Travelers' Philanthropy Handbook - Center for Responsible Travel

Sojourns so 100% of the donors’ funds go directly to the projects. We are currentlyforming our own 501(c)3.• Do Travelers Visit Project Sites?So far, only clients who go on our designated GSGC trips visit the projects. We are nowmaking it possible for clients on customized itineraries can visit the projects in ways thatmutually benefit the guests and the communities in a meaningful manner.• Do You Offer Opportunities for Voluntourism?Our GSGC trips are designed for travelers/participants to learn about the issues facingour local partners and the work that they are doing to address those issues. Our time onthese trips is spent connecting, listening, and learning rather than “doing”. GlobalSojourns is not averse to providing hands-on assistance but only in circumstanceswhere there is a specific request from our partners and we happen to have skills thatmeet our partner’s need.Our visits to the projects last only 1-3 days so participants barely have enough time tolearn about the local issues and the work of our partners. We believe that the mosteffective use of the GSGC trips is to initiate relationships between donors and partnersso that participants can return home and share their experiences with others. The realgoal is raising funds for our partners.On GSGC trips, we participate in activities such as a taking the orphans and vulnerablechildren (who we support with school fees and supplies) on outings to, for instance,Victoria Falls. We have found this to be an effective way to deepen our connections andto explore and learn about local areas together.• What Type of Educational Materials Do You Give to Travelers?Information about the Giving Circles andthe projects we support is on ourwebsite. In addition, we host conferencecalls before the trips and provide anelectronic hand-out to each travelergoing on a GSGC trip. The hand-outfocuses on topics such as theimportance of learning, being aware ofcultural differences and traveling with anopen mind, different theories ofinternational development, how issuesare generally more complicated thanthey look from the perspective of a shortvisit, and what travelers can do toGSGC members give ‘comfort dolls’ to staff at a pediatrichospital, Livingstone, Zambia.Credit: Global Sojourns.capture information during the journey and share what they have learned when theyreturn home.80