Volunteering Abroad: How to Evaluate Various Programs and Choose the Right One

Whether you're a high school student looking for something new, a college graduate excited to make a difference, or a mid-career professional looking to break out of the everyday, volunteering in a foreign country can be a wonderful experience.

Volunteering abroad allows you to meet new people, experience a different culture, gain a sense of accomplishment and often even provides the chance to participate in the fight to end global poverty. But it can also be a scary experience. How can you ensure your safety and your health? How do you make sure the job you are doing will be exactly what you were promised? How can you get the most for your money?

There are thousands of worldwide volunteering programs, all more than happy to accept your money. Some are poorly run, and the experiences they deliver are rarely what they promised. Some do not worry enough about volunteer safety. Some, quite frankly, are scams.

It is natural (and indeed wise) to be cautious when considering your options. There is no way around it: you must do your homework. Provided below are some tips for evaluating the legitimacy of the volunteer programs and choosing the one that is right for you.

1) Call the program and ask to if they can give you the number or e-mail of
a person who has done it who you can contact. This is a relatively common request and completely within your rights. Be wary if they refuse.

2) Go to a bookstore and browse their travel section. You should find books
that give overviews of a variety of volunteer options and you can look up
the programs you are considering. Two excellent titles are Alternatives to Peace Corps and World Volunteers.

3) Try to get as many specifics about the program as possible as possible. Most importantly, you want to know exactly what you will be doing and what the money you are paying will go to.

4) Ask yourself how professional the website and any materials they send you
are. This isn't a hard and fast rule, but in general, a professional website is more worthy of your trust.

5) Find out where the program offices are located. An office located overseas will be more in tune to the needs of that country, but will not be as well equipped to handle your questions and concerns and may not have much money. Similarly, a program with a U.S. office may not be as aware of the specifics of working in the region. In the best of both worlds, a program will have both.

Ultimately however, no matter how much planning goes into your trip, there is some risk involved. Even the best organizations make mistakes, and safe areas of the world can become dangerous in a matter of days. Still, careful research can help lower the amount of risk to acceptable levels.

One thing is for certain: no matter what happens, no matter whether you love or hate the experience, you will forever be changed because of it. Good luck!