Prospective volunteers are surprised to learn that many programs charge their volunteers a fee to participate. At first, this can seem ridiculous — why should you pay money to work for free? Aren't you already forgoing income you could be making? Here are a few things to keep in mind while trying to understand why the vast majority of programs charge international volunteers a fee: All short-term international volunteer programs have a program fee which covers the expenses of operating the program. Below is an excerpt on international volunteering that helps to explain the necessity of a fee.

The costs of

• recruiting volunteers
• producing literature
• answering the phones
• sending mailings
• developing a website and
• Interviewing potential volunteers are significant.

While going through an organized program one can also have its pitfalls, the benefits included in paying a fee:

• Orientation - This usually includes important pre-departure reading material as well as on-site orientation on local culture, history, and customs.
• Language and technical training
• Arranged accommodations - A supportive and caring home stay environment provides an important connection to the culture and a first-hand view of social and political events in country.
• A Safety net - Staffs are there to provide logistical and emotional support.
• Clear expectations - The volunteer’s responsibilities are clear and well-defined.
• Affordability - When you calculate the difference between travelling to a country on your own and the cost of participating in a program, you might be surprised by how little the difference is.

Of course, many people successfully arrange their own volunteer programs. But in virtually every case, those who come away with a satisfying experience have strong ties in the host country as well as technical experience or specialized skills.

Even with an organization, there is no guarantee that the experience will be 100 percent trouble-free. Those who want such guarantees should probably consider a vacation on a cruise ship.

SEPTEMBER 10 advice to the would-be volunteer with good intentions, great organizational skills, and a real interest in international development and cross-cultural education is to allow an experienced organization to channel that energy, intelligence, good intentions into an established volunteer program.

Click here to see the SEPTEMBER 10 program fee.

Click here to see more details on where does the money go for your volunteering fee? And how SEPTEMBER 10 applies the volunteer's program fee towards its operations and what the fee covers while in-country.