Charity Flexi Funding
Make It Work For You

Flexible (Flexi) funding is by far the safest bet of the two sponsored methods for charity treks and challenges.
If that fundraising target looks daunting, call in the cavalry – flexi funding.

Flexi funding is often overlooked primarily because you only usually ever see one flexi option figure. Given its name (flexi), it is a lot more flexible than that. By its very nature, it should be flexible!

Here’s an example of how it can work for you.

Example Trip – a trip X costs £2000 and you may see figures like this for your funding options:

  • Self Fund: Registration fee £300, balance £1700
  • Flexi Fund: Registration fee £300 + a final balance payment of £500 + fundraising target of £2400
  • Min Sponsorship: Registration fee £300 + fundraising target of £3400

They all amount to the same thing BUT what you don’t see is any demonstration of how flexible that Flexi fund payment can be.

Be sure you understand how fundraising targets are calculated.

Funding Options

There are 3 funding options.

  • Self-fund
  • Flexi fund
  • Min Sponsorship

A full explanation of each funding option.

YOU can choose how flexible it can be (or should be able to)

Look at what happens to the fundraising target, when you increase the final balance.

Registration fee £300 + final balance of £300 + fundraising target of £2800
Registration fee £300 + final balance of £400 + fundraising target of £2600
Registration fee £300 + final balance of £500 + fundraising target of £2400
Registration fee £300 + final balance of £600 + fundraising target of £2200
Registration fee £300 + final balance of £700 + fundraising target of £2000

By increasing your personal contribution (the final balance), you decrease what can be a daunting fundraising target. Use it to your advantage, speak to your charity, and even adjust as you go if it isn’t working too well. Communication is everything and most charities will allow this.

If you’re still wondering why the fundraising target comes down in £200’s when you increase the final balance by just £100, it is because half of the fundraising target pays for your trip, and the other half remains with the charity. For a full explanation of how each fundraising option works, scroll down.

It is as flexible as you want to be (within reason!).
Questions? – call Terry: 01529 488159/07725 943108.


See how the whole charity challenge journey works

Are You A Charity?

Our easy, flexible method of operating:

  • Min numbers = 2*
  • Incl bespoke groups
  • Choose your dates
  • Adjustable itineraries

* excludes the Sahara, which is a min of 4.

How Our Charity Challenges Work?

Question? Call Terry: 07725 943108

The 3 Fundraising Options Explained

Under this option, you pay the entire cost of your trip yourself, directly to Travel and Trek on the dates stated.
It is usually paid in 2 phases:

  • Registration fee paid on booking.
  • The final balance paid 10 weeks prior to departure.

In addition, you then raise as much as you can for your chosen charity. Those donations go directly to the charity, usually through an online donation website. There is no formal fundraising target (unless imposed by the charity) and no agreements to sign.

Flexi funding is the middle ground between self fund and full sponsorship. As the name implies, it is designed to be flexible – YOU decide on the figures to suit YOU.

You pay the Registration fee + a final balance, both from your own funds, both to directly to Travel and Trek on the stated dates.

In addition, you commit to fundraising a specific amount (the fundraising target) by the final balance due date. From that fundraising, the remaining fees for your trip will be paid to us by the charity.

Here’s an example of how flexible it is meant to be.

Important point (the 50% rule) – industry guidelines maintain that you should not use more than 50% of what you raise in donations to pay for your trip. Methods of this nature are designed to raise funds for the charity and therefore they should retain at least 50% of what you raise. Often cited as ‘the 50% rule‘.

Let’s take a trip that costs £1000. Keeping the figures simple, say you pay a Registration fee of £100 and decide to pay a final balance of £100, it leaves £800 to pay. Based on the 50% rule above, the fundraising target would be £1600 (£800 pays for your trip, £800 is retained by the charity).

The more you pay from your own pocket, the less the fundraising target will be:

Reg fee £100 + final balance of £100 (total paid £200) = £800 left to pay = fundraising target of £1600
Reg fee £100 + final balance of £200 (total paid £300) = £700 left to pay = fundraising target of £1400
Reg fee £100 + final balance of £300 (total paid £400) = £600 left to pay = fundraising target of £1200, you get the idea…

You should ideally set the figures from the outset but there is some flexibility within that too.

You will be asked to complete a Pledge Form with the charity. It sets out the fundraising target + the dates by which amounts need to be raised. Completion of the Pledge Form is a requirement of this method and is effectively an ‘agreement’ between you and the charity in that you are ‘pledging’ to raise the stated amount in return for them paying those fees.

Your fundraising target must be met, and paid to the charity by the stated date. This enables them to pay the remaining balance for your trip.

If you find yourself unable to meet the fundraising target by the agreed date, communicate with us and/or the charity. Do this at the earliest opportunity so that we can assist you. There are options to help.

Under this option, you pay the Registration fee directly to Travel and Trek on booking.

In addition, you commit to fundraising a specific amount (the fundraising target) within a specific timescale, for the charity. From that sponsorship, the remaining fees for your trip will be paid to us by the charity.

You will be asked to complete a Pledge Form with the charity. It sets out the fundraising target + the dates by which amounts need to be raised. Completion of the Pledge Form is a requirement of this method and is effectively an ‘agreement’ between you and the charity in that you are ‘pledging’ to raise the stated amount in return for them paying those fees.

Your fundraising target(s) must be met, and paid to the charity by the stated date(s). This enables them to pay the fees for your trip on time.

If you find yourself unable to meet the fundraising target by the agreed date, communicate with us and/or the charity. Do this at the earliest opportunity so that we can assist you. There are options to help.