How we choose volunteering projects
For many people, this is their first time volunteering abroad, and often their first trip outside Europe too. So it’s natural to ask: how do I know a project is reliable? Who will be there to support me? And how will you help me get ready?
Here’s a practical guide to how we work with local partners to choose and monitor projects. It sets out the criteria, questions and checks behind each trip, so you can understand what to expect, prepare properly and choose an experience that suits you.
We want you to know what goes into each project: the people, their roles, the rules and the support you can count on.
Our process: the 5 checks every project must pass
Explore a selection of projects in more than 15 countries. You won’t see projects we’ve turned down or removed. Every project we list must pass these five checks, in order, and continue to meet them:
If a project no longer passes any one of these checks, we remove it from the catalogue.
Our 5 criteria, step by step
1. Real need
We start with one question, which we also explore in our guide to where the money goes: would this project work without volunteers? If the answer is no, or it exists only to host overseas visitors, we won’t include it. We look for schools, centres and programmes built by the community, where volunteers support work that’s already happening.
2. Local leadership
The permanent team is local: coordinators, teachers, host families and cooks. This supports the local economy and helps keep you safe. The people welcoming you know the language, area and community, and can spot situations an overseas group leader might miss. Staff working with volunteers are vetted, trained in the code of conduct and required to follow clear rules (for example, staff cannot enter volunteer accommodation without notice and a reason). These responsibilities are shared: you’ll also sign a code of conduct, as explained below.
3. Clear volunteer role
Before you leave, you’ll know what you’ll do, your hours and the limits of your role. You support local staff and never replace them or take on teaching, healthcare or technical duties without the required qualifications. On projects with children, activities always take place alongside local staff: volunteers never become children’s primary emotional support. That’s why you’ll never find certain types of volunteering with us, such as short-term orphanage volunteering, as we explain in the warning signs section of our guide to organisations.
4. Accommodation and safety standards
We’re clear about what “accommodation included” means: facilities visited and regularly reassessed, food and water hygiene rules, basic safeguards (fire extinguishers, evacuation plans, first-aid kit and mosquito nets where needed) and a safety briefing during the arrival week, with emergency contacts for every volunteer. Expect practical accommodation: our standards focus on safety, without promising hotel-style comfort.
5. Continuous monitoring
The checks continue after selection. We regularly update a formal assessment for each risk area and ask every returning volunteer for feedback. Their experience puts our standards to the test, and testimonials are beyond our control. If a problem is reported twice, we treat it as a pattern and open a review.
Risk management, explained simply
Safety starts with practical choices made before you leave and followed throughout your stay: where we work, who we work with, the rules we set, how you prepare and who you can call when something goes wrong.
For each area, we ask two questions: how serious a problem could be and how likely it is to happen. Then we put practical safeguards in place. A road accident is serious anywhere, but authorised drivers, checked vehicles and travel limits make it much less likely. That’s what these safeguards are for.
| Risk area | Likelihood without safeguards | With safeguards | Safeguards in place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local transport | ●●●●● | ●●●●● | Authorised drivers only, checked and maintained vehicles, limits on speed and driving hours |
| Food and water | ●●●●● | ●●●●● | Kitchen hygiene, checked water, clear guidance on risky street food |
| Mosquitoes and tropical diseases | ●●●●● | ●●●●● | Treated mosquito nets where needed, repellents and prophylaxis decided with your doctor before travel |
| Petty theft | ●●●●● | ●●●●● | Rooms and bags locked, no phone in hand on the street, document copies, rules on evening travel |
| Weather and external events | ●●●●● | ●●●●● | Alert monitoring, local-authority guidance, evacuation plans, water and food supplies |
About this table: the table is illustrative and simplified for readability. We assess each country and project using formal scales for severity and likelihood, and review those assessments regularly.
We don’t operate in war zones, active emergencies or humanitarian crises. Our projects are in generally calm, populated areas that travellers, students and tourists often visit too. Preparing well still matters, but joining a project doesn’t mean entering a high-risk setting.
There are two things to keep in mind. First, the most likely risks are the most ordinary ones. The most common issues are an upset stomach in the first few days, sunburn or belongings lost or stolen when someone is distracted. These are frustrating but manageable, and following the briefing can usually help prevent them. Second, roads pose the most serious risk in many countries. That’s why our transport rules are among our strictest.
If something happens: our response
If something serious happens, such as injury, illness or theft, every coordinator follows the same clear response plan. They know the steps and who to contact.
Your wellbeing comes first. The team immediately contacts first-aid providers, emergency services and medical facilities.
The local coordinator and programme managers are informed straight away and take charge on site. You’ll have people to help you work out what happens next.
Your passport, insurance policy and medical information help the team arrange support. Keep copies with you, as explained in the briefing: this is when travel insurance matters.
We’re informed straight away and support you from Italy, in Italian, with whatever you need. If necessary, or if you ask us to, we keep your family updated.
Most issues are smaller. Your local coordinator is your first contact, and our team is your second. You’ll receive emergency contacts and a safety briefing on arrival, so help is easy to reach. Read more about getting ready in the before you go section.
Your role: follow the rules and stay flexible
You have a part to play in staying safe too. Here’s what you’ll sign and the responsibilities we ask you to take on.
A few clear, non-negotiable rules
- Code of conduct: you sign it during your arrival briefing. It covers respect for the community, staff and other volunteers.
- House rules: agreed return times, locked accommodation and no outside guests. These protect you and everyone sharing your accommodation.
- Zero tolerance: drugs and violent or aggressive behaviour lead to removal from the programme. We explain this rule in advance to protect you, the group and the project.
- Follow your coordinator’s guidance: if they ask you to avoid an area or stay home one evening, trust their local knowledge and follow their advice.
Being ready for everyday challenges
Some days will feel different from home: a cold shower, power cut, slow Wi-Fi, unfamiliar lunch or change of plan. You’re sharing everyday life in a local community, with its own routines and resources. Knowing what to expect before you leave helps you settle in and often makes the experience more rewarding.
- You want to join everyday local life, with support and clear contacts
- You’re willing to follow rules set by people who know the area
- You want to understand the accommodation, project and rules before leaving
- You mainly want a comfortable holiday with a little volunteering
- You prefer travelling without shared rules
- Unexpected practical issues are difficult for you to handle
Use these standards when assessing any organisation. A reliable provider can tell you who supports you locally, how staff are selected, what happens in an emergency and which rules you’ll agree to. Vague answers are a warning sign. You’ll find more red flags in our guide to organisations.
Find a project that meets your needs
Each project page clearly explains its activities, accommodation and requirements. Unsure where to start? Our questionnaire helps you narrow down your options in two minutes.
Explore projects Take the questionnaire