NGO volunteer work
from around the world

50,000+ projects

local communities, individuals and families

162 Countries

for volunteering, working and cultural exchange

578816 Feedbacks

the world‘s leading community

Low cost travel

without having to pay expensive agency fees

NGO volunteer work from around the world - Workaway

Here at Workaway you will find 1005 hosts and organisations for ngo volunteer work.
Low cost travel without having to pay expensive agency fees.


Volunteering around the world with NGOs

Feedback from Workaway members

There are 9786 reviews for 733 Workaway hosts for NGO help from Workaway members.
733 Hosts for NGO were rated at least 4.9/5!

Natalia y Andreas han cumplido un sueño y han creado un lugar maravilloso. Nuestra acogida fue cálida, amable y respetuosa desde el primer momento. Am...

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A treasure for those seeking a more compasionate life. People are so kind. Food is superb. The surrounding land is peaceful. Meditation pujas every da...

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This place is seriously special, and immediately one of the best Workaway experiences I have ever had. I stayed here for around a month and a half, an...

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This is my first workaway. At first I was very nervous,but the host family and teams were so kind. I think stay there is one of the best choice in my ...

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It was one of the best volunteer experience I had in my life <3
I was in Cusco for 3 months, Peru is such a special place and the people are so niceee...

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Workaway volunteering with an NGO

Would you like to travel and give something back to the communities you visit at the same time? Do you want to make the world a better place? Have you got skills you’d like to share? Do you want to learn new skills while helping others? If the answer to any of these questions is ‘YES’, then volunteering with an NGO could be the perfect choice for you.


First things first – what is an NGO?

NGO stands for non-governmental organization. These are non-profit charities or groups set up by ordinary citizens that operate independently of governments. There are more than 10 million NGOs worldwide, and they can be local, national or international. All of them work with volunteers in some capacity.

Some NGOs are extremely well known, such as Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam, the World Wildlife Fund and Save the Children. Others are tiny in comparison, and work very locally, on the ground with a specific community. But all NGOs have a mission and work to provide support to people, animals, and the environment in some way. Some NGOs work to improve policy; others offer direct help with issues related to poverty or mental health, for example; some do a mixture of these, and they all rely upon donations and volunteering from ordinary citizens to achieve their goals.

Do you want to know more about how you can become involved with the mission of an NGO, working for positive and sustainable change in the world? Keep reading and learn about some of our Workaway hosts’ initiatives in amazing locations.


What sort of volunteers do NGOs need?

The NGOs on Workaway are usually quite small organizations. They are looking for volunteers who are highly motivated, and who either want to share a skill or would like to gain work experience abroad. NGOs almost always need more staff than they have and so they rely on volunteers to help them with office work, fundraising, public relations, and even manual labour. They often welcome creative and talented people who can help to keep their causes relevant and in the public’s eye.

This means that volunteering for an NGO lets you do invaluable work as you support the local community. Volunteers with experience in different areas, such as business development, tech skills or financial knowledge, will find countless opportunities to apply their skills and help the organization. And if you have trained in these areas, but don’t have much hands-on experience yet, you can gain practical international work experience for your CV while travelling abroad and helping these organizations and the lives of those less fortunate.


What will I do as a volunteer for an NGO?

NGOs always need help from volunteers, and there are many possibilities for volunteering with NGOs. What you do will depend on how long you plan to stay and what your skills are. For example, volunteers opting for a short stay might help out with teaching, looking after animals, writing proposals for fundraising, sharing IT skills or doing research on future opportunities.

The longer you stay, the more responsibilities you will be trusted with, and the more fun the volunteering becomes. But one thing is sure – you’ll learn a lot and you’ll end up doing whatever it is you do best! Business development (good fundraising ideas), marketing (photos and videos), IT (website, database, mailings), general admin, answering emails, filing… It’s not always necessary to have relevant experience when applying to volunteer with an nonprofit organization, the most important thing is that you are eager to help and enthusiastic about supporting the cause. If that sounds like you, then why are you waiting? Check out the different NGOs with host profiles on Workaway!


Why volunteer through Workaway?

Workaway has more than 50,000 opportunities all over the world, among them nearly a 1000 NGOs, all looking for volunteers. Browse our host lists to find incredible opportunities all over the world to help meaningful community projects.


Seven benefits to volunteering with Workaway

Volunteering is always associated with doing good and it’s obvious that giving your time and effort to supporting an NGO will help the organization and the local community. But what’s in it for you?

  • Learning – volunteering for an NGO will give you practical hands-on experience that may be very useful for your CV. It may even be possible to turn it into credits, if your volunteering opportunity with an NGO is acknowledged as an internship by your university. Most importantly, your volunteering experience abroad will teach you important lessons that will last you a lifetime. And you might even learn a new language!
  • People – volunteering abroad is a great chance to meet people from different cultures and walks of life. You’ll connect with the local community and meet people an ordinary traveller would never get to meet. You’ll also meet other volunteers who have similar values and interests as you. Get ready to make new friends for life!
  • New experiences – volunteering is a brilliant way to get a new perspective on the world. Issues that used to seem like big problems in your life may seem trivial after your volunteer experience. Volunteer for an NGO and come back a stronger person.
  • Health – research has shown that volunteering leads to better health and a better state of mind. People who volunteer are healthier, function better and suffer from depression less. Get ready to volunteer and be happier.
  • Travel – this is your chance to explore the world and to discover some of the most interesting places the world has to offer. These are often places ordinary tourists never see! Plus you’ll be travelling while contributing to a meaningful cause.
  • Fun – there is more to an amazing volunteering experience than simply working. Make time for sightseeing and exploring and you’re set for a lifechanging adventure.
  • Feed your passion – if you care about helping animals, alleviating some of the impacts of poverty, or about the environment, you don’t leave that passion at home when you travel: pack it and take it with you. Workaway offers volunteers hundreds of opportunities to channel their energy in ways that matter. Just check out our blog post covering marine conservation volunteering as an example and see for yourself!

How to find an opportunity volunteering with an NGO on Workaway – the next steps

Workaway is the world’s leading community for volunteering and cultural exchange. Lone travellers will find plenty of opportunities to meet and connect with the locals, but Workaway also offers many opportunities for couples, friends and families. Workaway has more than 50,000 opportunities all looking for volunteers, and among them are nearly 1000 NGOs. Volunteering with an NGO is the perfect way to make travelling affordable anywhere in the world, or to allow you to travel for longer. Whether you want to visit coastal paradises, inland cities or farms, or get right off the beaten track and immerse yourself in wild nature and local life, the perfect NGO is waiting to hear from you. It doesn’t matter whether you are exploring during your summer holidays, or seeking a gap year adventure, there are plenty of volunteering opportunities which will guarantee you have the time of your life.

Like other volunteering opportunities, Workaway NGO volunteers save money on accommodation, while travelling on vacation, or when living nomadically. NGO volunteers can experience living like locals in different countries and cultures around the world, for anything from a few weeks to several months. There are plenty of NGO volunteering opportunities available all over the world on the Workaway site. When using the Workaway search tool, just tick the “NGO” box on the host search page and start choosing from the almost 1000 NGO hosts currently looking for volunteers all over the world.


Who can become a Workaway NGO volunteer?

So you’ve decided you want to volunteer for an NGO and support those less fortunate. Check out a few projects that spark your interest, to begin with, and then follow these three easy steps.

  • First, take a look at the location of the project and decide whether it would be a location you are willing to travel to. Double check to see whether the NGO implements a small daily charge to volunteers to help cover costs, and confirm how many hours you will be expected to work too. (To learn more about the Workaway host-volunteer exchange, click here.)
  • Join Workaway so you can get in touch with the NGO organization abroad and see whether your expectations and your schedule match up.
  • Once you know your destination, start sorting out the practicalities before setting off on your life-changing adventure!

A selection of great opportunities for volunteering with an NGO on Workaway

Check out some of the volunteer opportunities with NGOs abroad that will let you create a positive impact. It’s sure to be a life-changing experience that will give you the chance to get closer to the local community, whether you travel to Africa, Asia, Europe or South America to help local people. Find out more about incredible projects that help you give back while you travel on the Workaway blog!


Volunteering with an NGO and healthcare

If you are planning to visit any country as a volunteer and not as a tourist, you must have the correct visa. To find out about the latest requirements, you need to contact the Embassy in your home country before travelling. And please don’t forget to take out appropriate insurance to make sure you qualify for healthcare!

Volunteering for an NGO can be a fantastic way to travel, learn new skills and to get to know a new place at a low cost. For NGOs, it’s a brilliant way to get the help they need. If you’re ready for an adventure that involves making the world a better place, meeting new people, exploring new places, and getting that fuzzy warm feeling that comes from being useful, then why wait any longer? Join Workaway and get planning your trip! And once you’re there, getting stuck into the work, remember to get out and visit the area as much as possible – you’re still a traveller after all!