Proven Fundraising Tools and Tips That Helped 800 Students Travel

To make the dream of travel a reality you need to have a plan and structure for fundraising, notes Carrie A. Olson, Ph.D., researcher and teacher from West Leadership Academy of Denver Public Schools.

Dr. Olson has traveled with more than 800 students from low-income neighborhoods. In the Teach & Travel edWebinar How We Helped 800 Students Participate in Educational Travel: Proven Tools and Tips, she discusses the structure she used to successfully raise the money needed for educational travel.

1. Determine how much money you need.

“How much money are you really going to need for your trip?” Olson said. Consider not only the base price of the trip, but also the cost of insurance, optional excursions and chaperones.

2. Set deadlines.

Outline a payment schedule of small increments for students and families. “Plan backward,” Olson said. “How many days, weeks, months before it’s all due? It is a lot of money, but we remind them: We’re here to help.”

3. Have one point person for fundraising.

Consider how you will handle the money that comes in. “I always have one person in charge of fundraising,” said Olson. That person is responsible for collecting the money, depositing it into an account, and answering fundraising questions from students and families.

4. Meet monthly.

Host monthly meetings with travelers and families, to discuss details of the trip and fundraising. Olson advises being welcoming to families and introducing parents to one another. Parents may want to work together on fundraising.

5. Meet individually.

Families may be apprehensive about raising funds for student travel, and may not be willing to voice their concerns in a large group setting. Set up times to meet with families on an individual basis, during the monthly meetings or other scheduled times.

For more tools, tips and ideas for implementing fundraising into your own school and community, watch the How We Helped 800 Students Participate in Educational Travel: Proven Tools and Tips edWebinar.

Courtesy of SYTA.