Supporting charities or setting up projects abroad: what is it, why would you do it, and where is the best place to go?

What is supporting charities or setting up projects (for an NGO) abroad?
What are the reasons for supporting charities or setting up projects abroad?
What skills and motivations do you need to support charities or set up projects abroad?
What are the best countries and locations to support charities or set up projects abroad?
What are the risks associated with and are you insured against supporting charities or setting up projects abroad?

What is supporting charities or setting up projects (for an NGO) abroad?

Working with charities abroad means dedicating yourself to organizations and projects that focus on societal, social, or ecological problems.
This often involves a charity or NGO (non-governmental organization).
A charity is usually a non-profit organization dedicated to a specific goal, such as poverty reduction, education, or nature conservation.
An NGO is a broader term for independent organizations (i.e., not government-affiliated) that work on societal or international issues.

Participating in existing projects of an NGO or foundation.
Supporting local initiatives within a community.
Helping with practical tasks such as building, teaching, or organizing.
Contributing to communication, campaigns, or fundraising.
Setting up a project yourself, for example, a small-scale social or sustainable initiative.

Not every “charity” automatically has a positive impact. The effectiveness of a project depends heavily on local involvement, collaboration, and continuity.
Your role is therefore often not just about “helping,” but also about listening, learning, and collaborating with people who know the local situation better.
Additionally, your role can vary greatly: sometimes you work practically and hands-on, sometimes more in the background on organization, communication, or strategy.

To contribute to positive change: be involved and work directly or indirectly on social impact.
To strengthen your empathy: learn to view situations from different perspectives.
To practice flexibility of mind: especially when setting up a project, a lot can change and many things won't go as planned.
To gain experience: develop practical skills within an international context.
To get to know yourself: working outside your comfort zone accelerates personal growth.

Commitment: you have a genuine interest in improving situations and circumstances.
Perseverance: things don't always go as planned, results can often be hard to get, there can be a lot of setbacks.
Collaborative ability: you work with local partners and international teams, that means that you have to have patience.
Situational awareness: insight into cultural and social context is essential.
Initiative: proactivity and timing is important in the cultural context, especially when setting up projects.

that the process is difficult due to local bureaucracy, which can cause significant stress.
that projects have little sustainable impact due to a lack of local involvement.
that resources are used inefficiently or misallocated, resulting in a need for more resources and even your own salary.
that you are confronted with poverty, inequality, or distressing situations.
that cultural misunderstandings complicate cooperation.
that expectations (yours or the project's) turn out to be unrealistic.

Local organizations often do not (have the funds to) offer comprehensive coverage.
Risks may be greater for work involving responsibility (financial/organizational). During work, an internship, or volunteer work abroad for which you receive compensation or a salary, the coverage of your own health insurance in your home country may lapse.
If you're thinking of working or volunteering in charity or a NGO, see the pages for paid work, for internships and for volunteer work abroad.

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