Back in 1997, the United Nations declared September 5th the International Day of Charity.#CharityDay is meant to educate and mobilize stakeholders around the world to help others through volunteer and philanthropic activities.

In the intervening decades since #CharityDay was first observed, our world has changed considerably. It is now time for our collective concept of “charity” to evolve as well. According to the Oxford Dictionary, charity is the voluntary giving of help, typically in the form of money, to those in need. But this narrow definition implies a problematic power dynamic. One wherein the people in a position of relative wealth and power are making the decisions about how much (and what kind of) help others deserve.

At the heart of the act of charity lies a desire to help others. And that is something we should continue to encourage. But we must be thoughtful in the way we act on that desire to ensure that our efforts don’t end up causing more harm than good. We must find a way to go beyond the charity mindset of “helping people” to supporting a truly transformational movement that achieves real change in our communities.

To honor the original intent of #CharityDay, use the tips below when searching for your next volunteer opportunity. These will help ensure that you’re engaging in the most respectful, ethical, and sustainable way. 

Focus on skills-based volunteering and avoid Voluntourism

Voluntourism involves short-term ‘projects’ designed to benefit the volunteer, rather than the community being served. Think: playing with kids at an orphanage or teaching English in vulnerable communities. The practice of voluntourism can erode dignity, create dependencies, and reinforce paternalism – ultimately creating more harm than good.

Unlike voluntourism, skills-based volunteering seeks to transfer skills to local groups already developing their own solutions to real problems. This approach keeps the needs of the community being served at the heart of the work. 

Factors to consider when choosing a project

A quick Google search for “skills-based volunteering” will yield over 73 million results. That’s a lot of options to sort through! To help you narrow things down, here are 8 factors to consider when choosing a volunteer engagement:

Skills

Make sure there is a strong alignment of an organization’s needs with your skills. Remember to focus on your real skills. A good place to start is with the skills you already use in your day-to-day job. Remember: if you aren’t qualified to do something in your home country, you aren’t qualified to do it abroad just because the regulations may be different!  

Timing

Find a start date, end date, and duration that is agreeable to all parties. Make sure you do an honest inventory of your commitments and availability so that you don’t overextend yourself. Don’t try and do too much in a short time, or you’ll risk leaving both you and your host dissatisfied. 

Motivations

Be clear about what you and the hosting organization are each hoping to get out of the experience. The more time you spend discussing this upfront, the more you’ll get out of your time on the ground. This also helps to ensure that expectations are met on both sides!

Sustainable Impact

Focus your work on projects that have long-term potential. And also where you can build the skills of people to sustain the projects after you leave. For example, if you’re helping a grassroots organization develop a digital marketing strategy, train someone on the local team in social media best practices. This helps them so they can implement the plan after you’re gone.

Communication

Ensure that you can clearly communicate with each other. If possible, get to know your local point of contact via Skype or email before you arrive on the ground. Doing the pre-work with your host to align around expectations, deliverables, and logistics will pave the way for a successful project. 

Commitment

Both you and the host should invest time and resources in the engagement and agree to certain outcomes. Your host organization shouldn’t be charging you to volunteer, and ideally, they are able to provide some type of benefits in exchange for your skills (like housing while you’re on-site or meals while at the office.)

Ethics

Make sure the project is locally-led, doesn’t erode jobs and is in the best interest of the community. This video from LearningService includes a helpful checklist you can use to ensure it’s a responsible volunteer placement.

Partnership

Work hard to build a partnership that benefits both parties. Before you commit to a project, make sure to begin a dialogue with your host organization to more fully scope and plan your project. A successful engagement is a two-way street! 

For additional guidance and more details about the factors above, check out the MovingWorlds Complete Guide to Volunteering.   

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Done right, volunteering can have a transformative impact on both the volunteer and the community she’s serving. Taking the time to read this article is a testament to your willingness to help, and with the guidance you’ll be empowered to do so ethically and sustainably this #CharityDay! For more tips and resources about volunteering sustainably, check out the MovingWorlds #MakeVolunteeringMatter series.