“Why should I pay to volunteer!?” This is a question we get a lot. The answer is no, you certainly do not pay to volunteer in the traditional sense, however, you do have to pay a price to join our projects. A bit contradictory I know, but let us investigate further.
By joining a project with Jamaica International Projects (JIPVOL), you are guaranteed impactful work in local communities where help is needed. While we do not, and could not in good conscience charge you for the selfless act of giving back, there are certain expenses that are inevitable when arranging sustainable and meaningful projects.
The average person will likely find it daunting to plan a volunteer, study abroad or internship project in a foreign country, especially one where you have never visited, and you have no family or friends living there. By booking your project with JIPVOL we remove all the hassle and guesswork out of planning your trip, as we provide you with pre-arrival support to help plan your trip (including obtaining flights and travel insurance), book comfortable accommodations, arrange an impactful project for you and provide you with a full suite of support services, all before you even arrive.
When you are in Jamaica we take you to and from all your scheduled destinations, provide airport transportation, give you 24/7 emergency support services and accompany you to your project site on your first day to help you settle in. Your project is guaranteed to align with your goals and will make a lasting impact on Jamaica.
Our volunteer, internship, and study abroad project costs can be broken down into these 3 fees:
Non-Refundable Processing Fee – This covers our operating expenses, such as office equipment, staffing, volunteer site visits and more. This is included in all projects.
Project Fee – This covers your accommodation, transportation, daily meals and in-country supporting. Only included in full-service projects.
Adventure/Add-On Fees – This covers any additional tours, cultural immersion trips, and adventures that you purchase for your project. This fee is optional.
So, while you do not pay to volunteer directly, the only portion of your you will indeed pay a small fee that helps cover our operating overhead. We are a self-funded organization, and we do not receive government funding or assistance from any outside entity.
We truly believe in making an impact with our projects, so we allocate up to 10% of our fees to go towards donations and supporting our local partners and beneficiaries. This may cover services such as arranging trips to the hardware or stores to purchase supplies, arranging meals and special events, funding health fairs/clinics, hiring advisors and more. The Needs of each project varies, however, we always do our part.
Banking fees, training/ recruiting new staff, securing volunteer files, insurance, membership fees, and other business-related expenses are covered under our administrative duties. This also includes assessing and selecting new volunteer project sites in Jamaica.
Management, hosting, securing and optimizing our website, creating marketing material and running various advertisements are some of the tasks covered in our marketing efforts. We also attend various conventions, workshops and trade shows across the world to promote our projects, as well as to secure crucial partnerships to ensure our projects continue to provide sustainable impact towards the development of Jamaica.
We truly believe in the principle of 100% support, hence this is a big part of our budget. From a robust live chat service, ticketing systems, and various communication services, we provide a truly world-class customer support service. From the moment you contact us, we are available and ready to help you select the right project for you. While you are in Jamaica you receive 24-hour emergency support, and after you leave we support you by providing any documentation or references.
This includes your accommodation, daily transportation to and from your work site, daily meals, airport transfers, and 24-hour emergency support.
We truly believe in making an impact with our projects, so we allocate up to 10% of our fees to go towards donations and supporting our local partners and beneficiaries. This may cover services such as arranging trips to the hardware or stores to purchase supplies, arranging meals and special events, funding health fairs/clinics, hiring advisors and more. The Needs of each project varies, however, we always do our part.
Banking fees, training/ recruiting new staff, securing volunteer files, insurance, membership fees, and other business-related expenses are covered under our administrative duties. This also includes assessing and selecting new volunteer project sites in Jamaica.
Management, hosting, securing and optimizing our website, creating marketing material and running various advertisements are some of the tasks covered in our marketing efforts. We also attend various conventions, workshops and trade shows across the world to promote our projects, as well as to secure crucial partnerships to ensure our projects continue to provide sustainable impact towards the development of Jamaica.
We truly believe in the principle of 100% support, hence this is a big part of our budget. From a robust live chat service, ticketing systems, and various communication services, we provide a truly world-class customer support service. From the moment you contact us, we are available and ready to help you select the right project for you. While you are in Jamaica you receive 24-hour emergency support, and after you leave we support you by providing any documentation or references.