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Get Involved - Friends-International

There are so many ways to get involved and help marginalized children, youth and their families.

Run With Friends

Support marginalized children while having fun! Wherever you are in the world, grab your running shoes, pick a race and join our fundraiser to make a difference! Want to join us for real? In 2019 we participated in marathons in Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore and Australia. Check where we are running or organize RunWithFriends in your home town!

Fundraise or plan an event

Want to do something FUN while giving back at the same time?

Why not plan a community event, private dinner party or enter a marathon to raise funds for marginalized children? Community events are a great way to advocate for a cause you believe in while having a blast at the same time! You can show your support by throwing a fundraiser at work or simply setting up a personal donation page for a marathon you’re running.

Here are some great ideas for events:

  • Theme/Costume Parties
  • BBQs
  • Dinner Parties
  • Gala Fundraisers
  • Holiday Celebrations
  • Walk/Dance/Bike/Spin-A-Thons
  • Sports Tournaments
  • Craft Shows
  • Bake/Book Sales
  • Art Auctions
  • Corporate Dress-Down Days

If you want to plan an event in support of Friends-International, download our fundraising guide to get more ideas and tips. You can also contact us to discuss your plans and we can provide advice and answer any questions you may have. 

Donate in kind

Our constant needs include:

  • Rice for kids’ meals in Education Centers and Transitional Homes
  • Bedding & mattresses for our Transitional Homes
  • Hygiene Materials – shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, washing detergent
  • Clothing and shoes for children/youth (aged 0-24 years old)
  • Bicycles for student transit to school or work
  • Sewing machines for family income-generation projects ( Home-Based Production)
  • Computers (working) for students or staff
  • Printers/Scanners for office work
  • Second-hand motorbikes for outreach and mechanics training for students
  • Second-hand trucks for student transport

We may also have special needs not listed for a specific program. In line with Friends-International’s policy, we will issue receipts for all in-kind donations detailing the items donated. If you wish to make a donation in-kind, please contact us to discuss specific needs in each country.

Eat and Shop

Eat at a Friends restaurant

If you’re in the area, support our hospitality students by eating at one of our award-winning TREE alliance restaurants. Find them here.

Get a Manicure

Treat yourself to a massage or manicure! Our students receive real-life experience by serving you, and as a result, are highly-employable upon graduation. Find our beauty salons here.

Buy Souvenirs

Get all your travel memories, cookbooks and accessories at Friends ‘N’ Stuff, where your purchase helps provide immediate income to marginalized families, so parents can keep their children in school (and off the streets). Learn more about our shops here.

Shop at Amazon Smile

If you shop online, go to Amazon Smile, select Friends-International and Amazon will donate 0.5% of proceeds to help kids.

Volunteer

We love volunteers!  We often advertise volunteer positions, but if you have a particular skill that you think we could use, please contact us. Please keep in mind that we do not promote “voluntourism” and prefer to welcome volunteers for a minimum of three months to ensure sustainable education and business.  We do not provide financial assistance to volunteers, nor do we charge fees to volunteers. Please read our volunteering conditions.

We often require expertise in a wide range fields, such as:

  • Fashion designers
  • Social workers
  • Database specialists
  • Journalists
  • Copywriters
  • Graphic designers
  • Web developers
  • Film-makers
  • Chefs
  • Researchers
  • Vocational skill specialists and trainers

Check out our current volunteering positions here.

Partner with us

You want to boost your corporate social responsibility? Customers love products or services that make a difference!
There are many different ways to get involved and support our work:

Funding a specific project as part of your CSR

Whether you are interested in education, training, employment, family reintegration or any component of our work, we are happy to discuss partnership opportunities and tailor proposals to your interests.

Donating a percentage of a product’s proceeds

Cause marketing is very powerful and shows your customers that you care about having a positive social impact. You can decide to donate a fixed amount or a percentage, for a specific campaign or forever… it’s all up to you!

Running a fundraiser or an event

Participate in RunWithFriends or organize your own fundraising campaign/event! With staff, customers, partners – anything is possible and we can help provide material and technical support to make your event successful.

Offering a skills-based sponsorship

Your staff have extraordinary skills they could share with us? Wonderful! We love exchanging skills and knowledge on various topics (beauty, barbering, cooking, sewing… but also any business and admin related skills).

Providing job opportunities to our students

By becoming a Futures partner, you can hire skilled and reliable young people, or offer company visits for our students to discover a real work environment.

Becoming a ChildSafe Certified Business

Show your commitment for children’s rights to your customers by getting trained and implementing a strong Child Protection policy for your company.

Buying products that change lives

Order wholesale branded products to sell to your customers! By choosing us to become your producer, you are supporting mothers and families to achieve financial sustainability.

Suggesting your own ideas and projects

We are always keen on exploring new ideas for partnership and tailoring projects to our partners wishes and needs to make each partnership unique!

If you are interested in discussing parternships opportunities, get in touch!

Leave a legacy

Leave a lasting legacy for future generations by making a bequest gift in your will. Remembering Friends-International in your will is really easy, and is one of the most wonderful ways you can help build the futures of the most marginalized children.

All you need is our name and address. Check our offices addresses to see if we have an office and if we can get tax-deductible donations in your country.

The requirements for a will vary widely from one country to another so we advise you to seek professional advice, contact a lawyer or a financial institution to discuss your options. You can bequeath a specific sum of money or a percentage of your estate (e.g. 1%, 10%).
Every gift, large or small, makes a difference.

Remember that you can revoke or change your will at any time.

Send us an email if you have any questions or need support, we will be happy to help.