Operation Wallacea

School Groups

School Groups > Fundraising advice

Fundraising advice

When faced with the opportunity of a lifetime - there tends to be only one major factor that holds people back……. expense! Fundraising is an integral part of any expedition and, in many ways, it may appear to be the most difficult challenge you will face. Remember though, it has been achieved by countless other volunteers.

After a group has confirmed their expedition we visit to give a presentation and discuss fundraising ideas. It is our aim to set-up an effective fundraising group. The best way to ensure success with your fundraising is to mix individual with group fundraising, so events as well as grant applications. A full informative booklet is provided at this point, whilst it does not cover every possible fundraising avenue it does provide information on what ideas and events have worked for our groups and us in the past. We concentrate on ideas that work with minimal lead-time and as little initial financial outlay as possible.

Throughout the pack we cover everything from writing a letter of support, who can you look to for financial assistance and what events and ideas really do work.

As we have experienced there are basically four main ways of raising the funds:

1. Fundraising Activities
These events include bag packing, cake stalls, collections, sponsored events, car boot sales, swap shops, fun days, themed parties etc

2. Raffles and Prize Draws
Operation Wallacea have created the Opwall Grand Prize Draw. Volunteers buy books of tickets from the fundraising team for £3.50 a book and sell them on for £10 a book making a huge £6.50 profit for each book sold.

3. Grants and Sponsorship
Applying to local companies, trusts, schools and universities for funding. Groups such as the Round Table, Lions International, Rotary Club, and parish councils are usually only too happy to help.

4. Working for It
Part time jobs, holiday jobs and Christmas jobs - even a few hours a week will bump up that expedition fund and make those targets even more achievable.