The other day I was having a conversation with a friend who is planning her SUMMER holidays (I am still trying to figure out what I am doing next month...) and we got to talking about her plans to head over to Africa to do some volunteering. 

There is a difference between voluntourism and philanthropic travel.  It is important to understand the effects that your generous donation of time and resources to a community can have both positive and negative effects.  It is also important to make sure that your experience is a positive one, especially if you are "footing the bill" to improve the lives of others.

What is voluntourism?

Voluntourism is taking a vacation where the primary focus is to volunteer your time and intellectual capital to benefit others.  Typically it means that you are doing some sort of labour that is otherwise not readily available in the community.  The number one social impact metric to look for when choosing a trip: That the job you are filling is not taking away from a paying job of someone in that community.  The number one personal question to ask when deciding on a trip (aside from health & safety): That your footprint on the community will be as positive as possible.  An example of this does the organization you are travelling with stay in a local guest house or in a major hotel chain.

What is philanthropic travel?

Philanthropic travel is using your financial resources and network connections to build out the economic base of a community.  Your role in this type vacation is mostly as an observer and a connector to resources.  The goal of this type of trip is to evaluate the effectiveness of your philanthropy and see how you can leverage your donation to generate greater impact.

In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, reporter Kelly Greene highlights some organizations that do both voluntourism and philanthropic travel. Regardless how you choose to spend your charitable time, it is important to remember that at the end of the day you are a visitor into the community and what the net result of your contribution will be affected long after you have left.

For more information on Dexterity Consulting's Philanthropic Travel program click here.

Photos - Ethiopia, 2008 Canadian Humanitarian; Ethiopia, 2008 Kids Hope School; Ethiopia Allemgena After School Program - Social Venture Partners Kids - Calgary penpal program; Dentistry for All clinic in Guatemala, 2010.