Travel Tips and Information

Best Ideas from Our Fundraising Hall of Fame Experts

Fundraising is a fantastic way to offset program costs and allow more students the opportunity to travel. We are always looking for new and creative ways to raise funds to share with our program leaders, parents, and students. WorldStrides is proud to feature teachers and students as part of our Fundraising Hall of Fame series, in which we highlight those who have gone above and beyond in their fundraising efforts. We recently compiled a list of some of the best ideas from our Fundraising Hall of Fame members. Here are the ones that top the list:

• Alex Wheeler – Alex is a former student who traveled with WorldStrides to Spain and France. Over 18 months, Alex was able to raise enough money to cover the cost of her entire trip plus $500 in extra spending money. Her most successful fundraiser was a pie sale that raised more than $800! Learn more about Alex’s story here.
• Laura Mulligan Thomas – Laura is the director of the Charlottesville High School orchestra and a strong student travel advocate. Laura and her students have raised over $1,000,000 to date! The fundraiser Laura has relied on most is the Poinsettia FUNdraiser, an event that brings the community out to buy poinsettias during the holidays. One year’s sale earned $26,000! Read more about Laura’s success here.
• Cory Vasek – Cory is a 7^th and 8^th grade World History teacher from Omaha who has traveled with WorldStrides for over 21 years. His most successful fundraiser is an annual enchilada sale, which earns about $15,000 a year. Cory and his students also take the yearly opportunity to deliver more than 1,000 enchiladas to the homeless. See more about Cory’s impressive story here.
• Mike Scoville – Mike is the Library Media Specialist for the Gibraltar School District in Wisconsin, and he has traveled with WorldStrides since 2000. Mike’s fundraising strategy is focused on getting his students out into the community to interact with people. His most profitable fundraisers include participating in local events like the Pumpkin Patch Festival and a community book drive, and bagging groceries for tips. Learn more about Mike’s story here.
• Martha Infante – a middle school teacher at Los Angeles Academy, Martha has taken her students all over the world, including China and Japan! Martha’s most successful fundraisers include selling fidget spinners, Krispy Kreme donuts, See’s Candies, and coordinating a cheesecake fundraiser. Her dedication doesn’t stop there. While her students are fundraising, Martha is busy researching and writing grant applications, and she raises $10,000 – $20,000 a year in grants alone. For more tips and advice from Martha, click here.

For more ideas, check out our fundraising website. WorldStrides also has its own fundraising tool, the Gift of Education, which allows students to send e-cards, share their trip on Facebook, or send letters to family and friends to help raise funds for their programs.

Do you have other unique ideas? Share them with us in the comments, or email your successful fundraising stories to ourstories@worldstrides.org.