Fundraising

Travel is an amazing opportunity, but I know that international travel is also expensive! Travelers may choose to use fundraising to help offset some of the cost of their trip.

Explorica provides individual fundraising options for enrolled travelers. With the traveler's permission, I can post links to individual fundraising pages here so that friends, family members, and community members can contribute directly toward that traveler's trip.

Individual fundraising links will be added below as they become available.

If you're an enrolled traveler who would like to fundraise but haven't set up your page yet, please contact me and I'll help you get it set up.

Because we're part of a small community with many students and organizations fundraising throughout the year, we generally do not hold large group fundraisers for our trips. Instead, travelers who want to fundraise are encouraged to raise money individually.

Be realistic about fundraising

Fundraising can absolutely help make international travel more affordable, but it's important to have realistic expectations. Most travelers are not going to raise the entire cost of a $5,000+ trip through fundraising.

Instead, think of fundraising as one part of your plan. Raising even $500, $1,000, or $1,500 can make a meaningful difference—but you'll probably need a combination of family contributions, personal savings or earnings, fundraising, gifts from family and friends, and a payment plan.

The most successful fundraising I've seen usually isn't a single organized fundraiser. It's a traveler finding several ways to earn or raise money over time based on the opportunities available to them.

Practical ideas*

• Hold a garage sale. Ask relatives whether they have items they'd be willing to donate to your sale. 

• Sell things you no longer need: clothing, electronics, sporting equipment, furniture, tools, collectibles, etc.

• Look for odd jobs: babysitting, pet sitting, lawn mowing, snow removal, yard work, cleaning, organizing, moving/hauling, farm help, or car washing/detailing.

• Use a skill you already have: tutoring, music or sports lessons, photography, technology help, baking, woodworking, crafts, etc.

• Take advantage of seasonal opportunities: leaf cleanup, holiday gift wrapping, snow removal, spring yard work, graduation-party setup/cleanup, or vacation pet/lawn care.

• Pick up extra paid work: extra shifts, summer employment, or temporary/seasonal jobs. Tell people you're saving for an international trip and looking for work.

• Ask for travel contributions instead of gifts: birthdays, Christmas, graduation, or other occasions are great opportunities to share your individual fundraising page with friends and relatives.

• Save consistently. Even relatively small amounts add up. Putting $25 a week toward travel is $1,300 over a year.

The goal doesn't have to be “fundraise $5,000.” A much more manageable goal might be “How can I reduce what my family has to pay by $1,000?”

*Please involve a parent or guardian when appropriate, particularly when selling items online or arranging work with people you don't know.