Travel Tip 20
The top three ways to check if a volunteer project is legit
In 2020 I worked with some Peruvian friends to take food, clothes and school supplies to mountain communities isolated by the Covid-19 pandemic. I now have mixed feelings about it and am glad we designed it to be a short term project that would end when pandemic travel restrictions ended.
Unfortunately, good intentions are not enough.
It’s a sad fact that some places take advantage of travelers’ desire to help and that other places may have good intentions but are so disorganized that travelers are left with a bad experience. Sometimes unskilled volunteers are used when there’s a clear need for trained professionals. Even worse, some places create or perpetuate problems to keep a project going. It’s imperative to look critically at a volunteer project or a place that markets itself as a volunteer vacation.
First, ask yourself how realistic and effective it seems.
Does the website have photos of people doing whatever they say their project is? Is it clear who benefits from the project? Does the website have specific information about where the funds come from?
Second, look for certifications.
The gold standard is B-Corp, but many countries have their own certifications. Look for local certifications that are directly related to the volunteer project. If there are certifications listed on the website, take the time to click on them and see who issues the certification and what it actually means.
Third, contact them.
There should be an easy way to contact them. Ask specific questions about the program, the staff and what volunteers do. Their English doesn’t have to be perfect for this to be a legit volunteer program but their responses should be logical and directly answer each question. If they’re vague or can’t answer your questions at all, stay away. If you don’t speak the local language, make sure that somebody on site will speak a language that you do know.
The women’s longboard competitors posed after their competition in Huanchaco, Trujillo, Peru.
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