Volunteering Abroad - How To Do It

Onsite, in-person international volunteering, where a person from one country goes to another country to engage in humanitarian or development activities, is HIGHLY desired by volunteers, but there's less and less desire for it among the communities where such international volunteers want to go.

Onsite international volunteering comes in various forms. This four-column table is how I break it down into different categories:

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, 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 "voluntourism" or even "vanity volunteering."	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 himself or herself. The host organization will evacuate them if needed. Volunteers work full-time on the assignment.	Costs These volunteers are expected to pay for most or all expenses themselves: travel, insurance, accommodations, food and fees to the host organization to cover work permits, security (if any), training (if any), 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, even all, 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 on volunteers' personal feelings, like "desire to help others" or a desire for adventure.	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.

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, BTW.

For many people, these four columns represent a disappointing reality, because it means you, as a person that wants to volunteer internationally, either need a great deal of highly-desired skills and experience or a LOT of money in order to realize your dream.

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, 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, not just paid consultants or international staff, 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. However, be aware that COVID-19 will affect the deployment of volunteers to other countries for at least through 2021, probably for many more years to come, and, perhaps, permanently.

An added issue is a growing interest by people in developing countries (in Africa, South America and parts of Asia) 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.

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:

experience in training others in a specific area of specialization, such as an activity that could lead to job development for local people, an activity that directly improves local people's quality of life (in a way that will be sustained after the volunteer leaves), or an activity that raises the professional skills of local people so they are better able to administer and manage their own local institutions.
For instance, teaching motorcycle or tractor repair, training nurses aides, training in tailoring and sewing, teaching elderly people to use the Internet to find information they need (government pension, health, etc.), teaching a community or families about caring for people with HIV/AIDS, teaching children about good sanitary practices or peaceful conflict resolution, teaching an entire department to use a new, complicated database program, teaching adults to read, teaching farmers how to fight pests organically, training teachers to implement a particular teaching tool, training local NGO staff in accounting standards and best practices, training local government workers in setting policies and procedures for purchasing, teaching people with disabilities or teens or people who have recently been incarcerated anything, teaching farmers better ways to choose the crops to raise, teaching women that want to start small businesses about supply chains, helping women from refugee families navigate public libraries or sign up for government programs for food and shelter, etc. Many of these are experiences you can gain as a volunteer in your local community (more on that later), or through your professional work wherever you live now.
experience working with people who are traditionally socially-excluded, such as immigrants, ethnic minorities, tribal groups, people with intellectual or physical disabilities, people with HIV/AIDS, people who are incarcerated, people who were incarcerated, etc. Or, other specific populations who may have special needs, such as women, children or the elderly.
experience managing or facilitating a capacity-building program, such as a literacy project, or an income-generating program, like a cooperative or farmer's market.
experience in high stress, crisis situations, such as in a disaster or a conflict situation (if you don't think you have these in your own community, and organizations addressing such, you aren't paying attention).
experience relating to educating people, particularly children, teens, sexually-active adults, about HIV/AIDS and other health risks.
experience working in an election, such as setting up and staffing a voting site, and training others to work in an election, or leading a voter registration drive.
experience helping or directing a large-scale, highly-specialized local community-transformation projects, such as building a canal, putting all local government public documents into a searchable database, creating a cooperative, etc. This includes high-impact online volunteering projects.
any experience teaching any subject on a high school, college or university level.
experience working in another language. For instance, not just that you took two years of high school Spanish, but that you have traveled extensively in Spanish-speaking countries, or that you use at least some Spanish in your job or in your volunteering - you've lead a class in Spanish, you interact with clients in Spanish, etc. Language skills most in demand in aid and development? French (by far the most sought-after, IMO), Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese, and Farsi/Dari/Tajik, as well as any local language of a particular region in a developing country.
demonstrated ability to work effectively under pressure and in a highly political environment (there is no community on Earth that doesn't have this).
demonstrated ability to navigate and work with large bureaucracies.
strong inter-personal skills and cross-cultural sensitivity.
extensive experience in making presentations and conducting workshops, particularly to diverse or non-traditional audiences.

Some of the experience I've listed above one would get only through a university degree and on-the-job. But much of the above can be gained locally, right in your own city, by volunteering, taking informal classes, or choosing a career with non-profit organizations. For instance:

volunteering or working for a few years at local nonprofit organizations that serves traditionally-underserved communities or people at-risk for being socially excluded or harmed or marginalized, including people with disabilities, youth, the elderly, abused women, women re-entering the work force, prisoners or former prisoners, youth offenders, etc.
taking emergency response courses and volunteering through the American Red Cross (or the Red Cross, Red Crescent Society or Magen David Adom in your local area); this is essential if you want a chance to participate in disaster relief efforts. Staffing a temporary shelter to deal with extreme heat or cold, or a temporary shelter for the homeless, or helping a family that's just lost their home to a fire or flood - it's all great experience to help you do that someday abroad.
In the USA, joining your local chapter of Medical Reserve Corps Volunteers. MRC volunteers provide a variety of services to their communities during an emergency situation, including handing out supplies, signing people into shelters, or giving needed information. Medically trained MRC volunteers can also administer immunizations, provide health education, and offer medical support. All MRC volunteers may also assist in ongoing public health efforts, such as helping out at health fairs or providing emergency preparation workshops, during non-emergencies.
volunteering or working for organizations that help refugees, asylum speakers and immigrants. There are such nonprofits working throughout your country, including in rural areas. Helping individuals and families learn how to navigate public assistance, or how to enroll their children in public schools, or about all the resources at the local public library, or how to open a bank account, etc.,, or presenting or organizing presentations about online safety, personal safety, resources available for children, etc., is experience that's highly valued when applying to work abroad.
volunteering or working for organizations that help people with HIV/AIDS, or that educate people about HIV/AIDS.
volunteering or working in a hospice, particularly one that serves people with HIV/AIDS or cancer patients.
volunteering or working for organizations that provide health-related education, advocacy or care.
volunteering or working in a literacy program, not only in helping people learn to read, but also helping with the administration of the program and promotion of such a program to low-literate and semi-literate communities
volunteering or working at a job-training organization or initiative.
volunteering or working as part of a voter-education initiative or local elections.
volunteering as a firefighter, and receiving training in specialist areas, like hazardous material cleanup.
volunteering or working as part of an advocacy effort, such as advocating for recycling, women's rights, indigenous rights, immigrant rights, disaster preparedness, environmental regulation or education reform, particularly in a highly-political environment.
volunteering or working at an organization focused on micro-financing and financial education for people from low-income communities, immigrants/migrants, etc.
helping at a youth center that is focused on at-risk young people, and develops positive, worthwhile activities for the youth to engage
creating or leading or playing a key role in a sustainable, lasting project that benefits the community or a particular population. That could be everything from a children's theater and performance day camp to an annual Wikipedia edit-a-thon to better represent diverse or "forgotten" cultures in an area to creating volunteer-lead online literacy workshops at the local senior center and on and on and on.
volunteering at your state fish and wildlife department, helping to restore habitat, helping to release fish, helping after a natural or human-made disaster, etc. Getting a lot of experience and graduating to leading projects of other volunteers looks particularly good on your résumé.
taking intensive language courses, becoming certified in that language by the official language body, such as DELE for Spanish, and seeking local opportunities to use your language skills. If you are looking to add a second language to your English abilities, consider any of the other official UN working languages: English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian. Hindi is also an excellent language to learn, as it is even more widely spoken by some of the previously-mentioned languages. Portuguese speakers are in high-demand as well. Farsi/Dari/Tajik speakers are also in high demand, as well as any local language of a particular region in a developing country.
volunteering online with organizations focused on the developing world. The UN's Online Volunteering service, now part of the overall UN Volunteering programme, is where UN-affiliated organizations working in the developing world and UN agencies recruit online volunteers to design web sites and publications, build databases, research information, translate documents, prepare presentations, moderate online discussion groups, etc.
volunteering long-term with a local government committee (city or county): a bicycle and pedestrian committee, a planning committee, a mass transit committee, a youth committee, a committee focused on the elderly, a small business committee, etc. (look at your city or county web site for these many opportunities).

Get the idea? In short: your first experience with people living in poverty, people who are in need, people who are very different you, people working to build up local businesses and make local government more responsive, advocacy, etc., shouldn't happen in the Peace Corps or with another volunteering abroad agency for professionals to donate their services. Your first experience using a pit toilet, going for several hours not having electricity, getting around by walking, bicycle and mass transit, being in a room full of people who don't speak English and being around people who are not the same culture or religion as you shouldn't happen in the Peace Corps or with another volunteer-sending organization. Get that experience locally, in your own country, through volunteering, through camping, through traveling, and through going to various events, so you are going to be at least somewhat prepared for what you will experience abroad.

And just so you know, I volunteer locally myself, frequently, to keep my own professional skills sharp.

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 as of February 2021 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 Organizations That 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 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.
CHF International, short-term international volunteering 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.
Stop Transmission of Polio (STOP) Program, through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), trains international public health professionals who are USA citizens or legal residents to be deployed to countries with the greatest need for support to improve their national immunization and surveillance programs. The STOP Program seek highly qualified public health professionals for 5½ month assignments, for a maximum of two years. STOP participants are deployed to countries with poor infrastructure, difficult living situations, as well as potentially sensitive political and cultural situations. The STOP Program recruits experts such as Field Epidemiologists, Communications Specialists, Immunization and Surveillance Data Specialists and Data Managers.
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.
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. Volunteering can last from 2 months up to 12 months. There are some Non-EU countries involved as well.
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.

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. You might also want to "like" the VSO UK Facebook page, to learn what VSO members do in the field. Following UNV on LinkedIn will give you an idea of what UN Volunteers do. 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.

Paying To Volunteer / Short-Term Volunteering

There are many, many organizations that place international volunteers but require that the volunteers pay 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. Credible organizations that require volunteers to cover costs still require at least a bit of experience or even a lot of expertise in a particular field, but, as noted in the chart at the top of the page, there are volunteer-sending organization will place people who are unskilled, have no area of specialization, have no higher education degree, etc. I'm not listing those anyone-that-can-pay-goes placement agencies - voluntourism - because there are so many such agencies. Hundreds. Thousands. And I don't like them.

Before you pay to volunteer abroad, however, 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, 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. 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 safe 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.

Unless a program is recruiting volunteers who have many years of experience working with children, certifications, references and criminal background checks, unless the program clearly states that they do NOT take just anyone as a volunteer and that they DO turn away applicants that don't qualify, and unless the program places volunteers for many months, not just weeks, stay away from the program.

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. It lists and reviews more than 190 organizations that provide short-term volunteer-abroad experiences. I have not read this book.

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." Also look at the organizations they have on this Twitter list. 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 of short-term, pay-to-volunteer programs or other short- programs that I will make, 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

All allow volunteers to weave also engage in tourism in the region (many volunteers stay several days beyond their volunteer commitment).

These organizations would all fit in the second column of the chart that start this web page, IMO:

Bpeace

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).

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."

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.

GlobalGiving Foundation Field Visitor Internships. GlobalGiving connects organizations from all over the world with donors who can support their work. They are often looking for self-funded travelers who will be in a region for several months to act as representatives of the organization, conduct site visits of partner organizations and identifying organizations that would be a good match for the Global Giving fundraising site. Volunteers also organize informational workshops during these travels. "You will work closely with GlobalGiving's DC staff in preparation for your trip, planning site visits, workshops, travel, and accommodations, while gaining skills in organization and cross-cultural understanding. Upon returning to the U.S., you will present your findings and experience to the GlobalGiving staff." This position is unpaid and program participants are expected to fund their entire trip including airfare, in-country travel and accommodations. GlobalGiving provides training, office support, travel medical insurance, a minimal stipend for communications costs and workshop funding.

Humanist Service Corps, part of Foundation Beyond Belief. Provides an avenue for humanists to engage in global cultural exchange while working to protect human rights and the environment. HSC partners with local organizations and individuals to encourage sustainable programs and practices in their communities. Beginning in the summer of 2015, the Humanist Service Corps will support Ghanaian human rights organizations working to restore dignity to women who have been accused of witchcraft and banished to "witch camps." Although the women are relatively safe from violence once they are in exile, the living conditions are deplorable. They do not have access to basic education and health care, and they are unaware of or are unable to exercise legal protections under Ghanaian and international laws. Humanist Service Corps volunteers will work alongside locals to design and implement projects with the short-term goal of improving the standard of living in the witch camps and the long-term goal of eliminating the dynamics that lead to death or forcible and violent exile of women from their communities. Applications for 2015 will be accepted through December 15, 2014.

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.

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.

I have more recommendations for specific programs on this page: Funding Your Volunteering Abroad Trip.

Ethics

Here is what effective short-term international volunteering looks like.

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.

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, and if you feel the experience was NOT "voluntourism", I 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.

What about suspended volunteering abroad because of Covid-19?

Any credible volunteering abroad program except for those that recruit highly-experienced professionals for volunteering, like UN Volunteers, has suspended their volunteer deployment because of the global pandemic. But many local programs, in your own community, are continuing because they are providing vital services. Volunteering onsite with such local programs right now allows you to be able to say that you volunteered as a part of the COVID-19 response in our community, and that will be something a volunteer-sending organization will value when viewing your application.

Here's more advice for volunteering during this global pandemic, as well as information specific to going abroad during global pandemics.

Ideas for High Impact Virtual Volunteering Activities
This resource is for people seeking ideas for an online project that will mobilize online volunteers in activities that lead to a sustainable, lasting benefit to a community or cause, particularly for a community or audience that is at-risk or under-served. It was created especially for programs looking for ways to engage online volunteers in high-responsibility, high-impact tasks focused on communities in the developing world, because onsite volunteering abroad is not an option - which was the reality in 2020 and 2021, because of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). These ideas absolutely can be adapted for remote volunteering within the same country where the online volunteers live as well - "remote" could mean across town rather than around the world.

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, 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.
“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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