Volunteering Abroad - How To Do It

Onsite international volunteering comes in various forms. This four-column table is how I break it down into different categories. And please note that I'm not saying any one column is better than another:

The borders on these definitions are quite porous - for instance, PeaceCorps fits the first column until you get to the "Web Site / Brochure Focus" category. That is NOT a criticism of Peace Corps, however.

And please note, again, that I'm not saying any one column is better than another. Not on this page, anyway.

Times have changed drastically in the last 30 years regarding "Westerners" (North Americans, Europeans, Australians, etc.) volunteering in economically-disadvantaged countries. In contrast to, say, the 1970s and earlier, years which dominated by a colonialist mentality, the emphasis NOW in relief and development efforts in poorer countries is to empower and employ the local people, whenever possible, to address their own issues, build their own capacities, improve their environments themselves and give them incomes. The priority now for sending volunteers to developing countries is to fill gaps in local skills and experience, not to give the volunteer an outlet for his or her desire to help or the donor country good PR. It's much more beneficial and economical to local communities to hire local people to serve food, build houses, educate young people, etc., than to use resources to bring in an outside volunteer to do these tasks.

That said, the days of international volunteers are NOT numbered: there will always be a need for international volunteers, and not just paid consultants or international staff, but also volunteers, either to fill gaps in knowledge and service in a local situation, because a more neutral observer/contributor is required, or because a priority in a particular situation is inter-cultural understanding.

There will also always be volunTOURism, where people from rich countries pay to go to another country and volunteer, or at least to engage in "feel good" or even educational activities. When it's ethical, volunTOURism programs are locally led, don't displace local jobs, and are about the foreigners learning from the local people, not the other way around, as well as a strong emphasis on safety. When it's ethical, volunTOURism really does lead to inter-cultural understanding and does NOT reinforce colonialist or white supremacist ideas. An ethical program doesn't feel like colonialism: people from elsewhere coming in and saying, "Here's how we do it and how you have to do it too, and we have all the answers and you will learn from us - but never be able to do it as well as wel do." Ethical volunTOURism actually does something worthwhile WITH local people, not just for them.

When volunTOURism is unethical, the program is focused mostly on making money for the company's staff, the company is completely foreign-led, local people aren't involved in decision-making, there's no emphasis on safety, the activity is designed mostly for the volunteers to have great photos for Instagram and feel like they are "saviors", local are on the sidelines, the activity is strictly charitable (the foreigners "giving" to the local people), etc. It's more vacation than making a difference for local people.

An added complication is a growing interest by people in developing countries (in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia particularly) to do what they see people - mostly white people from rich countries - do: go to other countries and volunteer and post fabulous, exciting photos to Instagram. Why shouldn't someone from Egypt not have the same international volunteering and travel opportunities as someone from Canada? If a foreign volunteer can go to Kenya and build a school in a high poverty area, or cradle orphan babies, or interact with wildlife, why can't someone from Kenya go to the USA and build a school in a high poverty area, or cradle orphan babies, or interact with wildlife? But the reality is that 1) there's zero funders for such an endeavor 2) these rich countries would never tolerate such a scheme, and 3) people from developing countries have passports that make developed countries - Canada, the USA, counties in Europe and Scandinavia, Australia, Japan, etc. - suspicious that the person wouldn't really be coming to volunteer but, rather, to try to immigrate. This means that, for people from many countries, volunteering internationally is extremely difficult, if not impossible. I have noted the very limited options below for people from developing countries with regard to international volunteering.

Highly-Skilled Volunteers Sent Abroad - What it Takes

To volunteer overseas and NOT have to pay for it - or to find paid work as an aid worker or humanitarian worker, for that matter - you need to have skills and experience that are critically needed in a particular region, and that can be utilized by local institutions and local people quickly. To be able to train others in these skills increases your chances of placement as a volunteer abroad.

There is no way to list all of the skills needed in the developing world, and there's no way for one person to acquire them all. A listing of international volunteering opportunities will include calls for midwives, civil engineers, lawyers, financial managers, weavers, sanitation experts, police trainers, wine makers, cheese makers, nurses, car mechanics/trainers, photographers, solar energy experts, farmers, domestic/household engineers, tourism experts, computer repair experts, and various other specialists. Many volunteer postings, particularly those where the volunteer does NOT have to pay for placement, require people with a Master's degree in a specific area.

But there are certain qualities that are looked for in all volunteer abroad candidates, and certain areas of specialization that are in frequent demand, many of which can be acquired through volunteering in your own home city and country. These include:

There are also free courses at a variety of reputable, credible universities that can help better prepare you for volunteering abroad. For instance, the Open University has FREE courses through its Open Learn program that can help you become a better manager of volunteers - and, potentially, a better candidate for volunteer roles. All offer a certification of completion. The OU is based in the UK, so all spellings are UK spellings. Courses that would look good on the CV of someone that wanted to volunteer internationally include:

Developing leadership practice in voluntary organisations
Collaborative leadership in voluntary organisations
Empowering communities
Working in diverse teams
Sure, I know how to talk to people!
Engaging with children and young people
Collective leadership
Management: perspective and practice
The importance of interpersonal skills
Effective communication in the workplace
Working in groups and teams
Developing high trust work relationships
Facilitating group discussions

And much more. These are all under Money Management for some reason. OU Open Learn also has a lot of free language courses.

As far as your skills-development in pursuit of becoming a great potential candidate for service, do not try to "do it all." Specialization is more valued by potential placement agencies than generalization.

Your curriculum vitae (CV) should detail your volunteer and professional experience that will be of particular value in-the-field. You might want to prepare a special CV or resume specifically for seeking volunteer assignments, that is focused on the skills and experience you think would be most valued by volunteer-placement agencies.

Use action-verbs and results-oriented-verbs to describe your volunteer and professional accomplishments. See this excellent, very long list of action verbs relevant to describing most middle to senior level management jobs.

One thing your CV won't always reflect, but which you will also need to volunteer internationally, is a very stable emotional and financial state. If you find yourself easily frustrated or having trouble dealing with stress, daily activities or people you view as uncooperative, if you are feeling overwhelmed or depressed, or if you are facing financial problems and debt, volunteering abroad is not something you should consider right now.

For an idea on what is looked for in international work, have a look at the job postings on ReliefWeb. Although most of these postings are for paid-placements, the listings give a good idea of what is being looked for in international volunteers as well.

Volunteer Placement Programs That (Mostly) Do Not Charge Money From Volunteers

Organizations that place volunteers in developing countries, mostly for long-term assignments (a year to two years), and that do NOT require the volunteer to undertake ALL travel costs his or herself, include the following:

United Nations Volunteers. This program is open to ALL NATIONALITIES. No matter what country you are from, you can apply to be a UN Volunteer. And UNV has a preference for volunteers from developing countries! However, note that UNV is not for young, inexperienced people or people just out of university; applicants should have a great deal of experience (and remember, you can get that experience locally). The average age of UNV (at least when I worked there) was 34. Most positions are a year or two, but there are a growing number of six-month assignments.
VSO, based in the United Kingdom, involves mostly UK-citizens in its ranks, but does involve some long-term volunteers from other countries. Volunteers must have a great deal of experience - this is not for people fresh out of university or who haven't been at all.
Peace Corps, mostly long-term (two-year) opportunities, though they do have Peace Corps Response assignments which are less than 12 months. All positions are for USA citizens only.
Global Communities, (formerly CHF International). Short-term international opportunities for USA citizens only. Candidates should have a specific area of expertise.
Winrock International, short and long-term assignments, mostly (but not all) relating to agriculture, for USA citizens only. Look under BOTH "volunteers" and "jobs" (candidates should have a specific area of expertise).
Mercy Volunteer Corps. Volunteers serve a full year in eight cities across the USA or in Guyana, South America. Mercy Volunteer Corps place people with professional experience in education (elementary, secondary, special, after-school), healthcare (nursing, PT, OT, health advocacy, pre-med) and social services (social work, legal services, housing). There is a spiritual/religious component. Mercy Volunteers live in a fully furnished house or apartment in communities of 3-5 for their full year of service. MVC covers rent and all utilities during your year of service.
AgriCorps: sends a small number of agriculture volunteers (USA citizens only) to meet the demand for experiential, school-based, agricultural education in developing countries. AgriCorps volunteers are called "fellows", have a strong 4-H, FFA or agricultural education experience and commit to serve a 10 - 11 month assignment in a developing country attached to the agriculture program at a junior high or senior high school in that country, often in West Africa. AgriCorps Fellows receive a stipend equal to the pay of a local teacher, which is close to $200 per month. Corps Fellows will live in safe and secure housing provided by the community that may or may not have running water or electricity. Each AgriCorps Fellow serves their school and community in three vital roles: agriculture instructor, utilizing experiential agricultural education model to teach local curriculum in junior high or senior high schools so they can earn basic farming and animal husbandry practices in addition to life skills such as nutrition, healthy lifestyles, responsibility, home economics, and financial management; 4-H/FFA Advisor, working with local volunteers or advisors to create a strong local 4-H/FFA type Club, used to facilitate leadership and civic development for students where they learn public speaking, citizenship, parliamentary procedures, and teamwork; and agriculture extension agent, establishing a school farm for student and community learning, incorporating improved technologies and methodologies and so that the school farm generates income for the school 4-H/FFA type Club and serves as the laboratory for introducing new technology and methodology to students and local farmers. School farms vary from club to club but may grow maize, palm trees, vegetables, chickens or pigs..
CNFA, specializing in agriculturally-related assignments (candidates should have a specific area of expertise).
International Executive Service Corps (IESC), now includes Geekcorps. Short-term volunteering assignments for USA citizens only. candidates should have a specific area of expertise. For instance, in 2019, they were recruiting for a 3D printing expert (product development and prototyping) to volunteer in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 14 days. In 2020, they looked for someone to spend a month drafting the final report for the Enabling Growth through Investment and Enterprise Program (ENGINE), a four-year USAID-funded Feed the Future activity which aimed to streamline and enhance many of the regulatory, informational and financial channels that encourage domestic and foreign investment in the southern mainland agricultural regions of Tanzania.
Brethren Volunteer Service. This is a Christian faith-based organization. "BVS seeks to follow Jesus’ teachings through acts of service. We ask that you are open to a spiritual pilgrimage." The Church of the Brethren is one of the historic peace churches, which includes Quakers, Amish, Apostolic and Mennonite churches. Volunteers receive a monthly stipend of $250 and health insurance coverage, housing and foot, and the flight home after a year is completed are all covered. However, volunteers pay for their travel to the site, visa fees, a placement fee (International: $1,000 Domestic: $500) and, if they serve less than a year, their flight home. You apply via a form and process that includes completing essay questions, and providing a résumé, references, current photo, and school transcripts. Your application is reviewed and references contacted. Applicants are interviewed by phone or online. If you are accepted, you will have other forms to sign: covenant, hold harmless waiver, health screen form, insurance form, death benefit form, and a criminal record check release form. You will also be asked to submit a copy of your driver’s license and the volunteer fee at that time. To see the type of projects they undertake, read their newsletters (on their web site).
AFS. The AFS program varies from country to country. In Germany, it's one of the programs that sends German young people abroad. But in the USA, AFS volunteers are strictly people in the USA hosting students from abroad. Check the AFS web site to see, if in your country, you can go abroad via AFS or if volunteering is limited to hosting volunteers from abroad.
CorpsAfrica. For citizens of African countries who want to volunteer in Africa. Volunteers have a college degree or equivalent experience, and many bring prior experience in the social sector and in designing, implementing, and monitoring projects. The program trains these African volunteers in human-centered design, asset-based community development, project management, and monitoring and evaluation. Volunteers live with host families in remote villages and serve for up to a year. Since launching its first program in Morocco in 2011, CorpsAfrica has expanded to 11 countries across the continent and plans to reach all 54 African nations within the next decade. The program says that, so far, it has placed more than 1,200 Volunteers across Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda. It says that these volunteers have completed over 800 community-led projects, building wells, schools, roads, and irrigation systems, establishing education programs, and supporting vegetable and livestock farms.
Australian Volunteers International, for citizens of Australia only.
Cuso International (formerly VSO Canada), for both Canadian and USA citizens.
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit / German Society for International Cooperation. The German Development Service, Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst (DED), was absorbed by this agency. It's for German citizens only.
German voluntary service (Bundesfreiwilligendienst, BFD), a voluntary social year (Freiwilliges Soziales Jahr, FSJ) or a voluntary ecological year (Freiwilliges Ökologisches Jahr, FÖJ) Generally, foreigners are allowed to participate in BFD, FSJ or FÖJ, including NON EU citizens - however, for young EU citizens there are fewer obstacles to overcome. Foreigners from Non-EU states require a valid residence title, usually in the form of a visa. This title of residence must allow for employment (see § 4 II 2 German Residence Law, AufenthG). Generally any foreigners may receive a residence permit according to § 18 AufenthG especially for the participation in voluntary services. This requires no approval of occupation by the Federal Employment Agency according to § 39 section 1 AufenthG in conjunction with §§ 1 and 9 Beschäftigungsverordnung (Employment Regulation): According to § 9 No. 1 Alt. 1 Beschäftigungsverordnung the voluntary social year and the German voluntary service are statutorily regulated voluntary services. The place of assignment or the responsible institution respectively often offer support for the request of visas. Foreign volunteers don't have to pay the host organization nor the German government to participate, HOWEVER, volunteers "must live from their own financial resources" while volunteering in Germany. They should check with the agency they will volunteer with whether pocket money, meals, accommodation and any other services will be provided to them and they need to get confirmation of this in writing and it is the burden of the volunteer to determine if this support is sufficient before commencing the voluntary work - foreign volunteers must not call upon social benefits from the German state for help.
weltwärts, for young people aged 18 and over who have permanent residency in Germany. A German resident can participate in the weltwärts program if that resident is at least 18 and no older than 28, or 35 in exceptional cases. You can apply as early as 17. You must be of legal age at the time of departure. If you have an impairment or disability , you can participate in weltwärts up to the age of 35. "Please note that citizenship in another EU member state does not equate to permanent residency in Germany." With weltwärts, a participant volunteer travels to a country in the Global South. You can choose from over 3,500 placements in over 60 countries. To get started, school-level knowledge of English, Spanish, or French is usually sufficient, depending on the destination region. Volunteers receive accommodation and meals, insurance, educational seminars and personal support and supervision. I met a German woman participating in this program when I volunteered through Habitat for Humanity in Paraguay; she was working with Hábitat para la Humanidad Paraguay for a year, through weltwärts and AFS.
European Solidarity Corps, volunteering activities are open to 18-30 year old people who reside in programme and partner countries. Most opportunities through the European Solidarity Corps are cross-border volunteering activities and are more focused on the personal growth and experience of the volunteer, as well as creating more of a sense of unity among young citizens of EU countries. Volunteering can last from 2 months up to 12 months. There are some Non-EU countries involved as well. Also see Eurodesk, a European youth information network - it's not JUST for volunteer programs, but it does have a lot more info about the variety of ways young citizens of the EU can volunteer.
The Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organisations represents national organisations in Europe which promote voluntary service, primarily for young people and primiarly with the goal of intercultural experiences (rather than providing essential skills and expertise). It's a good organization to use to vet European programs, including work camps, however, note that some of these programs are more learning experiences for the volunteer than volunteers undertaking locally-led projects .
France Benevolat, for French citizens only.
Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, for Japanese citizens only.
Korea Internet Volunteer (KIV) programme, part of the Korea National Information Society Agency (NIA).
Finance, legal and business professionals, from both private and public sectors, with a minimum of 10 years of experience, can apply to volunteer via Financial Services Volunteer Corps. The majority of FSVC volunteers come from the banking sector, regulatory and legal communities, and capital markets sector. FSVC also receives frequent requests for expertise in payments system development, pension reform, and insurance sector reform. FSVC volunteer assignments are typically one week in duration. Projects can be in the form of consultations, workshops, seminars, roundtable discussions, etc. Volunteers can provide feedback on various topics of importance to overseas financial institutions. Most often, commentaries are legal in nature, such as providing comments on a draft law.
The UCDVO Programme, based at University College Dublin (Ireland) is open to all students, staff, faculty and alumni of UCD. People external to UCD are eligible to apply for a leadership position. UCDVO works in partnership with a number of charities, non-governmental and not-for-profit organisations. Currently, partners are in Cambodia, Tanzania and Uganda. UCDVO has built strong relationships in each of the communities and partners over a number of years. Types of volunteering include supporting partner programmes in the areas of health, education, and sustainable livelihoods. Volunteering with partners takes place over 4 weeks in June and July. The new Cambodia education project is 5 weeks.

That last program, at the University College Dublin, is a reminder that you should look into your own university that you are attending, that you have attended, or that is in your community. They may have a volunteering abroad program for certain students and faculty (those associated with their engineering programs, or those associated with their public health programs, for instance). Finding out if the university offers such may be a challenge, because of the siloed nature of so many universities: the program may be in one department and no other departments know about it. Or it may be in the international studies department. These programs often require the participants to either fundraise to cover a certain percentage of costs or to pay these costs themselves, in addition to participants paying for their own airfare.

Sadly, iVolunteer Overseas (ivoindia.org), for citizens of India to volunteer overseas, is no more. But citizens of India can apply to volunteer overseas via VSO.

Note that many of these organizations receive thousands of applications (Peace Corps receives more than 10,000 applications annually; UNV receives more than 40,000 annually; both of those organizations have just 1000 - 6000 people abroad at any given time). In other words, the selection process is highly competitive and MOST applicants do not become volunteers.

When evaluating an applicant, these organizations consider the "whole person," including the applicant's life experiences, community involvement, volunteer work, motivations, and even hobbies. And they DO check references to verify you have any skills you claim to have. For UNV, some nationalities get favored for certain assignments; for instance, if the Japanese government is funding four UN Volunteer positions in Ukraine, qualified candidates from Japan will be favored for some or all of those positions. Or a security situation may mean applicants from a particular country won't be considered for placement in a country where local people intensely dislike people from that country and volunteers from that country would be in greater danger.

If you want to understand what Peace Corps volunteers do in the field, "like" the Peace Corps Facebook page or their page on LinkedIn or whatever social media you prefer. Do this for any of the organizations listed above. Reading these social media profiles regularly will help you understand what international volunteers really do in the field, and why applicants with an area of expertise and/or extensive local experience addressing various issues are preferred candidates.

If you have recommendations for programs, I would welcome the suggestion - but please make sure they fit my criteria, do NOT just send me the name of an organization and the web address.

Paying To Volunteer / Short-Term Volunteering

There are many, many organizations that place international volunteers but require that the volunteers pay all of the costs associated with the placement, which include: international travel, in-country travel, housing, security, staff time to train and supervise volunteers, and work permits. They often require hundreds of dollars right up front, before you are even matched with a program. They take every applicant that can pay their fees.

Credible organizations that require volunteers to cover costs also require at least a bit of experience or even a lot of expertise in a particular field, and will interview you BEFORE you pay anything, to make sure you are appropriate for a placement. And they turn some applicants away, because not everyone is appropriate to volunteer abroad.

Before you pay to volunteer abroad, note that many programs are not worthwhile and, in fact, harm local people -- especially those programs focused on orphans. Friends-International, with the backing of UNICEF, launched this campaign to end what is known as orphanage tourism. For now, the campaign is focused on Cambodia, but don't be surprised if the campaign expands: an incendiary report by South African and British academics focuses on "orphan tourism" in southern Africa and reveals just how destructive these programs can be to local people, especially children. There's also this blog from a person who paid to volunteer in an orphanage, and realized just how unethical it was. And there's this July 14 2017 article, Charities and voluntourism fuelling 'orphanage crisis' in Haiti: at least 30,000 children live in privately-run orphanages in Haiti, but an estimated 80% of the children living in these facilities are not actually orphaned: they have one or more living parent, and almost all have other relatives, according to the Haitian government.

Medical volunteering / voluntourism isn't immune from unethical, even dangerous practices as well. Many medical voluntourism web sites invite volunteers with little or no medical training to do invasive procedures abroad, including providing vaccines, pulling teeth, providing male circumcisions, suturing and delivering babies. A researcher notes in this blog, "Most volunteers I’ve observed deliver at least one baby, despite being unlicensed to do so." " Read more about the dangers of medical voluntourism here.

As I said earlier, when it's ethical, a voluntourism program - where volunteers are paying to be there - is locally led, doesn't displace local jobs, and is about the foreigners learning from the local people, not the other way around, as well as a strong emphasis on safety. When it's ethical, voluntourism does lead to inter-cultural understanding and does NOT reinforce colonialist or white supremacist ideas. An ethical program doesn't feel like colonialism: people from elsewhere coming in and saying, "Here's how we do it and how you have to do it too, and we have all the answers and you will learn from us - but never be able to do it as well as wel do." When it's unethical, voluntourism is focused mostly on making money for the company's staff, the company is completely foreign-led, local people aren't involved in decision-making, there's no emphasis on safety, the activity is designed mostly for the volunteers to have great photos for Instagram and feel like they are "saviors", etc.

Here are directories of short-term volunteering organizations, online and in print, that can help you identify credible programs:

Volunteers for Prosperity was a USAID government program through which its partner nonprofits, based in the USA, could recruit highly-skilled American professionals such as doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers, economists, computer specialists, financial sector professionals, business executives and others with specialized technical expertise and significant practical experience to volunteer abroad. The program is gone, but the archive of the partners still exists, and most of the partner orgs still exist and welcome volunteers.
The International Volunteers Program Association (IVPA) is a nonprofit accrediting body "dedicated to promoting awareness and access to quality volunteer abroad programs." They list their member organizations - volunteer sending organizations - on the web site.
For people in the United Kingdom, there's the Year Out Group, an association of gap-year-abroad organizations that meet certain standards in order to be a member. The Year Out Group does not however organize or arrange year out programs, but it's a good place to find reputable programs.
The European Volunteer Centre (CEV) is the European network of over 60 organisations dedicated to the promotion of, and support to, volunteers and volunteering in Europe. However, this is focused on people living in Europe, who have European citizenship - it is not for people outside of Europe that want to go to Europe and volunteer. It's not an organization that helps volunteers - it just provides information about volunteerism in Europe for government agencies and others interested in such data. You can view their list of member organizations, each of which might provide information for volunteering in their respective countries.
The Learning Abroad Center Work, Intern, Volunteer (WIV), hosted by the University of Minnesota, allows you to search work, internship and volunteering opportunities all over the globe. There are more than 500 programs to choose from, and you can search by keyword, region, type of program, etc.
Lonely Planet published the book Volunteer: A Traveler's Guide to Making a Difference Around the World in 2013. It lists and reviews more than 190 organizations that provided short-term volunteer-abroad experiences as of 2013. I have not read this book. Also, in the back of new Lonely Planet guides, like the one for Belize, there are lists of NGOs that may allow fully-funded short-term volunteers from abroad (you pay ALL expenses - they may or may not help with accommodations). I have no idea how these are vetted, if at all.

You might be looking for Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA), a consortium of volunteer-sending, nonprofit organizations that was affiliated with USAID. It helped to coordinate 68 programs in 56 countries and more than 47,000 "volunteer days." It was listed on this page for quite a while. After more than 14 years, the organization went away in late 2018 when USAID withdrew its support. If you want to see a list of the organizations that created and coordinated the assignments for VEGA volunteers, you can see them by by going to archive.org and looking for this URL (the URL must be on one line to work) http://vegaalliance.org and looking under "partners." You can read their closing announcement by going to archive.org and looking for this URL (the URL must be on one line to work): http://vegaalliance.org/vega-closing-announcement/

I strongly recommend the book How to Live Your Dream of Volunteering Overseas, by Joseph Collins, Stefano DeZerega, and Zehara Heckscher. It will give you details about what international volunteering really entails, why some organizations require that international volunteers pay, suggestions on how to raise funds for such, and an excellent, but now, somewhat outdated, overview of options for fee-based overseas volunteering. Best of all, it provides tips and worksheets that can make your volunteering have real impact for the local people, and benefits for you long after the experience is over. You used to be able to buy it from volunteeroverseas.org, but that URL has been taken over by another company that has NOTHING to do with volunteering. Check online for used copies.

Here are some endorsements I am wiling to make of short-term, pay-to-volunteer programs or other short- programs, but only because:

I know or am very familiar with people involved in these organizations and know their credentials, OR, I'm very familiar with the organization and know what their emphasis is regarding local projects
These organizations have an excellent reputation among professional aid workers and international aid agencies, who view their work as credible and needed
I know these programs do not take just anyone with the money to go as a volunteer
The onsite activities are designed involving local people, and local people decide what activities volunteers will do
These organizations are more focused on the projects to be done than giving volunteers a warm, fuzzy experience
The projects volunteers work on are very much needed by the local community, and involve the local community

These organizations would all fit in the second or the third column of the chart that start this web page, IMO. Some are, indeed, voluntourism, but ethical, as I define such. And if you want me to consider a program to list here, contact me:

Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village program

Habitat for Humanity and Thrivent partnership program

Africa Fire Mission is a nonprofit that leverages the knowledge volunteers and supporters regarding effective emergency response and fire prevention and response services, nonprofits, humanitarian development, social justice, public administration and social work "to create unique and innovative transformation in the fire services and communities where we are working." They recruit mostly experienced fire fighters to go on their trips to Africa and elsewhere to train local fire department staff, but people with other expertise are welcomed to apply. In $2022, the cost of going on a mission for each volunteer was around $3500 (including air fare and accommodations).

Bpeace recruits business experts willing to volunteer their time - online/remotely, in-person in the USA or onsite for a week in a developing country - to mentor start ups and growing businesses in the developing countries where Bpeace works. Traveling Mentors are volunteers that work with business in El Salvador via email and the phone for about three months, and travel to El Salvador for about five days to help onsite; volunteers pay for their airfare and Bpeace pays for their 4-star hotel. Volunteer expertise needed: process improvement experts, sales strategy experts, call center experts, and experts regarding food processing, technology and manufacturing.

Conservation Volunteers International Program - nonprofit organization that provides volunteering opportunities "for ordinary people to perform extraordinary volunteer services." Projects include maintaining and building trails, restoring archaeological sites, and protecting and restoring critical habitats. "Most of the administrative work of ConservationVIP is done by volunteers, and our trips are led by volunteers." It used to be in partnership with REI.

Perros Project (Peru). This is a nonprofit founded in 2009 by two people from the USA to improve the lives of the many dogs living on the street in Huanchaco, Peru. Every two years volunteers from the Perros Project visit Peru to work with animal welfare groups in Huanchaco, a town outside of Trujillo, to host a week of veterinary services. As of 2020, the Perros Project has conducted six clinics and hosted over 59 volunteers. Visits focus on spay & neuter surgeries, but volunteers also provide education on pet care, hand out flea/tick/and mange control medicines and field general pet wellness questions. In addition to our biennial clinics, the nonprofit provides support to two local animal welfare groups who run shelters in the area: Amigo Fiel and Huanchaco al Rescate. The Perros Project partners with these groups to pay for vaccines, part time staffing and food. "We typically take 10-15 volunteers with a preference for people who have experience in veterinary care (veterinarians, vet-techs and vet students). We also give preference to volunteers who are fluent in Spanish." Three main areas of volunteer work: partnering with Peruvian veterinarians to offer spay and neuter surgeries at no cost conducting community outreach to encourage the population to improve the lives of their animals through sterilization, vaccination and treatment for ticks, fleas and mange working at the area shelters, doing basic improvements. Volunteers must pay their own airfare, other travel costs, insurance, accommodation costs and for food. The staff of the Perros Project are happy to connect those traveling to the area and have skills and expertise needed with their partners on the ground, Amigo Fiel and Huanchaco al Rescate. "All interested volunteers should be proficient Spanish as there is little English spoken in the area. Once we have an idea of your interest and experience, we should be able to match you with the right partner in the Huanchaco area."

Reef Renewal Bonaire is an NGO based in the Netherlands that works to help protect, replenish and restore the biodiverse coral reefs of Bonaire, a Caribbean island in the Leeward Antilles, a special municipality of the Netherlands. Reef Renewal Bonaire involves volunteers in this work. Volunteers must be at least 15 years old, scuba diving certified (PADI open water, SSI open water, or equivalent), and be Reef Renewal Diver distinctive specialty certified. Volunteers must also pay all of their own transportation and accommodation costs. "Tanks are included, gear is not! We will provide tanks for each volunteer dive, but you must bring your own gear." If you’re planning a trip to Bonaire, you can check out the NGO's Wishlist for tools it uses on a daily basis that are vital for their work and that they would love for you to bring with you and donate.

World Computer Exchange ecorps. Volunteers travel in teams of seven and assist local WCE partner organizations that have received WCE computers. Volunteers assist with troubleshooting, training and technical support. To be eligible, volunteers must be 21 years of age, have some prior tech skills, and a willingness to participate in technology-related tasks and education. For certain trips there are some language requirements. Trip participants also visit local families and enjoy a variety of opportunities to experience the local culture. Also, accepted volunteers must pay the costs for their trip (flight, etc.).

Unite For Sight and its partner eye clinics and communities work to create eye disease-free communities. "While helping the community, volunteers are in a position to witness and draw their own conclusions about the failures and inequities of global health systems. It broadens their view of what works, and what role they can have to insure a health system that works for everyone..." This program was featured on CNN International. Volunteers, both skilled and unskilled, are 18 years and older, and there is no upper age limit. It is obligatory for accepted volunteers to purchase insurance coverage through Unite for Sight's recommended provider, and volunteers are responsible for all travel arrangements, visa vaccine requirements, lodging, airfare, food, and any additional expenses.

Kiva Fellowships allow participants immerse themselves in the culture and language of a host country or region for 6 months and gain a behind-the-scenes understanding of microfinance and social enterprise, while meeting inspiring people working to improve financial access around the world.

World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) is a UNESCO (United Nations) initiative in collaboration with the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS). The WHV initiative mobilizes young people and youth organisations in World Heritage site preservation and promotion. Generally, participants are students between 18 and 30 years old, but the requirements can vary according to the country and the project. Volunteers acquire basic preservation and conservation skills, and to engage in intercultural exchanges with local communities. Many assignments are in remote locations, and volunteers are expected to respect local customs. To get involved in a project, click on the list of projects for the current or upcoming year on the WHV site, and then consult the brief descriptions of each of the WHV action camps for that year. When you find the one you want to participate in, contact the project organizer for that action camp (the email addresses are in the project profiles). To learn more about an action camp and the application requirements, you must contact the local organization in charge of that project (UNESCO does not accept applications). Note: YOU are responsible for funding your own trip! The cost of travel from your country to the site and insurance are YOUR responsibility. Food and lodging are usually provided by the host organization.

Again, you should look into your own university that you are attending, that you have attended, or that is in your community. They may have a volunteering abroad program for certain students and faculty (those associated with their engineering programs, or those associated with their public health programs, for instance). Finding out if the university offers such may be a challenge, because of the siloed nature of so many universities: the program may be in one department and no other departments know about it. Or it may be in the international studies department. These programs often require the participants to either fundraise to cover a certain percentage of costs or to pay these costs themselves, in addition to participants paying for their own airfare.

I have more recommendations for specific programs on this page: Funding Your Volunteering Abroad Trip. And if you have recommendations for programs, I would welcome the suggestion - but please make sure they fit my criteria, do NOT just send me the name of an organization and the web address.

Ethics

Read through this excerpt from Ethical Considerations for Local and Global Volunteerism, the position statement by the American Nurses Association (ANA) Center for Ethics and Human Rights. Adopted by ANA Board of Directors:

While nurses considering participation or serving as a volunteer express altruistic intention, their actions may result in unintended adverse consequences to the host community. The purpose of this position statement is to promote ethically responsible volunteer efforts classified as short-term (six months or less) practice experiences in local and global health care and public health. This position statement includes volunteer activities by nurses and nursing students sponsored by academic institutions, religious and secular nongovernmental organizations, and for-profit businesses.

Volunteer efforts should demonstrate social responsibility, be done with cultural humility, and involve careful planning in collaboration and partnership with the host community, so that the efforts are sustainable to the community and are mutually empowering.

Criticism of global volunteering includes perpetuating the idea that global poverty can be reduced through caring volunteers and ignoring the disparities caused by structural inequality within countries considered to be “developing.” Host communities may be exploited when volunteers are a burden to the community, when equipment is left that cannot be used without repairs or supplies, or when outdated medications remain after the volunteers leave. Giftgiving and discarding of unwanted items must be carefully done to avoid insult or the creation of waste management problems. Volunteers must also consider that they may be influencing or even taking away local employment through the volunteer program. These system-level harms are complex and should not be exacerbated by self-serving attitudes of the volunteer.

Frequently, host communities voice concern regarding insensitive, uninformed behavior from volunteers. Volunteers who arrive on-site with little knowledge of local traditions and beliefs may influence host provider status and the host’s ability to continue providing service long after the volunteers leave the community. Hosts want the volunteers to learn from them and value their skills and knowledge as much as they also learn from the volunteers. Volunteer programs ignoring the voice of the host risk ongoing power struggles resulting from an unequal relationship, and lack sustainability, thus violating the ethical principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, respect for persons, and justice.

If you have volunteered overseas, whether a good experience or not, I strongly urge you to offer comments about that company on Yelp and/or other customer reviews web site, on your own blog, and on the subreddit for discussions regarding volunteers. Some of the most frequently asked questions on online groups, such as Quora and Reddit, are regarding experiences with fee-based volunteering abroad programs. People ask, "Has anyone heard of such-and-such organization, and is it a good idea to use them to go to Africa to volunteer?" You could help others make the right choices by reviewing the company that sent you abroad, on Yelp or any other customer review site.

If you feel the experience was focused on the needs of local people, if your supervisors were local people, aI would love to hear about it (see contact info below). If you were NOT satisfied with the experience, please contact me as well - I might choose to profile you on my blog.

A WARNING: Several individuals and organizations have posted horror stories about volunteering through the Institute for International Cooperation and Development (IICD), also affiliated with California Campus TG (CCTG). Both organizations are part of a Danish network known as "Tvind." Its volunteering program also operates under the name "Humana People-to-People". Zahara Heckscher, one of the authors of How to Live Your Dream of Volunteering Overseas, volunteered with IICD in 1987-1988, and conducted research on the organization since then, including site visits to IICD volunteer programs in Zimbabwe and Zambia in 1998. As detailed in her book, she and the other authors believe that IICD is a front group for a cultlike organization, coordinated by Tvind. Since publication, the leader of Tvind, Amdi Petersen, was arrested at Los Angeles and at one point was awaiting extradition to Denmark on charges of tax fraud and embezzlement. According to reports, he was living in a luxury apartment funded by the international volunteer programs and other "charity" organizations. You can read Heckscher's warning about this organization by going to archive.org and cutting and pasting this URL into the search (URL must appear on one line): http://www.volunteeroverseas.org/html/tvind.html and looking at the April 2012 version of the page (or earlier). Because Heckscher is someone I deeply respect, IICD/CCTG/Tvind/People-to-People is not an organization I recommend.

For those who think it's wrong to have to pay to volunteer overseas: again, remember that it is much more beneficial to local communities to use funds to hire local people to serve food, build houses, educate young people, etc., than to use those resources to bring in an outside volunteer. The priority is not you and your desire to help -- the priority is local people being employed. Volunteers from outside of a community are needed to fill gaps in local skills and experience, but it's not cost-effective for most organizations to pay for someone to come only for a few weeks or months. If you want a short-term volunteering assignment, be prepared to pay for at least your travel and accommodations - and probably even more beyond that.

The End Humanitarian Douchery campaign takes a much stronger stand against voluntourism in any form, drawing attention to the negative consequences such can have for local communities in particular. The campaign organizers offer tips on "how to find a program that will have a truly POSITIVE impact on the host community." Likewise, ‘Looks good on your CV’: The sociology of voluntourism recruitment in higher education, an academic paper by Colleen McGloin of the University of Wollongong, Australia and Nichole Georgeou, of Australian Catholic University, says that "voluntourism reinforces the dominant paradigm that the poor of developing countries require the help of affluent westerners to induce development. And this article is advice from someone who paid to volunteer abroad - and realized she shouldn't be. All are worth reading, no matter where you stand on the issue of voluntourism or volunteering abroad.

Two more things: please be on the lookout for, and report, sexual exploitation of children in the context of travel and tourism. There are people who look for volunteering abroad opportunities that will bring them into contact with children, with the intent of sexually exploiting those children. ECPAT is a global network of organisations working together for the elimination of child prostitution, child pornography and trafficking of children for sexual purposes. It seeks to ensure that children everywhere enjoy their fundamental rights, free and secure from all forms of commercial sexual exploitation. And it has an online platform set up to help you recognize and report the sexual exploitation of children in the context of travel and tourism.

And please do NOT ride elephants when you are traveling abroad. Politely, firmly, refuse. No matter how often you are told that the elephants are very well treated and that they are not harmed by this activity, please don't do it. Virtually every responsible travel organization has come out against elephant riding. In fact, refuse ALL opportunities to touch what should be a wild animal, or to have your photo taken with such. You don't have to be condescending or disrespectful. Just say, "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to touch that animal." Share why only if you think it is safe for you to do so. Here's more about traveling with respect for others.

Some developing countries are so tired of foreigners coming to their countries as volunteers that they have created their own in-country volunteering programs, similar to AmeriCorps VISTA in the USA, where highly-skilled people, usually young people, stay in their own country and help people in under-served communities. For instance, Kenya has its own in-country volunteering program for young people. Expect more of this to start popping up in more and more developing and transitional countries.

Ethics-Free Voluntourism & Work Exchange Programs:

If I haven't convinced you to volunteer only with ethically-focused volunteer abroad programs, or if you want to try your hand at work-exchange programs like Workaway or Worldpackers, then check out these subreddits (and note that I am in NO WAY endorsing these programs nor these online communities):

Also see:

5 strategies to avoid being arrested when you volunteer internationally
It's not a resource I wrote, but I agree with everything it says, like If you haven’t done it here, don’t do it there and My friend Kurt VerBeek who has also researched this phenomenon asks, if your daughter had an eating disorder, would you find a group of volunteers to help? I’d immediately look for an “eating-disorder expert”. But sometimes we treat disasters as if a little bit of zeal and passion are all that’s necessary.
Reasons Not to Volunteer Abroad
These are the most common reasons people say they want to volunteer abroad. And they are not good reasons. In fact, they often hurt people and animals in other countries, rather than helping.
Funding Your Volunteer Trip Abroad
How to raise money to go overseas for a short-term volunteering gig.
Volunteering With Animals
Advice for both domestic and abroad opportunities.
Vetting Organizations in Other Countries
A resource that can help you evaluate volunteer-placement organizations that charge you for your placement as a volunteer, as well as for people interested in partnering or supporting an organization abroad but wanting to know it's a credible organization, that it's not some sort of scam, or an 'organization' of just one person.
Safety in International Volunteering Programs
How to plan for your own safety while living and working abroad as a volunteer.
Volunteering To Help After Major Disasters
Whenever a disaster strikes, hundreds -- even thousands -- of citizens in the USA start contacting various organizations in an effort to try to volunteer onsite at the disaster site. But what many of these people don't realize is that spontaneous volunteers with no training and no affiliation can actually cause more problems than they alleviate in a disaster situation, particularly regarding disaster locations far from their home. If you want to be a part of the mobilization for a future disaster, here are tips to help you get into "the system," get training, and be in a position to make a real difference.
More More Than Me scandal in Liberia: a lesson to all who “just want to help”
If you want to go abroad, with no experience, just a good heart, to help others, to do something you have never done in your own community or your own country, and you don’t yet know about the horror show that is More Than Me in Liberia, you need to read up.
Isn’t my good heart & desire enough to help abroad? and Vanity Volunteering: all about the volunteer, two blogs about unskilled people who feel entitled to go abroad and do work in other countries they have never done in their own countries. Also see: In defense of skills over passion.
“But I wanted to help POOR people…”.
Want to work internationally? Get involved locally..
Volunteers themselves speaking out about voluntourism.
J.K. Rowling speaks out against orphan tourism.
Medical Voluntourism Can Cause Serious Harm.
The harm of orphanage voluntourism (& wildlife voluntourism as well).
Tax credits for volunteering (for residents of the USA) - includes information on tax deductions for volunteering abroad
5 ideas erróneas que muchas personas tienen sobre lo que implica hacer un voluntariado internacional
A lo mejor la imagen de voluntarios jugando fútbol con niños en África, construyendo una escuela, cocinando con las mujeres de una aldea o dando clases a una comunidad. Pareciera que la participación de una personas en un proyecto en que se lleva a cabo en países en vías de desarrollo, lograra grandes y duraderas transformaciones, pero no es así. Esta información es de Hacesfalta.
Hosting International Volunteers
More and more local organizations in developing countries are turning to local expertise, rather than international volunteers, to support their efforts. However, the need for international volunteers remains, and will for many, many years to come. This resource provides tips for local organization in a developing countries interested in gaining to international volunteers.
transire benefaciendo: "to travel along while doing good."
Advice for those wanting to make their travel more than sight-seeing and shopping.
How to Get a Job with the United Nations or Other International Humanitarian or Development Organization

Book recommendation: Lonely Planet Volunteer: A Traveller's Guide to Making a Difference Around
Using the Internet to Share Your Adventure During Your Adventure, advice on blogging, photo-sharing, posting to social media, etc.
Humanitarian stories & photos – use with caution.
Extreme poverty is not beautiful – That there can be any confusion between living off-the-grid, simply, and living in extreme poverty is astounding to me. Yet, I’ve heard oh-so-privileged aid workers wax poetic about the “beauty” of poverty..
Vanity Volunteering: all about the volunteer – one of the most popular blogs I’ve ever written.
“But I wanted to help POOR people…” – When a volunteer's expectations about service don't match reality.
Volunteers themselves speaking out about voluntourism – some people returning from paying to help "orphans" or animals are coming back with very disturbing accounts of their experience.
Medical Voluntourism Can Cause Serious Harm – why short-term help, even by people with medical training, can be harmful in the long-term.
Isn’t my good heart & desire enough to help abroad? No.
Voluntourism: use with caution.
How to take photos in a culturally-sensitive manner, particularly with regard to respect for local customs regarding women, and to meet various needs, e.g. to show female participation. This resource was developed in 2007, for Afghan staff working out of an Afghanistan government agency, and is adaptable for various cultural settings. Obviously, it needs updating.

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Type of Volunteer 1 People with much-needed education and/or experience (experts) going abroad for months, a year, even two years, to help with a specific project designed by the volunteer-sending organization and/or the local host organization.	Type of Volunteer 2 People with much-needed education and/or experience (experts) going abroad for just a few weeks to apply that expertise, helping with a specific project designed by the volunteer-sending organization and/or the local host. Short-term disaster-response volunteers fit here.	Type of Volunteer 3 People that do not have specialized skills in high-demand in developing countries, that want to volunteer for a few weeks in a project that doesn't require any specialized skills. This is usually called "volunTOURrism" (which is not automatically a bad thing).	Type of Volunteer 4 Independent travelers who do not go through any volunteer-sending organization; instead, they make all arrangements directly with an NGO in a country where they want to help, and coordinate all activities themselves. Their skills vary. (transire benefaciendo.

Costs These volunteers do not pay travel or accommodation or insurance expenses themselves, nor have to pay any placement fees; the host organization or the company they work for pays for their travel, housing and all in-country needs. The host organization provides insurance, will evacuate them if needed, etc. Volunteers work full-time on the assignment.	Costs These volunteers may be expected to at least pay for their travel to and from the country and insurance; the host organization may take care of their in-country needs, OR, the volunteer may be expected to pay all expenses. The host organization may evacuate volunteers if needed (like a civil war breaking out). Volunteers work full-time on the assignment that relates to their expertise.	Costs These volunteers pay or fundraise from friends for most or all expenses themselves: travel, insurance, food, accommodations and fees to the host organization to cover work permits, security (if any), training (if any), materials, evacuation if needed, etc. The volunteer may also attend language classes, trainings & "cultural" events, go on organized tours, etc.	Costs These people pay all expenses themselves: all travel, insurance, accommodations and food. They also arrange for and pay for their own security, work permits, translation services, etc. They decide how much they will work, for how long, etc.

Application/Acceptance Process People apply to participate as volunteers through the volunteer-sending organization and most are not accepted. Unqualified/low-skilled people are not accepted, regardless of their desire to be a volunteer. There are interviews, reference checks and a confirmation of competencies and skills. Samples of work are asked for.	Application/Acceptance Process People are accepted as volunteers by the volunteer-sending organization both because of their skills and interests. Unqualified/low-skilled people are not accepted even if they can pay all expenses. There are interviews, reference checks and a confirmation of competencies and skills. Samples of work may be asked for.	Application/Acceptance Process Most applicants are accepted as volunteers by the volunteer-sending organization if they have the ability to pay the fees and, sometimes but not always, meet minimal interview and self-assessments. Skills or qualifications have little or no bearing on a person being accepted. Focus is, at least in part, sometimes entirely, on the volunteer's wants from the experience.	Application/Acceptance Process There is no volunteer-sending organization involved.

Web Site / Brochure Focus Emphasizes the skills and qualifications volunteers must have, the kinds of projects volunteers engage in, profiles of projects rather than of volunteers. Not much talk about the importance of "inter-cultural exchanges" and how the experience will change/benefit the volunteer.	Web Site / Brochure Focus Emphasizes the skills and qualifications volunteers must have, the kinds of projects volunteers engage in, how local people are served or how they are partners, and profiles of projects rather than of volunteers. Talk about the importance of "inter-cultural exchanges" and how the experience will change/benefit the volunteer may also be present.	Web Site / Brochure Focus Emphasizes the volunteer experience, how the volunteers benefit from the experience, and the volunteer's desire for adventure, fun or a feeling that they've done something important or good. Talks a lot about the importance of "inter-cultural exchanges" and how the experience will change the volunteer.	Web Site / Brochure Focus There is no web site or brochure, because there is no volunteer-sending organization involved.