning To Surf In Mancora

Learning to surf in Mancora is an experience I will never forget. Why was this experience so memorable? First, it was wicked awesome fun; Second, I actually stood up on the board a bunch of times during my first lesson - this made me proud as punch; Third, let’s face it, people think you’re cool if you know how to surf.

My first attempt at surfing happened about one week after my arrival in Mancora. By that time I had been to the beach several times and had caught a couple of amazing waves on the boogey board. The thrill of catching those waves made me greedy for an authentic surfing experience. Give me that long board baby!

This authentic surfing experience came to fruition when my friends recommended Robbie, a local teacher and also a world-class ranked surfer. Robbie speaks both Spanish and English (which was good for me because my Spanish was not great at the time). What impressed me most about Robbie was his professionalism and easygoing personality. He’s super nice and really encouraging as a teacher. ‘Safety first’ was really emphasized during the lesson as well. For example, Robbie made sure I started out on the sandy area of the beach and not near the rocky break so I was not at risk of getting a ‘tummy scratcher’. With Robbie’s super easygoing style and mad skills as a surfer, I was up on that board in no time.

So there I was on a sunny Saturday morning at Mancora Beach with a white and pink long board, a borrowed surf shirt, and Robbie at my side. My first victory was learning the ‘pop up’ on the beach. My ultimate victory, however, was accomplishing that ‘pop up’ while catching a wave. The thrill of catching a wave was addictive. After that moment, I couldn’t get enough and I surfed almost every weekend.

Luckily my friend was there to snap a few pictures of my first lesson. (Note the giant grin.) That smile didn’t go away for hours and hours. I was so thrilled about my gnarly new skill that I recommended Robbie to every volunteer I met. It’s great way to experience what Mancora is famous for – a killer off-the-beaten-path surf spot. If there could be a star rating system to surf lessons, I would give lessons in Mancora a 5 out of 5. Hands Down!

Just remember to re-apply that sunscreen and you’ll be set for days and days of Mancora beach bliss on your board.

Mancora the Movie

An adventure drama that tells the story of Santiago, a 22-year old from Lima. Following his father's suicide , haunted by inner daemons and hatred for the world in general, Santiago decides to escape the crude Lima winter to take refuge in Mancora.

It will be interesting to see what effect, if any, this film will have on the tourist industry in Mancora. 

The Ocean in Mancora

When not in the volunteer house or working on a project I'm likely down at the beach when I'm in Mancora. Stretching the town on the west coast is the Pacific and the main destination for the majority of the tourists that come to Mancora. 

I had never lived on an ocean before coming to Peru. I'd visited and swam in both the Atlantic and Pacific on family trips when I was younger, but to have such access to an ocean (the PaM house is a ten minute walk from the beach) was amazing. 

I tried surfing and didn't do too badly with an instructor. Didn't do too well on my own. We got a body board down there and I had fun riding that for a while. My favorite thing to do was just swim out into the surf and body surf the waves back in.  I try to avoid the busy areas of the beach in front of the hotels on the south side of town. I swim in the usually deserted north end, where I don't have to worry about getting in anyone else's way. I usually go in the evening (the best time for random dolphin sightings) and watch the sunset as I swim. I'm not the most spiritual guy, but I feel pretty connected and at peace when I'm floating in the ocean in Mancora.

Why pay to volunteer?

The question of paying to volunteer pops up frequently, and is answered quite eloquently in this post by Le Ann Joy Adam, who worked as the Overseas Resource Coordinator at Stanford University. 

Below are the benefits she outlines for using an established organization and how Voluntraveler and PaM fit into it. The headings are hers, the points are mine.

• Orientation - Voluntraveler and PaM staff in Peru help the volunteers adjust to their new surroundings and integrate into the community quickly
  
• Language and Technical Training - Although we ask our volunteers to have intermediate Spanish, we offer additional Spanish lessons and the local professionals we work with can teach our volunteers a lot on the job.
  
• Arranged Accommodation - all of our volunteers live in the Volunteer House, have their own bedroom, and enjoy living with other volunteers and our Peruvian staff. Living in the volunteer house makes organizing projects, and having meetings very easy.
  
• A Safety Net - living with the other volunteers and our Peruvian staff means you have a shoulder to cry on when you are homesick, and other people who are sharing your experience. The staff provide logistical support as well.
  
• Clear Expectations - volunteers can run with projects started by others, or define their own. Having experienced PaM staff and established projects gives direction to our volunteers.
  
• Affordability - our program prices are less than what you would pay for a similar all-inclusive vacation elsewhere in the world, and probably less than what you would spend to live for a month in Canada or the USA. 

Voluntraveler is a social enterprise, and the fees we collect from our volunteers cover our overhead costs and offset the administration costs for Para el Mundo. We pay our Peruvian staff a handsome living wage and health insurance (rare in Peru) and this frees up money donated to PaM for their programs. It's a model similar to the one adopted by Free the Children (charity) and Me to We (social enterprise). Their trips are more than $1000 USD/week - twice what Voluntraveler fees are!