I want to add my voice to the chorus of those who encourage you to give more thoughtful consideration when presented with the opportunity to volunteer abroad.
Reflecting on the high and low points I experienced on three international volunteer trips, which, for the purpose of anonymity I'll refer to as A, B, and C, I think three is good enough for me.
To be clear, I'm very glad that I participated in these three trips and am tremendously appreciative of the opportunities for many of reasons. However, when I think about why I opted into each of these trips, I also have to acknowledge that who I was back in 2013, when I volunteered for A and B, and who I am now, when I volunteered for C, are rather different people, and, as such, I invariably have to ask myself the uncomfortable question: "Is it worth it for me to do these kinds of trips anymore?"
Removing the feel-good aspect of doing volunteer work from the equation, I want to truly understand whether this trip in specific, and future potential trips in general, are worth the vacation days and the time spent away from friends, family, and work.
"Worth" is challenging and awkward to define when it comes to whether one should volunteer; opinions will vary greatly on the matter.
For the purpose of this post, I'll define "worth" in terms of opportunity cost, utilization, organizational fit, and the desire to help others in need.
Opportunity Cost
In 2013, I left a job that I really disliked and was in a difficult place in my personal life. I desired a change from my normal routine, a chance to reanalyze who I was and what I wanted to be. I needed to figure out what I really cared about. Living in Vietnam to volunteer for A and B at that particular time in my life turned out to be an enriching experience and helped me answer those important questions by the time I returned to Seattle in August of 2014.
In the nearly two years since that last trip, a lot has changed my life. My wife and I are considering starting a family, I have a new job that I enjoy, and I'm working on some very interesting and entertaining side projects. The opportunity cost for me to join this trip with C now is much greater than the opportunity cost was of going to Vietnam back in 2013.
Utilization
Simply put, neither A nor C had fully utilized my breadth of experiences and skills. Conversely, to our mutual benefit B provided a very intense week of work that put me at 100% from wake to sleep.
Let's assume for a moment that I could apply these experiences and skills back in the States to make money--this loops back to opportunity cost. In theory, it would probably be easier and more effective for me to simply donate part of that salary so that somebody else with a different opportunity cost can go on the trip and reap even more personal value that I could have if I went.
Organizational Fit
The further I progress in my own career and individual projects, the more I find it increasingly difficult to find organizations, be them non- or for-profit, that meet my standards for leadership and management.
Without going into too much detail here, one of the big challenges I perceived with A and C was ineffective leadership and on-the-ground management, leaving quite a lot to be desired in terms of communication, organization, and proper and effective use of human and financial resources.
From this, I've to the rather jaded and cynical understanding that this may just be the nature of the beast when it comes to small non-profit organizations: some, if not many, lack the sophistication, maturity, and organizational structure that meets my particular bar such that I'd consider getting involved.
If I'm not satisfied or happy with the management style, then why bother sacrificing my personal time to volunteer with them? Again, I could have just as easily make money through my regular job and on projects I enjoy, make a donation, and let someone else who doesn't mind the management style go instead.
The Desire to Help Others in Need
As my life priorities change, so, too, does the need to travel to volunteer. If I want to do volunteer work, there are far more opportunities in Seattle for me to consider.
Having had that desire myself, I still very much respect someone's passion to travel abroad to help improve the lives of those in underdeveloped areas. If they have the life situation that permits it, then more power to them.
On this trip, I realized that one doesn't have to make volunteer travel trips their life responsibility. Sharing the opportunities with others, who in turn could spread the word about what's going on in the rest of the world with their own network, could be equally if not far more effective.
When looked at from these variables, perhaps these kinds of trips aren't actually really worth it for me anymore.
So, Who Should Volunteer Abroad Then?
Indeed, I'm not advocating not to engage in volunteer travel trips.
There are plenty of people with different life situations--skills and experiences included--who could both add value to and reap personal enriching experiences from non-profit organizations doing work abroad. Be they a newly minted college graduate, someone in need of a career change, or a retiree looking to have a little adventure while helping others, there are all sorts of people with an equally wide range of valid reasons for wanting to volunteer abroad.
Assuming you only volunteer abroad once in your life, then the key, of course, is to do the math to ensure that whatever you do is a good fit, at the very least based on the four variables I listed above.
How to Assess If Volunteering is Right for You
If after reading this far into this post you, the reader, are still interested in participating in an international volunteer trip, then I would highly recommend that you assess if it's the right thing for you to do for yourself. Start by taking complete stock of your skill sets, experiences, salary, vacation time, etc. and really think about the opportunity cost that you're willing to incur.
Then, do your research. Find a few opportunities with different organizations, and then get a better understanding of the leadership and management team of each of those organizations, especially of those with whom you'll be working with on the ground.
Remember, nonprofit organizations are always in need of resources, both human capital and financial. So, when the management team of an organization finds out that someone like you is interested in volunteering for an organization like theirs, they're going to put on a decent sales pitch with stories that will tug at your heartstrings and stroke your ego (yes, this happened to me). Analyze the organization as objectively as possible, making sure that it's going to be a good fit for you in terms of your skills and experiences skill, personal goals, personality, and desired culture.
To give you an example of what to look for, let's consider Doctors Without Borders.
It is very important for DWB to have both medical and non-medical volunteers willing to get involved at a ground level, and they will most certainly put your skills to good use. You can tell the seriousness and maturity of DWB by their rigorous interview process and the length of their international travel engagements, which is typically nine to twelve months. Medical and non-medical volunteers alike will manage a wide range of tasks under some of the most challenging circumstances one might face for not being a local where the work is taking place. Most of the volunteers are skilled in their craft, experienced with DWB, and mature in how they run the operations. Overall, it's a net win.
I'm sure that there are plenty of other organizations with similar levels of maturity and organizational structure that also need the onsite help, and, equally as important, will put all of your skills to good use. However, if through your own research you find that what the prospective organization offers is anything less than what you want and expect for your own donated time and efforts, then it's definitely worth it for you to look elsewhere.
And, above all else, remember that if you don't want to volunteer because it won't be a good use of your time and efforts, then you can always make a donation that could allow for someone else to go in your place.
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