Your teacher just announced a school trip—there’s just one catch. Where will you get the money in time? With a deadline date and parents who may not be able to foot the bill, it’s understandable that you might be freaking out a bit about how to raise money for a school trip. Don’t worry, it’s not impossible! With a little perseverance, determination, and a bit of creativity, you will have the funds in no time.
While raising money for a class trip may not be on the top of your to do list (if only we all had a million sitting in the bank) it might not be as hard as you think. Lucky for you, you’ve stopped at the right place to get started. FundMyTravel is all about funding trips and travel as easily and conveniently as possible. Plus, using other fundraising tools of the trade will only enhance your goal. There are plenty of fundraising ideas for a school trip, from joining in on your school’s selling tactics, to crowdsourcing the funds (more on that later), to creating meaningful incentives, the moolah needed will be yours before you can say “money please!”
“Set your goals high and don’t stop until you get there.”
5 smart ways to raise money for a school trip
1. Fundraise through your school program
Is your school offering a fundraiser? It’s smart to get on the bandwagon and join in. Raising money for a class trip is easier and can even be fun when you have friends and the school behind you. While it might be more time intensive, showing the initiative and hard work will go a long way in making it to your fundraising goal.
So, what can you do to create a successful school fundraiser? Here are a few tried-and-true tips and tricks to get you started.
- Ask your parents to help out! You’ll be surprised what connections they may have at work.
- Call your relatives. Family will often be happy to help out and buy from you.
- Go door to door! If you’re running out of people to sell to, start with your neighbors and local community.
- Start a friendly competition with your friends and classmates. If you’re the competitive type, trying to outdo your friends might create an extra incentive. (Just don’t let it hurt your friendship!)
While fundraising through your school is a great place to start, it may not cover all the funds you need. Set a realistic goal for yourself and read on for more ideas for raising money for a class trip.
2. Get creative!
Can you mow the lawn or shovel snow like nobody’s business? Do you have any favorite crafts you excel at? Are you a great with kids? How about pets? The fun thing about fundraising is that you can make it your own. There are numerous sites that sell crafts, get you in touch with parents in need of babysitters, or in touch with doggy parents who need dog walkers.
In summer months, local craft fairs will host artist booths. Try signing up! Local businesses might even put your flyer in their window (if you ask kindly, of course). Side gigs are becoming more and more popular in a quickly-changing economy. Everybody has something they can do to make some side $$. Why not turn your art or hobby into cash? Whatever your skill set or passion, start by advertising your services or product to get your name out there!
Once people hear that you are fundraising money for a class trip, the #guilt may get to them. Who doesn’t want to help a teen learn and travel the world? While you might think it’s impossible to raise the funds you need, all it takes is some brainstorming and creative thinking. Start by writing down ideas and make it your own. Nobody knows your skills and abilities like you do…so make it your own and most importantly, have FUN!
“Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen, and thinking what no one else has thought.”
3. Tell your story #crowdsourcing
FundMyTravel is all about telling your own story to create a successful crowdsourcing campaign. What is crowdsourcing? It’s basically a big word for using the internet (aka your social media sites) as a fundraising tool. Sounds easy, right? If you need to know how to raise money for a school trip, first ask yourself a few questions to get started.
- Why do you want to raise money for a school trip?
- What will you end up learning during the trip?
- What are your goals for the trip?
- Who can you share your story with?
Telling your story is an important aspect to crowdsourcing that isn’t always done correctly. Be honest. Show gratitude. Write a thank you. Be positive. Explain why you want to go on the class trip and what you will get out of it. If you only want to go to hang with your friends, people won’t be as motivated to donate. Yes, hanging with your friends will be fun, but finding a deeper reason to share with others will grow your crowdsourcing campaign. A deeper reason might mean getting personal and sharing things you might not have before. However, it’s all a part of making sure your potential donors feel like you are worth supporting.
If you’re honest and share your story well, your crowdsourcing campaign can be a BIG success! Set a goal for how much you want to raise and stick to it. You might be surprised who is willing to donate. Don’t forget—those who donate to you will be even more likely to donate in the future if you show your appreciation and gratitude with a handwritten thank you card. Yes, it might seem old fashioned, but it will go a long way. While the cost might be intimidating to you, crowdsourcing is a great way to raise money from the comfort of your PJ’s.
“Most giving is 80% emotion and 20% rational. The best way to get to someone’s emotions is to tell a story.”
4. Create meaningful incentives
Does asking for money make you feel awkward, uncomfortable, and simply uneasy? While it might feel awkward asking for money from family, friends, and acquaintances, the key is to create meaningful incentives. So, what exactly is a meaningful incentive? It’s a way to give back to your donors! There are many ways to do it, but the key is to give back to your donors and show your appreciation in a fun and unique way.
It’s up to you how to create your incentives, but some ideas include bringing back a souvenir for your donors, sharing your travel experiences through a blog, or even creating a competition for donors. For example, whomever donates $10 to the FundMyTravel campaign is promised a postcard from your trip destination. Another great idea is to post a video to your campaign explaining your incentives, goals, and why you want to raise money for a school trip. Here’s a fun fact: FundMyTravel campaigns that include a personal video increases odds of success by more than two times!
Creating incentives for donors will make your supporters feel involved and appreciated throughout your journey. Take them with you on this trip! Remember, the incentive doesn’t have to be expensive and time consuming, just meaningful for you and your donors. A final but very important tip—don’t make big promises that you’re not able to fulfill. Only make incentives that you will be able to follow through on.
5. Create your FundMyTravel account!
If you’re still contemplating how to raise money for a school trip, why not create a FundMyTravel account? By starting your campaign, donations will automatically be sent to your account. There is no waiting till you hit your full goal. Plus, it’s free to create an account and share your campaign! FundMyTravel only takes 5% of all donations to keep the site running and to be able to provide technical and customer support.
Links and resources to get you started
So, what are you waiting for? Create your account today! Additional FundMyTravel resources can be found here. Learn more about the process and how FundMyTravel works here! The basic steps include:
- Create your Campaign
- Spread the Word
- Get Funded
- Cost
With a story, some incentives, creativity, and lots of determination, we can’t wait to see how far your campaign will go!
These fundraising ideas for a school trip will put you on the right path
While it might be silly to tell you to start a lemonade stand, fundraising in the real world takes the same amount of guts and determination. So go out there and find your lemons (metaphorically, of course). While everyone gets to their fundraising goal their own way, the goal is the same: raising money and feeling proud you’ve accomplished your goal.
Use the tips and tricks we laid out above to create a successful crowdsourcing campaign. Start by raising money through your school trip and utilize FundMyTravel for additional funds. While you are working on selling, start your account with FundMyTravel. Come up with creative ideas to motivate and incentivize your supporters.
Remember, lots of people need to fundraise in order to afford a trip. It’s normal! We can’t all be worth a million bucks (as much as we all might wish money grew on trees). While fundraising can be intimidating, it doesn’t have to be. By joining in your school’s fundraising campaign, marketing your own skills and crafts, AND crowdsourcing through FundMyTravel, you will be on the bus (or plane) in no time.
Don’t believe us? Start your FundMyTravel account today!
Create Your Own FundMyTravel Account & Start Saving For Your School Trip Now
This article was written by Kaila Forster. Kaila is a recent graduate from the College of Saint Benedict in Minnesota, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in international business and history. During college, she embarked on her first adventure abroad, studying in Chongqing, China. Upon graduation, Kaila returned to China as a marketing intern with a trading company outside of Shanghai. She is currently working as a Revenue Tax Specialist at the Minnesota Department of Revenue. Kaila enjoys spending her free time cooking, incessantly bothering her cat, and volunteer teaching immigrants and refugees.