So I’ve covered the basics for applying and being accepted to a RAVS trip, but I thought I’d dedicate a post to the fundraising portion of the volunteer requirement. Depending on the trip, each student has to raise a certain amount of money; generally the average requirement is $250, but I think it can be more for some of the 2 week trips. This money is to help cover the basic costs for the materials for the clinic, as well as other necessities for RAVS to continue doing what they’re doing. It should be noted that the money you raise will be going to your clinic, and not to you individually. Also *Protip* remember that it is American money, so for us Canadians, be prepared to cover the exchange rate.
First you’ll be sent the team roster, and my team for Standing Rock has 31 vet students, and only 6 of us are fresh out of first year. There are 7 students going from OVC, and 8 students that have been on a RAVS trip before.
Soon after you will get an email about fundraising. RAVS uses the site Crowdrise, which is actually a really cool site. It’s got some pretty wry humour hidden in it’s content. Their slogan “if you don’t give back no one will like you” made me LOL the first time I read it. Anyway, your RAVS team leader will include detailed instructions in this email, so it will be really simple to set up, and Crowdrise is very user-friendly.
My first tip is to not get too wrapped up in making the perfect profile on Crowdrise. Get a good profile picture, but don’t worry too much about the bio. I spent some time on this, thinking that this was what my team members and donors were going to be reading, but really that’s going to be on your fundraising page.
This is your profile. Don’t spend too much time making your bio here. Get a good pic and then keep rolling.
Once you can log into your profile, you can join a fundraiser and then edit your fundraiser, which is where you can add pictures, a bio, and your goal. This is the page you’ll be directing your friends and family to, so this is where you want to add some flair. If you’ve been on RAVS trips in the past, I would use pictures here! There are standard pictures and a standard bio that is set up for everyone before you edit the post, so definitely add your own pictures, and change the bio. I kept the original standard bio at the end of my spiel, mostly because it described the trip really well and the kinds of things we would be doing. I also added the URLs for standingrock.org and the FAQ page on the HSVMA-RAVS website, just in case anyone wanted more information.
This is where you edit your fundraiser! Spend some time here
Don’t be afraid to share your fundraising page! Set yourself a goal so people can see what you are working towards, and you will be surprised at the generosity of everyone! Plus it’s a super cool opportunity so everyone will be interested and enthused for you!
Check out Crowdrise’s twitter… I hardly ever follow corporations or companies, but Crowdrise actually makes me laugh on a regular basis. Plus they’re super interactive!
Another post soon on the online studying and the training evaluation!
Shannon Finn: Student Veterinarian 