Thank you for volunteering through Volunteer Travel Net. To advance this process and make this dream a reality for you, we have compiled a fundraising kit to assist you in reaching your goal. Many Volunteer Travel Net volunteers have had great success funding their trips through various sponsorships. They have returned with a sense of fulfillment, knowing that their fundraising efforts not only promoted awareness of global issues, but also made possible the opportunity of a lifetime.
( Make your own Sponsorship Page in 5 minutes)

In this guide, you will find:

• An Introduction to Fundraising
  Including tips to help you make your fundraising more successful and important do’s and don’ts.
• Fundraising Activities
  Creative ideas for fundraising your program fee and your airfare.
• Success Stories from our Alumni
  Stories from past volunteers to help inspire you, detailing how they went about fundraising and how much they raised towards their program.
• The Donation Process
  Detailed information on how to receive and keep track of donations for your program.
• Sample Fundraising Letter
  A sample letter to help guide you on what to write for your own letter campaign.
• Sample Press Announcement
  A sample press announcement to help you reach out to local publications.

Volunteer Travel Net is part of:

1. Start by making a list of everyone you know. Don’t leave anyone off. You never know who might be willing to help you achieve your goal. The more contributions, the better, so consider expanding beyond your inner circle of close friends and immediate family members. The cardinal rule of fundraising is that if you don't ask, you won't get anything. Who do you know? Ask anyone and everyone you know and even those you don’t know to contribute to your cause.

2. Write out your goals and reasons for volunteering. When writing your fundraising letter, explain how their donation will make an impact.

3. Keep it short & simple (KISS). Keep your letters to one page. Too much information can alienate a potential donor. Many of your donors will not be familiar with the intricacies of international volunteering or international development; they will be more interested in contributing to a good cause (education, the medical field, caring for children or the elderly, training adults in specific skills).

4. Identify your support system. Some people will be extremely supportive and share your enthusiasm and excitement. Talking to people and listening to their reactions will help you gauge the level of interest and support they will have for your endeavor.

5. Ask for a specific amount of money. When you say "contribution", some people are thinking $5, while others are thinking $500. Tell people how much you want. Let them know the total amount that you are hoping to fundraise. You may even want to outline the cost per day of your program (divide your total program fee by the number of days you will be overseas). Established, professional people often can contribute more money than those who are students. Don't be afraid to ask your more established contacts for $100, $200 or even $500.

6. Convey a sense of urgency. This limits their time to forget about giving you a contribution.

7. Make it convenient for them to give you money and get a commitment for payment rather than a promise. Say, "If you don't have the money now, why don't you post-date a check?" or ask them to fill out a sponsorship form and then get back to them at a designated time. You can even have them make their contributions online at our Program Payment page.

8. Give incentives. Many people who contribute money simply want recognition and praise. Write a thank you letter and include a printed list of your supporters’ names. Host a small open house before you leave to publicly recognize and thank your supporters.

9. Explain that donation money going towards the program fee is tax-deductible. Your supporters are making a restricted donation. If the donation is $50 or greater, they will receive a receipt from Volunteer Travel Net for their contribution. If the donation is less than $50, the donor can use their processed check as evidence of their contribution. In the event that you cancel your program, any donations you receive are non-refundable. They will be transferred to our scholarship fund, which will be used to subsidize the program fee of another volunteer.

10. Promise a presentation upon your return. Offering to give a slide show upon your return is a great way to secure funding from religious organizations, civic groups, alumni associations, and educational institutions. Tangible evidence of your actions abroad helps people understand where their dollars have gone. Pictures of you working overseas can be good reminders of how their money made an impact.

11. Always follow up. You have to get on the phone with a small business, a civic or religious group, and your friends and relatives to let them know that you really do need their support. One follow-up call can make the difference between their sending a check or pushing the request to the back burner and never getting to it.

A letter-writing campaign is one of the simplest and most effective fundraising methods you can use. To assist you, a sample fundraising letter is included in this kit. You can use this letter as a model for your own efforts to raise money for your program. Send letters to friends and family, employers and co-workers, clubs, churches or temples, local banks, foundations and charitable organizations in your area. The Rotary, Lions and Elks Clubs, Junior League, Junior Chamber and The United Way are some larger charitable organizations that may be interested in donating to your cause as well. Don't forget to mention that all donations toward the program fee are 100% U.S. tax-deductible. Donors giving more than $50 will receive a tax receipt for the amount of their donation.

You also may want to engage in an e-mail campaign to friends and family, sending those interested in making a donation to your cause to the Program Payments page on our website.

If you are a student, one major source of funding is your own college or university. Many school clubs are allocated a certain amount of funds through student activities. See if your club is eligible. Many departments also have discretionary funds for projects and programs. If your trip can be integrated into an academic or service-learning course, there may also be some funds that could be used for your program.

One of the most common ways to raise money is through grant proposals. Though a grant proposal is very simple to write, getting it accepted is difficult. The Ford Foundation receives more than 1,000 proposals daily requesting money! Also, grants are often time sensitive in that foundations have deadlines and funding cycles.

One of the most comprehensive books on foundations is the Foundation Directory, which is available at most libraries. It lists the board members of most foundations and the types of projects they fund. Follow the "Who Do You Know" principle and see if someone you know is on the board of a foundation that might give to your cause.

Local businesses are far more likely than large corporations to make a contribution to your cause. The key is to make a link between the owner and you or someone close to you. You may want to approach the business with a letter first, enclosing all relevant materials and a pledge form, and then follow up with a phone call. We know of one volunteer whose program was funded through a grocery store. In turn, the store was pleased to have the publicity.

Service clubs such as Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, and Optimists, fraternal organizations such as Elk and Moose clubs, and religious groups such as churches and temples are excellent sources for fundraising. Follow the "Who Do You Know" principle; is someone you know a member or a friend of a member?

The best course of action is to contact as many clubs in your area as possible and to ask if you can give a presentation to their club. Many clubs have breakfast, lunch or dinner meetings where you can ask to speak for 15–20 minutes to present your request and explain what you will be doing. This is your chance to sell your volunteer program. Remember, you are not asking for money for a vacation. You are asking for a donation to do volunteer work overseas and to make a difference in the world. Also, let them know that you are willing to come back and show them slides or a video of the program when you return.

After the meeting, write a follow-up letter thanking them for letting you speak and reiterating your request for money. Be specific about how much money you are requesting and how it will be used. Be realistic about the amount you are requesting. A total of $200 - $400 is probably reasonable.

When planning an event, be sure the expected amount of income is worth the amount of time and money put into the event. If you spend 80 hours and $500 to raise $1,000, is it worth it?

Sales – One of the traditional ways to raise money is through bake sales, arts and crafts sales, candy sales, garage sales, etc. Do you know someone who is a great baker, an artist, or a published writer? Ask them if they might donate their creations to you so that you may allocate the sale towards your program.

Raffles – This works better for groups raising funds. Often groups can get items donated to them from local stores, companies, and restaurants, which they can raffle off, usually at a larger event such as a dance. Use the "Who Do You Know" principle. If there are no large items to raffle off, sometimes groups buy something like a television. That is fine as long as the proceeds are well over the purchase price.

Parties, Dances, Music - These can range from black tie affairs to simple pizza parties. Again, use the "Who Do You Know" principle. Do you have a friend in a band? Do you know the owner of a bar or a restaurant? Some simple events include having a band play at a club where you get the cover charge or a percentage of the drink sales. Or perhaps a restaurant will allow you an evening offering an all-you-can eat buffet for $15 where you get $7.50 and the restaurant gets $7.50. You can even throw your own party and ask that your guests pay a cover charge, provided the cover is well over the cost of the party.

These types of events can be very labor intensive. Be careful how you structure them and be clear about your expectations.

Perhaps one of the best ways to promote awareness and to raise funds for your upcoming international adventure is through the local media. You can circulate the enclosed press announcement to publications with which you may be affiliated, such as your hometown newspaper, the paper from the town where you presently reside, alumni magazines, church bulletins, etc. Having a short piece published anywhere can go a long way in your quest for funds.

It is essential that you understand how the donation process works before you start your fundraising efforts. To ensure donations can be credited to your program fee, please take a moment to consider the following:

1. Checks – all donations should be made out to "Volunteer Travel Net." Be sure you send us the complete mailing address of the donor.
2. Credit Card – donors can contact the Volunteer Travel Net office by phone and make a donation with a MasterCard or Visa credit card. Or, they can visit our Program Payments page on our website and make their donation online.
3. Cash – is not accepted by Volunteer Travel Net and must be a direct contribution to your expenses.

As you begin to receive donations, it is important to keep a running total of all the money raised. If your donations exceed the total program fee, you will be refunded up to the amount you have paid personally.

As you approach the program fee total or exceed the total refundable amount, advise donors to make payments directly to you and inform them that they will not receive a tax receipt for this.

It is a good idea to periodically send in donations to the Volunteer Travel Net’ office, so that they can be credited to your account and donors can receive a tax receipt.

Money not eligible for refund will be credited to your account. You may use this credit towards one of our programs within 12 months of the start date of your current program. After 12 months, the money will be deposited into our scholarship account and will be available for use by other future volunteers.

If you are going to fundraise together with other volunteers, one person must take charge of the efforts and act as a fundraising coordinator. Additionally, your program fees must be grouped together so that we can distribute raised funds equally. Please get in touch with us ahead of time if you are planning on fundraising with other people.

Donations of more than $50 will receive a tax receipt if they made payment by check or credit card. We will send the tax receipt directly to the donor’s mailing address.

If you are fundraising, your program fee balance will be due 2 weeks before the start date of your program.

You may continue fundraising until the start date of your program. Any donations received after the balance is paid will be refunded up until your program start date.

Note: If for any reason you cancel or postpone your volunteer program, donations will not be refunded to the donor. In the event of a postponement, you may use the donation money for another program (within 12 months of the cancellation). If you decide to cancel, all donations will be transferred to our development fund.

Please ensure -

___ Checks are made payable to Agenda SOS International, inc.t

___ Volunteer name is in the memo section of the check

___ Donors mailing address is provided (either on check or separately)

These donations are contributions toward __________________________ (volunteer’s first and last name) volunteer program with Volunteer Travel Net. The donor name, dollar amount, and address (if not on the check) are listed below.

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These donations are contributions toward __________________________ (volunteer’s first and last name) volunteer program with Volunteer Travel Net. The donor name, dollar amount, and address (if not on the check) are listed below.

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These donations are contributions toward __________________________ (volunteer’s first and last name) volunteer program with Volunteer Travel Net. The donor name, dollar amount, and address (if not on the check) are listed below.

[Date]

Dear ___________,

I am writing to you because I have just discovered a wonderful opportunity for an overseas experience that is bound to change my life.

Volunteer Travel Net, a non-profit volunteer organization, offers a program that places volunteers in countries such as Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Peru, Russia, Tanzania, and Thailand for a variety of community development projects. Volunteer Travel Net’ mission is to operate volunteer programs around the world in partnership with sustainable community initiatives, bringing people together to work side-by-side while sharing perspectives and fostering cultural understanding. With my background in __________, my placement will focus on __________, which will help local social service pioneers achieve their goals and missions. (e.g., I will have the opportunity to assist other health care providers in setting up medical clinics and providing for the basic health care needs of people in an entire community.) In addition to the services I can provide in _________ (area of specialization) my teaching skills will enable me to speak on the importance of _________ (immunization programs, HIV/AIDS awareness, women’s empowerment, etc.) in [destination country] when I return.

Volunteer Travel Net is a recognized leader in its field, sending thousands of participants overseas every year and having been profiled in more than 300 news outlets, including Time, Newsweek, USA Today, The New York Times, National Geographic Traveler, CNN, and the ABC Nightly News. In May 2003, Volunteer Travel Net was granted Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Through this status, Volunteer Travel Net was recognized as an expert in its field and may be consulted on economic and social issues by the United Nations. They are an independent, registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

All Volunteer Travel Net programs are run solely by volunteer contributions, and therefore each program has a fee. The fee for this _____week program, including all meals, lodging, travel medical insurance, and in-country transportation, totals $________ and does not include airfare to [destination country].

To be able to go on this program, I need financial assistance, which I hope you can help provide. If you choose to lend your support to this cause, you’ll be pleased to know that all donations are 100% U.S. tax-deductible.

Thank you in advance.

Yours truly,

[your name]

NEW ROCHELLE, NY-- [Basic introduction of where you will be going (i.e. destination country), where you will be placed, what you will be doing there, perhaps how you heard about the program, and any other information you deem pertinent.]

[Your name] is a volunteer with Volunteer Travel Net, a world leader in international volunteering. Volunteer Travel Net breaks the time commitment barrier most international volunteers encounter by offering people of all backgrounds the opportunity to serve, learn, and make a meaningful contribution in as few as two weeks.

"The minimum requirement of most overseas volunteer organizations is six months," explains Volunteer Travel Net’ director Steven Rosenthal. "Most Americans can’t devote such a long period of time to volunteer work. Our programs make overseas social service accessible to people like [your name] who juggle full-time schooling, jobs, families, or other long-term obligations."

Volunteer Travel Net’ programs are open to people of all ages and backgrounds. Programs range in length from4-52 weeks. Volunteers are given individual placements based on their skills and interests, and work in community development projects with infants and children, teenagers, adults, the elderly, and people with special needs like HIV/AIDS or mental or physical disabilities. These placements vary from caring for infants at one of Mother Teresa's clinics in India, to shadowing doctors in Ghana, to teaching English to children with no access to education. The only prerequisite is a desire to help others.

The Volunteer Travel Net’ program includes an intensive, three-day orientation with in-country expert staff. Participants stay in volunteer houses or hostels while performing their volunteer duties. Volunteers pay their own airfare and a U.S. tax-deductible fee to Volunteer Travel Net to cover all their program expenses.

To contribute to [Your name]’s program costs, please contact [your name] at [your phone number]. All donations are tax-deductible for US residents.

For more information contact:

(Agenda S.O.S. International, Inc.)

3225 D Sutton Place, nw Washington, DC 20016

(202) 362-5056 [phone]

info@agendasos.com [email]

Visit us on the Internet: http://www.agendasos.com/