What is Crowdfunding for Travel? How Does it Work?

Looking for funding for trips to come? Consider some good ol’ fashioned crowdfunding for travel. ☆ Crowdfunding is everywhere! You’ve probably heard the wild success stories. There’s the now multi-billion-dollar Oculus Rift, which raised $2.4M for a project started in a garage, or the bizarre tale of the $55K potato salad campaign, or the super-cool tap to get honey right from the hive that raised over $13M! These are awe-inspiring fundraising campaigns…But do you know how to use crowdfunding for travel? Would you be able to put the right steps in place to get funding for trips?

Whether we want to call it an outgrowth of the sharing economy, or peer-to-peer at its best, or just chalk it up to the magic of the internet, crowdfunding for travel allows you to leverage an existing platform to help you make your dreams come true with the support of friends (and strangers!) around the world. There are more places than ever to post your campaigns. There are countless opportunities to share your message through video, audio, blogs, podcasts, and creative outlets. Crowdfunding means funding for trips, and whether you’re a newbie or an expert, we’re here to help!

FAQs on crowdfunding for travel

1. What is it?

Crowdfunding for travel is simply the ability to get donations from others to raise funding for trips. You post an explanation of your need to a secure site, explain what you’re trying to do, list the amount you need, share the story behind your fundraiser and the request (called your campaign), and watch people support you! Keep in mind that there are different programs, risks, and fees (we’ll talk about those later). But for the most part, it’s that simple!

2. Why do it?

Simply put, because you need to! Whether you’re seeking an internship abroad and need money to cover airfare, or you want to raise money to live on while you’re volunteering with endangered animals, or you’re looking to get some financial support to purchase a new laptop for your study abroad trip, you can use crowdfunding to get the financial resources you need. You’ll definitely want to share your request with friends, family, and within your community. However, the best part of creating a platform-friendly campaign to get funding for trips is that you’re not limited to the people you know directly!

3. Where can you do it?

If your goal is crowdfunding, you can do so through a larger-than-ever list of options! You can share your campaign on Facebook, or use one of the big crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe, IndieGoGo, Kickstarter, or Patreon (just to name a few). But if you’re looking exclusively for crowdfunding for travel, you’re much better off going with a platform dedicated to funding for trips—like FundMyTravel! That way, your campaign isn’t lost in the long list of food truck investments, tech gadgets, and quirky inventions that tend to appear elsewhere.

4. What will it cost you and what will you get?

So this is where platforms differ—a lot! Some platforms will only pay you if you reach your established funding goal, while others allow you to keep whatever you raise. Some charge you a set-up fee, while almost all of them keep a percentage of the donations you raise. That percentage can range from 4% up to almost 10%, so it’s smart to shop around. Other things to keep in mind include overall processing fees, discounts based on campaign volume, and being transparent about those few funding platforms that double up on charges to your donors!

5. How can you set yourself up for success?

As with anything, the best way to be successful is to plan! Most crowdfunding sites will include some info to help you get started, but when it comes to crowdfunding for travel and making sure you’re doing the best you can to secure funding for trips, platforms like FundMyTravel provide comprehensive, travel-focused resource kits to help you get started. You can get practical advice on everything from writing your campaign description, to posting your video, to managing the thank-you process. And don’t forget to check out the popular campaigns for fundraising inspo.

Online funding for trips can make a difference!

While we’ve only scratched the surface, the options for using crowdfunding for travel are as varied as your possible destinations! When you use public platforms to raise funding for trips, you also get to share your plans, ideas, passions, and missions with a much wider audience than if you only posted to private sites or shared with people you know. And, who knows, you might even inspire others to follow your lead.

So how should you get going on crowdfunding for travel once you’re ready? Well, if you have a location in mind and know your budget (or even if you’re just getting started with this!) you can use the available resource kits (like the one on FundMyTravel.com) to build out your campaign and prepare it for launch. And, while you’re at it, go ahead and sign up for a free account today!

Use FundMyTravel to Start Your Fundraising Campaign Today

This article was written by Andi Sciacca. Andi is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she lives with her husband and their four-legged family. She works with inspired professionals who are expert practitioners, experienced educators, and well-known contributors to their field. Andi helps them take ideas and put them into practice. When not working or writing, she loves to experience music, see the world, and learn new things. Andi’s favorite places to travel include anywhere she can eat good food—and swim.