What are volunteerism and voluntourism, and what is the difference between the two? This is an essential question that FISH keeps in mind with our work in Maclovio Rojas, Mexico, to ensure that our services prioritize and benefit the community. Here, a brief comparison of voluntourism and volunteerism is provided. Additional resources with further information on the topic are provided below. ​

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Voluntourism

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Although the exact definition of voluntourism varies by situation, it is broadly thought of as the combination of a vacation and an act of service. The volunteering that is performed in voluntourism is often short-term, through non-community-based organizations, and prioritizes what outsiders may see as support rather than what the community actually wants or needs. While the intentions of people engaging in voluntourism are not always wrong, the effects are non-specific, unsustainable, and sometimes damaging to the community, only benefiting the volunteer and the organization they volunteer with.

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Volunteerism

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Rather than a stand-alone experience viewed as part of an overall vacation, volunteerism prioritizes sustainable and community-based work. Through volunteerism, volunteers work in communication with local leaders on long-term and internally supported community-led programs. This empowers the community and ensures sustainable structures of support rather than forcing a temporary and nonspecific solution that creates a reliance on outside interest and resources. Also, volunteers engaging in volunteerism form meaningful and long-term connections with people of the community, engaging with local culture and practices.