Fundraising Jobs for Backpackers

Fundraising Jobs in Australia

Of all the jobs in Australia we point backpackers towards, few are more perfect than charity fundraising. It contains everything you need to have a great time while also giving you the money - and possibly even the sponsorship - to extend your trip.

There are a number of different types of fundraising you can try, from working in call centres phoning people through to meeting pedestrians on the street. The good news is that literally anybody can do it, as long as you have relatively good English speaking skills. No qualifications are necessary and very little training is required, as in nearly all cases you will be given a script to stick to.

Charity fundraising is a role that's better suited for people with an outgoing personality. If you like meeting new people and talking to them you will love this gig. It won't even feel like work. You will also have the opportunity to earn quite a bit of money, as in many cases the charity fundraisers are paid on commission in relation to how much money they are able to collect.

Of course, there are plenty of opportunities for shy people as well, such as helping to organise charity events. If you're really bothered by the thought of coming face to face with strangers, there are even many job descriptions that involve hiding inside a giant koala suit or other costume.

What makes charity fundraising so perfect for backpackers is that it is highly casual, allowing you to move to the next city and pick it up again there. In many cases you will actually be required to travel from one location to another, while still getting paid. Even better is that you will be sent exactly where you want to go. This is not like picking fruit deep in the outback where the closest bar is three hours drive away. To raise money for charities you need to be where the people are, which means spending your days in tourist hot spots like Darling Harbour or even travelling to that music festival you would have attended anyway.

By far the best feature is that when you go home you will carry with you the knowledge that you have genuinely contributed to a worthy cause. This leads to another significant advantage, that all charity work looks very good on your CV.

Steven Johnson is a British backpacker who spent two years working as a charity fundraiser along the east coast of Australia and gives it a strong thumbs up. "I absolutely loved it," he says. "It gave me everything I was looking for, especially the freedom to continue travelling and know that I was earning money at the same time. Also, the work is very easy. I struggled a bit at first with all of the talking to strangers, but it wasn't long before I got the hang of it and I think I became much more confident and outgoing as a person because of it. And the icing on the cake was definitely the satisfaction that I was helping somebody in need."