This week I was really impressed by another volunteer here at Tashirat. Some of us (myself included) are intimidated by fundraising events, by the thought of all the time, energy, and resources spent resulting in little or no money raised. And, being in a rural community in Mexico, one may think: If money is already so scarce in these communities, how can we expect to fundraise? Especially enough to make a significant difference in whether the orphanage school continues to operate or not? That’s a lot of responsibility, but a fellow volunteer here at Tashirat didn’t hesitate to take it on and she decided to organize a family festival with music, food and games.
The event had to be simple because of our limited resources and short amount of time to prepare. Some of the older children from the orphanage and some of the volunteers provided the music; we offered cheap food options such as chilaquiles and enfrijoladas; and we spread the word via hand to hand flyering and word-of-mouth. Everyone decided that come what may come of the event – at least we were going to have a good time!
Not worrying about every expense and the amount of people who showed up was a huge help. As the sun shone down, we laughed and played the day away while eating good food and listening to music. The next day we learned, to our surprise, we had helped raise 5,000 Mexican Pesos for the Ixaya School!
It was incredibly encouraging to see how much can be done with pure energy and dedication, and how successful fundraisers can be, even if they’re thrown together at the last minute. And don’t be put off by the idea that you won’t be able to raise as much money in a Latin American country – every little bit helps and it’s great to get the local community involved. Think of a coffee shop that might be down with letting local musicians play a benefit night for the organization you’re volunteering with. Or find a public park where you can do some street theatre, and with a big sign advertising that says the money is going to a good cause, watch your hat fill up.
Anyone have creative, low-preparation fundraising ideas while one’s on the road?
For more tips on putting together a low-cost fundraiser, check out “Need Some Cash? 10 Ways to Fundraise.” For more traditional money-making ideas, check out Idealist.org’s Community Action Center.
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I can completely associate with your experience with the festival. Last weekend the isolated community of Solentiname, Nicaragua hosted its first festival to raise money for several local university students’ scholarships. Though we didn’t have many funds to start with, the community came together and held a very successful festival that will financially help the students afford school over the next four months. Congratulations to both of our small communities!