Getting Started
WHere to start when fundraising
Once you’ve begun planning your experience abroad, it can quickly become daunting how much there is to think about – especially the funds!
But fundraising is an essential part to any charity, non-profit organisation, or NGO activity. It can be a fun and incredibly rewarding first challenge. In addition to raising money for a great cause, fundraising can teach you some important skills that you can take beyond your trip abroad!
Have a read of the resources below to help orientate yourself now that it’s time to think about funding. Because now really is the best time to start thinking about funding!
why do I have to pay to volunteer?
Unlike other companies in the field, Vocational Impact is a charity organisation and operates under UK registered charity Arms Around the Child. Vocational Impact is the volunteering branch of AATC, which is governed by the UK Charity Commission, and we are a not-for-profit organisation.
Your fee goes towards helping us help you by supporting you every step of the way with the following:
Support before you travel (Documents, Visa advice, Trip preparation)
Support in-country (Accommodation, Transport, Meals, Programme Training and Development)
A unique work placement with a real project making a positive impact
where does my money go?
Your programme fees also go towards providing you with a safe, organised and structured volunteer placement, as well as being reinvested directly back into our project partners. The money you pay is a donation, and will be used to support the project you will be working with, as well as all your in-country costs to ensure you have the best experience.
Because we are a registered NGO we can claim GiftAID on your donation fees (UK only), which means we can donate even more directly towards the projects you will stay with. VI has been awarded ‘Ethical Travel Partner’ at many UK universities because of our unique model. We chose to operate as a charity, and not a for profit company. This means we are governed by UK charity law and have to follow a very strict set of guidelines.
preparation
how much will i need to fundraise?
Your starting figure and fundraising goal will be worked out based on the placement you apply for, which location you choose and the length of your stay.
You can use the pricing page to work out how much your placement will cost. But what about the extras; flights, injections, visas etc?
Our budgeting page has plenty of resources to help you figure out the prices of any extras that aren’t included in the placement donation fee. Furthermore, your volunteer coordinator can help you work out a total.
It is also a good idea to get to know your programme inside out. How much free time will you have? What will you want to do in that time? What do you need to take with you? Use our programme pages to make sure you know everything there is to know about your experience!
Then, make a plan! Be realistic about what you can achieve and what you have time for. Again, if you are a student, take your other commitments into account. Set out clear aims and objectives, don’t rush, and DON’T! PANIC!
when do i need to pay?
The longer you give yourself to fundraise the better. We understand that as a student, you are of course juggling many other commitments – but shorter fundraising timescales can limit your ability to host events or build enough awareness to your campaign.
However, the only immediate outlay is the registration fee, the total balance isn’t due until 60 days before departure. Our ideas and events page also has loads of ideas for various timescales to help you plan how you fundraise.
step 1
Create your budget and create a way of tracking your budget which will become a reference to all your fundraising efforts. Some people prefer written tables and notes, others are suckers for spreadsheets.
step 2
Setting up an online donation page through a donation platform is a great way to have a single location to send people to. You can use our Arms Around the Child fundraising platform on Enthuse (no fees). These platforms can display your targets and where you’re up to but also help you keep your sponsors up to date with your progress the adventure you are planning.
STEP 3
The next step we recommend everyone do is to create your story. This will help you clarify your reasons for going and help you better communicate to potential sponsors what your mission is (and why they should support you). Check out our tell your story page for more ideas about this step.
Also, have a read through some of our volunteer stories for inspiration. These are volunteers who’ve been out and had amazing experiences, they’ll remind you not only of the adventure that awaits you but also of the vital work you’ll be doing in the field.
step 4
Get fundraising!! So we’ve done the research, we’ve built our mission, and now it’s time to get out there and get started fundraising for your volunteer adventure.
Have a look at our Ideas and Events page and our Bursaries/Grants page to see how you can get started.
Soon you will be setting off on the trip of a lifetime.
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