Can I Volunteer Abroad for Free?

Think about it for a moment. Our local partners, like childcare centres in South African townships or nomad communities in Mongolia, can't afford to cover the cost of your project. Our goal is to make sure that our partners receive the help they need from volunteers like you, without them taking on an additional financial burden.

We’re an independent organisation, and we don't receive funding from governments, other companies, or our partner organisations. We can't function and provide sustainable, long-term assistance to people or causes in need, without your project fee.

For example, long-term assistance includes regular medical community outreaches where we record patient information in our confidential Global Impact Database. From this information, we’re able to refer patients for treatment during these outreaches and continue to monitor their health afterwards.

In addition to ensuring long-term assistance, your payment covers many things for your trip directly. This includes:

• Meals and accommodation

• 24/7 support from our local staff in the event of an emergency

As you can see, every penny goes a long way!

Some (but not all) of your money will go to your project. For example, if you join a Building Project, money is used to buy the bricks and equipment needed. We’ll also use your funds to employ local masons, architects, and engineers who manage and supervise the building work. They’ll be there to guide your efforts and ensure you have a tangible impact on the community you’re working in.

The green shirts of our volunteers are seen around the world, from kindergartens in Cambodia, to Peru’s Amazon Rainforest. Besides contributing directly to your project, your fees also contribute to our global fund. We draw from this fund to help projects in other countries, especially during periods when there are fewer volunteers. Read more about this in point 3.

Your money doesn’t only help people at your placement, it goes to our projects all over the world where there’s a need. For example, you'll pay a fee to volunteer in a country like Tanzania, because it's difficult to volunteer in Africa for free. But, part of your contribution also supports our work in other countries on the continent, like Kenya and South Africa. It enables us to run all our projects in a sustainable way.

Because of volunteers’ fees, we can be reactive and respond quickly when the need arises. We do this by setting up projects and sending volunteers into those areas. Your fees are not only a once-off donation to your chosen project but a contribution to our global efforts.

When the deadly earthquakes hit Nepal in 2015, we were able to launch our Building Project to provide longer-term assistance in the wake of immediate relief efforts. Years after the disaster, our Building volunteers are still assisting with the reconstruction of schools and classrooms to ensure children have a safe place to learn.

Your financial contribution also supports the expert staff we hire and train to run our projects. The majority of our staff are experienced professionals, like conservationists, nurses, and lawyers. This is crucial to helping us fulfill our goals, and it’s another reason we can’t offer free volunteer abroad programmes.

Your safety and wellbeing are our priority. Because we care, we have stringent guidelines in place to ensure you have a hassle-free experience while you’re overseas. The fees you pay help us organise the following for you:

• Local, experienced teams ready to support you before your departure, and 24/7 support during your time abroad

• Visa advice

• Airport pickups and drop-offs

• A local host family or organised accommodation

• A medical advisor ready to assist with any queries you have

So now that you have an idea of how we operate, we’d love to encourage you to fundraise for your volunteer abroad trip. You can:

• Marie Kondo your life and sell unused clothing, books, or home items for extra cash

• Set up a crowdfunding campaign

• Use your skills to bring in extra cash ie: photography, sewing, coding, tutoring, babysitting, baking, or waiting tables

• Adopt a new mantra: save, save, save

With us, you don’t get paid to volunteer abroad, but your money is used for good. You’ll help people at your placement and others at projects around the world