Why this ledger exists
We started Volunteer Tourist because too many "volunteer" listings online are just tour packages with a good story attached. We check every project before it goes in the directory: who runs it, where the money goes, and whether the community actually asked for help. If a project doesn't pass, it doesn't get listed. That's the whole job.
This page explains what we check, who we've heard from, and the numbers behind the directory so far.
Our verification standards
Every NGO on this site goes through the same four checks. We re-check every listed project on a schedule, not just once at sign-up.
Financial transparency
We ask every host to show where volunteer fees go, accommodation, materials, staff wages, program costs. If an NGO won't open its books to us, it doesn't get a "Verified" stamp, and it doesn't go in the directory.
Community consent
The community has to have asked for the project, and stay part of deciding how it runs. We look for local leadership and local hiring, not an outside group deciding what a village needs.
No orphanage tourism
We do not list orphanages or short-term childcare placements. Rotating strangers through a child's life is not something we'll put our name on, full stop. We list education and family-support projects staffed by trained local workers instead.
Ongoing check-ins
Verification isn't a one-time badge. We follow up with hosts and past volunteers on a regular schedule and pull listings that stop meeting the standard.
What people on the ground tell us
I've done clinic placements through other sites before and never got a straight answer about staffing or hours. Here I could see the skill level they actually needed before I applied, so I knew I wasn't just filling a gap for a photo. Registered nurse, placed on a rural health project
Getting verified meant sending over our expense records and letting them talk to our village council directly, not just to me. It took longer than other platforms, but the volunteers who come through now already understand how we work. Director, partner NGO