Choosing the Right Volunteer Placement: Questions to Ask

When looking to volunteer abroad it is likely that among your other reasons for partaking (such as gaining work experience, travelling the world…) ‘make a difference and have a positive impact’ are most definitely there.

But how do you make absolutely sure that you are selecting the right volunteering placement to align with your values, and to achieve what you are looking to?

We’ve provided an array of questions to ask of organisations that you could be looking to volunteer with, to be sure they are the right fit for you and your goals.

Why Does It Matter? The Importance of Ethical Volunteering

Choosing an ethical organisation makes a huge difference to the communities they work within and the volunteers they take on. By choosing an organisation that is not necessarily ethical, you could end up unknowingly doing more harm than good. Even if volunteers feel they are having a positive impact at the time, the setup and practices of the organisation could mean that local people are losing out on jobs, the funds are going into the wrong areas, or there is a lack of cultural sensitivity involved. As well as this, you want to make sure it is what is best for yourself too – not all organisations are transparent about where your money goes or are supportive of you while you are on-the-ground.

Questions to Ask Before Choosing A Volunteer Placement:

  1. Organisational Credibility and Transparency
  • How long has the organisation been operating? 

Think about what this could mean. If they are still very new, have they had enough time to create trusting, meaningful relationships within the community they operate in. Furthermore, how experienced are they with sending volunteers abroad? The age of the organisation is of course not the be all and end all (everyone starts somewhere!) but it gives you an idea of further questions you may need to ask. 

  • Are they a registered charity or a for-profit entity?

This gives you a good idea of where your money might be going. If they are a business looking to make a profit, then not all of your money is going towards your chosen community. If they are a charity or not-for-profit, you know that as much of your money as possible is going into the cause you have selected. See if you can find a clear price breakdown of the company you are dealing with. A lack of transparency could be a bad sign. 

  • What are their stated goals and mission?

Being an ethical organisation is something to be proud of, and so organisations that make concerted efforts with their ethics and sustainability will almost always have it published somewhere easy to find. Look out for clear project goals too, and how the organisation achieves them. When you find these goals, ask yourself: who are they focused on? What do you as a volunteer gain from this? And what do the communities gain? 

At Vocational Impact, we have been sending skilled volunteers abroad for over ten years. We are also a registered charity, operating under the internationally recognised and UK registered Arms Around The Child. This means that not only are we not-for-profit, but we are overseen by the UK Charity Commission, as well as a board of trustees. You can rest assured that our goals lie in not only helping our volunteers gain valuable work experience, but also in making a real difference in the communities we operate in in Ghana, India and South Africa. 

2. Project Impact and Sustainability

  • How does the organisation measure and report on project impacts?

Think about the goals of the organisation mentioned above. How might they be measuring whether they have achieved these? 

  • What sustainable practices are in place to ensure long-term benefits?

It’s all well and good claiming to be a sustainable organisation, but what makes them sustainable? For example, communicating with local communities to evaluate what their needs actually are or perhaps sending few volunteers at a time with knowledge and skill in their field, rather than taking jobs from locals. To get a better understanding of what makes volunteering abroad organisations ethical and sustainable, have a read of our blog post about voluntourism. Another great resource is the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Does the organisation align themselves with the goals relevant to the areas in which they work? How do they do this? 

  • Are projects developed in consultation with local communities?

One sure way of deciding whether or not your chosen volunteering organisation is ethical and sustainable is whether or not they consult with the communities in which they work. If they are not listening to the needs and requests of those communities, how can they expect to help them? Nobody knows the local issues like the locals, and so by taking on board what they request – be it specific skills, number of volunteers, areas for them to work, or approaches to how to address their needs – organisations and therefore volunteers will be sure to have a positive impact. On top of this, when you get to your chosen country – have a look at who you are going to be working with. Are these local professionals as well? 

Vocational Impact works with projects in India, Ghana and South Africa, with which we are in constant contact.  It was them who determined the lengths of our programmes, the skills of the volunteers that they required, and what the volunteers would be getting up to. We also take feedback from them to ensure that their projects are having the desired impact in their community, and what we can further do to help. Finally, we are proud to work in conjunction with multiple of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

3. Support and Safety for Volunteers

  • What kind of support and orientation does the organisation provide to volunteers?

Check the pre-departure information for the organisation, as well as their contact details. Are they clear and accessible? What support will you receive before you go on your trip? You want to know you are going to be looked after, and you want to know what you are walking into. 

  • How does the organisation handle volunteer safety and health issues?

See if there is a clear health and safety section or policy on their website. What do they advise the volunteers, and how do they seek to keep you safe? See if you can find any terms and conditions as well. What is your responsibility, and what is theirs? Does this feel reasonable to you? 

  • Are there any support networks or points of contact available locally?

It is important as well to know who to go to in various situations. How is the organisation structured in terms of how to obtain support should you need it? 

When you join a programme with Vocational Impact, we send you all of the essential information before you travel. Not only does this help with orientation, but you’ll get to see all of our documentation and policies too, so you know you’re well covered. You will be well versed with what to expect, and we always carry out pre-departure calls to be sure you have all your questions and queries answered. Furthermore, the teams we pair you with always have an open ear. Our volunteers often find anything they need sorting is dealt with gladly by the team and if needed, they can always contact the team back in the UK. Everyone is there to support you, and we only want you to have a great experience. In terms of health and safety – we always encourage volunteers to check the Foreign Travel Advice page of their country’s government website. Then: the accommodation you stay in is always staffed and secured, vetted by ourselves; and while on placement you are working with a team and will never be put in a situation you are not comfortable with. For weekend trips and travels, the team can always help you organise these to be sure you’re comfortable – and in many cases, they love to join you! 

4. Financial Transparency

  • How are fees and donations managed and allocated?

As we said earlier, a lack of transparency could be a bad sign – so see if you can find a clear price breakdown of the company you are dealing with. Where do these fees and donations go? Does this feel reasonable to you?

  • Does the organisation provide financial reports or evidence of fund use?

This may be a little bit harder to find, but it may be worth the effort if you don’t find much other information on the funding and transparency front! If not, it may be worth getting in touch with the organisation. 

  • What portion of the fees directly supports the local projects?

When you find this information, ask yourself if this feels reasonable to you. If you are paying the money to take part, you want your fee to help make the difference you are after. 

We take pride in our transparency here at Vocational Impact, and have the fees of each programme at the bottom of each programme page as well as a dedicated section on our website! The money goes in part towards supporting you before, during and after you travel – to the support, food, housekeeping and the locals who you are with. Another chunk goes to the people and projects who are teaching and training you. Finally, another part of the fee goes directly into the projects – to ensure they can carry on their essential work. 

5. Cultural Sensitivity and Community Integration

  • How does the organisation ensure that volunteers are culturally prepared and respectful?

Do they provide information about this, or encourage you to look into it? 

  • What efforts are made to integrate volunteers into the community?

Will you have a chance to orient yourself, and who will orientate you? 

Again, we provide plenty of information before you go to be sure that you are prepared for your journey. Although our programmes are in English, we do encourage you to learn a little bit of the local language! We also encourage volunteers to arrive a little bit early to orient themselves, and take travel opportunities when you get them. You also learn from locals, work with locals, and stay with locals. That way, our volunteers are fully integrated and immersed in their chosen community. By working with local people we also ensure we empower them, create sustainable resolutions, and ensure cultural immersion for our volunteers!

6. Volunteer Experiences and Testimonials

  • What do past volunteers say about their experiences?

See if you can find any reviews on their website and see what they say. Is this what you are looking for in your own experience? See which of the questions and which of your values they address. 

  • Are there independent reviews or feedback available online?

Upon searching a company, some browsers show you some reviews straight away. Have a look through these as well, and see if these line up with what is on their website. 

  • Can the organisation connect prospective volunteers with alumni?

This can be incredibly helpful. Previous volunteers will be able to give you insight into your own position, and by being in contact you can easily ask them multiple questions and have them expand, as well as hear more about the specific experience you are considering. 

At Vocational Impact we not only have a review section on our website, but also a volunteer stories section! That way you can read through what our volunteers get up to in lots more detail: their daily life on their placements, their travels and adventures, how they settled in… Furthermore, we have plenty of past volunteers from various countries who are more than happy to help our prospective volunteers with any questions or concerns they may have. 

7. Outcome and Evaluation

  • How does the organisation evaluate the success of its programmes?

Are there mechanisms for volunteers to provide feedback? 

  • What does the organisation do with the feedback received?

Many organisations will publish it of course, especially the good stuff! But do they learn from it and use it to improve their programmes? 

We at Vocational Impact work with our partner projects and their suggestions based on their observations in their communities. If they find that what they are doing is not working and they wish to change their approach, we change ours with it. In addition, once a volunteer has left their respective country to join one of our programmes we are in constant contact with them. If they have any issues or suggestions or asks while they are volunteering, we work to make that happen. Furthermore, we encourage them to fill out a feedback form upon returning, which we use to shape the programmes going forward, and we report back to our partner projects too.

Checklist: Questions to Ask Before Signing Up

We’ve popped the questions below for you to use during your own research! 

Although it may look like an awful lot, it is a useful starting point for considering different organisations that provide volunteering abroad experiences and placements. You may not be able to get a perfectly straight answer for every question for every organisation as each company has a different approach. However, it is again a good way to get a feel for them and whether they align with what you are looking for. 

  • How long has the organisation been operating?
  • Are they a registered charity or a for-profit entity?
  • What are their stated goals and mission?
  • How does the organsation measure and report on project impacts?
  • What sustainable practices are in place to ensure long-term benefits?
  • Are projects developed in consultation with local communities?
  • What kind of support and orientation does the organisation provide to volunteers?
  • How does the organisation handle volunteer safety and health issues?
  • Are there any support networks or points of contact available locally?
  • How are fees and donations managed and allocated?
  • Does the organisation provide financial reports or evidence of fund use?
  • What portion of the fees directly supports the local projects?
  • How does the organisation ensure that volunteers are culturally prepared and respectful?
  • What efforts are made to integrate volunteers into the community?
  • What do past volunteers say about their experiences?
  • Are there independent reviews or feedback available online?
  • Can the organisation connect prospective volunteers with alumni?
  • How does the organisation evaluate the success of its programs?
  • Are there mechanisms for volunteers to provide feedback?
  • What does the organisation do with the feedback received?

In Conclusion…

Before you commit yourself to a placement and pay out any money, you want to be sure. It is important for both your experience and the wellbeing  of the community you wish to help that your chosen organisation is ethical and sustainable. While that sounds like an awful lot of pressure, take it as motivation. You want to make a positive impact! So be sure to take action: reach out to organisations, ask questions, and make informed decisions. It will be so worth it in the end.

So, if you have any questions for us at Vocational Impact, reach out to us! Find more information on the following pages:

Or, reach out to us directly, at volunteer@vocationalimpact.org .

Volunteer programmes made for students & Graduates

Planning your international volunteering placement can seem daunting but we’ll be with you every step of the way.

We’re a small charity that picks its partner projects carefully. This means we can tailor our programmes to fit your skills and goals.

The best way to get started is to fill out our enquiry form. We’ll send you all the information you need to plan your very own volunteer placement.

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