About Volunteer Abroad for Free

The only platform dedicated to 100% fee-free volunteering worldwide.

Our Story

Nelson Santos founded Volunteer Abroad for Free in 2016. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, with Cuban heritage, Nelson has volunteered across the globe since his twenties — helping communities in need wherever he travels.

His passion for service started early. After witnessing both the generosity of communities and the exploitation of volunteers in the international aid space, he had a clear mission: make authentic, fee-free volunteering accessible to everyone.

The problem he saw: Volunteers were being charged thousands in placement fees by organizations that claimed to help communities. Meanwhile, communities often saw little benefit from these arrangements.

His solution: Build a platform that connects volunteers directly with ethical organizations — without charging anyone.

Our Mission

We exist to make volunteer work accessible and impactful. We connect volunteers with verified organizations that follow ethical standards, and we provide the information people need to choose the right opportunity.

We don't sell you on volunteering. We equip you to volunteer well.

What Makes Us Different

100% Free

We never charge volunteers. Organizations on our platform are verified for ethical practices. If an organization can't provide basic amenities for volunteers, we note that transparently — no hidden fees.

Fully Vetted Organizations

We research every organization before listing them. We verify:

Legal registration
Financial transparency
Community impact
Past volunteer experiences
Ethical practices

Only organizations meeting our standards make the cut.

Real Information

We provide detailed information about every opportunity. Past volunteer reviews, honest assessments of conditions, and clear expectations before you commit.

No Agenda

We're not here to push you toward any particular cause. We present opportunities and let you decide based on your interests, skills, and goals.

Our Values

Your time matters. Volunteering is a gift of yourself. We respect that by providing only authentic opportunities that justify your investment.

Communities first. Our platform exists to serve communities, not exploit them. Every organization we work with must demonstrate genuine community benefit.

Transparency. No hidden fees, no misleading claims, no exaggerated impact statements. What you see is what you get.

Ethical voluntarism. We promote approaches that empower rather than create dependency. The goal is to help communities build their own capacity, not create reliance on outside help.

Our Team

We're a small team with big ambitions. Our experiences as volunteers, organizers, and community members inform everything we do.

We believe in the work because we've done it ourselves.

Join Our Community

Connect with experienced volunteers in our Facebook group. Share stories, ask questions, and learn from others who've been in your shoes.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Contact Us

Have questions about volunteering? Want to list your organization? Just want to say hello?

We'd love to hear from you.

Join us in making the world a little better — one volunteer at a time.