Charity

[Simon B]

I would be interested to know if many pilgrims seek sponsorship for charity when walking. I did when I walked the CF and raised quite a healthy sum. I am planning to walk the VDLP staring in March 2019 and cannot make up mind whether to do so again. Just wondering whether it places some form of subtle unseen pressure that might affect my enjoyment of the overall experience.

 

[Waka]

When I walked in 2015 on the CF someone in my church asked if I was seeking sponsorship. My reply was that as it's a pilgrimage I felt it inappropriate to do under sponsorship, I'm sure they'll be a lot of people disagreeing with me, and thats fine after all it's a free world.

 

[Kiwi-family]

One of my five Caminos was a fundraiser, and while it did add a small pressure it also provided a focus and enjoyment.
Others may feel differently - and you say you’ve already done it....what was your experience?

 

[Robo]

Personally I wouldn't do it as a fundraiser, as it would create a pressure that would impact my own Pilgrimage.
But I wouldn't frown on someone that decided to do so of course.
As long as all the funds raised went to charity and were not used to subsidise the Pilgrims journey.
I met others who were fundraising while walking and ended up giving to their chosen charities.

This year we did give to charity, but it was done at the end of the journey as a form of thanks.
https://robscamino.com/2018/790-kilometres-should-mean-something/

 

[Albertagirl]

As someone who was on the other side of such a request, it made me very uncomfortable to have another pilgrim requesting a donation from me for a charity with which he was involved. It has never made any logical sense to me that a person who walks a certain distance should somehow be able to request money from acquaintances for his or her chosen charity. And to have such a request made by someone I just met in a shared albergue was most uncomfortable. But if someone who shares an interest in a particular charity requests money from others at home whom they know are interested in the same charity and both parties agree to somehow associate this donation to the pilgrimage, that is between them.

 

[Robo]

As someone who was on the other side of such a request, it made me very uncomfortable to have another pilgrim requesting a donation from me for a charity with which he was involved. It has never made any logical sense to me that a person who walks a certain distance should somehow be able to request money from acquaintances for his or her chosen charity. And to have such a request made by someone I just met in a shared albergue was most uncomfortable. But if someone who shares an interest in a particular charity requests money from others at home whom they know are interested in the same charity and both parties agree to somehow associate this donation to the pilgrimage, that is between them.

Totally agree @Albertagirl !

I gave to charities of three Pilgrims I met, only because I got to know them, and liked and trusted them.
And because they didn't mention the charity angle at all until we had got to know each other and our reasons for walking. And I ended asking them about the charity and why it was important to them........

If someone approached me straight out, I would be upset and offended I think. It's rude and unfair to corner people like that and pressure them into giving..........

 

[domigee]

When I walked in 2015 on the CF someone in my church asked if I was seeking sponsorship. My reply was that as it's a pilgrimage I felt it inappropriate to do under sponsorship, I'm sure they'll be a lot of people disagreeing with me, and thats fine after all it's a free world.

No, my answer was the same @Waka

 

[Robo]

When I walked in 2015 on the CF someone in my church asked if I was seeking sponsorship. My reply was that as it's a pilgrimage I felt it inappropriate to do under sponsorship, I'm sure they'll be a lot of people disagreeing with me, and that's fine after all it's a free world.

I tend to agree. Its a very personal journey...........

Or do you mean sponsorship as in the donations are used to cover the expenses of the Pilgrim?
In 99.9% of cases I cannot see how that would be appropriate......

Charity (all funds going to a worthy cause) and Sponsorship are two totally different things.......

 

[Kiwi-family]

@Albertagirl I totally agree with you. When we walked for charity we never asked anyone. We had a patch on our backpacks and if anyone wanted to ask us about it , they could (and did). We did ask friends and family at home with whom we already had a relationship (and I think I talked about it a wee bit here on the forum), but noone on the way. We were astounded at how many people offered cash, and in some cases significant sums.
.
Here are the two water projects that our money went towards....and what I like is that each individual who gave, can see their contribution (for anyone who gave us cash we uploaded the same amount in their name or as anonymous if they didn't want their name on the site)
https://my.charitywater.org/projects/ET.RST.Q2.14.162.128?donation_id=406244
https://my.charitywater.org/projects/ET.RST.Q2.14.162.109?donation_id=406244

 

[Albertagirl]

@Kiwi-family
Thank you for this information. I was especially impressed that the project involved the local community and allowed for future maintenance. My own practice has been to keep an eye on the website of my church which presents projects needing funding. There are many such, but for some reason I have usually been drawn to respond to requests for emergency funds in time of famine or flood or social breakdown. Regardless, I have not been called to associate my donations with my walking the camino. Perhaps because I would be very poor at approaching people to do so. However, I have drawn a friend into donating to a project close to my heart, the education of women and girls in Afghanistan, so I suppose that the impression made on possible donors is associated with our own enthusiasm. Not best expressed by cornering a pilgrim in a camino albergue, as happened to me.

 

[Waka]

I tend to agree. Its a very personal journey...........

Or do you mean sponsorship as in the donations are used to cover the expenses of the Pilgrim?
In 99.9% of cases I cannot see how that would be appropriate......

Charity (all funds going to a worthy cause) and Sponsorship are two totally different things.......

Over here you'd say, would you sponsor me for doing (whatever) for charity etc.
I'm sure there are pilgrims out there that take sponsorship to help pay the way for their camino. Either way it's not for me, when I walk I'm only beholding to myself and as you say, it's a very personal journey.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I walked with a Queen's Chaplain for a week. He was raising funds back home for a hospice. Pilgrims regularly walk to raise money for a charity. If it feels right, do it.

 

[David Tallan]

I thought of raising money for a charity when I walked with my son in 2016 and asked him if there was one he wanted to support but he wasn't that into the idea so I never followed through. Walking (or running) long distances for charity is pretty well established in these parts. But I would never have thought about asking fellow pilgrims to sponsor me. That's not how the "sponsor me to go the distance" things work. The sponsorship comes from people sitting at home and not going the distance themselves. It would have just been open to the people back home and something to mention when asked the inevitable "why are you walking the Camino?".

Incidentally, sponsoring someone to do something arduous and meritorious that one isn't doing oneself has a long history in the Camino. Donating that sponsorship to charity is just the icing on the cake.

 

[williamlittig]

I would be interested to know if many pilgrims seek sponsorship for charity when walking. I did when I walked the CF and raised quite a healthy sum. I am planning to walk the VDLP staring in March 2019 and cannot make up mind whether to do so again. Just wondering whether it places some form of subtle unseen pressure that might affect my enjoyment of the overall experience.

You get more endorphins from giving than receiving and this world needs so much. Go on pilgrimage, carry a stone and encourage people to give.

 

[Albertagirl]

But I would never have thought about asking fellow pilgrims to sponsor me. That's not how the "sponsor me to go the distance" things work. The sponsorship comes from people sitting at home and not going the distance themselves.

@David Tallan
To do justice to the young man who begged me for money for a charity, he was requesting money for a project in a poor part of south Mexico, where he actually worked and donated his own time. So he was not at the time living in a well-off community where he would have direct access to "people sitting at home and not going the distance themselves." For him, being on the camino was an opportunity to have access to people with cash. I don't know how much contact he may have had with people living wherever he came from.

 

[Zordmot]

There is an interesting range of opinions on this. I wouldn’t fundraise while on the journey nor would I wear a sign to draw other pilgrims attention away from the Camino and onto me. That’s just me. Having said that, I recognize the altruism and love that is an important part of why these pilgrims are walking. If others knew my reasons for walking perhaps some might judge me and I don’t feel that’s fair. I’ll keep a €10 note handy for when I’m approached in an albérgue when I walk in April.

 

[Simon B]

As someone who was on the other side of such a request, it made me very uncomfortable to have another pilgrim requesting a donation from me for a charity with which he was involved. It has never made any logical sense to me that a person who walks a certain distance should somehow be able to request money from acquaintances for his or her chosen charity. And to have such a request made by someone I just met in a shared albergue was most uncomfortable. But if someone who shares an interest in a particular charity requests money from others at home whom they know are interested in the same charity and both parties agree to somehow associate this donation to the pilgrimage, that is between them.

This I have never experienced and would agree wholeheartedly with what you say. My thoughts are fundraising through approved websites such as JustGiving.

 

[Simon B]

I tend to agree. Its a very personal journey...........

Or do you mean sponsorship as in the donations are used to cover the expenses of the Pilgrim?
In 99.9% of cases I cannot see how that would be appropriate......

Charity (all funds going to a worthy cause) and Sponsorship are two totally different things.......

It would never be to cover the cost of the pilgrimage that is a very personal thing. Any money raised goes direct to a chosen charity without money changing hands.

 

[Simon B]

@Albertagirl I totally agree with you. When we walked for charity we never asked anyone. We had a patch on our backpacks and if anyone wanted to ask us about it , they could (and did). We did ask friends and family at home with whom we already had a relationship (and I think I talked about it a wee bit here on the forum), but noone on the way. We were astounded at how many people offered cash, and in some cases significant sums.
View attachment 49817.
Here are the two water projects that our money went towards....and what I like is that each individual who gave, can see their contribution (for anyone who gave us cash we uploaded the same amount in their name or as anonymous if they didn't want their name on the site)
https://my.charitywater.org/projects/ET.RST.Q2.14.162.128?donation_id=406244
https://my.charitywater.org/projects/ET.RST.Q2.14.162.109?donation_id=406244

This is an excellent idea - for interet my chosen charity is https://www.tfsr.org/

 

[Icacos]

This thread is interesting. Before I walked my camino several years ago I approached a particular organization with a view to raising money on their behalf. I was very clear that I intended to pay my own way and any money I raised would be for their benefit. I had no idea how these things work but I thought they would perhaps ask their regular sponsors to pledge a certain amount of money for each mile I walked, or something like that. I never heard back from the organization ... perhaps it was not worth their while. But, I guess that's okay ... I have no hard feelings against anyone; I just don't know how it works.

Perhaps my idea would have worked better with a church group or some other smaller charitable organization.

 

[alhartman]

An acquaintance of mine solicited donations from fellow Rotarians for one of their charities. He gave the donors a regular email from the Frances as well as a luncheon talk on his return. I think he tried to attend some Rotary meetings along the way (mentioned but not sure he was able to.) He never solicited either the general public nor fellow pilgrims. It seemed to work well for him as an added focus and fit with his lifetime efforts at helping others (Service above self).

 

[Sue127]

This I have never experienced and would agree wholeheartedly with what you say. My thoughts are fundraising through approved websites such as JustGiving.

I'm thinking about asking for sponsorship for Medecins sans Frontieres when I walk in May/June, but would certainly not dream of approaching others on the camino. I would be asking via Justgving (goes straight to the charity) and aiming the request at friends and family who know I do odd things for charity.

 

[Sue127]

This thread is interesting. Before I walked my camino several years ago I approached a particular organization with a view to raising money on their behalf. I was very clear that I intended to pay my own way and any money I raised would be for their benefit. I had no idea how these things work but I thought they would perhaps ask their regular sponsors to pledge a certain amount of money for each mile I walked, or something like that. I never heard back from the organization ... perhaps it was not worth their while. But, I guess that's okay ... I have no hard feelings against anyone; I just don't know how it works.

Perhaps my idea would have worked better with a church group or some other smaller charitable organization.

Large organisations, such as Medecins sans Frontieres (doctors without Borders), have fund raising personnel who will help you organise ways to fundraise.