+ Global Village Application Process
+ Fundraising and Payments
+ Packing Ideas
+ Travel Tips
Global Village Application Process
The Application
For many people, the first point of contact when contemplating a Global Village trip is the application. The application is a general purpose application, meaning it is used to indicate your interest in any and all trips within your specified date range and region of the world. The Global Village Application Packet is available online at this address: http://www.habitat.org/gv/gvapplicationpage.html
The application serves several purposes. For one thing, it identifies where and when you're interested in participating in a build project. Receipt of the application by Global Village also places your name in the Global Village database where you're assigned an account/ID number (I've heard of it referred to both ways).
Your application is essentially placed in a pool and forwarded to those trip leaders who are involved in projects that meet your stated criteria of availability and interest. So, if you are limited to traveling during the first 2 weeks of July, and you're interested in venturing to somewhere in Mexico during that time, your application would be forwarded to those trip leaders leading trips to Mexico during that 2 week period. It is also very likely that your application will be forwarded to several trip leaders matching (or near matching) your second and third choice location or date range. That is to provide you with more choices and opportunities in finding a match of convenience, level of activity, and cultural interest in assembling a work and traveling team. And don't be surprised if you end up finding that match among your 2nd or 3rd choices. It's not uncommon for people to become completely fascinated in a part of the world that they hadn't considered before.
The Interview
As you're placed in contact with team leaders, a dialog generally begins as leader and prospective team member get to know each other and learn about the work to be performed. Team leaders attempt to gauge applicant interest and possible commitment through discussions, correspondence, or structured interviews. Each leader's style is a little different, which is important to consider when selecting a team to join. Ask the leader about that! It's important for you to learn what the leader's expectations are of the team before joining the team.
For myself, although I may not ask these questions outright, I like for applicants to think through the following:
- What do you know of Habitat for Humanity?
- What are your expectations of the trip leader?
- How do you feel when things don't go as planned?
- What qualities can you contribute to the team?
- When working with a group of people, what kinds of things might "tick you off"?
- What have you found that works for you in stressful situations?
- What would make this a memorable experience for you?
The Invitation
Once you're invited to join a team (via the trip leader), you're asked to pay a deposit (usually $350) to hold your space on the team. This is a commitment. It tells the trip leader, Global Village, the host affiliate, and your team members that barring any unforeseen circumstances; you can be counted on for the project. The deposit is not refundable, but it can be transferred to another GV trip if circumstances warrant.
Once your deposit is received, Global Village will send you an information packet that includes a GV T-shirt, an orientation booklet (lots of information!), payment policies and procedures, a Millard Fuller (founder of HFH) book on the international mission and ministry of HFH, and a waiver/liability form. It's also possible to order other resource materials at that time.
Now that you have a Global Village account/ID number and you're set to head off on the trip (identified by and Event Code), it's time to simultaneously get excited and relax...
GV Fundraising
Many participants engage in fundraising activities, seeking out sponsorships from friends, relatives, and community groups. Because more than 50% of a team member's time is spent in volunteer "mission" work (Habitat is a faith-based non-profit), the cost of the trip is generally tax deductible (depending on your state's tax laws and your own tax situation). Meaning participants can raise funds to support their participation by asking for tax-deductible contributions on their behalf.
For citizens of nations outside the U.S., the value of a donation may be deductible while your travel expenses are most likely not. In such situations, to qualify for tax deductions, you may be able to submit a donation to Habitat for Humanity in your country while submitting expenses to HFHI. Consult with your Global Village Coordinator to determine procedures and maximum tax advantages.
There are a number of ways to do fundraising. I've heard of a number of creative methods, but it seems the best way is via friends. I did that several years ago to support my trip to Kenya. I was amazed at how many people were willing to contribute. Part of that was habitat's reputation, and the other part, I think, was that their donations did not go to some faceless organizations - it went directly to helping families in need. Most people don't get the opportunity to do this kind of thing. The contributions on behalf of someone they know allows them to participate in the effort.
I actually did all my fundraising via email. I wrote up an informative introduction to what I was going to be involved in and asked if people would consider a tax-deductible contribution on my behalf. I then collected checks made out to Habitat and coded each check with my account/id number and the GV event code. That way the dollars were identified for me for that trip. Habitat then sent each check-writer a letter of acknowledgement so they could deduct the gift as a contribution to Habitat.
Churches and civic organizations are often good sources of financial support. Oftentimes, the organization wants something in return, like a slideshow or presentation in exchange for funding the trip. You might consider combining the 2 ideas, asking the church to provide a matching grant to whatever amount you can raise.
One idea that I heard that was pretty cool was someone building a little scale model of a house, then "selling" windows, doors, etc. to people who wanted to contribute to something tangible.
Oh, one thing I need to mention!! Habitat asks for a $350 deposit to hold your space on the team and make a commitment. Well, if you pay that up front, it means that someone else can't get the deduction. So if the trip is $1350 and you pay $350, you can only raise $1000. Anything over that goes to HFH (and not toward your trip). So my advice is to hold back on the deposit, fundraise, and apply the 1st $350 as the deposit. Then if you don't make the whole amount, you can make up the difference. Make sense? Oh yeah, it's also possible to have the flight paid for via contributions (just FYI). Just have the contributions credited to your account and pay the travel company from the account (so HFH writes the check to the airline out of your account funds).
A very new, very cool thing at Global Village is the ability to create your own fundraising web page. Point your web browser to www.habitat.org/gv/create.html and follow the instructions on the page. A customized page will be created for you containing information about Habitat, Global Village, the specifics of your trip, your destination country, and forms to donate online or by mail.
You’ll need your GV ID number to create the page. You’ll also want the Global Village trip number of the trip you'll be taking in order to have donations credited to your account and to the trip.
And another thing! GV usually indicates that company matching funds are most often not deductible. However, one person on a trip a few years ago who worked for Microsoft (WebTV) got a matching grant from them...it's worth a shot!
As you might guess, I'm a real supporter of fundraising for these trips. It raises awareness in the community while building the same sort of pride that Habitat homeowners feel when building their "sweat equity."
Global Village Payment Procedures
Submitting Payments
When Global Village participants are invited to attend a GV program, they confirm by submitting a $350 deposit. Confirmations require payment by check, money order, MasterCard, Visa, Discover or American Express. Checks should be made payable to “Habitat for Humanity International” and sent to HFHI, Global Village, P.O. Box 369, Americus, Georgia, 31709.
There are two options for submitting credit card payments. These are also appropriate for supporters who are making a donation on your behalf:
- Option 1: Contact the Global Village customer service representative at 1-800-422-4828 ext 2549 to process your payment. Have your credit card, GV eight-digit identification number and event code available when calling.
- Option 2: Submit payment online by completing the two-step process at Habitat’s secure donation connection at https://secure.habitat.org/giving/gv.html
NOTE: If you are fund raising, please offer your donors these two options for credit card donations. Online payments can not be processed without your GV eight-digit identification number and event code. Please provide this information to your donors.
Balance is due 30-60 days prior to departure. Please contact your team leader to determine the payment schedule for your team. All payments must be in U.S. dollars.
Coding Payments
In order for payments to a Global Village trip to receive proper credit, each payment MUST include TWO THINGS. First, you must include your (the participant’s) Habitat for Humanity eight-digit identification number. Second, you must include the event code of the trip you are taking. See example below…