Benefits of Fundraising
Fundraising is a great way to communicate your mission and need for support to the people inyour network who might be able to financially contribute to your goal.
You may be thinking, “what else could I possibly get out of fundraising besides donations?” Theanswer, a lot!

Test your comfort zones
To embark upon a fulfilling experience, you need to step out of your comfort zone and develop
your skill set in order to expand the reach of your fundraising efforts through networking. Youmay find yourself taking risks and meeting new people to pitch your goals.

Develop key skills
If you’re looking to grow personally and professionally, then fundraising is the way to do it. You
will be able to improve upon your interpersonal and organizational skills through in-person
solicitation and indirect solicitation, such as crowdfunding. Additionally, fundraising allows you todiscover your strengths and passion. These skills are transferable for any task or profession, sothe fundraising experience could make for a positive resume booster.

Getting Started
The hardest part of fundraising may be just getting started! It will all seem daunting at first with
the questions of who to ask, how to ask, and how much to ask for.
The first thing to do is to determine exactly how much you will need to raise and how much you
can expect to pay out of pocket.

Determining Your Fundraising Goal

Estimate how much you will be able to contribute yourself.​It looks better to prospective
donors if they know that some of your own funds are going towards the cause as well. This way,
when you approach potential donors, you can say, “I have already contributed X-amount ofdollars, but volunteering overseas is expensive, and I need to raise Y-amount more.”

Who Can I Ask?
1. Your college or university:​Many colleges and universities have money available forstudents and alumni who want to pursue public service work. Try speaking with anarea-specific department at your university (such as the Asian Studies Department), as
they may be able to help fund your service. School fellowships and grants, discretionary
funds and relevant academic departments may be good sources of potential funding. Inaddition, your school’s Internships, Career Services, or Study Abroad offices may be agood source for funding ideas.
2. Family and friends: ​Your parents, grandparents, siblings, and other extended family
members and friends can be beneficial sources for contributions.
3. Your church, synagogue or other religious organization: ​The church, synagogue, orother religious organization in your hometown or at your university may have funds
available for community members. Many churches have money available from acentrally administered fund. They might also allow you to ask for direct donations fromthe congregation. You may also want to add a note to the newsletter that circulates to all
the members of the congregation.
4. Corporations:​Most large corporate foundations do not give grants to individuals. Small
companies, however, may be able to contribute to your fundraising campaign. Target
stores and businesses where you have a personal contact, or that may share a common
interest with Human Rights Now or the country where you will be working.
5. Clubs and organizations:​Your school newspaper, athletic teams, residential college,
dormitory co-op, fraternity/sorority, and any clubs in which you have been a member
may be sources of support.

How to Ask for Donations
1. Mail or email solicitation
a. Personal fundraising pages (i.e. YouCaring, Go Fund Me, Indiegogo, VolunteerForever)
2. In-person solicitation
3. Direct solicitation to a group
4. Apply for grants/scholarships

How Much to Ask For

Suggest a specific amount to each donor. Donors will not know the amount you actually need toraise, so ask for an appropriate amount that matches each donor’s resources.

Volunteer Abroad Grants & Scholarships1
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1uVolunteer: ​https://www.uvolunteer.net/scholarship/rules-eligibility/
Go Overseas: ​https://www.gooverseas.com/scholarships/volunteer-abroad-application
Volunteer Forever:
http://scholarship.volunteerforever.com/spring_scholarship_application/?utm_source=volunteerforever.com&utm_medium=referral&utm
Allianz Global Assistance ScholarTrips: ​http://www.scholartrips.org/details
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program (undergraduates only),https://www.iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program#.V_1X-I8rJD8Greenheart Service Grant: ​https://greenheartclub.org/hours/greenheart-grants
National Geographic Early Career Grant:
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/grants/grant-opportunities/
Golden Key Study Abroad Scholarships:
https://www.goldenkey.org/scholarships-awards/how-to-apply-and-results/
General U.S. government grant database: ​https://www.grants.gov/

The list of grants and scholarships is not exhaustive. Human Rights Now encourages applicants toconduct independent research for applicable grants and scholarships. Please note that Human Rights
Now cannot answer any questions regarding scholarships, grants, or other fundraising services.