Take the Tears out of Volunteering
Volunteering Abroad is becoming an increasingly popular option for students who are looking to travel while participating in a fulfilling experience. Volunteering is an excellent way to experience different cultures and simultaneously help make a difference. But, what do you need to know when considering volunteering and how can you go about having a life changing experience on a limited budget? From personal experiences volunteering abroad with both larger paid volunteer projects and independent ‘free' volunteering projects I have compiled this article to outline the facts that should be considered when thinking about volunteering, how to decide on the right project for you, and ways to fund your trip when you are ready to go.
A lot of people are turned off by the idea of volunteering abroad due to the often-large costs associated with certain volunteer programs. This unfortunately means, that many potential volunteers are missing out on a life changing experience that can't be had otherwise. Fortunately, money doesn't have to be an issue when choosing to volunteer abroad. Many volunteering including myself, have received donations from members of our community and used them to assist achieving our volunteering goals.
Many times I have been asked by would-be-volunteers, why they should choose to pay for a volunteering experience when they have found opportunities to volunteer abroad at no cost. What is often not considered however, is what volunteering projects with a fee include verses experiences that have no cost to volunteer. The majority of paid experiences provide quality accommodation, transport, food and guidance from a project leader, providing a hassle-free volunteer experience that often includes time to explore and experience some of the tourism. Compare this to a no cost volunteer project, in which you will need to take care of finding your own accommodation near-by, travel within the country, food and will be responsible for yourself.
The idea of volunteering abroad is to help those in need without taking back more than you give. So, often with free volunteering, charitable organizations do not have the extra resources to house and feed their volunteers. For this reason I recommend, at least for your first volunteering experience, to travel with a volunteer organization to avoid stress, learn the basics of international travel and fully enjoy the experience. As long as you put in the fundraising effort prior to travelling, this can often turn out to be a lot cheaper than independent volunteering and even completely free.
So you are ready to book your trip but you aren't sure what country to volunteer in or what project to choose? A good place to start is by simply browsing the Internet for various volunteer organizations to see what is available and to get a rough price range. If you have a specific interest, this can make finding the right project for you easier since a lot of organizations offer specific projects in areas such as community development, teaching, conservation, animal care and sports. When it is your first time, finding the right volunteering abroad project can be time consuming so I often suggest using volunteering resources such as ebooks and websites with a large database options and plenty of advice all in one place. A great and comprehensive ebook I have often recommended and used is "Volunteer Abroad For Free" which includes information and tips to ensure a fantastic volunteering abroad experience and how to achieve it for free. The ebook also includes reviews and listings for numerous organizations with a fantastic awards resource directing you straight to the best projects for your specific interest. The ebook can be purchased at www.volunteeringabroadforfree.com and usually retails for $19.95 but was only $9.95 when I purchased my copy.
Utilizing resources such as the ebook will ensure you decide on the best experience to help those in need and get the most out of your experience. Now that you have decided upon the perfect project, it's time to get down to fundraising. Because Volunteering organizations are generally not-for-profit, tax-deductible donations can be easily collected from friends, family and local businesses making monetary hurdles easier to deal with. Other simple methods include holding fund raising events, raffles or gaining sponsorship from a business to volunteer. Ways removing barrier to volunteer abroad are heavily explored in the ebook so you can decide on the right project and actually making it happen. I cannot recommend the ebook strongly enough.
A lot of people are turned off by the idea of volunteering abroad due to the often-large costs associated with certain volunteer programs. This unfortunately means, that many potential volunteers are missing out on a life changing experience that can't be had otherwise. Fortunately, money doesn't have to be an issue when choosing to volunteer abroad. Many volunteering including myself, have received donations from members of our community and used them to assist achieving our volunteering goals.
Many times I have been asked by would-be-volunteers, why they should choose to pay for a volunteering experience when they have found opportunities to volunteer abroad at no cost. What is often not considered however, is what volunteering projects with a fee include verses experiences that have no cost to volunteer. The majority of paid experiences provide quality accommodation, transport, food and guidance from a project leader, providing a hassle-free volunteer experience that often includes time to explore and experience some of the tourism. Compare this to a no cost volunteer project, in which you will need to take care of finding your own accommodation near-by, travel within the country, food and will be responsible for yourself.
The idea of volunteering abroad is to help those in need without taking back more than you give. So, often with free volunteering, charitable organizations do not have the extra resources to house and feed their volunteers. For this reason I recommend, at least for your first volunteering experience, to travel with a volunteer organization to avoid stress, learn the basics of international travel and fully enjoy the experience. As long as you put in the fundraising effort prior to travelling, this can often turn out to be a lot cheaper than independent volunteering and even completely free.
So you are ready to book your trip but you aren't sure what country to volunteer in or what project to choose? A good place to start is by simply browsing the Internet for various volunteer organizations to see what is available and to get a rough price range. If you have a specific interest, this can make finding the right project for you easier since a lot of organizations offer specific projects in areas such as community development, teaching, conservation, animal care and sports. When it is your first time, finding the right volunteering abroad project can be time consuming so I often suggest using volunteering resources such as ebooks and websites with a large database options and plenty of advice all in one place. A great and comprehensive ebook I have often recommended and used is "Volunteer Abroad For Free" which includes information and tips to ensure a fantastic volunteering abroad experience and how to achieve it for free. The ebook also includes reviews and listings for numerous organizations with a fantastic awards resource directing you straight to the best projects for your specific interest. The ebook can be purchased at www.volunteeringabroadforfree.com and usually retails for $19.95 but was only $9.95 when I purchased my copy.
Utilizing resources such as the ebook will ensure you decide on the best experience to help those in need and get the most out of your experience. Now that you have decided upon the perfect project, it's time to get down to fundraising. Because Volunteering organizations are generally not-for-profit, tax-deductible donations can be easily collected from friends, family and local businesses making monetary hurdles easier to deal with. Other simple methods include holding fund raising events, raffles or gaining sponsorship from a business to volunteer. Ways removing barrier to volunteer abroad are heavily explored in the ebook so you can decide on the right project and actually making it happen. I cannot recommend the ebook strongly enough.
Source...