Don’t Let a Meager Bank Account Deprive you of a Volunteer Vacation this Summer

Don’t have a vacation budget? Not to worry, if you’re offering yourself as a “vacation volunteer.” As mainstream interest grows for programs combining travel with service abroad and at home, more Americans are engaging online funders to support their humanitarian efforts. If you think you can’t afford to join thousands of other “vacation volunteers” worldwide this spring and summer, take a look at potential donors at work, through civic organizations, and in your social network. Global Volunteers reports that a wide demographic of their service program participants – ages 9 to 90 – have used online fundraising pages to help defray their personal cost of volunteering for one to six weeks. Global Volunteers, an international development assistance organization founded in 1984, mobilizes 200-250 volunteer teams annually to work on community-driven projects on five continents. Team members pay a tax-deductible fee covering their food, lodging, ground transportation, project materials and the like. For instance, through personal pages on Global Volunteers’ website, team members on short-term service programs who promote their planned volunteer efforts to friends, colleagues and family members, raise up to the full cost of their travel-related costs, including program fees and airfare. Volunteer coordinators help applicants create their own service project pages in minutes. “I only had three weeks to raise my entire program fee of $2,695,” said social work graduate student Jenica Hamilton. “ I was surprised that a few people gave large donations like $100-$200, but most people gave around $25. I know the economy is bad, and people don’t have extra money to give. I asked them to give any amount they could, knowing that a lot of small amounts adds up! “ she added. In addition to covering her program fee, Jenica’s supporters donated her airfare through “frequent flyer” miles. “ I loved that Global Volunteers had a website where people could donate. That made it very easy, and people knew it was a long-standing, reputable volunteer-abroad organization, so they were very supportive.” Personal blogs and Facebook also help volunteers reach out to fans and subscribers to support their volunteer work – and expand the impact of their work globally. Hamilton created a blog, posted a plea on her church’s website and mailed letters to friends and family members that don’t have Facebook. “My friends and family came through in a big way,” she said. “Many of them passed along my link or the special volunteer business cards I created for this project.” Some volunteers have demonstrated special creativity in their promotional approach, such as holding an online auction of personal paintings, directing bat mitzvah contributions to program donations, and using matching grants to complete the application process. Contributions made to Global Volunteers are tax-deductible for U.S. taxpayers. The Global Volunteers website also contains tips for approaching funders, scholarship advice, and sample fundraising pages. To learn more about these successful fundraising techniques and to join a Global Volunteers service program, call 800-487-1074 or visit www.globalvolunteers.org.