Volunteer

This fee ($150 for trips that last one month or less; 5% of total incoming funds for trips longer than one month) helps to cover the costs here in the office of running your trips.  This includes receipting your donors for their tax-deductible donations, processing your application, researching which tickets to buy; which guest house to stay in; etc., transferring money as needed, and supporting this website!  We also deduct the cost of your background check from this amount.

This covers things like food, lodging, transportation while you’re in the destination country, and airport entry or exit fees.  Most trips involve one day of tourism.  In that case, those costs are included in this area.

This is usually the most costly part of any trip.  Ticket prices fluctuate vastly according to location, season, date, and apparently the whim of someone at a desk in a high-rise office building somewhere!  We use a travel agent who can generally get us the best prices and also provides 24 hour emergency help in the event that your flight is delayed or cancelled.

This includes costs such a building materials for a construction team; curriculum, crafts, and snacks for a VBS or kid’s camp; or sports equipment and team t-shirts for a sports team.  Some trips (for example, a prayer walk team) may not have supply costs.

Perhaps the most-overlooked part of a short-term trip is the preparation beforehand- physical, emotional, and spiritual.  We encourage our teams to use a fantastic resource called CultureLink as they prepare for their trip.  Additionally, a representative from World Partners will schedule a pre-trip meeting with your team (when geographically possible) to go over last minute questions and general tips and suggestions for international travel.

Let us know! We'd be happy to walk you through what it looks like to volunteer on a short-term trip with World Partners.

We live in an ever-changing world.  As borders shrink and people become more globally mobile, knowing what’s happening in the world around us becomes more important. This is especially true if you’re planning an international trip. Your safety is our highest priority.  It is important to understand, however, that any trip involves potential dangers and risks which must be considered and weighed carefully.

We at World Partners monitor political situations in the countries where we’re sending teams very carefully.  We use a combination of information from our staff and affiliates on the field, embassy notices, and national government warnings to decide if and when a trip should be postponed or cancelled.  

A passport is issued by a person’s home country and is required for most travel across international borders. U.S. passports are usually valid for ten years and cost $115.
A valid passport is required for US citizens to travel outside of the country with few exceptions. Most airlines require that a person’s passport be valid for at least six months after a traveler’s return trip.
More About Passports

If it becomes necessary to postpone or cancel your trip because of political unrest or security, you will be contacted as soon as possible by World Partners staff or your team leader.  Whenever possible, the trip will be re-scheduled either at a safer time, or possibly re-located to a safe location.  You will be informed as decisions are made.