Egypt Charity Challenges

If you’re looking for a suitably testing destination for a charity challenge, few countries can offer the variety of landscape, activity and scenery as Egypt. Each year hundreds of well meaning fundraisers come to Egypt and pit themselves against the mountains, the deserts and the River Nile.

Some of the more classic Egypt charity challenge itineraries include ‘The River Nile Bike Ride, 'CLimbing Mount Sinai’, ‘Cycling from the Pyramids to the Red Sea’, or ‘Following in the footsteps of the Exodus’ across the Sinai Peninsular.

The more iconic the itinerary the more it stirs the imagination. The tougher route the easier it is to raise money and the greater the sense of personal reward when the challenge is over.

What is a Charity Challenge?

A Charity Challenge is a vehicle through which not-for-profit organisations such as charities, NGOs, and religious groups generate badly needed funds for their various projects around the world.

As the name suggests, participants are required to complete a physically demanding challenge, usually either on foot, by bicycle, or in the form of a community project.

A typical challenge will slot into a working week and will require the fundraiser to trek, cycle or work for up to 6 - 8 hours per day for 5-7 days until the challenge is completed.

The mission is usually to cover a certain distance, summit a certain peak, or travel from one iconic landmark to another.

How is the money raised?

Each participant is given a fundraising target which they must generate in order to take part in the challenge. This figure can vary from £1000 - £3000 per person and covers the operational costs of the itinerary (flights, logistics, support vehicles, local staff etc) and the money which goes to the charity of their choosing.

Often it’s raising that money which proves to be the real challenge for a fundraiser, and few can reach their target through friend and family sponsorship alone. Indeed, fundraisers are required to use their imagination if they are to hit their target.

Typical fundraising ideas include:

Auctions
Car boot sales
Race nights
Events (parties, dinners etc)
Selling of home cooking
Bagging at supermarkets
Local collections

Bespoke Challenges

A bespoke challenge is usually conceived and set by a charity organisation with the help of a third party private tour operator. The charity contracts the tour operator to control the logistics of the trip, but all participants are recruited by and raise funds for the same charity.

If you scroll to the resource box at the base of the page you can find links to charities which have previously operated Egypt charity challenges.

If you are committed to a specific charitable organisation which does not operate charity challenges in Egypt, you may find it more suitable to participate in what is known as an ’open challenge’.

Open Challenges

Open challenges give you the opportunity to raise money for who you want, where you want. These events are organised directly by a tour operator (or challenge event organiser). All participants are recruited by that tour operator and have the freedom to raise funds for whichever charity or NGO they desire

In the resource box at the base of the page you’ll find a link for ReadyToTrek through whom you can search for upcoming ‘open challenges’ across different tour operators.

Going Solo

For the really hardcore, nothing beats organising your own Egypt charity challenge. You won’t have as much company as with an organised trip, but you will have the opportunity to make the challenge as tough and demanding as you think you can possibley handle.

You may also find that people are more willing to sponsor you too. Saying that you’re going out into the desert to cycle 500 miles alone or with a single companion is less likely to sound like a holiday at the beach.

Of course you’ll need help with the logistics and potentially require safety systems in place. But nothing you can’t organise yourself through this website.

For more information contact Alternative Egypt