Mainly thanks to social media, we’re all familiar with the world of “voluntourism”...where tourists volunteer while on vacation without really doing their research or getting their hands dirty. Tourists wanting to “give back” has unfortunately created an industry of organizations profiting off of underdeveloped communities under the guise of helping them. This has unfortunately given a negative rep to all short term volunteering abroad, but we meaningful travelers know better!
Let’s get to work & help you find an ethical one week volunteer abroad program!
There are tons of ways to make short term volunteering abroad (1 week, 2 weeks, and up to a month) super impactful, and it starts with doing a little homework and having a lot of passion. To help get you on the right path, we’ve outlined our top tips for one week volunteering abroad so you can really maximize your time and results!
8 things to know before doing a 1-2 week volunteer abroad program
Most first-time volunteers think it’s easier to plan 1 week volunteer abroad than vacation abroad...you just pick a cause you’re passionate about and go, right? There’s unfortunately a lot more that goes into short term volunteering abroad than just picking a location and project, but we like to think that’s what makes it more fun than planning a vacation!
1. Not all one week volunteer abroad programs are created equal
This is our crème de la crème of volunteer abroad tips: Do. Your. Research. Unfortunately, many volunteer organizations operate just to exploit underdeveloped communities, not actually help them, so if something seems too good to be true, it probably is!
Is a clinic welcoming non-healthcare professionals to administer medications? Think again. Does an animal sanctuary offer elephant rides to volunteers? Move on. While signing up for volunteer projects like this sound cool, they do a lot more harm than good.
Even if an organization seems to be doing all the right things—fundraising, training volunteers, initiating important projects, etc.—it doesn’t automatically make the organization reputable or the project sustainable.
It is sadly all too common for volunteers to sign up for programs that conduct helpful projects like building houses or installing fresh water systems, only for locals to have to come back after the volunteers leave and re-do everything.
It might make you feel good to hammer together a house, but if the project isn’t done sustainably by people who know what they’re doing, will it really make a difference?
Choosing a program that checks all the right boxes will ensure your short-term trip has long-term positive impacts.
Volunteer programs should be upfront about how they make real, sustainable change by bringing in foreigners. What skills do you offer that someone in that community can’t already do? How are you an authority to do the work and make sure it has positive results for right now and the future?
The key to successful volunteering abroad is to become part of the solution, not part of the problem, by participating in ethical projects with long-term results.
2. Volunteer with purpose
The fatal flaw of the average short term volunteer is that they go into it on an extreme: they think they will either save the world or have an above-and-beyond vacation. We’re sorry to say that both of these ideas about one week volunteering are wrong.
There should be some type of purpose for doing a one week volunteer program beyond just wanting to have a cooler vacation. Is there a cause you’re passionate about? Is there something you want to learn about? Is there a specific skill you can use to help those less fortunate?
Avoid being another Barbie Savior by giving back with passion and humility.
3. Volunteering abroad isn’t free, even for a week
The top myth about volunteering abroad is that it’s free. Donating your time unfortunately doesn’t cancel out the costs associated with getting to your volunteer location and then living there for a week.
Someone has to pay for flights, housing, food, and any extra program or project costs, and if whatever nonprofit or government agency sponsoring the program has extra money lying around, it should be funneled back into the local community, not paying for foreigners to travel there.
Short term volunteering abroad can range in cost and usually starts at a few hundred dollars for the week. You can always find cheaper (or more expensive!) programs though, and usually the main factor for determining the cost of your volunteer program is location.
Volunteering in Switzerland is probably going to be a lot more expensive than volunteering in Peru, and usually the further from home you go, the more in travel costs to get there.
Paying for volunteering abroad, even for a week, makes sense if you think about it.
During your research, you probably will come across some free volunteer abroad programs. If a program is free, don’t take it at face value that it’s somehow a “better” program. Question why it’s free, who is paying for your expenses, and why that money wouldn’t be better used to pay a local to do the work.
A volunteer should never take away a job from a local, so the only reason for a volunteer program to be paid for by someone else is if you’re offering an incredibly specialized skill that the community will truly benefit from.
4. You can volunteer abroad basically anywhere
When most people hear the words “volunteer abroad”, they conjure up images of white tourists flocking to third world countries halfway around the world. While heading to some far-off place is always exciting, there are probably more opportunities to volunteer abroad closer to home than you think.
Every community needs volunteers for something, so whether you’re headed to a different continent for a large-scale project or popping over to a neighboring country to help at a soup kitchen, there is a cause you can get involved in.
Most volunteers totally gloss over one week volunteer abroad programs in Europe because they falsely assume no one needs their help, but this is not the case!
5. BUT...not all volunteer projects are best for a week
We already covered programs exploiting marginalized communities, but what about some of the unintended consequences of short term volunteering abroad?
A program could have every intention of providing the best help to a community, but sometimes the nature of short term projects does more damage than longer term projects.
For example, volunteering in an orphanage is a great way to help less fortunate children, but does it really help a child to have constant foreigners coming in, bonding with them, and then leaving just days later?
Certain types of projects are better for different lengths of time, so consider projects that will provide tangible results in a short time period without unintentionally affecting vulnerable populations.
Construction volunteering abroad is great for accomplishing a tangible, finite project in a short amount of time.
6. There are mutual benefits of volunteering abroad
The community you donate your time to isn’t the only one benefitting here. While helping others in need is always a worthwhile pursuit, most volunteers do it to learn more about a new place, push themselves out of their comfort zones, and help to grow themselves personally and professionally.
Regardless of location or assignment, all volunteers gain real-world skills, perspectives, and experiences that can help them build their careers, so having a volunteer project on your resume won’t hurt!
7. Volunteering abroad isn’t just fun and games
Maybe you’ve seen pictures of your friends on Instagram playing with adorable kids in Uganda. Or perhaps your favorite Influencer has been having the time of her life helping baby monkeys in Costa Rica.
Social media in particular has made it look like volunteering abroad is all warm fuzzies, where you spend your days out in the sunshine eating exotic foods and meeting new people and cute animals. Your friends aren’t going to post on Insta about getting lost in a foreign city or their struggles with altitude sickness, so remember you’re probably not seeing the full story!
Don’t get us wrong, there are some amazing things about volunteering abroad. But no international adventure is 100% fun. This isn’t reality, and while there definitely are aspects of volunteering abroad that are warm and fuzzy, there are also going to be things like bad weather, language barriers, illness, different living accommodations, and all those damn mosquitoes that can quickly put a damper on the experience.
Go into this with an open mind and remember this isn’t meant to be a glamorous vacation!
8. Rome wasn’t built in a day
As we all know, everything of value takes time to develop and implement. Chances are that any project that’s started during your week abroad won’t be finished during that week. By doing a one week volunteer abroad program, you need to go into it with realistic expectations for your contributions with such little time.
Make a positive difference in the lives of others.
Your best bet for truly giving back sustainably during your week abroad is to do an intensive, tangible project, such as building a community playground, adding sidewalks to a village, or teaching a specific course for the community on topics like nutrition, handwashing, or menstruation/women’s health.
You won’t be able to solve world hunger in a week, so go into this with the proper mindset of being part of a larger team trying to make real change over time.
Recommended one week volunteer abroad programs
Here are some of our favorite short term volunteering abroad options! You definitely don’t need to go through a formal program to volunteer abroad for a week, but it usually makes the whole process easier and sometimes cheaper than planning everything a la carte.
1. Kaya Responsible Travel
With over 200 volunteer projects across almost 30 countries, Kaya is a top choice for short term volunteering. As if their company name didn’t give this away, Kaya focuses on responsible volunteering and is dedicated to providing ethical solutions to some of the world’s most crucial issues. Whether you’re interested in education, wildlife conservation, healthcare, or the environment, Kaya has a project for you!
For over 25 years, Projects Abroad has been a leader in the volunteer abroad world. They send an estimated 10,000 volunteers abroad every year, so you can be sure they really know their stuff! In addition to their huge range of volunteer programs, Projects Abroad also offers internships abroad for those who really want to take their experience to the next level.
With over 80,000 program alum, International Volunteer HQ is one of the largest volunteer networks in the world. Not only do they offer an incredible range of projects and locations, but their prices are super budget-friendly. Some programs start at just $10 per day...meaning you’ll probably have a hard time leaving after just one week!
[Browse ALL 1-2 Week Volunteer Programs Abroad]
Make a difference today through short term volunteering abroad!
Teamwork makes the dream work!
While all of the upfront research to find an ethical and sustainable project can be time-consuming, it’s worth it in the long run to make sure your efforts will be worthwhile and actually beneficial to the local community. Especially if you are throwing down a chunk of change to volunteer abroad, you don’t want that money to just line the pockets of people hurting others.
Everyone wants to get that picture on top of an elephant, but once you research the amount of damage that goes into getting that picture, you’ll know anything involving wild animal rides isn’t an ethical volunteer project.
Ultimately, what you’re embarking on is an exciting and meaningful adventure, and doing a bit of upfront work will ensure you have an awesome time and truly help those in need. You’re pursuing a noble way to spend your time, so might as well go big or go home, right?!
Get Matched with Your Perfect One Week Volunteer Abroad Program Now
Look for the Perfect Volunteer Abroad Program Now
Start Your Search