Feature photo by technicolorcavalry Photo by AsianInsights
The chance to give something back, an opportunity to share your skills and knowledge, to meet other travellers or simply to meet the locals…
There are many reasons to volunteer while you’re travelling and there are literally thousands of charities and organisations that look for help from passing travellers.
Many ask for donations or fees to cover costs, others operate as profitable businesses but the list below is just a few that cost little or nothing to become involved and help out:
1. WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms), Worldwide
Board and lodging is offered in exchange for a days’ work on the farm. Stays available from one week to many years, and with thousands of hosts available in 53 countries there is an opportunity suitable for everyone. Contact: WWOOF.
For more information, check out A First-Timer’s Guide to WWOOF-ing.
2. Turtle Teams, Worldwide
A generic name for the thousands of small groups that help threatened sea turtles. Most groups are based on one or two nesting beaches–which are typically at risk from over exploitation-and appreciate help for even just one night.
Search for groups at the local tourist office close to any tropical beach and help a species come off the endangered list. More information can be found at these larger organisations: www.seaturtles.org and www.cccturtle.org.
Photo by aimabroad
Conservation Volunteers, Australia and New Zealand
– www.conservationvolunteers.com.au – Short-term project in Australia, New Zealand and a few international locations. Working in teams to protect habitats and promote eco tourism.
A small fee (usually around AUS$100 for a week) is usually required to participate, but covers all food and lodging. British based BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) also has similar opportunities. www.btcv.org.uk
Sudan Volunteer Programme, Sudan
– www.svp-uk.com – Teach English in one of the world’s most impoverished countries. Placements are at schools or universities but many volunteers help with community projects in additional to their teaching.
Volunteers must pay for their airfare but all other costs are covered, including a small monthly stipend.
Appalachian Trail Conference, USA
– www.appalachiantrail.org – At over 2,000 miles long the Appalachian Trail is the classic long trail in the Eastern US an home to almost 2,000 endangered or threatened species.
Volunteers help with trail building and maintenance in return for food and (usually very basic) accommodation
Photo by law_keven
Trip Leader for HF Holidays, Europe
– www.hfholidays.co.uk – One of Europe’s most popular walking holiday operators is searching for volunteers to lead their hiking and coach holidays. Leaders are provided with accommodation, meals and the chance to explore Europe in return for sharing their passion and knowledge with groups they accompany.
Help Exchange, Worldwide
– www.helpx.net – A website that lists worldwide hosts that are looking for an extra pair of hands; whether it be in their farm or garden, working in schools or on religious projects, building houses or community centres to simply helping a family take the kids to school.
A small memberships fee is required to access the details of hosts but board and lodging is provided in exchange for your work.
Photo by jonrawlinson
Peace Corps, Worldwide
– www.peacecorps.gov – A unique chance to live and work in another country; working on a variety of projects from healthcare and the environment to business development.
A real commitment to 27 months on placement is required, but for those that are willing, this is a life-changing position. Open only to US residents but similar projects are available for other nationals with VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas) www.vso.org.uk
United Nations Volunteers, Worldwide
– www.unv.org – From health care and economic development to assisting after natural disasters, the UN offers positions for those that are dedicated to making a difference abroad.
While many positions are open only to experienced professions, the UN has links to hundreds of international NGOs and QANGOS that are looking for help in similar fields on a less formal basis.
Photo by aripeskoe
Kibbutz Volunteer, Israel – www.kibbutzvolunteer.com – An area that is rarely out of the news, Israel offers superb community but complicated politics.
Being a volunteer gives you the opportunity to experience this region first hand while living as part of a socialist community where everything is provided. The region also serves as a good base from which to explore the Middle East and North Africa
This is just a small sample of what’s on offer; be sure to thoroughly research any options before undertaking a project. And remember, while it’s always nice to get something for free, if a project is requesting money, it is usually going to a good cause.
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131 Comments... join the discussion!
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Matt-
I definitely learned about a few new opportunities. I had no idea the UN has a volunteer program. Thanks for this article.
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Cool list! I had a friend who had a great experience with helpx.net – landed a sweet gig in a hostel on the border between Scotland and England. Definitely recommended…
Any idea which of these have pretty restricted access in terms of nationality, etc? For example, I know the peace corps is only for Americans, but can foreigners do the Appalachian Trail?
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A great collection indeed!
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This is a great list. I had no idea about the Appalachian Trail conference, even though I grew up right near the AT! Thanks for the inspiring post!
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Hi Eva,
With the exception of the Peace Corps none of the above volunteer oportunites have restrictions on nationalities. Of course, some countires require certain visas(weather they require tourist visas or work visas depend on what you're doing there and the period of time), which is especially relevant for long term projects like the UN, but mostly irrelevant for porjects like helpx and wwoof.
Foreginers can take part in the Appalachian Trail on just a tourist visa.
If you're interested in a certain project make sure you check out the websites listed. Have fun!!!↵ -
Cool list! I had a friend who had a great experience with helpx.net – landed a sweet gig in a hostel on the border between Scotland and England. Definitely recommended…
Any idea which of these have pretty restricted access in terms of nationality, etc? For example, I know the peace corps is only for Americans, but can foreigners do the Appalachian Trail?
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A great collection indeed!
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This is a great list. I had no idea about the Appalachian Trail conference, even though I grew up right near the AT! Thanks for the inspiring post!
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Hi Eva,
With the exception of the Peace Corps none of the above volunteer oportunites have restrictions on nationalities. Of course, some countires require certain visas(weather they require tourist visas or work visas depend on what you’re doing there and the period of time), which is especially relevant for long term projects like the UN, but mostly irrelevant for porjects like helpx and wwoof.
Foreginers can take part in the Appalachian Trail on just a tourist visa.
If you’re interested in a certain project make sure you check out the websites listed. Have fun!!!↵ -
Wow, that is pretty cool. Some really neat people in those images.
http://www.FireMe.To/udi↵ -
very good!
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If you have not heard of Humanity First, you should check them out as well: http://www.humanityfirst.org/. Recently they've sent volunteers to the disaster afflicted regions of China and Burma.
What I appreciate most about Humanity First is their commitment to ensuring that the greatest portion of their donations go to the people that actually need help. There are no salaries or big-budget advertising campaigns to be found here.
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Wow, that is pretty cool. Some really neat people in those images.
http://www.FireMe.To/udi↵ -
Matt, nice travel blog. keep it up.
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very good!
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If you have not heard of Humanity First, you should check them out as well: http://www.humanityfirst.org/. Recently they’ve sent volunteers to the disaster afflicted regions of China and Burma.
What I appreciate most about Humanity First is their commitment to ensuring that the greatest portion of their donations go to the people that actually need help. There are no salaries or big-budget advertising campaigns to be found here.
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Matt, nice travel blog. keep it up.
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Great list. Thanks a lot.Like the photo too.
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Very cool list. I look forward to exploring some of these opportunities and researching others. Thanks for the idea and the tip!
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this could be the greatest thing i've seen in a long time
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Great list. Thanks a lot.Like the photo too.
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Very cool list. I look forward to exploring some of these opportunities and researching others. Thanks for the idea and the tip!
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this could be the greatest thing i’ve seen in a long time
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MatT,i'm very interesteD to be volenteER.EsPecialLy in my country,indo
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I am writing a book on different ways to travel on pennies a day. I have some volunteer ideas and information in the book, but these are fantastic. I would love to publish the article, and would be delighted to credit all the sources. We are just getting started with a magazine "Panama Today Magazine, and may some day have an opportunity to pay for articles and pictures but at this time we are just beginning. This book is one of our enticements to come and get to know us better.
I hope to be able to contribute here as well, as I have traveled extensively.
Live Abundantly,
Mary Sloane
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MatT,i’m very interesteD to be volenteER.EsPecialLy in my country,indo
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I am writing a book on different ways to travel on pennies a day. I have some volunteer ideas and information in the book, but these are fantastic. I would love to publish the article, and would be delighted to credit all the sources. We are just getting started with a magazine “Panama Today Magazine, and may some day have an opportunity to pay for articles and pictures but at this time we are just beginning. This book is one of our enticements to come and get to know us better.
I hope to be able to contribute here as well, as I have traveled extensively.
Live Abundantly,
Mary Sloane
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Hello… very interesting! I wonder if theres a way for me to join any of these groups as a volunteer? well, i might as well check each one of them… thanks for the list!
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Great list. Vounteering is one of the best ways to give back when traveling.
An insider tip for anyone traveling in the States: Strapped natural resource budgets have the Forset Service and other land management agencies filling in their labor needs with volunteers. Room is free, there is usually a small stipend for food, and you can work in some beautiful places most people traveling in the US never see. In my former life as a conservation officer for the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, we hosted volunteers from the Czech Republic and England. They had the old ranger station to themselves. They were included in all our projects, including horseback excursions to inspect grazing allotments and monitoring the movements of recently re-introduced Rocky Mountain Elk. A win-win situation all around.
Hope they still have their T-shirts "London, Paris, Rome, Mountain City, Nevada"….
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Hello… very interesting! I wonder if theres a way for me to join any of these groups as a volunteer? well, i might as well check each one of them… thanks for the list!
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I volunteered with SVP in Sudan. It was an amazing experience! The organization is small and you get enough supervision to help you get around, but not enough to inhibit experiencing the culture for yourself. Wholly recommended!
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Great list. Vounteering is one of the best ways to give back when traveling.
An insider tip for anyone traveling in the States: Strapped natural resource budgets have the Forset Service and other land management agencies filling in their labor needs with volunteers. Room is free, there is usually a small stipend for food, and you can work in some beautiful places most people traveling in the US never see. In my former life as a conservation officer for the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, we hosted volunteers from the Czech Republic and England. They had the old ranger station to themselves. They were included in all our projects, including horseback excursions to inspect grazing allotments and monitoring the movements of recently re-introduced Rocky Mountain Elk. A win-win situation all around.
Hope they still have their T-shirts “London, Paris, Rome, Mountain City, Nevada”….
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Thanks for the link, guys. John Carson http://www.kibbutzvolunteer.com
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Interesting. I've been looking into international volunteer opportunities as well. Another one I've seen come up in searches is Cross Cultural Solutions. Or habitat for humanity also does volunteer work in other countries, I think.
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It's not just Americans on this site you narrow minded ******!
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This is a great article my wife wants to do some volunteer work around the world I will pass this on. Cheers For those coming to Japan make sure you visit: http://gaijinhousejapan.com
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Wow! Awesome article. Thanks a tonne to the author. It kinda reminds me of this site: http://www.caseydigennaro.com
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Great Article ! It is nice to read a good travel blog. My blog also has an article on volunteer travel. see it here: .” target=”_blank”>http://blog.exitotravel.com/2008/06/06/group-trav.... Thanks for the great read
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I'm always looking for unusual top ten lists and this fits the bill. Who knew so much free travel was out there…as long as you work for it.
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2. Turtle Teams, Worldwide come to Oman to watch turtles hatching
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HELLO ALL OF U …. PLS HELP ME OUT I WANA BE A VOLUNTEER …..BUT MAJORITY OF THE SITES WANT A REGISTRATION FEE….WHICH I AM NOT ABLE TO PAY…..IS THERE ANY WAY OUT………..
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where can i volunteer in nigeria or africa?
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Can we 'hook up' with locals if we volunteer? Are there any rules about that?
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I really encourage the people who has organized this.It will improve the relationship between the countries.The proverb "Unity in Diversity" came to my mind while I was reading this article.Great post.
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Thanks Matt! for the share. Let me check whether I could find some opportunities to volunteer some activities and travel Europe.
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Nice list, of course they are not all free though, you have to pay to help
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Matt……everyone should be thankful to you for compiling such a list of different countries. I really appreciate your this effort.
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What a great article. There's so much helpful information in here to get people involved in volunteering around the world. Thanks!
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What about Cross-Cultural solutions? You have to pay some, but they provide hotel, food, and translators, and will accept anyone willing to help for 2-12 weeks. http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org
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