Raising the funds to journey to Lisbon might feel like a daunting task, but it is more achievable than you think. A part-time or casual job will allow you to save money. It is also helpful to fundraise. Get together with some friends in your parish, work out your goals and start to plan how you can reach them. Also, look for sponsors who can support you in a bigger way!

1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3

To reach the total of your pilgrimage cost, we recommend that you save a third, fundraise a third and find a sponsor for a third.

Save a Third

If you save $100 per week, in six months you will have saved $2600.

A part-time or casual job will allow you to save money regularly and steadily, so if youdon’t have a job already, this opportunity to journey to World Youth Day should be a great incentive to find one!

Once you have a source of income, there are many great ways to save small amounts every day so that in a few months’ time you will have built up an impressive amount.

Here are some ideas:

  • Open a savings account dedicated to your World Youth Day trip and transfer a certain amount into that account each week.
  • Make your coffee or other drink of choice at home. Build up your barista skills and save money on each cup of coffee, bubble tea or pumpkin spice smoothie you would have purchased!
  • Cut a subscription services that you don’t need.
  • Avoid unnecessary purchases—and think about how excited you are to go to World Youth Day!
  • Make a money-saving chart.
  • Find free events instead of expensive ones.
  • Get creative! Find fun and clever ways to save money, and always keep in mind why you’re doing it.

Fundraise a Third

Connect with your nearest youth group and join—or help start—their fundraising efforts for World Youth Day. Or you could find a few friends in your parish and talk to your parish priest about your plans.

Parishioners around Melbourne are eager to help support young people from their parishes to experience an event like World Youth Day.

Some fundraising ideas include:

  • car washes
  • sausage sizzles
  • cake stalls
  • raffles
  • trivia nights
  • fun runs
  • parish cookbooks
  • chocolate drives.

Also, when you register for World Youth Day, we will provide you with your very own fundraising page!

This means you will have your own dedicated web page where people can donate directly to your pilgrimage cost (up to $4000 in total) with their credit or debit card.

Below are some images you can use, along with a suggested caption to share on social media, via email or direct message with those you know.

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Hey! I’m going to World Youth Day, a gathering of young people from all over the world with the Pope. It's happening in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2023 and I would appreciate your help in getting me there!

WYD brings together millions of young people to celebrate their faith, strengthen their sense of belonging to the Church and foster personal encounters with Christ.

Your support will help cover the cost of the pilgrimage registration, flights and accommodation.

Please click this link to support me financially: [insert the link provided to you by our administrator and remove square brackets]

@melbwyd

#melbwyd #worldyouthday #lisbon2023

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Click or tap one of the images below to download.



Be Sponsored a Third

Fundraising will help you receive smaller amounts from a large group of people, while finding a sponsor means receiving a large amount from a small group or just one person.

Once you find a sponsor who is open to sponsoring part of your trip to World Youth Day, you can share with them the reasons why you want to go, the value of the trip and why they should sponsor you.

To find potential sponsors, you could:

  • speak to your parish priest about being put in contact with local businesses or individuals in the parish who might be willing to sponsor you
  • speak to a family member or family friend who might be able to sponsor you.

And remember to honour those who have sponsored you or contributed to your fundraising efforts.

Here are some ways you could do that:

  • Send them a postcard from Lisbon.
  • Purchase a souvenir for them and write a handwritten letter sharing about your experience.
  • Pray for them at the various religious sites you visit.