Voluntourism is not for everyone.  There, I said it.  Those of us who spend our lives trying to make it as accessible and positive an experience as possible would like to think it is…but it just isn’t.  For the last 10 years, I’ve worked with thousands of volunteers in developing countries all over the world.  Some volunteers get it, some don’t.  In order to have a successful volunteering experience, you must first know yourself.

Is Volunteering Right for Me?

To paraphrase John F. Kennedy:  Ask not what volunteering can do for you; ask what you can do for volunteering.  You, the potential participant, are largely responsible for your happiness and the good that you do while volunteering.  The whole point of voluntourism is to help others while traveling.  In a successful experience, each group learns about the other while working together toward a common goal – a grassroots form of citizen diplomacy, if you will.

Most international volunteering projects take place in developing countries – places where things like running water, electricity and paved roads are luxuries.  If you can’t imagine yourself taking a cold water bucket shower, doing without your phone and iPod for a few weeks, or eating strange food with people who don’t speak your language, doing volunteer work overseas might not be right for you.

But, if you have a strong desire to help, like the idea of getting your hands dirty, and want to experience the day-to-day life of people from another corner of the planet, keep reading.

Should I Join a Group or Go on My Own?

Some volunteers balk at paying an organization to volunteer.  They say, isn’t the point of volunteering giving time, not money?  In some situations the answer is yes.  When you choose to volunteer at your local soup kitchen, or build a home locally with Habitat for Humanity, you already know the good that the organization is doing.  The structure is in place and you donate your time to help keep things going. Yet, even those organizations seek donations in addition to a volunteer’s time.

However, in international volunteering, things are more complicated.  Most projects are in poor, remote areas not easily accessible to the average tourist.  There are language and cultural barriers.  Locals might be suspicious of outsiders who come in and out of their lives for a few weeks at a time.  Safety can be a concern if you don’t know they lay of the land or local rivalries. And, it might take weeks to find an opportunity where you feel you can help.

In these cases, volunteering with an established organization makes sense.  A good voluntourism organization is established in the community, has local contacts, speaks the local language, will provide structure and support, and can arrange the bulk of the details – leaving you free to spend your valuable vacation time actually contributing to a project.

What Do I Need to Know Before Volunteering Abroad?

Reality check – there are good and bad voluntourism organizations.  Not everyone who is professing to help is really helping.  So, how do you know the organization you are working with is doing more good than harm?  Below is a good checklist to consider:

Research the Organization – Are they well-respected?  Do they offer past volunteers as references?  Are they committed to real and long term collaborations in the places they work? Who are the local partners?

Understand the Project – Who is being helped?  Where, exactly?   Why?  What is the relationship between those being helped and those who are helping?  Whose idea was this project and how important is it really?  It is important that the community select the project they most need – and work together with the volunteers to achieve it.

Connect the Dots – Follow the link from yourself to the project in the field. Who are the entities in between? What is the connection and commitment of the organization you signed up with to the actual people who will be served by your work?   Generally, the weaker the connection, the greater the chance you could be part of a substandard or even harmful project activity.

Show Me the Money – Where is your program fee being spent?  How much of it is going to the local community in the form of supplies, materials or home stays?  Not every penny can be spent locally – some funds pay for employees who match volunteers with projects, some go toward marketing and websites, and some go toward ensuring you have a safe and memorable experience.   However, you should try and understand what the general value is that is being contributed to the local project efforts.

Voluntourism, when done properly, can be a remarkable way to generate social benefits, mutual learning and positive cultural exchange.  It literally can be a life-changing experience, both for the volunteer and the community.