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Home›Why We Charge What We Charge

Why We Charge What We Charge

One clear price — and a promise about where it goes. Here is the honest breakdown.

Volunteering costs money, and you deserve to know exactly why. Here is where your fee goes — from a certified B Corp that’s audited on it.

The short version

Your program price is one number that covers everything on the ground: your accommodation, three meals a day, airport pickup, orientation, your project placement, local transport where included, and a bilingual team that answers at 3am. It also pays the local partner who runs your project and the staff who vet it. Nothing is added at checkout.

Where your fee goes

  • Your living costs in-country — 70%. Accommodation, meals and airport pickup.
  • Local partner & project support — 10%. The organisation your work supports.
  • Keeping Volunteering Solutions running — 10%. Staff, systems and financial protection.
  • In-country team & safety — 5%. Coordinators, the 24/7 line and vetting visits.
  • Preparing you — 5%. Pre-departure support, documentation and training.
Volunteers and a local team member building together on a community development project
Your fee pays the local partner who runs the project — hosting volunteers costs them money.

Why isn’t it free?

Local organisations don’t have spare budget to host, house, train and supervise international volunteers — hosting you costs them money. Your fee means your placement strengthens the project instead of draining it. That’s the difference between volunteering that helps and volunteering that takes.

Why we look cheaper than some, and pricier than others

Operators charging much more than us are often paying for big marketing budgets. Operators charging less usually show a low headline price, then add meals, transport, card fees or “admin” at checkout. We publish one total — your booking deposit included — and let you compare whole numbers.

A volunteer teaching an English class to local students
Accommodation, meals, training and a supervised placement — all inside the one number.

The booking deposit, plainly

Every price we display includes your booking deposit ($249 / £179 / €229 / A$350). It secures your place, counts toward your total, stays valid for a year across multiple programs, and is refunded if we can’t place you.

Accountability

B Corp certification, independently audited. Financial protection on every booking. Local partnerships of ten years and counting. 4.8/5 on independently verified reviews.