There are many excellent volunteer vacations (and other not so good voluntourism), but none are based on great vacations supporting worthy nonprofits through people-to-people engagement. It's not about changing the world in one vacation; it's about using regular, fun vacations to empower existing great causes, little by little, one day at a time. It's about projects where the heroes are the locals
working to improve their lives and their communities, not the volunteers. This is the philosophy of the BeachCorps motto: "A Little Grain of Sand." One volunteer's impact means little; a hundred volunteers' impact over time means a lot. Then follow us on social media. See www.beachcorps.com for more info. The Dominican Republic is perfect for developing this new kind of tourism, with it beautiful beaches and hotels, proximity to the USA, abundant quality volunteer opportunities, and vibrant culture that welcomes foreign tourists. BeachCorps will develop mass market “voluntourism” in the Dominican Republic the way ecotourism developed in Costa Rica, creating a new tool for helping people everywhere, while avoiding the mistakes of other voluntourism models that contributed to a culture of dependency. Unlike other impact travel models, BeachCorps will combine the power of four channels of support for established, worthy nonprofit causes: 1) the work of volunteers, 2) direct donations from volunteers to worthy causes, 3) people-to-people engagement that educates, inspires and uplifts, and 4) the strength of social media so volunteers can testify to worthy causes once they confirm them in person. BeachCorps is founded on sound sustainable development principles and lessons learned from existing volunteer vacations. BeachCorps: 1) avoids one-off projects designed to please volunteers, creating instead sustainable projects with real impact; 2) knows that the funds volunteers contribute have more impact than the work; 3) empowers beneficiaries and avoids a culture of dependency; 4) partners with other businesses to create win-win scenarios; 5) knows that the best way to help people is by helping to develop great nonprofits and networks of support; 6) ensures volunteer work supports and does not undermine local employment, and; 7) promotes transparency by clearly separating vacation expenses from donations to a worthy nonprofit cause. 100% of your donation goes to the cause.
