Get Help, Give Help

Interested in voluntourism? Check out these resources.

Reference Books

Travel with Purpose: A Field Guide to Voluntourism
By Jeff Blumenfeld
A veteran volunteer shares everything you need to know about voluntourism, from its upsides to its downsides to how to find the right project.
Volunteer Vacations: Short-Term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others
By Bill McMillon, Doug Cutchins, and Anne Geissinger
Now in its 11th edition, this guidebook profiles over 150 organizations.
The 100 Best Volunteer Vacations to Enrich Your Life
By Pam Grout
Instead of organizations, this one focuses on projects and destinations.
Volunteer Vacations Across America
By Sheryl Kayne
Features over 200 volunteer opportunities in the United States.
Your Guide to Volunteer Travel
By Sarah Palmer
This e-book helps you choose a volunteer program and includes a directory.
Frommer’s and Lonely Planet also offer books on volunteer travel.

GoAbroad
Lists over 27,000 opportunities for volunteer programs, study abroad programs, intern programs, eco/adventure travel opportunities, and more
GoOverseas.com
Serves as a clearinghouse for resources on meaningful travel, from volunteering to teaching to internships
GoVoluntouring.com
Lets you search for volunteer trips using a variety of criteria, including not just destinations but cost, fitness level, age, and religious affiliation
VolunteerForever.com
Great resources, recommendations, and fundraising options for volunteering, interning, and teaching abroad
Voluntourism.org
Includes info on planning a trip and a list of interesting organizations

Here’s my nine-step plan for choosing a volunteer organization (which you’ll find in The Voluntourist)
I wrote a beginners guide to volunteering for NationalGeographic.com along with five myths about voluntourism
Volunteering abroad can be beneficial, but not necessarily for the reasons you think. Here’s my piece for National Geographic Traveler
Why volunteering as a couple can be beneficial for your relationship, which I wrote for VolunteerForever.com