Every Share Helps!

Update: This post has been turned into a video! Check it out here!

So you’re on a volunteer project overseas. You really love the work and the community, but you’re scheduled to wrap up soon. You don’t want to leave—so is there a way to extend your volunteer trip?

Do you have time?

This is a no-brainer; if you have a full-time office job like I do, unfortunately you’ll just have to schedule another trip later. Or beg your boss for a leave extension. And treat all your coworkers to a really great dinner for covering your butt while you were tromping around on the beach, tagging sea turtles.

But let’s say you took some extended leave, but only scheduled your project for part of it? Well…

Do you have money?

Do you have funding to cover an extended stay? This includes:

• Accommodation and food
• Extra program expenses (depending on the volunteer group, you might even get a discount for staying longer)
• Flight change fees
• Other budget items like excursions and souvenirs

If the answer is yes, then figure out…

Is the group ok with it?

Regardless of your budget and time, whether you can extend your volunteer project depends on the group you’re working with.

Some organizations don’t allow their volunteers to extend beyond the time they’re originally scheduled to work. Usually it’s because they don’t have housing for you and the incoming volunteer who will take your spot. I totally made that sound like you’re a drone in a carousel of expendable volunteers, but what I really mean is your physical spot—like the bed you’re sleepin’ in.

On the other hand, your group might be more lenient and even welcoming to the idea of you staying on longer than expected. As long as there’s housing available, and you’re keeping busy with your volunteer project, you can stay on as long as you’d like.

Be sure you know whether your volunteer group is ok with it before changing any travel plans!

Extra stuff

You might consider taking a break between your original project end date and your new start date. As always, check with your group to make sure this is ok.

As an alternate option, you might be interested in moving on to an entirely separate volunteer project. For example, I volunteered with a sea turtle protection group in Costa Rica—a few of the long-term participants hopped around between that organization and another iguana protection group a little farther up the beach. Or they helped out on different projects offered by the same organization (sea turtle protection for a few weeks, then organic farming for a few more).

And as always, if you haven’t volunteered yet, then what are you waiting for? Check out these 430 groups, or use the search box to the right to find one working where you want, on the projects you want!

Image courtesy of Cloud Forest School.