Is a BeachCorps volunteer vacation a good deal? We think so. A BeachCorps excursion will seem expensive compared to other excursions like bungee jumping and horseback riding. That is because you are not only paying a regular excursion fee (provided by the top-rated Runners Adventures), you are also paying a separate one-time fee to BeachCorps for coordinating the team and advising on the project and a separate donation directly to the cause (BeachCorps does not collect any commission on the donation but gives 100% to the cause).
But BeachCorps actually is an amazing value. The proper comparison of BeachCorps is not to another simple excursion, but to other volunteer vacations. In that case, BeachCorps is a GREAT deal. Unless you stay in a luxury hotel, you will pay less and more of your funds will actually reach the cause. Moreover, you will enjoy the big three BeachCorps difference: 1) you stay in a nice hotel that you pick (which will often be a partner in the project), 2) you support a REAL cause (not one invented by a volunteer vacation) that is backed in most cases by a registered 501c3 US official charity, and 3) we make sure that your volunteer activities (whether work or play) support and don’t hurt the cause or sustainable development.
Most volunteer vacations in the Dominican Republic cost about $2200-$3000 for 8 days (5 days of volunteering, 1 day of rest/fun, and 2 travel days). Compare BeachCorps to other volunteer vacations in terms of price here:
https://www.gooverseas.com/volunteer-abroad/dominican-republic
The bottom line is that there are good and bad volunteer vacations out there, but NO ONE is using the BeachCorps model. We do it better, and we do it for less. We ensure more funding goes directly to great causes and we insist on transparency, accountability, and a strategic plan for creating a positive difference. Ultimately, no other model of volunteer vacations has the BeachCorps potential for truly making a difference in sustainable development, because unlike other models we don’t try to do it all alone. We lead a team effort of private sector companies, nonprofits, local communities, and even sometimes government organizations. And we make sure that the focus of our efforts is primarily on supporting great causes, rather than the hopes and desires (and egos) of volunteers. We know that in the end that will make our volunteer clients happy: if we actually make a difference, and they know that they are a little grain of sand in that effort!
#Voluntourism #SustainableDevelopment #SustainableTourism #SustainableTravel #DominicanRepublic #VolunteerVacation #ImpactTravel
