Fundraise

Fundraising is often an essential part of getting involved in a cause. But whether you want to raise money to help a cause, or need money to start a project or host an event, it can be very tricky.

Step 1: Do your research.

Find the answers to questions like: "How does this organization use donated money?" "Can you choose where your money will go?" and "How much of the donated money are used for overhead costs as opposed to actual projects?" Also, make sure you know a lot about the organization in general. When you ask people to make a donation, they will want to know about the cause. It's a good idea to map out your budget beforehand so you will be able to tell people exactly how their money will be used and so you know how much you will actually need.

Step 2: Raise the money.

So how do you actually raise money and who do you ask? Here are two good ways: you can contact people and ask them to donate or you can host an event.

To contact people, write a formal e-mail or letter asking for donations and send it to your family and friends. Ask your parents to send it to their co-workers or ask your friends to send it to their families and friends. Ask neighbors and community members from religious centers and other affiliations. Post the donation forms on bulletin boards and get permission to set up a station in school. You can even get a group of people and go to a public place like a mall and approach people walking by. Bottom-line, use your networking skills and get out and talk to people.

To host an event, contact your local community center or school and ask to use part of the facility. Invite speakers or have a concert or show a movie. You can even contact a former Peace Corps Volunteers to come speak. To raise money, either charge admission or ask people who attend to donate money. Make sure to publicize the event by hanging posters and using your networking skills.

Other fundraising ideas include:

Useful Documents:

To find out more about how you can fundraise for specific Peace Corps Volunteer projects, check out the Peace Corps Partnership Program.