There are several criteria to consider: availability, the minimum and maximum duration, and the possible arrival timeframes.
First of all, the vast majority of the programs on Volunteer World welcome volunteers continuously throughout the year, so travel dates are often flexible. In those cases, there is no start, or ending date of the program and you can join at any time. So, just apply for your preferred dates. Those can still be changed at a later stage as explained here. In this article, you'll find all our tips to arrange the timeframe of your volunteering experience.
1. Check the availability of a program
To check if your preferred program is closed for some months of the year, you'll find this information in the section "Availability" on the program page. This looks like the screenshot below:
2. Check the minimum and maximum duration
You can see the required minimum duration and the maximal possible duration on the program's overview:
Note: all volunteering programs with children (e.g. Childcare and Education) require always a minimum stay of 4 weeks as if it is part of our ethical standards to prioritize the wellbeing of the children.
3. Verify the arrival information
Depending on the program, it is often required to arrive on certain days of the week or at certain hours. Furthermore, the host organization is often offering some tips or services (e.g. airport transfer) for you to arrive safely and efficiently on-site. You will find all this information in the section "Details on arrival" on the program page that looks like this screenshot below:
4. Get more support
In case you wish for more support based on your personal situation, e.g. you wish to ask for exceptions regarding the minimum duration, or more help to organize your arrival on-site, the right contact person will be the local coordinator of the host program. Don't hesitate to contact them to ask for any details about the availability or any question about the coordination of your stay. They are always happy to help their future volunteers to join them! :)
You'll find the button to send them directly a message on the program page. It looks like this:
Of course, if you need assistance with anything else the Volunteer World's team is more than happy to do so! :) You can contact us via our chat or via e-mail.