Resources for Container Captains

If you are raising funds to send a BFA shipment of books to Africa, here are some ideas and real-life projects to inspire you.

Become a container captain and deliver a whole container of books to a specific place in Africa. Many people fundraise for a whole container (generally ranging from $11,000 to $16,000, depending on the destination) over a period of months by posting their project on the BFA website and asking friends and family to sponsor books to Africa - you can see examples of container fundraising projects on our Project Page.

50 cents sponsors one book in the container! Once the full funding is secured, you remit the BFA Book Order Form for 20 pallets of books (contact us if you need a paper order form or an order form for multiple containers) and BFA loads the container and ships it to your destination. We require $1,000 remitted towards a new container project before posting in on the BFA site (this is waived for Peace Corps Volunteers).

To learn more about the process of shipping books through BFA and how to preapare to receive a shipment of books, see our Manual for BFA Container Captains, Consignees, Recipients, & Volunteers.

Manual for BFA Container Captains, Consignees, Recipients, & Volunteers

For more information about becoming a container captain, email bfa@booksforafrica.org.
Use your personal and professional connections to find financial sponsors. Many BFA shipments are funded by Rotary clubs, churches, and nonprofit organizations with ties to Africa. Some container recipients have corporate sponsors. If you or a friend works for a corporation, ask if they have a grant program.
Host your own fundraiser. Past donors have sold pickles and collected spare change at school. An Eagle Scout had a Guitar Hero contest, and several donors had birthday parties where they asked guests for donations instead of presents.
Post your project on the BFA website and ask everyone you know to make a donation. (Please view the Projects page for ideas.) Drive as much traffic as possible to your project page. Once the money is secured, we will arrange shipping.

To post your project, please send an e-mail to Books For Africa for more information.
Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) in Africa who wish to fund a BFA shipment can utilize the Peace Corps Partnership Program (PCPP). The PCPP requires PCVs to complete an application and to have significant community support and contribution (a minimum of 25% of project cost), but it is a very simple process. Send an e-mail to Books For Africa for ideas on how to fund and organize a BFA shipment.