How do you raise money to volunteer abroad?

What are some ideas to raise money so I can volunteer abroad next summer?

• I'm a 19 year old college student and I want to volunteer abroad next summer through a program called Gap Medics with my placement in Africa. I'd really like this opportunity ...show more

• Answer:

  Try by getting a free fundraising kit from various websites. It's a great way to learn more about the fundraising options they offer. With the right information and the right tools they can help you make your next fundraiser a success. All fundraising groups are going to have to sell their items to generate money. Everyone starts with selling to mom and dad then moves on to friends. The more successful the campaign means the more people you will actually have to talk to. Here are a collection of sales tips you can use to help you while you are raising funds. - Have fun and enjoy what you are doing. It is not necessary to have a canned speech and perform it by memory. You can talk to people and have fun with your campaign, the donors will pick up on this and sales will increase. - Be honest while making the rounds for sales. You are a representative of your school group. - People do not want to be told what to do. Your job is to make people feel good about donating to your school group. - When you get a no, don’t take it personally. The donors are not saying they don’t like you; they just may not care for the product or have the money available at the time. - For people who are nervous about selling a little preparation is key. By practicing your sales talk it will bring confidence. Again the goal is not to recite something word for word but to talk about your fundraising campaign with confidence. It might sound a little funny but try role-playing if selling is an issue with you. Spend time with people rehearsing just talking and getting past an objection or two. - Avoid hard selling. There is no need to be pushy while fundraising. People like to help out and also enjoy buying. You may even be able to offer them the chance to show up to school to check out the new equipment, or the new uniforms for the baseball team. By being friendly and a good representative you just might pick up new volunteers along the way. - If possible get a booth or a table in a high traffic area. Places like malls or local events. This will get you lots of traffic and potential donors that you can approach. These sales tips are good for whatever sales you might find yourself in. You might even consider these tips good advice for talking to people and relating. Remember interacting with people will serve you better than just about any learned skill taught. A little preparation with these tips will insure that your fundraising campaign is both fun and profitable.