September Snapshot: GoVoluntouring
For the month of September, we’d like to introduce you to GoVoluntouring, a resource for both volunteer travelers and volunteer programs.
What They’re About
GoVoluntouring is a website that exists to “connect participants (whether they be volunteers, teachers, coaches and learners) with programs that match their unique needs and interests.” They hope, that through these partnerships they can continue to enact “global grassroots social, cultural, and environmental change.”
Founded by Aaron Smith, former VP Marketing with Flight Centre North America, GoVoluntouring was designed to bridge conventional travel with more purposeful and impactful options. Its roots are stem from a Royal Roads University assignment called The Venture Challenge that demanded a social enterprise be created to empower social groups and improve our environmental footprint in the absence of start-up capital.
The website went live on September 5th with a diverse (and fast growing) number of project choices. They employ a qualifying format as important to the volunteer, as it is to the volunteer program.
How it works
GoVoluntouring has a variety of “filters” by which an organization, or individual can search for volunteer programs. Let’s say I want to go to Australia to teach overseas for 6 months. I can select these specifications and GoVoluntouring will provide me with programs that match my requirements. Though they exist as a match-maker of sorts, GoVoluntouring encourages their users to ask themselves what they really want from their volunteer trip, do outside research, and, as the final decision-maker, find their own “perfect match.”
GoVoluntouring is not just a resource for individuals only though; they are a platform for non-profits to be seen and supported at no cost and offer “test driving” options for For-Profit orgs. They welcome For-Profit organizations to give them a try before committing to a paid partnership.
Smith notes that these for-profit organizations are hugely important in a great many ways. In many cases, it is these organizations that resonate with first-time volunteers. They blend local tours, and more conventional tourist offerings in their deliverables, and provide balanced holiday alternatives not to say this is exclusive to For-Profits either, but margin can often allow for breadth of services. In time, it will be the for-profits that will make this a sustainable venture and their presence will ultimately assist their non-profit colleagues.
Whether you’re a volunteer program and GoVoluntouring piques your interest, contact them about becoming a partner and potential match for those searching. If you’re a volunteer, why not start your search to find the ideal match for your voluntour trip!
