RAW Charity Challenges

Making A Difference

RAW travel is a leading operator in Australia and New Zealand of charity challenges, trips where people mix adventure travel with philanthropy. Over the last 8 years we've operated over 180 charity challenges that have raised in excess of $A16 million for a huge variety of charitable causes. Our association with Charities and their projects has made us aware of the increasing need for tourism to play a positive role in societies, not just avoiding negative impacts but making a positive contribution to the places we visit.

If you'd like to find out more about our charity challenges and see the full range of Charity trips that you can join in on please visit our Challenges pages on this site

Choose from one of our charity partners such as: OXFAM Australia and OXFAM New Zealand, World Vision Australia and World Vision New Zealand, Oncology Children's Foundation, International Women's Development Agency, Muscular Dystrophy Association, The MS Society, The KID's Foundation and get the opportunity to see their work first hand with exciting project visits in-country.

Corporate Challenges

Corporate challenges are also one of our specialities with many successful trips organized in Asia and Australia for clients such as: ANZ bank, Computershare, Macquarie bank, KPMG, Malleson's Stephen Jacques, Deutsche Bank ,The AFL, Origin Energy

If you represent a charity or company and would like to find out more about arranging a Charity challenge please speak to Dave Reynolds on (+613) 9787 4366 and check out our dedicated charity challenge pages on this site.

Charity support

RAW travel is firmly committed to supporting causes that make a difference in our destinations. Details of current charities that we work with on fundraising challenges are given below:

MS Australia

Multiple Sclerosis is the most common disease of the central nervous system for young adults, affecting 16,000 Australians. People are typically diagnosed in their twenties and thirties, with an average age of diagnosis at 32. Interestingly three times more women are affected by MS than men. Common symptoms include muscle weakness, extreme tiredness, blurred vision, speech difficulty, loss of balance and coordination, and in some cases, tremors and paralysis. MS is a lifelong disease for which a cure is yet to be found.

MS Challenge is a series of events run in partnership with Raw Travel. The concept of these events is that those participating are given the opportunity for a unique adventure off the beaten track, while fundraising for people living with multiple sclerosis. http://www.mschallenge.org.au/

Windermere Child and family services

Operating in Melbourne's South East corridor where we serve a growing population of more than 1.2 million people, we know of many thousands of disadvantaged children and families for whom prosperity and wellbeing remain an elusive dream, as they struggle with issues such as physical, emotional and sexual abuse, neglect, family violence, lack of housing, being a victim of a violent crime, a child with a developmental delay and dealing with a disability. We also offer families an affordable alternative to long day-care centres by providing quality child care in a home setting, either a qualified carer's home or the family's own home.

By providing an array of emotional and practical support services, education, advice, counselling and other therapeutic interventions we aim to help everyone in our community realise their full potential, build resilience and feel a positive and meaningful connection to the community in which they live. http://www.windermere.org.au/

Epworth Medical Foundation

Epworth HealthCare is the largest not-for-profit private hospital group in Victoria. Receiving no direct government funding, it relies on the generosity of its community to enable it to stay at the forefront of advancements in technology. Established in 1982 as a charitable fund, Epworth Medical Foundation provides the channel for philanthropic support to be directed to each of the divisions within the healthcare group. Funds raised are used to purchase medical equipment, fund nursing scholarships and develop research programs across the healthcare service. http://www.epworth.org.au/

Project Futures

PROJECT FUTURES is a not for profit organisation inspired by the story of former Cambodian sex slave, Somaly Mam. We are run by Generation Y with a vision to inspire our generation to use their skills and get actively involved in charity. We are determined to combat sex trafficking globally, and through our events, media outlets, video campaigns and school presentations we are raising awareness and funding to stop this human rights violation.

Our team is a network of young professionals who all work full time in their respective careers. We use our own time, funds and network to run PROJECT FUTURES and are currently partnered with the Somaly Mam Foundation. http://www.projectfutures.com/

National Stroke Foundation

The National Stroke Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that works with the public, government, health professionals, patients, carers and stroke survivors to reduce the impact of stroke on the Australian community. The National Stroke Foundation is the only national not-for-profit organisation dedicated exclusively to stroke, providing advice to governments, health professionals, patients and stroke survivors and their families about stroke. http://www.strokefoundation.com.au/

Disability Sport Victoria

Disability Sport and Recreation is the leading provider of sport and recreation opportunities for people with disabilities in Victoria. Disability Sport and Recreation has over 1000 members and provides an extensive range of activities for people of all ages and all abilities. 'Cyclepower' is an intrepid fundraising initiative, combining the challenge of long-distance cycling with a chance to make a tangible contribution to projects which give people with disability a fair go.
http://dsr.org.au/

International Women's Development Agency

International Women’s Development Agency (IWDA) is an Australian non-profit organisation that creates positive change for women and their communities. Our practical and rights-based projects directly address poverty and oppression in developing countries.

For 25 years, IWDA has worked with more than 100 grassroots organisations in the developing world, to support and advance the life choices and well being of women and their families. IWDA undertakes projects in partnership with women from the Asia Pacific region. These projects are devised and managed by women who live and work in the communities themselves, which fosters practical and innovative responses to the issues women view as most critical.

RAW has run trips in Cambodia, Vietnam, P.N.G. and Australia for IWDA over the past several years. www.iwda.org.au

Muscular Dystrophy Australia

RAW Travel has run ChallengeMD! fundraising trips for the past several years in Cambodia, Nepal and Vietnam to raise funds for MDA. The Muscular Dystrophy Association means hope! MDA is committed to improving the quality of life for the MD community through the provision of support and respite services, facilitation and financial support of research and increasing public awareness and acceptance of neuromuscular disorders. www.mda.org.au

Lifestart Foundation

Lifestart has been created to help orphans, street kids and families in Vietnam to become self-sufficient.Lifestart Foundation is a grass-roots organization run by a dedicated team of volunteers and 100% of all donations go directly towards assisting and providing for children and families in need.

Contact: Karen Leonard on 03 9331 2540
www.lifestartfoundation.org.au

KEEP, Nepal

The Kathmandu Environmental Education Project (KEEP) aims are twofold: to provide impartial and independent information to travellers, and to ensure the future ecological and cultural prosperity of Nepal through positive impact tourism and outreach project work. Recently KEEP has become involved in programmes aimed at poverty alleviation and the empowerment of women.

www.keepnepal.org

Oncology Children's Foundation, Australia

The Oncology Children's Foundation (OCF) is a not-for-profit children's charity exclusively devoted to raising funds for medical research into finding a cure for childhood cancer. Over 700 Australian children under the age of 16 are diagnosed with cancer every year. Sadly, one in four will not survive. OCF has a determination to significantly increase the survival rate of children with cancer.
RAW is proud to have along association with OCF and has run fundraising bike trips in Tibet, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Australia that have helped strengthen OCF's image as the leading charity to support in the Australian cycling community.

www.ocf.com.au