FAQ

Yes!!! We want to find more opportunities. If you have interest or connections in a specific part of the world, let’s make it happen. It requires research about the greatest needs in that area, as well as the best way to approach them. We search out dozens and dozens of organizations that are doing good, and then we pick 3-4 to work with on each trip. Rather than reinventing the wheel, we work through them to make the efforts sustainable and to further their work. We can work with you to develop these relationships, organize service efforts, work out travel details, and establish an itinerary full of service and fun. Please reach out to us and let’s talk about the possibilities!

No problem! Do what you can, rest as much as you want to. We will have a group meeting before the trip to discuss how everyone can get involved. We often draw upon your areas of specialty, whether professional or hobbies, to share those with others. Many opportunities arise along the way, especially that of giving someone some much-needed attention. We benefit from all sorts of personalities and interests and encourage you to look for times that you can touch someone’s heart and lift them up emotionally/spiritually.

The safety of our volunteers is one of our primary concerns. We will not take you anywhere we wouldn’t take our own families! We work closely with trusted locals to take every precaution necessary. Our transporters are vigilant about watching our surroundings as well as the weather. We specifically stay in safer accommodations, often with 24-hour security. We have built strong relationships of trust with our partners that facilitate our plans. However, every volunteer must use wisdom. In certain countries, it is not wise to go for a walk after dark, especially alone. We are safe as a group. Stick together and you should not have anything to worry about.

what do I need?

For the time being, minors must be accompanied by a direct adult relative. Exceptions may be given on a case-by-case basis. While VolunTour coordinates the trips, we cannot constantly be watching minors while facilitating the projects. Participants must take responsibility for their own safety and awareness of surroundings.

Group sizes depend on the location and the number of group leaders that are able to attend. With the exception of more local efforts, such as hurricane relief in North Carolina, we typically would like at least 10 volunteers in each group. We can take up to roughly 15 volunteers before considering breaking into 2 groups working together. We have taken as many as 25 volunteers in one group in a recent South Africa humanitarian trip, but it included multiple group leaders to oversee everyone. We will provide the group leaders through VolunTour, as available. Those that have participated in one of our humanitarian trips can potentially become an associated group leader.

Yes! VolunTour is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) organization. In other words, we are a recognized non-profit charitable organization and all donors will receive a receipt as proof of donations. All donations are 100% deductible. Please check with a tax professional for further recommendations on deducting charitable expenses. It may be possible for you to deduct your flights to the service site as well.

100% of donations received go towards our efforts. In other words, VolunTour has no paid positions. We strive to keep our trip costs as low as possible by seeking out group deals for our volunteers. By saving money, we are then able to put more money into our projects. Our most recent trip used over 60% towards the organizations we worked with and in support of locals.

Again, this will vary with each trip. Usually, a trip is about 6-10 days and includes hotel accommodations, transportation beyond the airports, and an average of 2 meals per day. Some local and cultural activities are included as well to help our teams to get some rest between service, a little adventure, and to appreciate the local way of life and economy.

We prefer to focus on the necessities of life at the base of one’s hierarchy of needs. This includes clean water, food & nutrition, safe housing & living environments, and so on. However, we also desire to help others to become more self-reliant and to encourage mental health. We are often involved in furthering education and job development, as well as positive social activities.

If you are simply donating specifically to one of our upcoming projects, we welcome all donations, large or small. If you would like to join us on a humanitarian trip, please reach out to us for specific costs. It will vary by location and group size and can also be affected by the time of year. Most trips range from $1600-$2500 per person, plus airfare.

Please see our 'Get Involved' page. An individual can join us on a humanitarian trip or help from home. We need help on both ends. While ultimately our goal is to get out and serve with our volunteers, we need to raise awareness and seek out resources to help our partners. We are always seeking other opportunities to serve as well, so we love new ideas.

We want to help others to develop into life-long givers! Giving happens in a lot of different ways, and so many people have resources to offer, but don’t know how. If we can encourage more to give of themselves and connect them to humanitarian opportunities, the natural effect will be that more needs are met. We will help more people, we will strengthen families and individuals, we will build stronger communities, and we will help lift to new heights many other organizations that are doing good.