OpenmindProjects Volunteer and Cross Culture Training Fees

The administration fee for a placement is 300 Euros. Additional administration fees are 75 Euros per extra placement. The 3 day Cross Culture Training Fee is 300 Euros for non volunteers and free for volunteers.

Monthly and Weekly Fees in Euros. To check the amount in another currency go to
http://www.xe.com

School, Orphan Home and Health Projects in Thailand, excluding the administration fee.

Eco Projects in Thailand, Laos and Nepal, excluding the administration fee.

School, Orphan Home and Health Projects in Cambodia and Nepal, excluding the administration fee.

Cross Culture, Language and Volunteer Training for Non Volunteer.

Please also read our Fees Policy. Our fees and reimbursements to projects we support.
When you volunteer with OpenmindProjects your fee fuels the local economy since we are based in SE Asia. Program fees and the international airfare are tax-deductible in many countries. You should speak with a local tax advisor to find out, in which case we can issue an invoice and receipt for this purpose

We charge no Application or Registration Fees which many major volunteer organizations do. The fee however includes a 300 Euros non-refundable administration fee upon confirmation. Fees are subject to change without prior notice.

We use volunteer fees to fund our operations and R&D work as well as to reimburse projects/volunteer placements to cover the expense they incur for having a volunteer basically food

We however don’t pay extras for any other services since we want placements to want to have the volunteer to help, not for money. Orphan homes and schools are sometimes set up to attract donations rather than to help children, sometimes there are mixed motives. It is often difficult to distinguish between what is a charity or a business motive and whether, or how much a certain project benefits the orphans or students.

OpenmindProjects’ policy is: The project/placement must show a genuine interest in the volunteer and his/her skills and not the money. If you disagree with this policy you should choose another organization.

What you get for your fee

• Help finding cheap travel to Asia and help with flight reservations.
• 24-hour support by our English speaking in SE Asia staff.
• Accommodation at your placement. Either home stay with a host family, a room at the schoolhouse, national park, at OpenmindProjects Training Center in NongKhai, OpenmindProjects house in Krabi, Thailand. Sometimes a rented room. At a few projects no accommodation is provided in which case we will tell you so
• Meals at most home stays and national parks. In some places only lunch.
• At our Volunteer Center in NongKhai you are welcome to cook and eat with our staff.
• At the Krabi Volunteer House, lunch is served at the school and you take care of your other meals yourself.
• If you have special dietary requirements, you can normally get it at an extra cost.
• Help with visa to Thailand. An invitation letter that the volunteer can attach to the visa application and/or OpenmindProjects can send to the embassy/consulate where the volunteer applies for a visa.

• Volunteer Resources:
• An extensive online Pre Departure Handbook with Volunteer, Travel, Visa, Teaching, Thai Language and Culture Advice.
• A 3-day Volunteer Training Program in Thailand before you start.
• In Nepal, you get a one-day introduction.
• You get OpenmindProjects Volunteer Handbooks with language, etiquette and teaching manuals.
• And our CD-ROM with Thai language exercises , teach tips, lesson plans, country and culture information, maps, and Eco Tourism/Wildlife Information.
• A Volunteer Training Certificate upon the successful completion of your volunteer training.
• A Volunteer Certificate upon the successful completion of your volunteer work.
• A lifelong memory and life changing experience.
  
  

You are responsible for:

• Your travel costs to the country of volunteering.
• Visa application and costs if required. We can help with invitation letter addressed to you to bring to the embassy, consulate.
• In country travel, which is cheap. Many volunteers are picked up by the school or taken to the project by Openmind Projects staff or our partners.
• Vaccinations, medicines.
• Your travel and health insurance.
• We also recommend trip cancellation insurance if you believe you may change any plans.
• All personal expenses.
  

How we use volunteer fees

• Openmind Projects is an aid and development NGO. Volunteer fees are the only source of funding our development projects, placement activities and recruiting, training and giving support to volunteers. We have considerably lower volunteer fees than most volunteer organizations due to low overhead costs.
• We develop teaching materials and methods, handbooks, computer and Internet- based material for schools, children, local teachers, villagers, and national park staff as well as for volunteers. We arrange school holiday camps and teacher training workshops.
• We design websites, brochures and other information material for our eco tourism and wildlife conservation projects. We also provide tour guide, hospitality and English training together with suitable volunteers. We also develop teaching material and methods, handbooks for villagers, national park staff as well as for eco volunteers.
• We identify and prepare new projects/placements.
• We recruit volunteers for our projects. We obviously do not charge the beneficiaries for our recruitment costs.
• We develop and provide information, training material and guidelines for volunteers included in the Pre Departure Volunteer Handbook, a Volunteer CD ROM and the Volunteer, Teach and ECO Handbooks,
• We provide in-country volunteer support.
• We arrange seventeen 3-day volunteer training opportunities per year for new volunteers before they start.
• We reimburse placements for volunteer meals and accommodation by local standard.
• We have costs for our offices, volunteer houses, computers and office equipment, Internet, websites, database costs, administration, legal and travel expenses as well as costs for our staff and trainees who mainly come from our own projects.