Welcome to Sponsor a Volunteer
Thank you for choosing to Sponsor a Volunteer with VSO! Here you’ll find regular and exclusive updates from a volunteer, an opportunity to get in touch with a volunteer, insights into the work of former volunteers, and a place to see the impact of your gifts.
We hope you enjoy seeing the difference you are making to help marginalised communities build better lives for generations to come.
How your sponsorship helps unlock the incredible power of people
Sponsor a Volunteer gives you an effective way to make a positive change to global inequality and injustice.
Your sponsorship is helping us place VSO volunteers where the need is greatest and where they can make a lasting difference. With your support, volunteers can share their unique skills and expertise to empower marginalised communities to access essential education, healthcare and secure livelihoods.
This is the power of volunteering, and it is only possible thanks to supporters like you.
Our volunteers
We’re committed to showing how far your support can go, bringing you closer to the work of our volunteers and the people they work with.
Monthly blogs
Your regular and exclusive updates straight from the field.
Ask a question
Send a message, ask a question, or simply say “hello” to your VSO volunteer.
Get in touch with us
Our friendly Supporter Care Team is available for anything you need.
Hear from our volunteers
Our volunteers are working right now around the world to help with education, food and health. Click on someone below to learn more about their work.
Theonas Kalumika
Moni onse! I’m Theonas Kalumika, an education specialist volunteer in Malawi. Before I started volunteering for VSO, I was a primary school teacher for 13 years and spent 18 years as a primary education advisor. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to update you more on how your support is changing the lives of many children.
Raj Karki
Namaste! My name is Raj Karki. I’m volunteering as a Diffusion Advisor on VSO’s Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response project in Nepal. I’m looking forward to keeping you up to date with how we’re getting on and how your support is making a lasting difference to the lives of women and girls here.
Dennis Bwire
I’m a District Teaching Advisor, on the Building Learnings Foundation programme in Rwanda. I guide my team to enable them to support teachers, so they have the practical skills to ensure no child is left behind in education.
Latest news from VSO
We bring about lasting change not by sending aid, but by working through volunteers to empower communities in some of the world’s poorest regions. You can read more about VSO’s areas of work and discover more about our projects here.
Meet the volunteer providing psychosocial support to those affected by conflict
Kamal Jaga, 40, from the UK, volunteered on the VSO Psychosocial Support Project in Ethiopia, a country ragged by internal conflict that created an estimated 2.2m internally displaced people. Read his story.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sponsor a Volunteer?
Our supporters have told us they would like a greater connection with our volunteers, and more opportunities to see the difference their support is making. That's why we’ve developed Sponsor a Volunteer; a new way to give which offers you the chance to see the impact of your gift through the eyes and ears of the volunteers who are on the ground.
Regular gifts are essential to VSO. They help us to plan ahead and fund our life-changing projects around the world. In 2021-2022, the total spend on charitable activities was over £30 million.
Sadly, as a result of the cost of living crisis and continued cuts to government funding, VSO's overall income has fallen by 45% since 2020. That’s why, more than ever, your decision to sponsor a volunteer with VSO is so important and so valued.
How much does it cost?
To achieve lasting change in the projects our volunteers are working in, we ask for a minimum monthly donation of £7.50. You are welcome to amend your gift at any time.
Every gift we receive is incredibly valuable to VSO, and we are committed to using your generous donations in the most effective and impactful way. In 2021-2022, we are proud to report that 88p of every £1 donated went directly towards tackling poverty worldwide.
Will my money go straight to the volunteer?
No. Donations from the Sponsor a Volunteer campaign will be distributed across all areas of VSO’s work so that they can be used where the need is greatest. This type of ‘unrestricted’ funding is essential for organisations like VSO and we are so grateful for your support.
I already give monthly to VSO. Can I receive Sponsor a Volunteer updates?
If you’d like to receive Sponsor a Volunteer updates and already have a regular gift set up, please get in contact with our Supporter Care Team.
When can I expect my first update?
Your first Sponsor a Volunteer update will be sent to you via email the month after you set up your regular gift.
How often can I expect updates?
You’ll hear from one of our amazing volunteers in the field every month via email. They’ll keep you updated about the project’s progress and how your support is helping to create lasting change in the community.
If you’d prefer to receive updates by post, please contact our friendly Supporter Care Team. Postal updates are mailed every 3 months.
How long will I receive updates?
We're committed to bringing you closer to the impact your support has made possible. Therefore, you will receive volunteer updates for as long as you continue to be a Sponsor a Volunteer supporter. If, at any stage, you no longer wish to receive these updates, please simply contact our Supporter Care Team.
I haven’t received my Sponsor a Volunteer update.
Please check your junk inbox in the first instance. If you still can’t find your Sponsor a Volunteer update, please contact our Supporter Care Team who will ensure you receive your updates going forward.
Will I be able to speak to, or see, the volunteers the updates are from?
You can leave a message or question for your current volunteer via the hub here or by emailing sponsoravolunteer@vsoint.org. While all messages will be shared with the volunteer, unfortunately they may not be able to answer every message they receive. Volunteering is a big commitment and, while they would love to be able to respond to each message, the work they are doing to support marginalised communities takes up a lot of their time.
How can I hear more news from VSO?
If you’d like to hear more news from VSO, you can sign up to receive our newsletter here: https://www.vsointernational.org/newsletter. If you would prefer to receive VSO communications in the post, please contact our Supporter Care Team.
How can I upgrade my gift amount?
Every gift is incredibly valuable to VSO and we are so grateful for any level of support given. If you would like to increase your regular gift, please contact our Supporter Care Team who can arrange this for you. Thank you for your generosity, your support is making such a difference.
How do I cancel my regular gift?
Your support has meant so much to us and we would be very sad to see you go. However, we understand that circumstances change so if you would like to cancel your regular gift, please contact our Supporter Care Team. Thank you, once again, for all your support. You have helped make a real and lasting difference.
Why has Volunteer View been replaced by Sponsor a Volunteer?
In a recent survey, our supporters told us that they would like a more digital approach to Volunteer View, along with a stronger connection to the volunteer and stories of change from around the world. We took this feedback on board to create Sponsor a Volunteer.
The Sponsor a Volunteer hub has been designed to make it easy to explore the work of our current and former volunteers. It also offers the opportunity to connect with your volunteer in the field, and to see how your gift is making a lasting difference.
Support us with a donation