Why pay to volunteer?
Volunteering is unpaid work, so why does it cost money? Here is where your payment goes.
It is a fair question. The short answer: your bed, your meals and the people who look after you all cost money, and the schools, shelters and centers you join cannot afford to pay for them. Your program price covers those costs so the projects get your help without spending their own budgets.
Where your money goes
| What it pays for | Share |
|---|---|
| Your accommodation, meals and services: pickup, orientation, pre-departure information and support | 50% |
| Administration: our office, staff, travel and day-to-day running costs | 25% |
| Placement: finding, arranging and supervising your project | 13% |
| Project support: contributions to the projects and their upkeep | 12% |
What project support means
Part of every program price goes to the projects. On top of that, our coordinators visit regularly to see what each one needs, and we help with things like painting schools and donating books, clothes and computer equipment.
Why our prices are low
Volunteering India is owned and run in India, and all our coordinators live locally. There is no overseas head office to pay for, which keeps our costs, and your price, low.
What your money does not do
- It does not pay projects to take volunteers. Projects ask us for help; we never charge them.
- It does not include flights, visas or insurance, which you arrange yourself.