Disclaimer

While reading Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne (required reading by anyone who wants to travel abroad - or has already done so), I came across a phrase, transire benefaciendo. It's Latin and can translate as to travel along while doing good (not everyone agrees that this is the translation, however). Later, I found out that the phrase did not originate with Verne, that it can also be found in The Seamy Side of History / L'envers de l'histoire contemporaine, 1848, aka The Wrong Side of Paris aka The Brotherhood of Consolation.

Regardless, I fell in love with it via Jules Verne, and I love the idea of doing good while traveling along, especially in developing countries, so I adopted transire benefaciendo as my motto.

What is "doing good"? It doesn't necessarily mean volunteering abroad. I'm actually not too fond of a lot of volunteering abroad - I find it vanity volunteering, volunteering that's all about the volunteer and how he or she wants to feel, not what local people actually need. Vanity volunteering, whether abroad (voluntourism) or local, puts the volunteer in the decision-making role - here's what I want to do - rather than a listening role: what do local people need? What does this nonprofit need? I shall ask and listen to the answer.

I think transire benefaciendo is also about traveling with purpose. It's a trip, a journey, with the intention of learning, with an intention of local interaction. It's travel that is mutually beneficial for both the traveler and the people in the place where the journey will take place. transire benefaciendo is purposeful travel, about widening a traveler's understanding of the world rather than ticking something off a bucket list.

And I don't think transire benefaciendo is something you do only abroad. It's also something you can do in your own community. In fact, transire benefaciendo is a mindset for living.

It does NOT mean you give up having a relaxing day beside a pool. It doesn't mean you give up a day of pampering. But it does mean not booking a "slum tour." It also means not traveling abroad or to a rural community during a global pandemic, when your travel could spread a deadly virus and, if you become ill, you could tax over-burdened health-care systems. It does mean considering the image of privilege and inequality you promote by traveling to regions where people are months or years away from getting the vaccination that allows you to travel safely. It DOES mean thinking about what you do and how you are setting precedent for travelers that come after you.

It does NOT mean interacting with people if you just really don't feel like it in a moment or allowing people to violate your personal space or talking with people if you don't feel safe - women readers know what I mean. You still get to set boundaries, most especially if you are tired, confused, or feel unsafe. It does mean thinking about local people as people trying to make a living for themselves and their families, with their own hopes and dreams.

If you want to travel and learn, and/or to travel and help others and/or help the environment, and/or travel in a way that respects local people and their health, safety and culture, whether you are traveling by car, train, plane, motorcycle, bicycle or hiking, whether you are traveling within your own region or abroad, this page is for you.

• Observe & Learn
  
• Being a "Good" Tourist Matters
  
• Doing Good On Vacation in a Developing Country or Poor Community
  
• Volunteer Vacations Within Your Own Country
  
• Volunteer Vacations Abroad
  
• Volunteering On Your Own Abroad
  
• What About Long-Term Opportunities for Highly-Skilled People?

 
Observe & Learn

My husband and I took a motorcycle tour of Eastern Europe back in 2008. Two of the most memorable moments were in Romania: at one point, we pulled over to the side of the road and watched a traditional village funeral procession go by slowly. The coffin was on a tractor, with both people and cars walking behind. The people carried colorful streamers of fabric, and all of the cars had their mirrors covered. Men walked with men, and women and girls walked together separately, weeping. We removed our helmets and watched. I was so sad and moved. Also in Romania, while we were camping on the coast in Constanta and looking for restaurants, a wedding party came walking down the street, everyone in full wedding gear, including the bride, and a few people playing instruments behind her. So I started taking pictures of her - she was GLOWING - and it delighted her and the wedding party. 

When we moved to Oregon, we spent several months being miserable: we had ended up in a very unfriendly town (though, honestly, Oregon is just not a very friendly state), and got weird comments from neighbors when we said things like, "I'll be out of town next week - I have a business trip in Serbia" (response: "WHY would you go THERE?!?"). One day, I snapped: people from all over the world make vacations in Oregon. We needed to treat living there like we were expats, discovering some exotic land in the time we were there. I made lists of historic sites and state parks and other public lands, I made a list of places to go white water rafting, horse back riding and hiking. We looked at maps of back roads to explore by motorcycle. We made lists of local festivals. We watched Oregon Field Guide and Oregon Experience almost religiously. And we did something almost every weekend. Result? It completely changed how we feel about living here. We know more about Oregon's landscape and history than most Oregonians. I get thank you emails a few times a year from motorcycle riders who discover my guide to motorcycle routes around the Portland, Oregon metro area (PDX).

One day, we decided to figure out a bicycle route to the town next door that would completely avoid Oregon state highways. Our goal was to eat lunch at a Mexican grocery store we knew had a restaurant in the back. The whole day was an adventure, all within two miles of our house. 

In short: we have tried to assume that there is SOMETHING to discover about wherever we are. It changes not only anywhere we travel, but wherever we are living. Our best ideas, and best experiences, often come from just observing.

 
Be a "Good" Tourist Matters

When I travel, I try to be conscious of my behavior and actions and the consequences these can have on the environment and on perceptions by local of people of those visiting their home. I have values that center on respect and caring, and I don't abandon those values when I'm not at home. I do not want to do harm nor contribute to an exploitative or destructive practice while I am traveling. How does that manifest itself when I travel?:

• I try to be mindful of other visitors and guests, especially when it's late and especially in a campground - I don't want to keep others awake. 
• I do not ever pay for a photo with an animal, EVER, even those that are supposedly "orphaned" or "rescued", and certainly not one performing.
• I will not ride an elephant EVER, no matter how much I am encouraged to do so. 
• If a tour guide or a sign says please do not take photos here or please don't touch the walls of this ancient temple, then I don't, even if everyone else is.
• I don't step off designated trails, even if other tourists are doing it.
• I do not take photos of children unless their parents are present and I can ask them for permission.
• I expect for my room to be clean when I first arrive, but I do not ask that my room be cleaned every day, to have new towels every day that I'm in the room, etc., unless it's  necessary. I do this to help save on water and energy.
• I try to be quiet in sacred places, even though I'm an Atheist and even if whatever religion was practiced in the spot is long gone.
• I try to be quiet in outdoor spaces and to listen to the natural sounds around me.
• I say "please" and "thank you," preferably in the local language but, if I don't know it, I just say it in English. It's the sentiment that is important - and usually understood and greatly appreciated.
• I try to be helpful: for instance, if I see someone trying to get on a train with a lot of luggage, I help them.
• I do not stay in a hotel or dine in a restaurant or visit a club where I believe there is human trafficking - and if there is prostitution, that means human trafficking.
• I make a point of giving good online reviews to small, locally-owned restaurants, campgrounds, guest houses, hotels and motels that I've experienced, especially if I look them up and there aren't any or many reviews of them already.
• On my travel blogs and online photo descriptions, I link to the web sites or Facebook pages of small, locally-owned restaurants, campgrounds, guest houses, hotels and motels that I've experienced and really liked.
• I try to learn about the place I'm visiting, whether that's around the world or a few miles where I'm living.
• I do not travel during a global pandemic, when my travel could spread a deadly virus and, if I become ill, I could tax over-burdened health-care systems.

Remember: Your negative behavior may not have any negative effects for you, but it will most certainly have effects for future travelers. Part of the reason I try to be a "good" tourist is so that, when you go to the same place, you will be welcomed.

Here's even more clear guidance for travelers from "the West" to travel with respect for others.

 
Doing Good On Vacation in a Developing Country or Poor Community

These are simple things you can do to help others when traveling to a developing country or community with a high poverty rate. None of this is voluntourism - paying money to go abroad to supposedly volunteer for a few weeks - I do not support voluntourism.

Note that some of the tips require preparation BEFORE you leave your home.

I drafted the first version of this list originally in February 2006 for Lonely Planet's Blue List, which, sadly, is now defunct. It was the highest rated and most-popular volunteer-related article by far on the now-defunct Bluelist (thanks to the more than 100 people who rated it so highly on that web site).

Just Being a Tourist Does Good

• Spend Money - Employ Local People
  You are doing a TREMENDOUS amount of good simply by visiting a developing country or region that has a high poverty rate: spending money on accommodations, food, transportation, local crafts, local guides, etc. Even paying admission fees helps. Your money spent on these items helps employ local people -- maybe the most important need to be met in the developing world or a poor community anywhere, much more than trying to build a school that will stand empty because there is no funding for teachers.

• Buy Local
  Buy locally-produced food and drinks, if health standards and your own dietary restrictions allow for such. At least try the local beer, the local wine, the local cola (yes, there are such things, even in Afghanistan), the local bread, locally-owned restaurants, etc. If you eat and drink locally even once a day, rather than eating only at an international chain or drinking only products available globally, you will be helping both the local economy and the local culture. You also will eat some amazing food! But that said, don't beat yourself up if you need to eat at, say, KFC in Cairo, Egypt - those people working there are all Egyptians, and you are helping employ them if you buy something there. 

• Take Positive Photos
  Don't take photos that show only a community's poverty; take photos of a community's culture: people singing, dancing, laughing, cooking, farming, working, riding bicycles, etc. (and always ask permission before taking photos of children!). Take photos of beautiful gardens, buildings, houses, landscapes, public art, etc. Share these photos on sites like Flickr and always put the name of the city and country in each photo's description. This shows other potential tourists and even potential investors what's wonderful about a particular place. And remember to take photos in a culturally-sensitive manner.

• No Photos of Children Without Permission!
  How would you feel if you were with your kids at the local park or in your front yard and a stranger walked up, started talking to them, and started taking photos of them? How would you feel if you were on a travel web site and saw photos of your children accompanying a story about your region - and you had no idea their photos were being taken, let alone used for such? Show the same respect you would want for your children: don't take photos of children without permission of their parents or a community elder. Here's a more strongly-worded essay about the ethics of photographing children in developing countries and sharing those photos on social media. 

• Look Around You
  Opportunities for good are everywhere: helping a local person change a car tire or jump start a car engine, helping a person at your hotel solve an immediate computer problem, helping an old woman carry a heavy bag on and off a bus, giving up your seat on a bus to someone who needs it more, etc. Every time you help someone, you are representing your own country and culture, and leaving a favorable impression on the locals about such.

• Research Organizations
  In developing countries, what's most important to local NGOs (non-governmental organizations - the equivalent of nonprofits in the USA. Also called civil society) is to serve local communities, not to give you a feel-good moment. Be respectful of the very restrictive time of local groups and local people just trying get by. Don't walk through the door and say, "Here I am, ready to help your orphans!" Before you travel, become familiar with the area where you will travel and with any NGOs that you might want to help. Use the Internet to find local NGOs serving an area where you will visit. These can be environmental organizations, a microfinance group, a school serving children with disabilities, a telecenter, etc. A surprising number of organizations in the developing world have web sites, so establish contact before you trip, letting the organization know you are interested in their work, you want to visit while on vacation, and how you want to help in the time you have available (Could you help changeover their computers from pirated copies of Microsoft to LibreOffice, or help them download and automate free virus-scanning software? Could you bring them some children's books?). Do NOT ask to play with orphans, or teach English classes for a few days, or interact with wildlife in any way - all of this is highly unethical behavior. Do not offer to do any task you have not done in your own community or country - and with references to prove you have done so. I do not support voluntourism and neither should you..

• Research the Culture
  Already knowing the basics about a region's cultural practices and already knowing what NGOs are doing in an area greatly enhances your experience locally, and improves your chances of being welcomed to engage in a helpful activity while there. You don't have to be an expert. Just now things like: do they shake hands with strangers? Do women wear headscarves? Do men make eye contact with women? Do they believe seeing the bottom of a person's bare feet is an insult? Lonely Planet is my favorite resource for this. 

• Practice Respect for the Environment... even if locals don't
  Always throw away your trash properly. Ask about recycling, even if you suspect the question is going to be met with an incredulous look. If your sheets really don't have to be changed every day, ask that they not be, even if the front desk or housekeeping seems flabbergasted that you don't want such. If you have read that a certain fish or bird is endangered, refuse all offers for such as a meal, explain why (with a smile!), be adamant (but still friendly!) that you want an alternative and don't give in to all the "oh, but it's NO PROBLEM, really!" comments. Compliment all efforts by local businesses, including your hotel, to be environmentally friendly. The more tourists that show respect for the environment and show an expectation for businesses to do the same, the more that local businesses will cater to such.

• Don't Contribute to the Exploitation of Wild Animals
  NEVER pay to have a photo taken with an exotic animal - no baby tigers, no bears, no monkeys. Under NO circumstances should you ride an elephant either! These animals have been taken from the wild or have been produced in horrific captive breeding programs. You would be horrified if you knew how they live when there are no tourists are around, and what happens to them when they aren't cute enough anymore for tourists. If you pay for such a photo, then you are encouraging these horrific practices! And don't go to zoos either, and if a tourism guide recommends that you go to such, tell him or her, as gently as possible, no, and why. Zoos in developing countries and transitional countries are horror shows. You contribute to the misery of the animals by going to such places. No matter how often you are told that the elephants are very well treated and that they are not harmed by this activity, or that that poor little baby tiger was rescued after its mother was killed by poachers, please don't take the bait. 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.

• Don't Contribute to the Exploitation of Children
  Do not give money to child street performers who are supposedly part of an orphanage. Don't pay to tour an orphanage or to volunteer in such. And 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. More about orphanage tourism later on this page.

• Amplify the Work of Local NGOs
  Here are four examples of just how easy this can be:
   
  • In the book Lone Rider by Elspeth Beard, one of the first women to ride a motorcycle all around the world, she talks about visiting Gunung Leuser National Park in Indonesia and an NGO working in this area, helping to address the huge problem of Indonesians abducting baby orangutans and then wanting to get rid of them when they grow older and are so much harder to care for. This is a great example of transire benefaciendo: she didn't attempt to work at the NGO as a volunteer (which would have been illegal in Indonesia), but she did elevate its work through her book - and as a result, I've now done so as well.
     
  • I did something similar in Hungary: while on a motorcycle trip through Eastern Europe and camping in Hortobágyi Neuzeti Park, a sea of grasslands, the camp host told us that there was a bird rescue clinic right next door. The next morning, I went there. It turned out the clinic allowed visitors, so we toured, taking photos of their rehabilitation rooms and spaces and getting information, which I translated once we were home so that I could write about the Hortobágy Bird Clinic on my blog.
     
  • When I was in Afghanistan in 2007, I encountered the work of Mayhew International, a British charity which works to help vaccinate and spay and neuter dogs and cats in Afghanistan (and other countries too!) and to educate local people about responsible, compassionate pet care; I've regularly shared their info on my Facebook page and it's resulted in some donations for them.
     
  • When I was in Belize in 2023, I encountered four NGOs doing great work - a gift shop featuring the work of Mayan women (who also staffed the shop), a community library, a local humane society and a local environmental group - so I wrote a blog about them all, with links to their web sites or Facebook pages, and then posted a link to the blog on most of my various social media profiles.
     
  • The Perros Project in Peru is an example of an effort that was born out of a vacation by two Americans visiting Peru, an effort that amplified the work of one lone Peruvian volunteer trying to help stray dogs in his village.
     
  • Noraly, also known as Itchy Boots, has a channel on YouTube to document and share her round the world travels by motorcycle - it's how she makes her living. She is currently traveling from South America to Alaska, and she's really been focused on this season on highlighting the culture of indigenous people along the way, booking time with local representatives from these communities, often quite isolated, to guide her through areas most tourist never see and to capture their unique and disappearing way of life. She does this respectfully and beautifully. This week, she posted about her time in Bahia de Chacahua and a turtle rescue group there. She had researched about groups online beforehand and, upon arriving in the area, after checking into her room, went looking for them. Sadly, there seems to be only one group left helping the turtles, run by two Mexican biologists, entirely as volunteers. She used her visit to film their work and interview them and she was lucky enough to be there just when a group of turtles hatched. She also used her film to encourage her more than one million followers to donate to this turtle rescue.
    

• See Something? Say Something
  Is a tour operator letting visitors pet wild animals? Is a tour operator offering to take visitors to a place where people are being trafficked? While it may not be appropriate to report this to local authorities - and may, in fact, put you in danger - you should, once you are outside of a place where this is happening, report it to anyone who might care: the country's tourism office, an NGO working in the community to counter such behavior, an international NGO concerned with such, etc. If you booked the person through a tour provider, you absolutely want to let the tour provider know you find it inappropriate. If the service is one you chose because of reading about it in a guidebook, let that guidebook publisher know. Stay fact-based, and include dates. Other country's have much more strict libel laws than the USA, so be thoughtful and careful about blogging about such or posting about such on an online community. Should you actually confront someone? I saw the family that runs the snack shop in the parking lot of Cahal Pech abusing dogs - the father gleefully hit one dog with a switch, making it yelp, to the delight of his children, who then threw rocks at this and another dog, which made the parents laugh. I reported it to the local Humane Society, but they said that, in fact, I should have said something - that I would not be buying anything from their shop because of how they were treating those dogs and I would tell everyone I knew not to purchase from them. I didn't because, as a foreigner, I felt like I was a guest in the country and had no right, but the NGO said there was no better voice for animals than someone who says, "I will buy from you because you act this way." Money talks.    

• Limit your time with children
  It's wonderful to interact with kids while you're traveling - but be very careful in doing so. Don't whip out your camera and start taking photos, for reasons already noted on this page. And don't ever be alone with children if you can help it. There should always be a local adult right there with you when you are around children - in fact, there should be at least two, preferably parents. That will protect children and it will protect you in case someone decides to accuse you of something and expects a hefty bribe for that accusation to go away. And if a school says, "Hey, why don't you do some artwork with our kids today!", think about it carefully before you say yes. It's one thing if you are a science teacher back in your home country and the school has verified this and you are then invited to give a lecture to high school students in a country where you are visiting; but how would you feel if you were a parent back in your home country and you found out a teacher at your kid's school invited two random foreign travelers into the classroom to do some artwork with your kid?      

• Identify Ways to Have Impact Before & After

  • Before a trip, ask local organizations if there are things they would like you to bring to them, such as children's books or school supplies. Don't bring clothes or medicine. Keep items small and benign, and looking like they are a part of your overall travel items, or you could be charged customs fees.

  • Make an assessment of an organization's most critical needs while you are onsite, and after the trip, blog about your experience and tell people how they can donate to the organization, or arrange a fund drive or other support campaign for the group once you are back in your home country. The best advice I've read about blogging comes from Norie Quintos, writing for World Nomads, who says,
    
    When writing about a place, along with the standard where-to-eat and what-to-do, be sure to work into your copy the challenges and issues of the destination, as well as potential solutions. Writing about the Galapagos? Don’t mention the lumbering land tortoises without also talking about the precariousness of their survival and that travelers can help by eliminating single-use plastics from their daily lives and 'adopting' an animal through the Galapagos Conservancy.
    
    FYI, here's how I blogged about my experience in Afghanistan.
  
  
• BUT - Don't Travel Abroad During a Global Pandemic, & Wear a Mask When You Do
  Do not travel abroad during a global pandemic, when your travel could spread a deadly virus and, if you become ill, you could tax over-burdened health-care systems. I don't want to infect my or someone else’s country or community - you shouldn't want to either. If you are vaccinated against the disease, consider the image of privilege and inequality you promote by traveling to regions where people are months or years away from getting that vaccination. Consider the anger against outsiders/foreigners you may be creating by exercising that privilege that comes from a vaccine. Certainly if you travel to an area where most people are wearing masks over their mouth and nose, you should too, even if you are vaccinated and cannot spread the disease - show respect for local people and their health concerns. This article from Lonely Planet sums up exactly how I feel about traveling during a global pandemic.
  

Read & Make Tourism Pledges

Tourism pledges are voluntary pledges you make, in your heart or on a web site, that are meant to change the attitudes and behaviors of travelers so that they respect local people and local environments. The Icelandic Pledge created by Visit Iceland in the summer of 2017, kicked off the pledge movement, closely followed by the Palau Pledge later that year. Then came New Zealand’s Tiaki Promise in 2018 and the Sustainable Finland Pledge in 2019. On World Animal Protection’s website, you can pledge to not ride elephants on your next trip, to see dolphins and other animals only in the wild, and to be an animal-friendly traveler. You can promise to avoid air travel for a year, to reduce your carbon emissions, with the Flight Free Pledge. Or take the Travelers Against Plastic pledge to reduce your use of single-use plastics when you travel. There are LOTS of tourism pledges out there! A few ways to make your pledge count: Use pledges to plan your trip. Revisit the pledge during your trip so it stays fresh in your mind, like a responsible travel mantra. Share your pledge on social media and your blog. Talk with other travelers and ask if they’ve taken the pledge. Also see Do Tourism Pledges Really Work? These pledges are voluntary, not compulsory, and there's been no serious evaluation of them and tourists that make them in terms of if travelers really commit to them.

Lots of countries, including the USA, provide opportunities for you to go on a meaningful, non-exploitative volunteer vacation within your own country. You will need to be responsible for your own transportation and health insurance and probably your own accommodations and food. You may ALSO be asked to pay a fee to cover the costs of staff providing you support, and any materials you will need during your service. You also need to make arrangements before you arrive onsite at an organization; don't expect to walk in the door and say, "Here I am, ready to volunteer!" and find an automatic warm reception - most opportunities fill up months in advance and just-show-up volunteers cannot be accommodated. Organizations have protocols that volunteers must go through, in order for the organization to protect its work and its clients; please respect these by contacting the organization long before you arrive.

What can you do on a volunteer vacation within your own country? In the USA:

• Look at the web site of your state's fish and wildlife department, and your state's state park system. Both will have information about how to volunteer with their programs. Some of their opportunities are outside, some are over just one weekend, and some allow you to be near fish and wildlife.
  

• The American Hiking Society sponsors several excellent volunteer excursions every year, constructing or rebuilding footpaths, cabins and shelters in some of the USA's most beautiful parks and historic sites.

• Sierra Club Outings help to state and federal land agencies. Service trips range from helping with research projects at whale calving grounds in Maui to assisting with archaeological site restoration in New Mexico.

• Glacier National Park has internship and fellowship opportunities where volunteers receive a small stipend in return for their service. They also have Citizen Science program, but volunteers do not receive any stipend and are responsible for all their own expenses.

• HistoriCorps engages volunteers to save historic places across the United States, many of them in national parks, state parks and other public lands, from settlers' log cabins in expansive wildernesses to architecturally-rich homes in deeply historic urban environments. HistoriCorps provides all meals, tools, training, personal safety equipment, and materials. The most popular trips fill up VERY quickly - sometimes within hours of being announced.
  

• Student Conservation Association provides college and high school-aged members with hands-on conservation service opportunities, "from tracking grizzlies through the Tetons to restoring desert ecosystems and teaching environmental education at Washington, D.C.'s Urban Tree House."

• Break Away is a nonprofit that promotes alternative Spring break and Summer break trips. Unfortunately, its database can be accessed only by university chapter members.

• If you belong to a community of faith (church, temple or mosque), or a non-religious secular organization / ethical society, check with them to see if they have volunteering opportunities outside of your area. For instance, many such communities have been organizing trips to help people in the Gulf Coast of the USA, who are still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. But please make sure that whatever it is they want to do isn't actually displacing people desperate for work. For instance, by you going to a region and working for free to help restore homes, are you putting local carpenters out of work?

• If you are a volunteer firefighter, volunteer paramedic, or volunteer with the Red Cross / Red Crescent / Magen David Adom, check with your local office to see if the national office or a national association that your local agency is a part of mobilizes short-term volunteers with your specific training in other parts of your country. This is one of the easiest ways to get to be a part of an official deployment to a disaster zone.

• Contact offices that are responsible for state and national parks. Some have one-day, just-show-up clean up events. Some have camp hosting opportunities, where you get to live at the camp site for several weeks for free in exchange for taking care of the campsite (you must have your own hard top camper in order to be a host). Some have fire tower lookout positions for a season. 

• Look at the web site and social media accounts of your state's fish and wildlife office/department - or any state you want to go to. These agencies have lots of opportunities for volunteers, like building and repairing fish and wildlife habitats, counting wildlife, reporting on habitat conditions and more. Most of these activities are undertaken by people living near the volunteer site, but if you can pay for your own transportation to the site, and your own accommodations near the site, and you can research all of these arrangements in advance before you contact the state fish and wildlife office about volunteering, your participation will probably be welcomed.
  

 
Volunteer Vacations Abroad

I do not support voluntourism: paying money to go abroad to supposedly volunteer for a few weeks doing some work you do not have a great deal of expertise in doing in your own country, with a program that takes everyone and anyone that can pay the fee. You will not teach anyone English in just a few weeks. You will not make a difference in the life of a supposed "orphan" in just a few days or weeks. No ethical organization would ever allow people to pay to "volunteer" to interact with wildlife, even "orphan" animals being "rehabilitated." If you pay money to "volunteer" abroad, it's NOT a quality program if they take anyone and everyone, regardless of skills or experience, just so long as they can pay the fees.

Before you pay to volunteer abroad, note that many - MOST - programs are not worthwhile and, in fact, harm local people -- especially those programs focused on orphans. Friends-International, with the backing of UNICEF, has 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. Unless a program is recruiting volunteers who have many years of experience working with children, certifications, references and criminal background checks, and unless the program places volunteers for many months, not just weeks, stay away from the program.

Also beware of programs meant to help animals. Unless the program is recruiting volunteers who have many years of experience working with exotic animals, experience running a program at a rescue organization or zoo, have certifications and references, and even an appropriate degree, the program is probably just a way for a nonprofit to make money. You might even be putting yourself in danger by paying to volunteer at such a place. If the program has photos of people cuddling exotic animals, like baby tigers, absolutely stay away: no responsible organization would allow animals to be handled by humans in this way. Same for if there are photos of people riding elephants - again, no responsible organization would allow animals to be handled by humans in this way.

More on warnings about these type of pay-to-volunteer-abroad programs:

• Volunteers themselves speaking out about voluntourism
• J.K. Rowling speaks out against orphan tourism
• Vanity Volunteering: all about the volunteer
• Isn’t my good heart & desire enough to help abroad?
• Want to work internationally? Get involved locally
• In defense of skills over passion

I detail the different incarnations of volunteering abroad here and it includes recommendations for some of the credible short-term volunteering programs I've been able to find. 

I recommend the book How to Live Your Dream of Volunteering Overseas, by Joseph Collins, Stefano DeZerega, and Zehara Heckscher, if you can find a copy (it's out of print). 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 a good overview of your options. But 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.

 
Volunteering On Your Own Abroad (DIY)

Volunteering through an established international organization offers you a way to network your volunteer contributions with those of others, so that your volunteering doesn't happen in a vacuum. It also better ensures that the activity you are undertaking is legal - in many countries, like Indonesia, it is against the law for foreigners to volunteer in the country.

Volunteering on your own, rather than through a volunteer-sending agency, can incur many unintended consequences: for instance, what happens if the family you are helping accuses you of stealing, or of doing something inappropriate with one of their children? Or, what if there is a coup, or a natural disaster -- who will be responsible for evacuating you? If you are injured during your volunteering, who will make sure you get to a hospital? Volunteering through an official organization helps protect you from many possible hazards and dangerous circumstances. And these circumstances do happen - volunteers DO get hospitalized, even arrested.

If you are absolutely bent on volunteering on your own while abroad, then please see this resource, Vetting Organizations in Other Countries. You need to spend a lot of time researching NGOs in other countries and making sure they are legitimate. And it is on YOU to verify if it is legal for you to volunteer in another country - don't jeopardize the legal status of any NGO nor risk a hefty fine, jail time, or being permanently banned from a country by risking it without doing your research first. 

With DIY international volunteering, you will need to provide your own health insurance, travel insurance and evacuation insurance (including the kind that will cover transportation of your body should you be killed). You have to handle your own visa application and research to ensure that volunteering by foreigners is legal in that country. If you are a US citizen, it's a good idea to register your trip with the State Department, which will make it easier for them to help you if you lose your passport, if a crime is committed against you, if you are arrested, or if you otherwise need their assistance.

Forget trying to do things while on vacation or extended travel that would bring you into direct access to kids, or, if you are a man, with women; organizations should do extensive background checks on people who want to provide such service, in addition to providing a great deal of support and supervision to such volunteers and, therefore, it's simply not cost-effective nor appropriate to involve short-term volunteers in these type of activities. If organizations aren't doing this, then you are being unethical by undertaking these activities, even with their approval. In addition, by engaging in these activities, you set yourself up for possible exploitation: what will you do when a parent tells local police you harmed their child while you were "helping"? Never, ever be alone with just one or two people of the opposite sex, or with children - insist on all activities happening in a main room, with LOTS of witnesses.

If you are bent on DIY volunteering abroad, then your best bet is to work with an organization in your home country, that's geographically near you, that has contacts in a country you are going to visit, BEFORE your trip, to see if you could do anything for an NGO they are working with while you are abroad. For instance, if you live in or near Portland, Oregon, there is an association of organizations based in Portland, Oregon that work internationally, and you could review the list of members, see if any serve an area that you are going to visit, and introduce yourself to any that do - meet with them face-to-face, let them get to know you, share your professional references with them, and see if there is an NGO they are working with abroad that you could help with for a few days, provided you have an expertise that is needed by that NGO. But note, there is NO guarantee an organization in the USA is going to endorse your volunteering abroad with a local NGO they work with, and take no for an answer. 

If you are a tech expert, there might be short-term assignments for tech volunteers that you could propose and undertake for an NGO abroad.

If you have volunteered online with an NGO via the United Nation's Online Volunteering service and established a good relationship with them, you could ask that NGO if they would be open to your visiting their NGO if you are in country, making it explicitly and repeatedly clear that you would be responsible for your own travel and accommodations and that, if you visited, you would do so entirely as an unpaid volunteer and have no endorsement of the UN whatsoever as a part of your trip. You could propose an activity you could undertake to help the NGO while there or you could simply document your visit with photos and videos and then create an online account of your visit, highlighting the work of this NGO and, if possible, linking to the NGO's online donation page (do NOT accept financial donations on behalf of any NGO - this is illegal in many countries, and you must pay taxes on any money you receive, even if you intend to donate it). 

Do not expect, nor ask for, someone to serve as your translator, trainer or guide during your DIY volunteering experience unless you are ready to PAY, by the hour, for those services!

Before a trip, ask local organizations if there are things they would like you to bring to an organization, such as children's books. Do not bring medicine or clothes. Keep items small and benign, and looking like they are a part of your overall travel items, or you could be charged customs fees.

Do not walk through the door of an NGO and say, "Here I am, ready to help your orphans!" Before you travel, vet any organizations you might want to help. These can be environmental organizations, a microfinance group, a school serving children with disabilities, a telecenter, etc. A surprising number of organizations in the developing world have web sites, so establish contact before you trip, letting the organization know you are interested in their work, you want to visit while on vacation, and how you want to help: Could you help changeover their computers from pirated copies of Microsoft to OpenOffice, or help them download and automate free virus-scanning software? Are you Girl Scouts leader who could give advice to a school or organization working with girls? Are you an HIV/AIDS educator with advice to offer? Do you volunteer or work in an animal shelter in your home country and have advice that could help a shelter in a developing country?. If you are NOT a certified ESL teacher, do not volunteer to teach English classes. If you are NOT a certified elementary school teacher, do not offer to lead a class of students at the local elementary school. If you are not an experienced carpenter, do not offer to build something. People in developing countries deserve qualified people to help, just as people do in any country.

As mentioned earlier, make an assessment of an organization's most critical needs while you are onsite, and after the trip, blog about your experience and tell people how they can donate to the organization, or arrange a fund drive or other support campaign for the group once you are back in your home country. As noted earlier, the Perros Project is an example of such an effort that was born out of a vacation by two Americans visiting Peru, and that project does sometimes recruit qualified volunteers to join them on their annual visit to Peru to support local efforts.

Finally, if you volunteer on your own, without affiliation, then you must always say that you are a tourist, NOT a volunteer, to anyone who asks: policemen, border guards, customs agents, airport staff, etc. You are NOT an official volunteer, and you must not claim to be such while in country; to do otherwise could result in your arrest for working illegally, and/or a fine for the organization for employing someone illegally (even though you aren't being paid).

Here is an excellent thread on Lonely Planet about working while traveling abroad.

When you travel, 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 don't be Savior Barbie. Seriously, don't be Savior Barbie. If you go overseas, please be careful regarding how you document your trip online or in print.

Funding for your travel for good

I cannot emphasize enough how rare it is to get someone else to pay for you to travel to multiple countries, or to travel to one country short-term, no matter how good your heart. It is SO much more effective for a foundation or corporation to fund local people in another country to teach their children, to build their schools, to build their wells, to help little baby turtles, etc., than to send a foreigner to that country to do what local people are perfectly capable of doing themselves. In addition, so many - too many - volunteering abroad projects reak of white saviorism (see previous section).

Thinking of companies "sponsoring" your travel, in exchange for product placement? Again, I cannot emphasize enough how relatively rare this is. Yes, you've seen travelers that have this kind of support - but consider there is probably a thousand for every one of those that tried it and failed.

Your best bet if you want to travel and do good in short-term gigs is to work hard where you are, live frugally, save money, sell your stuff/downsize, have a financial goal, and when you reach that goal, take off.

That said, if you have made it this far on this page, here's a reward: the Overland Expo Foundation is affiliated with the Overland Expo (trade shows). They are a nonprofit made up of group of seasoned professionals coming together with common values and goals to advance the overland community. For instance, the Foundation gave financial assistance to the Motorcycle Relief Project, an organization that promotes ADV motorcycling as a way to bring together struggling veterans and first responders. Here's an example of the projects they have supported. If you have a unique volunteering abroad project, one that is particularly worthwhile and, even better, sustainable after you leave, you might want to apply for funding.

Also see:

More detailed ideas for Funding Your Volunteering Abroad Trip.

Volunteering To Help After Major Disasters.

Free Résumé  & Curriculum Vitae (CV) Advice for people looking to work in aid, relief and development.

Packing Advice For First-Time Humanitarians & Aid Workers
What you should pack before you head out on your first mission trip.

If you want to know what skills and experience you need to have to make you an attractive applicant to long-term volunteer placements agencies that do not charge volunteers, please see Reality Check: Volunteering Abroad, which lists such agencies.

Also see:

Motorcycles and development/aid/relief & volunteer efforts. Examples of motorcycles used in development, aid and relief efforts, and advice individuals and small groups who want to use their motorcycles and travels to help others.

Funding Your Volunteering Trip Abroad (includes information on where to find credible programs)

Using the Internet to Share Your Adventure During Your Adventure, advice on blogging, photo-sharing, tweeting, 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

Isn’t my good heart & desire enough to help abroad? No.

Voluntourism: use with caution

Tax credits for volunteering (for residents of the USA)

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.

If you have read this far, I'm going to assume you are serious about both traveling and doing good, about transire benefaciendo. So I'm going to let you know about a nonprofit:

• the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund (ATCF). The ATCF web site is a good place for travelers to find nonprofits worth supporting with your own donations (look under projects they support). Founded by businesses in the adventure travel and outdoor industries, ATCF membership is dedicated to protecting threatened communities, cultures, and wild places to preserve their cultural and recreational integrity. Its members are adventure travel and outdoor industry leaders who have come together and step forward to advocate and support projects that allow sustainable adventure tourism to grow into the future. ATCF membership is limited to tour operators, nonprofits and NGOs, Media, tourism boards, gear suppliers/retailers, destination management operators, companies providing accommodation and other paid professionals and established organizations.
   
  

Again, please remember that travelers from "the West" need to travel with respect for others,

Also, see this guidance on what to keep in mind when traveling abroad during a global pandemic or to an area that is experiencing a serious crisis.

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Comments are welcomed, and motivate me to keep writing -- without comments, I start to think I'm talking to cyberair. I would welcome your support for my work as well.

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