If you are passionate about outdoor adventure and are constantly planning your next trip to a foreign forest or a far-off desert, you might be interested in how you can help the non-profits that are based in the countries and give back to the areas of natural beauty and the communities that surround them that you love so much. Here is a guide that can give you some ideas and tips to help non-profits if you are passionate about outdoor adventure, extreme sports, and travel.
1. Help Local Communities
If you love outdoor adventure, you can help non-profits and the charitable work that they do by supporting small communities that might not be thriving as much as they would like to be. These communities could be based in your favorite places to travel or even where you live if you are not living in the United States. By doing this, you can be more than just a tourist and will be ensuring that you do not simply focus on the positives of the countries you are visiting. This will allow you to give back and sustain these communities for the future. However, rather than believing that you know what is best for these communities, you should instead ask around to find out what help is needed. It is important that you conduct research into the specific issues that are impacting the residents of your travel destination. You might help them to complete community projects or simply spend time hearing their stories.
2. Support Foreign and International Charities
Although you might be a huge supporter of the charities in and around your hometown, if you are passionate about outdoor travel, you should consider broadening your perspective and supporting the charities that do good in your destination. For instance, you might look for a charity that is based in the States but operates on a global scale, or you might search for a foreign charity that directly helps those in need and that understands the issues that local communities are facing first-hand. For instance, if you often visit Honduras and the rest of Central America and enjoy exploring the beautiful landscapes and spotting the wildlife there, you might consider researching the Honduras relief foundation of Michael Savage New Canaan. This foundation cares for children in Honduras and helps them to overcome the challenges that they face. The organization was set up by former accountant and business owner Michael Savage when he decided to dedicate more of his time to his lifelong philanthropic work. At the very least, you may be able to contact this foundation to donate toys and other goods, or you might be able to contribute your skills and talents in other ways. By supporting these charities, you will be able to play an active part in changing the world through an official avenue. However, when you are choosing a charity to support, you should be careful to find one that is trustworthy, helps to sustain and create independent communities, and is not corrupt.
3. Raise Awareness of Global Issues
When you are passionate about outdoor adventure and have seen first-hand the troubling situation that some communities are in across the globe, you should not stay silent. Instead, you should use your platform to promote voices in the area, as well as share your own first-hand experiences. To do this, you might decide to become an influencer on social media platforms such as Instagram, where you can repost what charities have to say about certain matters. This will allow you to educate your large follower count and can prevent you from feeling as if you are standing idly by while horrors occur around the world. You will have to make sure that your accounts are set to public, though, as this will ensure that your posts can be shared more widely. Whatever you do, though, you should make sure that your support is consistent, and you should also practice what you preach and donate to the causes that you promote, as well as sign necessary petitions. You could also raise awareness of global issues by deciding to host talks and writing blogs about your travel, all while introducing a socially conscious angle to your narrative.
4. Volunteer Abroad
If you want to pair your passion for outdoor travel and activities with your desire to do good in the world, you should look into volunteering. Volunteering in another country can be a great way to get stuck in and see the positive impact that you are making. Although you might believe that volunteering abroad might be expensive due to factors such as administration costs, your flight, your training, and your food and accommodation, there are many schemes that can cover your costs, or you might be able to crowdfund your mission. When you are looking to volunteer abroad, you should check out the many organizations that can support you throughout your journey, as they will be able to keep you safe and ensure that you can get all of the advice you need when you need it. They will also be able to make all the arrangements for you so that you do not have to source your own position or all of the other factors that make up the volunteering experience. You should be prepared to feel a little homesick when you are away and to battle culture shock face to face. By looking after your mental health and staying in contact with people back home, though, you should be able to enjoy your time away, gain new experiences, form friends and important connections, make a difference, and create memories that you will treasure for life.
5. Complete a Sponsored Trip or Activity
For those who are active and can always be found up a mountain or in the middle of a forest, completing a sponsored trip or activity might be a great idea for you to raise money for the charities that you care about. For instance, you might decide to ask people to sponsor your next hike, or they might sponsor you to carry out a certain extreme sport that you have never tried before, such as skydiving. Although it can be difficult to get sponsors regularly, you might be able to harness the power of social media to do so and get as many people as possible to donate rather than just your friends. You should ask for donations early, though, as this will allow people to budget for your donation and give you the time you need to reach your goal. It is vital that you stay safe when you are carrying out a sponsored activity, and you should make sure you train thoroughly beforehand, go on trial runs, and build up your stamina gradually. Otherwise, you might find that you disappoint your sponsors or injure yourself when performing the activity.
6. Donate or Sell Your Old Gear
As someone who is passionate about the outdoors, you might have a lot of old gear collecting dust at home. This equipment might be for sports that you no longer enjoy or might have been purchased for specific travel experiences. Not only this, but some of your outdoor clothing might still be in good condition but might not fit you anymore or suit your purposes. To make sure you get the most out of your old gear and support a non-profit while you do so, you should consider donating or selling these tools, including old hiking boots, raincoats, and skis. By doing this, you will be allowing someone else to get pleasure out of these items while enabling you to raise money for charity. You can sell your possessions online and donate all your profits to charity, or you can give them to a thrift store near you.
7. Book Through Socially Aware Travel Agencies
When you have decided to plan a trip abroad, you should make sure you book through socially aware and eco-friendly travel agencies that put the best interests of the country that you are visiting first. These agencies might even decide to donate a portion of the profits that they receive to local charities or to use them for good. This means that, instead of just using a normal booking website, you should consider making all of your arrangements through an independent and easy-to-use travel agency that can make a difference and prevent you from damaging or having a negative impact on the destination that is next on your bucket list. You can also help charities and prevent them from having to do quite so much work by being a conscientious traveler when you arrive at your destination. For instance, you should research the local customs, pick up litter, and stay away from wildlife and native plants. You should also be careful not to book tours and activities that are cruel to wildlife or disrupt natural ecosystems or ways of life.
