Fundraising for Volunteering Overseas 

The majority of overseas volunteering projects have associated costs. The amount varies between organisations and projects and depends on:

  • What country the project is in (this affects costs for flights, visa’s, vaccinations);
  • How long the project is for;
  • What kind of accommodation you will stay in (e.g. camping /homestays /guesthouses);
  • Daily living expenses and other activities that you might want to take part in.

Organisations often breakdown their costs as follows:

  • Project costs - This includes pre-departure preparation such as training, handbooks and support, and in-country costs e.g. local orientation, staff support, accommodation, project-related travel and some meals.
  • Getting there - on top of the above you will need to factor flights, visas, vaccinations and travel insurance.
  • Spending money – This will depend on the local living costs, and what you plan to do in your spare time. The organisation will be able to advise you on how much you can expect to need depending on your project.
  • A fundraising donation to the charity – many organisations will ask their volunteers to raise a set amount of money that will go towards the work of the charity.
  • Deposits - Some organisations require a deposit, in most cases, this is a portion of the above costs.

All the projects we endorse through our Trusted Partners have been carefully checked, regarding how much they charge, and where the money goes.

Please see below for advice on funding grants and fundraising for overseas volunteering. You can also find information about the University's funding offer for International Volunteering through our Funding Cribsheet 2024‌

 

  • The majority of overseas volunteeering projects have a cost - rather than covering the costs yourself we encourage students to fundraise instead;
  • Fundraising can be a lot of fun and  is an important part of preparing to volunteer abroad;
  • It will help you to get to know the charity you are volunteering for and think about the impact your volunteering will have, since you'll likely need to tell people this to encourage them to donate!
  • Some overseas volunteering projects (for example Team Rwanda) are fully funded, which means that the majority of the costs are covered. However, all volunteers are still expected to fundraise a certain amount. 
  • You could do a bake sale, take part in a sponsored run or mountain climb, or put on a themed event.  There are literally hundreds of ideas for fundraising ideas that you can find online.  Our advice is to choose something that relates to the cause and that works well with your skills!
    The University offers grants that you can apply for:
  • The Work Experience Bursary - funding towards travel expenses, accommodation and dependent care costs. Find out more
  • Turing Funding - government funding available to support university-approved overseas placements with a minimum duration of 4 weeks and a maximum duration of 12 months. At present this is only open to Think Pacific volunteers, subject to eligibility criteria. Find out more
  • The Travel Awards - funding towards travel expenses, insurance, accommodation, subsistence and dependent care costs. These are split into three seperate funding pots
    • The Pawel Koprowski Award
    • The H.E. David Scholarship
    • The Zochonis Enterprise Fund
Though there are slight variations between each Travel Award, all applications will be considered together so that funding can be allocated as appropriately as possible. You can find guidelines and an application form here.
  • You can also consider Crowdfunding, a way of raising money and support for a project from the general public
  • You might find this overview of some of the best crowdfunding sites in the UK useful.
  • All of the Trusted Partners that we advertise have fundraising support in place – always check what this includes before applying;
  • Support may include a handbook, training, fundraising ideas and suggestions, one-to-one support, materials (e.g. t-shirts / branded items), access to events they are organising (e.g. street collections) and information about the charity so that you can communicate this when fundraising;
  • The Volunteering Team also provide lots of advice and support, including the Fundraising Toolkit;
  • Some organisations will organise group fundraising activities, particularly if a group of volunteers is recruited to take part in a project together.
  • You will need to factor in the time you will need for fundraising pre-departure;
  • Check any deadlines for costs before applying;
  • Ask for a full breakdown of any costs and where the money goes. Get in touch if you have any questions or need help with this;
  • Whilst fundraising you will learn new skills, meet new people and push yourself out of your comfort zone, and it’s a great way to engage your friends, family and peers in your activities before you fly out;
  • We have many students who successfully fundraise each year;
  • If you need any support please contact us.

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