Grassroots organizations span a broad range of areas, so volunteer placements are varied and vast. Volunteer opportunities with grassroots organizations can range from meeting a need in an orphanage to building homes for villages in the desert. Outlined below are some of the most common types of grassroots initiatives abroad.

Whether in the mountains or the drylands, volunteers are in great need in community development organizations around the world. Community development volunteers may work on building homes, community facilities, schools, and contribute to the development of any other necessary societal structures. Utilizing local materials, such as hay and mud, volunteers will learn all about native building techniques. Volunteers will also often assist with educating locals about eco-building as well as teaching locals about environmental preservation and sustainability.

Some grassroots organizations abroad focus on sustaining local institutions, such as orphanages, community centers, health clinics, and schools, which tend to always seek out international support and welcome volunteers year round. Those who volunteer at grassroots-run orphanages will find that no two days look the same. Volunteers will be focused on improving daily life of local children, planning and implementing activities and programs to supplement their education, and even providing meals.

It is also common for grassroots organizations to center programs on helping adults, by teaching them marketable skills, improving their language skills, increasing their overall literacy, or developing micro-finance initiatives. The ultimate goal of these types of placements is to empower adults to build better futures for their families, both personally and economically.