Many of our students have fundraised their entire trip through crowdfunding – that means collecting small amounts of money from a large number of people.
Asking people for money can be daunting, even when they’re family and friends. That’s why we’ve created a guide to writing the perfect online fundraising profile, so that you can share your page far and wide and start collecting cash to put towards your life-changing overseas elective. Don’t forget: you can also outline any equipment or cash donations you intend to make on your page, too.
What’s your aim?
When you’re considering what to write on your profile, have a think about your aim. Is it to cover the whole cost of your trip, or to raise a portion for something specific, like your flight? Will you be doing any fundraising activities like fun runs, bake sales or coffee mornings? Or are you simply trying to share information about the trip you’re taking, in order to purchase and donate supplies to the hospitals?
Having a clear goal in sight — not only of how much you want to raise, but also how and by when — is essential. You’ll need to lay this information out to your audience, too, so that they feel confident their cash is being put to good use!
Tell them about yourself - and about us!
Although most people will find your page through your social media promotion, so may already know you, you never know how far your profile could spread! So why not tell the world a little bit about yourself?
Start off by explaining your course, which university you attend and your area of interest. If you’re planning on doing a few weeks in OBG, for example, it might be useful to explain why you have an interest in women’s health.
Next, consider telling your supporters about Work the World so they know that your trip is being organised by a reputable, safe and reliable organisation. Here are some useful facts you could include about Work the World:
- We craft healthcare electives around the world tailored to your individual interests. Coming from a decade of experience sending thousands students abroad, you just won't find a service this complete anywhere else!
- We take our social responsibility very seriously and understand that we have an ethical obligation to maximise the benefits of our placements and to ensure they have is no negative impact locally.
- We employ local people to run our programmes instead of expats. We purchase products and food from the communities in which we're based. We rent our private accommodation from local landlords. And we use public transport whenever it is safe and convenient to do so!
Some things you should be mindful of when talking about Work the World:
- We aren’t a charity, though we do support our partners in developing countries. You can read more about this here
- We don’t give out information about hospitals, hospital staff, other students or our houses to those not enrolled on our placements for safeguarding reasons, so please do not do so yourself
- Some of your supporters may not know that a Work the World placement isn’t a volunteer role, or a paid job: it’s best to refer to your trip as a healthcare elective, healthcare internship or healthcare placement
You’re welcome to get in touch with us to find out any more information that you might like to include on your fundraising page.
How much do you want to raise, and where will the money go?
Once you’ve set the scene, outline how much money you need to raise and what it will be used for. Creating a breakdown of costs can make crowdfunding your whole trip seem more achievable, both to you and your supporters. If you’re organising fundraising activities, now would be a good time to outline them.
Don’t forget to tell your supporters what’s included in your trip, for example a placement tailoring service, private, catered accommodation, and 24/7 overseas support etc.
Why do you want to do a healthcare elective in a developing country?
Finally, bring your profile to a close by explaining why you want to do a Work the World placement in a developing country. Everyone has their own motivations, from learning about a low-resource healthcare environment, to going outside their comfort zone. If you’re required to do an elective as part of your course, it’s worth explaining to your supporters why you have decided to do this abroad instead of in your home country.
Don’t forget to thank your sponsors!
Once you’ve set your profile up and have started collecting donations from your sponsors, don’t forget to say thank you. Many crowdfunding sites generate a personalised message on the completion screen after donation, however, why not go the extra mile and send a personal thank you to your supporters?
Top tips
- When uploading photographs to your profile, remember that a lot of people may land on your page. As a general rule, don’t upload any photos you wouldn’t want on the front cover of a newspaper, and the more related to healthcare they are, the better
- Don’t forget about family and friends who might not come across your page on social media. There are plenty of offline ways to fundraise, so don’t forget to pick up the phone
- Sharing on social media is a great way to get the word out — ask friends and family to help out
Once you've written your page, you can start promoting it.
