WYD 101

Fundraising for WYD

Best Practices for Group Leaders

Fundraising can help make World Youth Day accessible to young adults who might otherwise be unable to participate because of the cost. It can also become an important part of the preparation for pilgrimage.

Done well, fundraising teaches responsibility, stewardship, teamwork, sacrifice and gratitude. It also gives the wider community an opportunity to accompany its young people and become part of the WYD journey.

These recommendations are intended to help group leaders develop fundraising approaches that are pastoral, transparent, equitable and responsible.

A good principle to remember:

The pilgrim commits. The group works together. The community accompanies.

Fundraising and the WYD Model of Accompaniment

A Note for Dioceses, Movements and Associations

Each diocese, large movement or association is invited to discern the fundraising approach that best corresponds to the WYD model of accompaniment it has chosen, as outlined by WYD Canada – CCCB.

Depending on the model adopted, fundraising at the diocesan, large movement or association level may not be recommended or even necessary.

When fundraising is undertaken, the preferred approach is generally to keep it at the local level — within the communities, parishes, movements or youth groups from which young people are participating in WYD.

This allows fundraising to remain connected to the young people’s own community of support and to become part of their local preparation and accompaniment for the pilgrimage.

Learn more about the WYD Models of Accompaniment: https://www.wydcanada.org/en/models/

Before You Begin Fundraising

Fundraising should not be the first step.

Before asking the community for financial support, establish a realistic pilgrimage budget and determine how the funds will be managed.

Group leaders should clarify:

  • the estimated cost per pilgrim;
  • what is and is not included;
  • deposit and payment deadlines;
  • which payments are non-refundable;
  • how fundraising proceeds will be allocated;
  • what happens if someone withdraws;
  • how financial assistance will be handled; and
  • what happens if more money is raised than required.

Put Your Fundraising Policy in Writing

Establish expectations before fundraising begins.

Clear policies help protect pilgrims, leaders, parishes and the communities supporting them. They also help prevent difficult misunderstandings later in the process.

Personal Commitment Comes First

Recommended Best Practice

Whenever possible, the pilgrim should personally pay the first non-refundable deposit.

This initial contribution is an important sign of commitment. It demonstrates that the pilgrim is also personally investing in the experience before asking the community for financial support.

Fundraising, parish assistance, sponsorships and other subsidies can then help reduce the remaining cost.

At the same time, financial circumstances vary. An inability to pay the full initial deposit should not automatically prevent a young person from participating.

Groups are encouraged to establish a confidential and pastoral process for financial assistance when necessary.

A Recommended Fundraising Model

1. Commit

The pilgrim discerns participation, registers and makes an initial personal contribution.

2. Prepare

The group establishes its budget, fundraising policies, goals and payment schedule.

3. Fundraise Together

Pilgrims actively participate in fundraising rather than simply receiving financial assistance.

4. Accompany

Families, parishioners, sponsors and prayer partners become part of the journey.

5. Apply Funds Responsibly

Funds are administered transparently and applied toward legitimate pilgrimage expenses.

6. Give Thanks

Pilgrims return home and share the fruits of their pilgrimage with those who supported them.

Fundraising With Integrity

People who support WYD pilgrims are often making sacrifices themselves.

They contribute because they believe in young people, their faith journey and the mission of the Church. Their generosity deserves transparency, accountability and gratitude.

Be clear about:

  • what World Youth Day is;
  • why your young people are participating;
  • the approximate cost of the pilgrimage;
  • what donations will support; and
  • what pilgrims themselves are contributing.

If we ask our community to support a pilgrimage, we have a responsibility to live it as a pilgrimage.

If significant personal tourism or additional travel is planned before or after WYD, those expenses should be clearly distinguished from the pilgrimage expenses presented to benefactors.

Honour the Commitment

Young people receiving financial support should be prepared to participate fully in the WYD pilgrimage.

Depending on the group’s itinerary, this may include:

  • Days in the Dioceses;
  • formation and catechesis;
  • prayer and community life;
  • WYD celebrations;
  • the Way of the Cross;
  • the Vigil;
  • the Final Mass; and
  • the other principal components of World Youth Day.

Fundraising should help young people participate more fully in the pilgrimage — not simply make international travel less expensive.

Fundraise Together

Whenever practical, consider fundraising as a group.

Group fundraising can:

  • build community;
  • develop leadership;
  • encourage shared responsibility;
  • reduce competition;
  • allow young people to contribute their gifts and talents; and
  • begin forming the pilgrim community before departure.

Before fundraising begins, determine how proceeds will be allocated.

The method may differ from one community to another. What matters is that the process is clear, transparent and agreed upon beforehand.

Consider Financial Need

Not every young person has the same financial circumstances.

Some pilgrims may be able to pay most of their pilgrimage themselves. Others may require significant assistance.

A healthy approach may combine:

Personal Contribution + Group Fundraising + Parish Support + Sponsorship + Needs-Based Assistance

Requests for financial assistance should be handled confidentially and with respect for the dignity of the pilgrim and family.

Avoid publicly comparing what individual pilgrims or families are able to contribute.

Fundraising Ideas

Choose Activities That Build Community

Fundraising can be most effective when it brings people together rather than simply asking for money.

Community Events

Consider:

  • parish breakfasts or dinners;
  • BBQs;
  • concerts;
  • international food evenings;
  • Korean cultural evenings;
  • talent nights; or
  • silent auctions.

Service-Based Fundraising

Possibilities include:

  • community service days;
  • yard work;
  • seasonal clean-up;
  • sponsored pilgrim walks; or
  • other services offered by the group.

Seasonal Activities

Consider:

  • Advent or Christmas markets;
  • Easter fundraisers;
  • parish festivals; or
  • bake sales.

Community Support

Groups may also explore:

  • parish sponsorship;
  • support from Catholic organizations;
  • community partners;
  • prayer partner initiatives; or
  • Adopt-a-Pilgrim initiatives, where appropriate.

Keep It Manageable

A few well-organized fundraisers are usually better than continuously asking the same community for money.

Be attentive to donor fatigue.

Make Fundraising Part of Formation

Don’t simply sell something.

Tell the WYD story.

At fundraising events, pilgrims can:

  • explain why they want to participate in WYD;
  • share the WYD theme;
  • offer personal testimony;
  • share what they are learning during preparation;
  • introduce the community to Korea and the Church in Korea;
  • invite past WYD pilgrims to share their experiences; and
  • invite parishioners to pray for the group.

Move from:

“Help us pay for our trip.”

to:

“Walk with us on this pilgrimage.”

Choose Responsibly

If fundraising will finance a significant portion of the pilgrimage, carefully consider the package and additional expenses being selected.

The most expensive option is not necessarily the best pilgrimage.

Before adding an expense, ask:

Is this necessary?

Does it contribute meaningfully to the pilgrimage?

Is there a more economical alternative?

Are we being responsible with the generosity of the people supporting us?

Simplicity and sacrifice are part of pilgrimage.

Not Everyone Travels for WYD

But Everyone Can Participate in WYD

Those travelling for WYD are being sent by a community. In a sense, they become ambassadors of that community during the pilgrimage and witnesses to the experience when they return.

Consider connecting each pilgrim with someone from the parish or community who will not be travelling.

Invite that person to become a prayer companion.

Prayer companions can:

  • pray for their pilgrim;
  • accompany the preparation;
  • send prayer intentions with the group;
  • follow the pilgrimage from home; and
  • reconnect with the pilgrim after WYD.

In this way, WYD can become an experience of the whole community, not only of those who board the plane.

Establish a Payment Schedule

Don’t wait until shortly before departure to discover that a pilgrim cannot pay the remaining balance.

A simple process might look like this:

Pilgrim commits

↓

Pilgrim pays first deposit

↓

Fundraising begins

↓

Scheduled payments continue

↓

Fundraising and subsidies are applied

↓

Remaining balance is communicated

↓

Final payment is completed

Regular communication helps pilgrims and families plan responsibly and helps leaders identify challenges early.

Remember to Say Thank You

Gratitude is part of pilgrimage.

Keep track of the people and communities who support the group.

Before WYD

Thank supporters and keep them informed about the group’s preparation.

During WYD

When practical, share news, prayer intentions and moments from the pilgrimage.

After WYD

Return and tell the story.

Consider:

  • a Mass of Thanksgiving;
  • a testimony evening;
  • a parish presentation;
  • an evening with benefactors and prayer companions; or
  • another opportunity to share the fruits of the pilgrimage.

 

Plan the return before you leave.

Fundraising and the Three Phases of WYD

Phase 1 — Preparing for Pilgrimage

Formation • Leadership • Fundraising • Community • Prayer

Fundraising helps young people take responsibility for their pilgrimage while involving the community that sends them.

Phase 2 — Pilgrimage

Encounter • Prayer • Sacrifice • Communion • Mission

Pilgrims live the experience their communities helped make possible.

Phase 3 — Return & Mission

Reflect • Discern • Give Thanks • Share • Serve • Witness

Pilgrims return to discern how the experience can bear fruit in their lives, parishes and communities.

Plan the return before leaving for the pilgrimage.

A Final Question for Group Leaders

Fundraising success should not be measured only by:

“Did we reach our financial goal?”

Ask instead:

“Did the way we raised the money help form the young people we are sending on pilgrimage?”

A healthy WYD fundraising model is one where:

The pilgrim commits.

The group works together.

The community accompanies.

Those with greater need can be supported.

Funds are administered responsibly.

Pilgrims honour the generosity they receive.

The entire community shares in the fruits of the pilgrimage.

When approached in this way, fundraising itself becomes part of the preparation for World Youth Day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do pilgrims pay their own way?

Pilgrims should normally make a meaningful personal contribution toward their pilgrimage.

Fundraising can then help reduce the cost and make participation more accessible to young people who may not otherwise be able to attend.

Can a parish pay for a pilgrim?

Yes.

A parish may choose to subsidize pilgrims or provide financial assistance according to its own resources, policies and diocesan guidelines.

In some cases, assistance based on genuine financial need may be more appropriate than providing exactly the same subsidy to every pilgrim.

Should the pilgrim pay the first deposit?

As a recommended best practice, whenever possible, the pilgrim should personally pay the first non-refundable deposit.

This is a sign of commitment and personal investment in the pilgrimage.

Where financial hardship makes this difficult, groups should consider a confidential pastoral process for assistance.

Should fundraising money be given directly to the pilgrim?

As a general best practice, no.

Fundraising proceeds should normally be collected and administered through the parish, diocese, movement, association or another approved organizational account and applied toward legitimate pilgrimage expenses.

Always follow your local financial policies.

Should we wait until the end to apply fundraising money?

No.

Establish a payment schedule from the beginning.

Pilgrims should regularly know:

  • what they have personally contributed;
  • what fundraising or subsidies have contributed; and
  • what balance remains.

This helps prevent unexpected financial difficulties shortly before departure.

How should group fundraising proceeds be divided?

There is no single approach that will work for every group.

Groups may choose equal distribution, participation-based allocation, needs-based assistance or a combination of these approaches.

The important point is to determine the method before fundraising begins and communicate it clearly to pilgrims and families.

What if a pilgrim needs more financial assistance than others?

Financial circumstances vary.

Groups are encouraged to have a confidential process through which genuine financial need can be identified and appropriately supported.

Avoid requiring young adults or families to publicly disclose financial difficulties.

What if someone withdraws from the pilgrimage?

Establish a withdrawal and cancellation policy before fundraising begins.

The policy should explain:

  • which deposits are refundable or non-refundable;
  • what happens to payments already committed to WYD organizers or travel providers;
  • what happens to group fundraising proceeds;
  • what happens to parish subsidies; and
  • whether funds may be transferred to another eligible pilgrim.

Funds raised through parish or group fundraising should not automatically be considered the personal property of an individual pilgrim.

Clear policies established beforehand can prevent misunderstandings later.

What if we raise more money than we need?

Determine this possibility in your fundraising policy before fundraising begins.

Groups should follow their parish, diocesan, movement or association financial policies regarding surplus funds.

The important principle is that donors and pilgrims should understand in advance how excess funds will be handled.

Can donors receive charitable tax receipts?

Do not promise a charitable tax receipt simply because someone makes a financial contribution toward WYD.

Eligibility depends on how the donation is structured and on the policies and legal obligations of the registered charity receiving it.

Before advertising or issuing charitable tax receipts, consult your parish, diocese, movement or association’s finance office.

Should fundraising pay for tourism before or after WYD?

Fundraising presented to the community as support for a WYD pilgrimage should primarily support expenses directly connected with that pilgrimage.

If significant personal tourism or additional travel is planned before or after WYD, those expenses should be clearly distinguished from the pilgrimage costs presented to benefactors.

Can fundraising cover the entire cost of a pilgrim?

It can, depending on the circumstances and local policies, but the goal should not simply be to remove all personal responsibility from the pilgrim.

As a best practice, pilgrims should make a meaningful personal contribution whenever possible.

At the same time, financial circumstances differ, and genuine financial need should be addressed pastorally.