ABSTRACT
Many alternative break planners find they spend a great deal of time and energy on finances when they would rather focus on programming and community partnerships. If alternative breaks are to support social justice, diversity, and economic justice, then they must model their values on their campus and in their program, including the ways in which finances and fund-raising are addressed. Program budgets are the basis on which trip fees are set, and they should be used as a road map throughout the planning process. Finances can be time-consuming, but if leaders are organized and set aside time every week to work on them it can go quite smoothly. Program leaders review what worked and what did not, and plan for greater success in the future. Budgeting properly and managing finances for an alternative break program is vital to develop highly skilled leaders and enable the program to run smoothly and at high quality, while remaining affordable.
