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Why Trailblazers Sponsored Challenges are so successful

· We provide lots of fundraising support for participants, including

o A Briefing Day with fundraising workshop

o An exclusive Sponsorship Guide

o Promotional materials to help them communicate with potential sponsors

· We design bespoke materials and help you put together a marketing plan to promote your Challenge

The majority of Trailblazers partner charities prefer to have their participants pay for their challenge event so that 100% of the funds raised in sponsorship benefit the charity concerned.

In some instances however, they have chosen to run their events where the participants’ challenge is partially subsidised by the sponsorship that they raise.

There are distinct advantages & disadvantages with each of the above. However, one thing that you should be assured of is that both are very effective at generating funds and profile for partner charities.

Whether you choose to go down the subsidised challenge route or not, Trailblazers is happy to accommodate your choice and will provide you with the information that will help you in making an informed decision.

Testimonials from Partner Charities

"As a young charity with no experience, my colleagues and I have been hugely blessed through working with Trailblazers. Their extensive experience of other charities, in similar situations, has benefited us enormously and their advice and motivation has had a significant impact upon our development as an organisation. Trailblazers staff, without exception, have been encouraging, non-judgemental and have invested their time and energy into me as an individual. As a leader, needing to invest time and energy into others, this has been invaluable.

The financial and motivational rewards of the PEPAIDS/ Trailblazers partnership have been fantastic also. We were particularly blessed by Trailblazers’ efforts to incorporate a visit to the project we support, during the Zambezi Canoe Challenge. Not only did it bring motivation and credibility to the people on the ground, but it brought the challengers’ experience to life, giving everyone a chance to see what their efforts were in aid of.

I cannot thank Trailblazers enough for the wonderful service that they have provided. Their integrity, support and friendship has gone far beyond my expectations of a business partnership. I would not hesitate to recommend them!"

Helen Allen, Chairperson, PEPAIDS (Partners on Zambezi Challenge)

“Thank you so much for all your help to us… the infrastructure, organisation, care and expertise you and all yours provided was nothing short of superb.”

Colin Robinson, Trustee, Tigers Club Project (Partners on Kilimanjaro Challenge)

“Many tour operators offer sponsored Challenges to registered charities. However, in Trailblazers we have found a unique non profit operation whose experience, professionalism and commitment to our Challenge has enabled significant funds to be released into our projects.”

Sharon Eason, Professional Relations Director, Crusaders (Partners on Fastnet & Great Wall of China )

"The Great Wall of China Challenge proved to be an amazing success, not just for the experience of China and the monies raised for our projects, but also raising the profile of Faith & Football to a level which we have not seen before.”

Mick Mellows, Chairman, Faith & Football (Partners on Great Wall of China Challenge)

"Working with Trailblazers to organise our first major sponsored challenge has been a really smooth-running and encouraging experience. It was very helpful to have personalised help with setting our targets for the event (not just financial but also broader impacts we wanted to result from the challenge), and practical guidance on steps to achieve those targets. Being able to use Trailblazers' established procedures, materials and guidelines, but with plenty of room to include the personal feel and profile of our own organisation was a great combination. We reached our initial target of 10 participants very quickly, so went on to recruit a total of 20 for the Ben Nevis Challenge – many are new supporters and everyone has made a real commitment to fundraising. It’s been an excellent boost to our income in uncertain financial times!

"The Trailblazers team have been supportive, encouraging, friendly and professional throughout and it’s felt so easy to make this challenge happen.”

Claire Lanham, Communications Co-ordinator, The Bethany Children's Trust (Partners on Ben Nevis Challenge)

"We were very pleased to work with Trailblazers to arrange our latest fundraising venture. TB came up with an excellent challenge for our supporters to join in with - trekking through the Romanian mountains on the Carpathian Challenge. If we have tried to organise something like this ourselves then it would have taken many months and we probably still wouldn’t have come up with such an excellent trip. The Challenge was an incredible way to raise funds and we nervously set our top limit at £20k in the sure knowledge we wouldn’t really reach it but we could always live in hope! As it was we raised £35k from 15 trekkers and we were delighted. Its such a great way of raising substantial funds that we are running another trek for supporters with TB in 2010.

"One of the really helpful services that TB provide are the enquiry packs that are sent out to supporters interested in getting involved. Also important is the briefing day that TB ran for Link Romania which for us was inhouse at our offices. It really gave supporters a sense of being part of a team and fundraising went up after this took place. The other point of the challenge apart from raising funds - which have had a considerable impact on our projects - is that we now have 15 highly committed supporters who want to get more involved with the charity on a day to day basis which is great and they feel that the trek and the project visit while they were out there has really changed their lives. ”

Lisa Hector, General Manager, Link Romania (Partners on Carpathian Challenge)

"The thought of arranging a Community Challenge to raise much needed funds for Hands of Compassion, was daunting. Booking flights and accommodation in three different venues, vehicle hire and local transport were the practical points, aside to the publicity documentation, crisis management plan etc!”

"Yet the support of Trailblazers was fantastic, it was their pilot Community Challenge as well, but our working in partnership together showed its worth – when the volunteers from UK finally stepped off the plane in Lusaka.”

"The excitement of the Volunteers was not only taking part in the challenge of painting of classrooms and kitchen, but the opportunity to meet face to face the children and staff as well as visiting the local area.”

"As one Volunteer said: “It was a privilege to be invited to visit the school and share a few days working and playing games with the incredibly enthusiastic children. I was very moved to witness so much happiness among those living in such abject poverty. The whole trip proved to be a very humbling but thoroughly rewarding experience. I can’t wait to go again!” ”

"Getting the people on board to sign up to the Challenge was tough. However, it was very helpful to have Trailblazers on the end of a telephone to encourage and inspire me.”

"From my experience of working with Trailblazers with two Sponsored Challenges now, the secret is getting people to sign up early and make a commitment to participate. With the help of Trailblazers, preparing a Recruitment Strategy early has certainly borne fruit.”

Wendy Ely, Director, Hands of Compassion (Partners on Carpathian Challenge)