Volunteer abroad websites are the easiest way to find projects where you help other people in exchange for a place to stay, meals, or a life experience money can't buy. Volunteering around the world pushes you out of your comfort zone, connects you with people from other cultures and, along the way, makes you practice other languages every single day.
Here are the volunteer websites I know and recommend, from the big names like Worldpackers, Workaway, and AIESEC to organizations like TETO and the São Paulo Red Cross, which are perfect if you dream of volunteering in Brazil. If you're looking for sites like Workaway, I give you a quick summary of what each platform offers, so you can pick the one that fits your trip.
And if Brazil is your destination, let me tell you as a Brazilian: you don't need perfect Portuguese to volunteer in Brazil, but showing up with the basics changes the whole experience. At the end of the post I share resources to learn Portuguese before you go. And if you're after a paid job instead, check out these job search sites for Brazil.
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List of Volunteer Websites
The volunteer abroad websites on this list work in two ways: work exchange platforms, where you help a few hours a day in exchange for a bed and meals (Workaway, Worldpackers, HelpX, and WWOOF), and organizations with programs or social causes (AIESEC, TETO, IVHQ, the Red Cross, and Idealist). If you're looking for sites like Workaway, this table shows you at a glance which one suits you best.
| Platform | Type of volunteering | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldpackers | Work exchange at hostels, NGOs, and eco projects | Accommodation and, sometimes, meals | Backpackers and long trips |
| AIESEC | Global volunteer programs for young people | Experience and leadership development | Students and recent graduates |
| Workaway | Work exchange with host families, hostels, and projects | Accommodation and meals | Travelers with a flexible schedule |
| TETO | Housing construction and social projects in Latin America | Community experience | Anyone who wants to help in Latin America and Brazil |
| WWOOF | Work on organic farms | Meals, accommodation, and hands-on learning | Lovers of rural life |
| IVHQ | Organized programs in more than 40 countries | Paid program with accommodation and local support | Your first time volunteering abroad |
| HelpX | Helping out in homes, farms, and hostels | Meals and accommodation | Travelers looking for variety |
| Red Cross São Paulo | Humanitarian aid and first aid | Training and humanitarian experience | Anyone living in or spending a season in São Paulo |
| Idealist | Search engine for NGOs and social causes | In-person or remote volunteer opportunities | Anyone who wants to help locally or from home |
Heads up: most work exchange platforms charge a membership fee before you can message hosts, so check the terms on the official website before you pay. And if your plan is to volunteer around the world while you practice languages, it helps to know how to go about learning two languages at once without mixing them up.
Worldpackers
Worldpackers is a collaborative platform that connects you with hosts all over the world so you can travel by trading your skills for accommodation.
Whether you want to save money on your trip, immerse yourself in the local culture, or build new skills, you can use Worldpackers on vacation, while backpacking, or during a gap year.
There are hostels, guesthouses, NGOs, communities, and eco projects where you can help out and get free accommodation, meals, and other perks in return.
More than a million travelers and hosts from 170 countries are part of the community!
Official Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter - Youtube
AIESEC
AIESEC is a global platform for finding volunteer opportunities where young people explore and develop their leadership potential.
It's a non-political, independent, nonprofit organization run by students and recent graduates of higher education institutions.
Its members are interested in global issues, leadership, and management. AIESEC does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or national or social origin.
Official Website - Instagram - Facebook - LinkedIn - Twitter - Youtube
Workaway
Workaway is an international hospitality service that lets members contact each other to arrange homestays and cultural exchanges. Volunteers, or "Workawayers", are expected to put in an agreed number of hours per day in exchange for accommodation and meals provided by their host.
Official Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter - Pinterest
TETO
TETO is what TECHO is called in Brazil: "teto" simply means "roof" in Portuguese. The official link below takes you to the Brazilian branch, one of the best options if you want to volunteer in Brazil on social projects in local communities.
TECHO, also known as Un Techo para mi País (UTPMP), is a nonprofit organization that mobilizes young volunteers to fight extreme poverty in Latin America by building transitional housing and running social inclusion programs.
It was founded by a Jesuit priest and, with more than 720,000 volunteers, has built homes for more than 102,400 families in 19 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Official Website - Instagram - Facebook - LinkedIn - Twitter - Youtube
WWOOF
World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF, / ˈwʊf /), or Willing Workers on Organic Farms, is a hospitality service run by a network of national organizations that arrange stays on organic farms.
WWOOF aims to give volunteers (often called "WWOOFers" or "woofers") first-hand experience with organic and ecologically sound growing methods, to support the organic movement, and to let volunteers experience life in a rural setting or in a different country.
WWOOF volunteers usually don't get paid for their work. The host provides meals, accommodation, and learning opportunities in exchange for help with farming or gardening activities.
Official Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter - Youtube
INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER HQ
International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ) is an organization that offers structured international volunteer programs, with projects in teaching, healthcare, the environment, and construction. Unlike Workaway or Worldpackers, here you pay for a program that includes accommodation and local support, which is ideal if it's your first time volunteering abroad.
Since it started in 2007, IVHQ has grown from offering projects in 5 countries to more than 40 in 2019. Its volunteer projects cover a wide range of skills, including childcare, teaching, medicine, wildlife, the environment, construction, art, sports, and NGO support.
There's also refugee support, women's empowerment, sea turtle conservation, community development, elderly care, and special needs care.
IVHQ has placed more than 90,000 international volunteers in more than 40 countries.
Official Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter - Youtube - Snapchat
HELPX
"Help Exchange", or "HelpX", is an online platform that connects volunteers, or helpers, who are looking for accommodation instead of a salary with hosts who need a hand.
Helpers pitch in with the different tasks, projects, or activities listed on the network.
Arrangements can vary, but both sides agree on them in advance. The platform lets hosts see the volunteers' skills and cultural background.
Volunteers usually commit to four or five hours of work, five days a week, in exchange for meals and accommodation provided by the host.
THE RED CROSS - BRAZIL - SÃO PAULO
The Red Cross (in Portuguese, Cruz Vermelha) is one of the most serious options for volunteering in Brazil if you already live there or will be spending a long stretch in São Paulo. Here you will need Portuguese for the training and the community work, so I recommend these tips to learn Portuguese in Brazil.
It's the largest humanitarian organization in the world, present in 190 countries, and it works to protect life and health, seeking to prevent and reduce human suffering.
The Red Cross carries out its work without any distinction based on nationality, gender, social status, religion, or political opinion.
Since 1912, the Brazilian Red Cross in São Paulo has been running humanitarian assistance and social programs, with a strong focus on disaster management, first aid training (Primeiros Socorros), and health promotion.
Official Website - Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter - Youtube
IDEALIST
Idealist is a free search engine for volunteer opportunities, jobs, and internships at NGOs and social organizations around the world. It's one of the most complete volunteer websites if you want to help in your own city or remotely.
Idealist was born to solve a problem.
It connects idealists, people who want to get things done, with opportunities to take action and collaborate.
With more than 100,000 organizations and 1.4 million visits worldwide, it works every day so that more people around the world can turn their good intentions into action.
As for Idealist's values: acting with generosity and mutual respect, with no violence and no attacks on anyone for who they are. And never making decisions about people without them.
Official Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter - Youtube
Now that you know some websites to find volunteer work around the world, check out the videos below for more details about what it's like to go live in another country while helping out.
RELATED VIDEOS
Volunteering in Brazil: Do You Need to Speak Portuguese?
To volunteer in Brazil, you won't always be asked for fluent Portuguese, but having a foundation helps a lot. At Worldpackers or Workaway hostels you can often get by in English or Spanish, while on social projects like TETO or the Red Cross you'll be living alongside communities where almost everyone speaks only Portuguese.
We Brazilians really appreciate it when a volunteer makes the effort to speak our language, even with mistakes. If you already speak some Spanish, Portuguese will feel familiar, but watch out for portuñol, that Spanish-Portuguese mix that slips out without you noticing. Here are a few resources to help you show up prepared:
- Greetings and farewells in Brazilian Portuguese
- Portuguese false friends that will embarrass you
- What portuñol is, with examples
- Speaking Portuguese fluently: 11 habits
- WhatsApp groups to practice Portuguese
- Free Brazilian Portuguese guide in PDF
And if you fall in love with Brazil after volunteering (it happens more often than you'd think), take a look at these scholarships to study in Brazil or, if you end up in Minas Gerais, the language exchange groups in Belo Horizonte.
Main Media Outlets in Brazil
If you're looking for news from Brazil, check out the main Brazilian TV channels and media outlets.
Brazilian Portuguese Vocabulary, Culture, and Real Usage
- [PDF] Learn Brazilian Portuguese – Complete Guide and Study Path
- Greetings and Farewells in Brazilian Portuguese (Formal and Informal)
- Brazilian Portuguese Swear Words: Meanings and When Not to Use Them
- Best Brazilian Portuguese Podcasts to Improve Listening
- Typical Brazilian Food: A Complete Guide by Region
- Fruits in Portuguese: Vocabulary You’ll Hear Every Day in Brazil
