The Travel Foundation

Charities and NGOs

• Earthwatch Institute

  Earthwatch Institute engages people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. It runs field research projects in some 40 countries, which rely on volunteers not just for financial support but also as integral members of the research team. For some volunteers this is an alternative to traditional tourism or eco-tourism; in addition, some projects specifically address the development of sustainable tourism as part of their conservation focus.

• Endangered Wildlife Trust

  The Pacuare Nature reserve is a working reserve on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica owned by English charity, the Endangered Wildlife Trust, since its foundation in 1989.  It has over a thousand hectares of forest and six kilometres of beach which is the most important nesting beach in Costa Rica of the giant leatherback turtles. Patrolling the beach by guards and visitors has reduced poaching to almost nil and the forest holds about 30 species of mammals.  Accommodation for visitors varies from large semi private house to beach side cabanas to simpler rooms for volunteers. We recycle all our rubbish, make compost and rely on solar panels and candles for light.

• Nurture Lakeland

  Nurture Lakeland (formerly The Tourism and Conservation Partnership), winner of Best Destination Responsible Tourism Awards 2010 and a finalist at the Destination Stewardship Tourism for Tomorrow Awards 2011, is a leading conservation fundraising charity in the idyllic English Lake District. The charity’s mission is ‘to inspire businesses and individuals to contribute to the conservation and enhancement of the Lake District and Cumbria, for current and for future generations’

• Sustainable Tourism Foundation Pakistan

  Sustainable Tourism Foundation Pakistan (STFP) was established in 2009 as a non-profit and non-political organisation by a group of eminent professionals from the tourism industry, as well as environmentalists, to promote sustainable tourism in Pakistan. The foundation is working closely with federal and provincial governmental bodies responsible for the promotion of tourism in the country as well as networking with private sector organizations and like-minded national, regional and international organisations to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, experiences and ideas on best practices of sustainable tourism among the tourism industry stakeholders.

• The High Five Club

  The High Five Club is a UK registered charity that funds and implements development projects in Africa at the grass roots level, giving impoverished, yet inspirational, communities a hand up in improving their standard of living. Projects funded include education, health and livelihood projects with a focus on communities living adjacent to wildlife tourism areas. This has the knock on effect of securing the support of communities living with wildlife for conservation. Our charity patrons are Will Travers of Born Free and Bill Oddie. Tourism companies operating in Africa who are looking to partner a small, determined, effective charity to deliver conservation and community benefits in part fulfilment of their CSR agenda should contact us to discuss opportunities.
  

• The Muskoka Foundation

  We are a not-for-profit organisation based in the United States. Our vision is to create a network of hundreds of modern day explorers, travelling overland in communities around the world, using their professional skills to do good as they go to create a better world together. Unlike many of the ‘voluntourism’ type programs, we provide willing professionals with specific skills, curriculum, and equipment to carry out the good work, at no cost to them. We do not ask the volunteers to go outside of their itineraries but we always try to work with their itineraries and find trusted communities that can benefit from their skills.

• Voluntario Global

  VOLUNTARIO GLOBAL is an Argentinean NGO founded and run by members of the community. We aim to empower people from disadvantaged backgrounds by giving them the education, training and support needed to succeed. We develop sustainable volunteer programs that aim to raise social awareness among young people from less privileged towns and improve their quality of life. Based in Buenos Aires for the last 6 years with community centers around Argentina, we have more than 30 community and professional programs focus on 8 areas: Teaching English, Working with children (help and care), Community work, Sustainable development and environment, Community radio broadcasting, Marketing and Health. Our main office it is at the same time our “Volunteer House” located in downtown, 2 blocks away from National Congress. We are a certified “Responsible Tourism NGO”. Developing sustainable tourism and community development, we are founding members of the Responsible Tourism Network from Argentina

• Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

  Established in 1987 the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) is the world’s most active charity dedicated to the conservation and welfare of all whales, dolphins and porpoises. It is staffed by over 70 people, along with many volunteers, located in its offices in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Germany, the UK and the US. The whole team are dedicated and determined to do their best for the animals and proud to spend the money they raise on urgent conservation, research and education projects that really do make a difference to the daily lives and long-term security of thousands of whales, dolphins and porpoises around the world.