Fundraising to get to the IC!

The 2015 International Conference is set to be our best ever! We will be celebrating 35 years of RESULTS, and we are pulling out all the stops for an incredible conference featuring Jim Kim, Muhammad Yunus, Sister Simone, Senator Sherrod Brown, Marianne Williamson and more.

We know that the IC can be expensive. So we’ve put together some of our top tips for fundraising to get yourself to the IC! REAL Changers have been using these for the past two years and have had great success, so we decided to share them with everyone.

Tips for fundraising:

1.  Reach out to your university.    

Many past students found that their school had pre-existing funds that could be used to fund your trip to the IC. We recommend reaching out to your office of student life to see if there are existing grants or other forms of funding you could access. Remember – you are going to learn about organizing, advocacy, and policy. You will meet experts in a variety of fields. This is often something universities are excited to have students attend.

2. Contact local civics organizations.

There are likely civic organizations like The Rotary Club or Elk Lodges in your community. Often times civic organizations like this, which promote community involvement, leadership and civic mindedness are happy to contribute or sponsor young people for activities like the IC. You do not need to be a member of these organizations to request funding.  Reach out to your local chapter and talk to them about the IC.

3. Reach out to any faith community you may be a part of.

Faith communities are often interested in poverty and health issues, and may offer to take up a special collection or give from general funds to assist you. Reach out to any existing social justice committee or your faith leader.

4. Online Peer-to-Peer Fundraising.

Using an online crowdfunding website like GoFundMe is a great way to raise money for registration. Peer-to-Peer fundraising is a great way to for you to get the word out about the work you are going to be doing with RESULTS, build a base of people who will want to hear about your work, and raise funds. Remember, this isn’t you asking for money to go to the beach, this is you asking your friends, family, and network to help you receive training to become an advocate for change. This is about ending poverty, and creating access to healthcare and education at home and in the developing world. The IC is an awesome opportunity to learn and take action on the Hill – don’t afraid to ask your network for help.

5. Raised more than you need?

Donate it to RESULTS! RESULTS does have a limited scholarship fund to provide support for low-income RESULTS volunteers to be able to attend the conference and they could use help from you too!

Please Note: These campaigns would be considered personal fundraising campaigns and not fundraising campaigns for the RESULTS or RESULTS Educational Fund organizations. Therefore, these donations are not eligible for a tax-deduction.