Putting the FUN in fundraising!

Excited about the idea of travelling across the world to help with conservation research on some of the most vulnerable areas on earth, but also daunted by the cost of the expedition? It is a scary amount at first but there are lots of ways to fundraise and plenty of support from the Opwall fundraising team! 

Grants  

Grants can be really effective as the applications are often short but the output from them is huge. Because there are lots of different aspects to an Opwall expedition it means that you can apply for a diverse range of grants, from travel to working abroad, to education and career development. The Opwall fundraising team are always happy to give you advice on where to look or to read over an application. They have also put together a huge list of places you can potentially apply to, including grants specific to your university.  

Sponsorship 

Sponsorship is another great way to get funding towards your expedition. Often companies will sponsor you to use their equipment if you take photos using it while you are away and write a review afterwards. Many organisations will also be interested in giving you money or selling you expedition equipment for cheap if you advertise for them. This can be another great way to get financial support towards an expedition with little effort. 

Fundraising Events 

The most obvious way to fundraise is to run a fundraising event. This covers a huge variety of activities from bake sales to quiz nights and everything in between. The Opwall fundraising team have put together a long list of ideas that you can try, as well as examples of previous students who have done exceptionally well with these. They can also offer advise on how to plan and advertise these events, as well as how to maximise the profits you can make. These fundraising events are often fun as well as profitable, and there are many options to try!

Working 

Finally there is the way everyone normally saves for anything, by working for it. It can be difficult to find time to work around your studies but it does provide a constant stream of income and will take some of the pressure off. If you do have some spare time we would definitely recommend a weekend job or part-time work over the holidays. As well as earning money through this, you may also find that colleagues are happy to help you fundraise too! 

Hopefully you will now have realized that there are many ways to fundraise for your expedition. If you have any questions or concerns then get in touch with our fundraising team who are always happy to help!