FUNDRAISING FOR YOUR COURSE
Thousands of people have fundraised their way to Outward Bound, with friends, family and total strangers helping them get there. You'd be surprised how many people are happy to help when you ask for support.
Outward Bound is about pushing past limits, gaining clarity, and unlocking a stronger, more capable version of yourself. The confidence, resilience, and skills you develop will stay with you long after your time in Anakiwa, and the person you become as a result is priceless.
That's what makes fundraising such a rewarding and worthwhile way to get on an Outward Bound course. It's own small challenge, it's a great kickstart to the challenge ahead, getting you in the mindset of stepping out of your comfort zone and achieving goals.
How the fundraising process works
1. Choose and book your course. Pay the non-refundable $395 deposit to lock in your place.
2. Ready, steady, fundraise! We may be in touch from time to time to check in on your progress.
3. Complete our Fundraising Activity Log and send it to us 8-weeks out from your course start.
4. We'll be in touch and work out a plan together if needed - a payment plan or extension, more time, or a mix. *
* If you've made a genuine effort and there's still a shortfall, you may also be eligible for extra support — see below.
Set your fundraising target
Work out how much you need to fundraise
Fill in what you know so far — we'll work out the gap you actually need to raise.
Time to fundraise: — wks (until 8 weeks before your course)
Already covered
$395
You need to fundraise
$3,803
Roughly per month
— / mo
This is a rough guide to help you set a target — it doesn't save your answers, so screenshot or note down your numbers if you want to keep them. Actual figures are confirmed when you book.
How to fundraise for your course
Consider your timeframe
The longer you have to fundraise, the better. That way, you can watch your money slowly build up from a combination of sources.
If your course is looming and you've still got a fair amount of ground to cover, consider one or two big-hitting fundraising activities such as a movie screening or quiz night.
"Sell stuff on TradeMe, do odd jobs for people, run fundraising events, bake cupcakes, ask friends and family for support…do whatever it takes! Set your sights on Outward Bound and do it!"
Jess Sowersby
Use your skills
Use your existing skills and interests to raise some funds for your course. There are numerous ways to go about this!
Blessed with green fingers? Offer your gardening services via Neighbourly or Facebook community groups. More of a creative? Sell your artwork or crafts at a community market. Are you a master baker? Start selling your tasty creations at school or work. Or perhaps you're great with animals? Keep an eye out for pet sitting or dog walking jobs in your community.
Sell your pre-loved items
This is another way to use what you already have. Sell your pre-loved items on TradeMe or Facebook marketplace and use that money to top-up your course fees!
Ask your employer
Many employers support their staff with a contribution to their Outward Bound course. Frame it around what you'll bring back to work, such as resilience, leadership, confidence and working under pressure.
We've seen employers cover a portion or even the entire fee under their Staff Development funds; while others have supplied paid time off to complete a course. You'll never know what might be possible until you ask.
Contact local service groups
Did you know there are over 500 community groups in New Zealand? Many of them have supported thousands of Outward Bound participants of all ages over the last 50 years. We encourage you to get in touch with your local Rotary, Lions or RSA clubs as a starting point.
It’s worth noting that community groups don’t just support teenagers. If you can show how sponsorship towards an Outward Bound course would benefit you in the long term and your community, you have a great case to make.
Turn it into a challenge
If you're someone who simply loves a challenge, make a fundraiser out of one! Run a 10K, do a sponsored hike, shave your head, swim the length of your local pool a hundred times — whatever suits you.
People love backing a challenge they can watch you take on, and it's a great way to start building the resilience and grit Outward Bound's all about, before you've even left home.
You can set this up and start raising your funds on a platform like Raisley or Give a Little.
Ask for help, directly
Tell people why this matters to you - most people are more generous than you'd expect when they understand what you're working toward.
You can use the shareable payment link in MyOB so friends and family can contribute straight to your remaining course fee, no fuss, no hassles. Or set up a Raisley or Give a Little page if you want a wider page to share your story and track progress publicly.
The honest ask usually works better than the polished one, so tell people what Outward Bound means to you and what you're hoping to get out of it.
Some of NZ's biggest brands already run fundraising programmes designed exactly for this - no need to build your own from scratch. These are just a few examples, but you'll discover that there are plenty more available within New Zealand once you start researching:
Cookie Time's Christmas cookie buckets are a Kiwi tradition — door-to-door, street stalls, or around your workplace in the lead-up to Christmas. If your timelines line-up for a Nov-Dec fundraiser, this is a great option. Everyone already knows and loves the product, which makes it an easy sell.
Cadbury (through Interworld Fundraising) and Whittaker's (through The House of Fundraising) both offer similar chocolate fundraising boxes — order a box, sell individual bars at a fixed price, keep the margin. Whittaker's is known to offer higher margins, and will even take unopened shippers back within 30 days of delivery.
Krispy Kreme offers a great fundraising programme, complete with a fundraising kit, checklist, and ideas. Order doughnuts through it and resell individually - whether through a bake sale, event, or pre-sales - and make a $9 profit on every dozen sold.
These work well because there's no upfront cost, minimal admin, and you're selling something people already want rather than asking for a straight donation.
Whether you're 16 or 65, the fundraising option is open to all. Once you've started your enrolment, let us know that you're fundraising so we can make sure you're on track as your course approaches. Get in touch at funding@outwardbound.co.nz.
FIND OUT HOW ROSIE DID IT
Having just finished three years of study, Rosie wasn't in a position to pay for her Outward Bound course upfront. Instead, she chose to fundraise. Watch Rosie's video of how she made her Outward Bound adventure happen - maybe you'll find some inspiration there.
Hundreds of other alumni have funded their course through fundraising and gone on to experience a life-changing journey with us.