WHY VOLUNTEERING ABROAD ISN’T FREE?
“I thought volunteering abroad would be free. Why do you charge for your volunteer abroad programmes? Where does the money go?”
- Why volunteering abroad isn’t free.
- Breakdown of where your money goes
- How we distribute and invest your fee
- What’s included in your fee
- Our partner projects – who they are and what they do
- Successful fundraising stories & tips
Vocational Impact isn’t just a volunteer abroad programme provider, we are also committed to international development and sustainability goals.
We work with top universities around the world and provide university students tailored volunteer abroad placements. Our volunteer abroad placements provide unique work experience, degree related career development and internship opportunities.
Vocational Impact provides skills exchange programs and essential funds to our NGO project partners.
HOW YOUR VOLUNTEER FEE IS USED
Our volunteer abroad fees are set to include a direct international development donation to the organisation you volunteer with.
Most student volunteers either fundraise for the volunteer fee in fun and innovative ways, or apply for a university bursary or grant.
The volunteer fee that you pay gets sent to the organisation on the ground to cover hosting you (accommodation, food, travel, airport collection etc etc), and a direct donation towards their running costs and sustainability goals.
As a registered charity, 100% of your fee gets reinvested into the projects we support in one way or another.
WHERE DOES YOUR VOLUNTEER MONEY GO?
- A huge chunk of the fee goes towards development of the charities and their general running costs.
- Building a sustainable way for the projects to grow
- Responsibility to send good volunteers
WHAT WILL I PAY?
This is a self-funded volunteer abroad experience which means we have set a fee based on what it will cost to host you in another country. This fee includes your food, accommodation, transportation and support.
We are a not-for-profit organisation so you can be confident that all your fee is going to the cause you will volunteer and stay with.
Vocational Impact is a fundraising organisation encouraging sustainable international development with all of our project partners. Therefore you will pay an all-inclusive fee, which will include a direct donation to the project to support their running costs.
Vocational Impact has over 30 years of fundraising experience and as a registered charity we pride ourselves on the investments we make to the communities we work with.
WHAT IS AND ISN'T INCLUDED IN YOUR VOLUNTEER FEE
✔︎ Accommodation – You will stay in a shared, fully- equipped volunteer cottage
✔︎ Meals – You will eat with the residents and experience local food.
✔︎ 30 + hours of interactive cross-cultural training
✔︎ Certificate of Learning – proof this is not a holiday!
✔︎ 24/7 Support – we got you!
✔︎ Transportation – Airport drop off and collection. Plus all placement related transport (to and from partner NGOs)
✔︎ Experience of a lifetime – no exaggeration!
✔︎ Vocational Impact International Development donation
✗ Flights
✗ Tourist Visa
✗ Travel Insurance
✗ Spending Money
VOCATIONAL IMPACT PROJECT PARTNERS ABROAD
We work alongside our partner organisations in India, Ghana and South Africa to support their community development, this can include building new schools and funding new projects on the ground.
WHERE YOUR VOLUNTEER FEES GO IN GHANA
We work with an amazing foundation in Ghana to provide a safe and loving home for trafficked, abused and disadvantaged children.
The project focuses on mentoring, child development, therapy, sports, education, mental health, creative arts and volunteer activities.
Situated in the rural fishing Village of Senya we work closely with the community for sustainable development. We are currently trying to complete the building of a local school that will serve our kids at the home and the wider community.
Here you would stay in our accommodation built to house our volunteers, and there would be a live-in cook and house cleaner, as well as 24/7 security. Ghana has a rich cultural history and there are some amazing National Parks, Safaris, Beaches and Heritage Landmarks to visit.
WHERE YOUR VOLUNTEER FEE GOES IN SOUTH AFRICA
We support an incredible project in Johannesburg. Our project in South Africa is a live-in ‘village’ which is made up of 20 small cottages, where the residents and staff reside.
Our project here provides a holistic programme of medicine, nutrition, education, mentoring, well-being, love and care to an amazing community of women and children, often affected by HIV/AIDS.
We also work extensively with the local community, children, women and other NGOs.
International volunteers are housed together in a cottage at the project ‘Village’. South Africa has an incredible cultural history of music, dance, art and community empowerment, and there’s lots of amazing things to do and see like go on a Safari, climb Table Mountain, Visit the beaches, and visit Mandela House.
WHERE YOUR VOLUNTEER FEE GOES IN INDIA
We have worked with our project partners in India for over twenty years. We have helped them set up and survive through thick and thin.
We have supported education and women’s empowerment, as well as creativity and medical advancement with HIV treatment and monitoring.
Our project in India works with the local community, children, women and other NGOs to deliver care, therapy, creative arts, mentoring, education, economic empowerment and more.
You will stay with a host family, and experience a very unique India. Vocational Impact adds the personal touch, and you will feel like a true VIP in this country of magic and mystery.
FUNDRAISING FOR YOUR FEE; VOLUNTEER SUCCESS STORIES
“When I started fundraising for my trip volunteer abroad trip to Ghana it was the first time I had done anything like it so it initially seemed quite daunting.
I wasn’t sure how I would go about it so I started by setting up a gofundme page which I shared on social media, predominately instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. The page shared info on my volunteer abroad placement, where I was going, what I’d be doing and my motivation behind the trip.
I wasn’t sure how effective it would be but once people read about what I was doing and the purpose behind my trip people were extremely generous and began sharing it themselves.
I raised the majority of my funds by just sharing the link and info online but I also organised an event to see if I could raise more on top of this. The restaurant I worked in allowed me to hold a pub quiz which I advertised online and my friends helped promote it too. We organised good prizes to entice people which a lot of local businesses generously donated.
People paid 10 euro per team and some people gave additional donations on top of that. Overall I found fundraising a positive experience and really helped in making my volunteer abroad placement possible which was completely worth every effort as it was a life changing trip.
People were very generous and supportive and they appreciated the purpose of the trip so they were happy to be able to donate something to support the work that would be done during the psychology and mental health programme.
My college has travel grants available every term from the Student Support Committee for travel to study related volunteer abroad work experiences. I found out about this from an email from our executive bursary assistant detailing the different grants available.
To find more information I looked up the name of my college, and “volunteer travel grants”. I found a form I had to submit but had lots of questions. I emailed the bursary assistant back, and he helped with the things I was confused about.
Although I found out about these grants by email, in the “Finance” part of my college website, there is a page called “Financial Grants for Students”, where you can find details about the different grants available.
I received a £500 grant from the Student Support Committee.
I also got a travel grant from my college ‘Junior College Room’ – the student body. The JCR gives out travel grants of up to £200 every term, for people whose travel is related to their course perfect for the Vocational Impact volunteer abroad programmes.
I was awarded the full amount of £200.
