Save A Heart

What Save A Heart does

Save A Heart is a Danish limited liability company (ApS) that organizes volunteer work, internship placements, and language-school programs abroad across 12 destinations spanning Africa, Asia, and South America. The company acts as an intermediary between individual Danish participants and on-the-ground host organizations — including local hospitals, wildlife reserves, orphanages, and schools — curating placements that range from short-term volunteer projects to longer internships and structured language courses. The business model is direct-to-consumer: participants pay program fees in the disclosed range of DKK 6,700 to DKK 14,500, with pricing varying by destination, duration, and program type.

Operationally, Save A Heart maintains local partner relationships in each destination and bundles several value-added services into its offerings, including travel insurance through a partnership with Gouda Rejseforsikring, vaccination coordination, gift card purchase options, and travel-partner matching for solo participants. The company is registered as a member of Rejsegarantifonden, the Danish Travel Guarantee Fund, which is the regulatory framework that allows it to legally sell package travel experiences to Danish consumers with statutory consumer protection. The company operates with a small team (1–10 employees), consistent with a niche, relationship-driven intermediary rather than a scaled platform business. There is no evidence of proprietary technology, algorithmic matching, or a software platform underlying the service — the offering is fundamentally a curated placement and logistics service.

Name

Save A Heart

Legal name

Save A Heart - By Committing Yours ApS

Website

https://saveaheart.dk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Save A Heart is a Danish ApS that organizes volunteer placements, internships, and language-school programs abroad across 12 destinations in Africa, Asia, and South America for individual Danish participants who pay program fees ranging from DKK 6,700 to DKK 14,500.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Volunteer Travel Services

NAICS

All Other Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (561599)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAIAFAE

Unpaid/Volunteer-Linked Work Placement Programs

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/International Internships, Co-ops & Work Placement Programs

SECONDARYEDAIAHAL

On-Ground Orientation, Travel, Transfers & Logistics Support

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/Overseas Secondary School Programs (Boarding, Exchange, Summer)

SECONDARYEDAIAGAC

Public Health & Medical Volunteering Programs

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/International Service Learning, Volunteering & Gap Year Programs

SECONDARYEDAIAAAG

Gap Year + Study Abroad Hybrid Programs

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/Study Abroad Program Providers (Multi-Country & Multi-Discipline)

Keywords

• Volunteer abroad programs
• International internship placements
• Language immersion courses
• Gap year travel
• Cultural exchange services

Headquarters

HQ city

Silkeborg

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Volunteer abroad program fees: Save A Heart charges participants a program fee for volunteer placements, internships, and language school stays abroad. The fee varies by destination, duration, project type, and accommodation choice. Pricing is listed per destination on the website (e.g., Ecuador orphanage from DKK 8,800, Peru clinic from DKK 7,900). A non-refundable deposit of 1,500 DKK is paid at enrollment; the remaining balance is invoiced and due 3 months before arrival. Additional revenue comes from ancillary services including flight booking (commission-based), travel insurance sales (through Gouda, with commission), and airport transfer services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Save A Heart organizes volunteer placements, international internship programs, and language school stays for individual participants aged 18 and above across 12 destinations in Africa, Asia, and South America. The company manages the full participant journey from online enrollment, Kick-Off Courses in Denmark, airport transfer, host-family or shared accommodation, project matching with vetted local partners, and in-country coordinator support. Pricing varies by destination, project type, and accommodation choice, with program fees ranging from approximately DKK 6,700 to DKK 14,500 and a 1,500 DKK non-refundable deposit due at sign-up.

Product overview

Save A Heart – By Committing Yours is a Danish travel company specializing in volunteer work abroad, internship placements, and language schools across 12 destinations worldwide. The company offers three core service categories: (1) Frivilligt arbejde (Volunteer Work) - placements at orphanages, kindergartens, hospitals, schools, animal shelters, and special needs facilities; (2) Praktikophold (Internship Programs) - professional placements for students in healthcare, NGOs, administration, and education; and (3) Sprogskole (Language Schools) - Spanish courses in Ecuador (Quito) and Peru (Cusco), plus English courses in South Africa (Cape Town). The company also offers travel organization services including flight booking, travel insurance (through Gouda Rejseforsikring), visa guidance, and vaccination coordination. Additional services include gift cards, travel partner matching, and airport transfer services. Destinations span Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Africa), Asia (Cambodia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal), and South America (Ecuador, Peru), with programs ranging from 1 week to several months in duration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Volunteer Work Abroad (Frivilligt arbejde) Volunteer placement program placing participants aged 18+ at orphanages, kindergartens, schools, hospitals, clinics, NGOs, wildlife reserves, animal shelters, and special-needs facilities across 12 destinations in Africa, Asia, and South America. Includes accommodation (host family or shared house), airport pickup (when booking flights through Save A Heart), in-country coordinator support, and pre-departure Kick-Off Course. Pricing is destination-based (e.g., Ecuador orphanage from DKK 8,800; Peru teaching from DKK 6,700; Cambodia hospital from DKK 10,200).
• Internship Programs Abroad (Praktikophold) International internship placements for students in healthcare (nursing, medicine, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, midwifery, radiology, biomedical science), teaching, and business/social science disciplines (administration, marketing, communications, international business, tourism, social work). Placements are hosted at vetted local hospitals, clinics, NGOs, and schools across Save A Heart's 12 destinations and are designed to fulfill academic practicum requirements or build professional experience.
• Language Schools Abroad (Sprogskole) Intensive language immersion programs in Spanish (Ecuador, Peru) and English (South Africa) with small class sizes (max 5–10 students). The Quito school has operated since 1994; the Cusco school is a UNESCO World Heritage site location with Cervantes-certified teachers. Programs can be combined with volunteer placements and include accommodation and airport pickup. Pricing is destination-based (e.g., Peru from DKK 7,700; Ecuador from DKK 8,100).
• Gift Cards (Gavekort) Gift certificates for Save A Heart programs, available in customizable amounts and valid for 3 years, with a 40 DKK administration fee. Designed for participants to gift volunteer, internship, or language school placements.
• Travel Partner Matching (Rejsepartnere)

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gouda RejseforsikringcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSave A Heart partners with Gouda Rejseforsikring (Gouda Travel Insurance) to offer participants travel and cancellation insurance. Save A Heart acts as a sales office for Gouda's products and receives commission on sales. The partnership is disclosed in the company's general terms and conditions, and participants are required to have valid travel insurance covering voluntary/unpaid work abroad.
• De Danske Lægers Vaccinations Service (sikkerrejse.dk)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSave A Heart refers participants to De Danske Lægers Vaccinations Service for vaccination services and receives a 15% discount that is passed on to participants. The partnership helps ensure participants are properly vaccinated before departure.
• RejsegarantifondencoreOthersSave A Heart is a member of the Danish Travel Guarantee Fund (Rejsegarantifonden, member number 3178). This membership provides consumer protection to participants, ensuring refunds in case of bankruptcy. It is a legal requirement for Danish travel companies and a key trust signal for customers.
• Local hospitals and healthcare institutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSave A Heart partners with local hospitals in destination countries where participants complete healthcare internships. Partner hospitals include: Western Regional Hospital in Pokhara, Nepal; Khmer-Sovjet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia; McCormick Hospital, Maharaj Hospital, Rajavej Hospital, and Mae On Hospital in Chiang Mai, Thailand; Hospital 1A, Thong Nhat Hospital, Hoan My Saigon Hospital, and Le Van Thinh Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Victoria Falls Hospital and Chinotimba Clinic in Zimbabwe; Jinja Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda; and public hospitals in Quito, Ecuador.
• Elephant conservation camp in ThailandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSave A Heart partners with an elephant sanctuary near Chiang Mai, Thailand, that focuses on elephant welfare over entertainment. The camp houses approximately 70 elephants and employs around 250 people. Revenue from visitor experiences funds elephant care, feed, and maintenance.
• Sea turtle conservation reserve in Sri LankaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 1988, Save A Heart has partnered with a turtle conservation reserve in Kosgoda, Sri Lanka, that monitors, protects, and preserves sea turtles. Activities include egg collection, hatchery management, and releasing hatchlings into the sea.
• Private wildlife reserve in South AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSave A Heart partners with a private 6,000-hectare game reserve near Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The reserve includes a rewilding area for lions previously in captivity. Volunteers participate in conservation, monitoring, and anti-poaching activities.
• Animal rescue and rehabilitation center in EcuadorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSave A Heart partners with a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The center spans over 60 hectares and rescues animals from illegal wildlife trade, providing rehabilitation and eventual rewilding. Activities include feeding, care, maintenance, and rehabilitation support.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• GoEco: GoEco is an Israel-based volunteer abroad operator offering placements in wildlife conservation, childcare, healthcare, and community projects across 40+ destinations. Directly comparable as a competitor in the same volunteer placement product category, with similar destination breadth and price positioning.
• Projects Abroad: Projects Abroad is a UK-headquartered volunteer abroad and internship provider operating in 30+ destinations across the developing world. Closely comparable to Save A Heart's volunteer and internship placements at orphanages, hospitals, and conservation projects, though Projects Abroad operates at significantly larger scale and globally.
• IVHQ (International Volunteer HQ): IVHQ is one of the world's largest volunteer abroad platforms, placing participants in 50+ destinations across healthcare, teaching, childcare, and conservation. Operates a very similar asset-light, multi-country volunteer placement model to Save A Heart, although at vastly greater scale and with global rather than Danish-centric marketing.
• Maximo Nivel: Maximo Nivel is a Latin America-focused volunteer, internship, and language school provider based in Costa Rica with operations in Peru, Ecuador, and Guatemala. Directly comparable for Spanish-language learning combined with volunteer placements in the same destinations where Save A Heart operates (Peru, Ecuador).
• Kilroy: Kilroy is a Scandinavian (with a strong Denmark presence) travel-and-experience operator offering work, internships, study abroad and language programs worldwide. Directly comparable to Save A Heart in product mix (volunteer/internship placements abroad), customer base (Scandinavian young adults and students), and business model (consumer-direct with multi-country destination network).
• AIESEC: AIESEC is a global youth-run organization facilitating international internships and volunteer exchanges in 100+ countries, with strong presence in Denmark and other Nordic markets. Comparable to Save A Heart in target customer (university-age students), product (international internships/volunteering) and recruitment via universities.

Broad incumbents

• AFS Intercultural Programs: AFS is a large established international exchange and intercultural learning organization offering study abroad, gap year and volunteer programs in 60+ countries. Overlaps with Save A Heart on the experiential learning and gap year volunteer side, but operates at broader scale with a more institutional/educational DNA.

Emerging players

• Volunteer Forever: Volunteer Forever is a US-based comparison and booking platform that aggregates volunteer abroad programs globally. Overlaps with Save A Heart as an alternative discovery channel for prospective Danish/Scandinavian volunteers and as a competitor for placement bookings.

Others

• Rejsegarantifonden (industry membership): The Danish Travel Guarantee Fund is a not-for-profit industry membership body providing consumer protection for package travel sold in Denmark. Save A Heart is member 3178. Listed as an industry/regulatory context rather than a competitive peer.
• Gouda Rejseforsikring (partner): Gouda is a major Danish travel insurance provider; Save A Heart acts as a sales office for Gouda products and receives commission. As a channel partner it is more an adjacent ecosystem participant than a peer, but its strong travel-insurance distribution focus in Denmark overlaps with Save A Heart's coverage area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/saveaheartdk
• Instagraminstagram.com/saveaheart.dk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saveaheart

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Save A Heart