The Ethical Volunteer
A cost effective and ethical approach to volunteering.
The Ethical Volunteer lists hostels abroad that work alongside community driven projects, helping volunteers connect to opportunities for no extra cost. Volunteers can now organise their placements independent of agencies by booking their own hostel accommodation and talking directly to project co-ordiators.
• Side step profit orientated volunteer placement agencies (VPAs) - support local business, not international agencies.
• Support organisations that are addressing the needs of the local community, not set up to satisfy the demand of the VPAs.
• Organise your accommodation, airport pick up and in-country needs directly through locally based backpacker hostels, and live with other independent volunteers and backpackers.
• Discuss the volunteers role directly with local co-ordinators.
• Follow our ethical guidelines outlined in our blog to help you make a considered and conscientious decision regarding the potential positive and negative impacts of international volunteering on the host community.
This site was set up in response to the hundreds of volunteer agencies charging ludicrous sums of money to set up (very often unhelpful) volunteer placements overseas. These agencies have turned volunteering into a hugely profitable business and, as such, run the risk of exploiting volunteers and the projects they claim to support. The Ethical Volunteer provides the volunteer with a way of accessing information on working abroad without using agencies by giving access to hundreds of hostels worldwide and their local partner organisations.