How to choose a volunteer trip

For travelers looking to achieve a purpose while on the road, volunteer vacations offer a chance to leave better than when they arrived. But the time commitment, cost, and work required vary. The following tips explore the different variables of the volunteer travel experience.

Understand the scope of work

The most impactful volunteer trips require a lot of work. They are often run by groups like Global Volunteers, a nonprofit based in St. Paul, Minnesota, that has worked in 37 countries for 40 years. Volunteers are usually available on evenings and weekends while living in the work community.

For those seeking a balance between work and travel, a category of travel known as “voluntourism” combines more relaxed service with more time for tourist activities.

For example, the Workaway website lists volunteer opportunities around the world, including landscaping in Canada’s Gulf Islands and picking tea in Vietnam. Workaway volunteers are required to work five hours a day in exchange for housing and some meals, and the site allows users to browse opportunities by country and service theme.

Commitment for at least one week

Organizations that offer one- or two-week trips say short-term efforts can be very effective if organized properly.

“You can get a lot of project work done with a team,” said Chris Braunlich, board president and CEO of Conservation VIP, a California nonprofit that organizes outdoor trips from the Scottish Highlands to Chilean Patagonia that can involve building or maintaining hiking trails, with a team of six to 18 volunteers working about seven to eight hours most days.

Evaluate your impact

Vet the organizations you are considering by looking for impact reports and asking questions.

“To avoid being exploited, find people with whom you have a long-term relationship and ask them, ‘How does my work this week fit into the vision of service for this community?’” said Michele Gran, co-founder and senior vice president of Global Volunteers.

Prepare to pay

Although travelers volunteer their time, and some programs, such as those offered by Workaway, provide meals and overnight accommodations, many programs charge a fee to cover travelers’ expenses, including lodging, meals, and local transportation.

“We want to make sure you’re safe, well-fed, well-cared for, so that when you land, you have enough energy and motivation to do what you have to do,” Gran said, noting that Global Volunteers maintains tourist-grade standards for accommodation and dining.

Costs vary by destination and duration. A week’s work experience with Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit that builds affordable housing and community facilities around the world, typically costs $1,625 to $2,500 per person.

“Paid volunteers tend to be more serious,” says Julie Kelley, founder of Let’s Be SMART, a cat shelter near Athens, Greece, which accepts both free Workaway volunteers and paid volunteers through Natucate, a Germany-based service that provides information on volunteer vacations. The latter offer better accommodations and more benefits.

Regardless of whether they charge a fee, most volunteer programs do not cover travel expenses such as airfare.

Check the tax status of your volunteer organization. If you volunteer with a registered nonprofit, the IRS will allow you to deduct your travel expenses (including airfare) as a charitable contribution.

Identify your interests

Volunteer vacations can cover a range of topics from outdoor activities to social service.

Earthwatch, an international environmental nonprofit, offers field research opportunities to scientists on trips that are rated based on their activity level and cost about $350 to $460 per day.

For example, the nine-day Earthwatch Costa Rica expedition asked participants to go off the beaten path to collect caterpillars for an ongoing study measuring the effects of climate change on caterpillars.

The nonprofit American Hiking Society, which targets hikers and backpackers, rates its volunteer vacations from easy to very hard, with an emphasis on building and maintaining trails. Trips that involve backpacking, such as a recent project in the Bitterroot National Forest in Montana and Idaho ($425), require volunteers to bring their own camping gear.

Conservation VIP is aimed at travelers who care about their impact on the world, with projects in must-see destinations like Italy’s Cinque Terre (restoring stone-walled terraces) and Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands (participating in sea turtle research and habitat protection). Domestic trips include a week of trail maintenance in Yosemite National Park in Northern California, at a closed campground with meals provided ($1,090).

Gardeners will have the opportunity to work with International Volunteer Headquarters in New Zealand to grow organic produce for those in need in Romania ($504 a week), while those who sew or knit can join a women’s cooperative in Cuba to make and teach islanders to make clothes through Global Volunteer ($2,790 a week).

Pet shelters often hire animal lovers to care for and feed pets. At Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, visitors can care for cats, dogs, horses, and other orphaned animals (free, but volunteers are required to pay for local lodging, food, and transportation).

Use your skills

Most services say no special skills are required. But volunteers with experience in construction, teaching, gardening and childcare will find plenty of opportunities to contribute.

Don’t underestimate your abilities. For example, many global volunteer opportunities (including working with Ukrainian refugees in Poland) involve practicing English conversation with foreign speakers and don’t require volunteers to know the local language.

Spread the word

Many organizations rely on word of mouth to spread the word and recruit new volunteers.

In northern Thailand, the Elephant Nature Park Sanctuary, which supports rescued elephants and is internationally recognized for responsible tourism, relies on volunteers to spread the anti-cruelty message. Day trips help raise funds. Volunteers who stay longer can help care for the elephants. “When they return home, they are very eager to educate their friends and community,” says Saengduean Chailert, the sanctuary’s founder.