Volunteers For Peace

What Volunteers For Peace does

Volunteers For Peace (VFP) is a Burlington, Vermont-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1982 by Peter Coldwell to promote cross-cultural understanding and community service through international short-term volunteer exchanges. VFP operates as the US member of the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS) at UNESCO and maintains reciprocal partnerships with Service Civil International (SCI) and the Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organizations, granting it access to roughly 3,000 volunteer projects across more than 90 countries each year. Its core offering is a volunteer project placement service that matches individual adults, teens (ages 14-17), families, and groups (schools, churches, clubs) into short-term (2-3 weeks), medium-term (1-6 months), and long-term (up to 1 year) service projects in areas such as environmental conservation, construction, education, and community development. Programmatic differentiation is built on three pillars: a 30+ year operating history, multilateral UNESCO-affiliated network membership, and a horizontally broad project catalog spanning ~90 countries with a starting registration fee of $495 per adult placement.

The underlying technology stack is minimal and explicitly described in the input data as not applicable: VFP is a service organization rather than a technology company, with its primary digital asset being an online project search engine that lets prospective volunteers filter by destination, type, length, gender, age, and keyword. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the vfp.org website supplemented by phone and email support, with referral traffic generated by testimonials on the Volunteer Voices blog, social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), outreach to college career offices, gap year advisors, and high school counseling offices, and reciprocal flows from international partner organizations.

VFP generates revenue from three streams: one-time volunteer registration fees ($495 for adults 18+, $595 for minors), additional fees payable on arrival for certain projects (approximately $50–$250 for teen projects, remitted to host organizations), and tax-deductible donations supporting the Haiti Clean Water program, teen camps, and general operations. Annual operating scale includes roughly 30-60 US-domestic projects organized directly by VFP, 700+ volunteers exchanged annually through international partnerships, 4,700+ international volunteers hosted in the USA since 1999, and approximately 10,000+ service hours logged domestically in 2017. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, led since 2016 by Executive Director Matt Messier, and operates without disclosed external investors or parent company.

Name

Volunteers For Peace

Legal name

Volunteers For Peace

Website

https://vfp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Volunteers For Peace (VFP) is a Vermont-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1982 that places volunteers into short-, medium-, and long-term international service projects across 90+ countries via CCIVS, SCI, and Alliance partner networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Volunteer Placement Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service (EDALAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Volunteer Program Funding, Scholarships & Fundraising Support (EDAIAGAO), Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE)

Keywords

• International volunteer placement
• Volunteer travel programs
• Cross-cultural service projects
• Workcamp exchanges
• Nonprofit volunteer programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Volunteer Registration Fees: Primary revenue stream from one-time registration fees charged to volunteers for placement services, food, accommodation, leadership, and work materials during projects.
2. Additional Project Fees: Some projects, especially in developing countries, charge additional fees payable on arrival to subsidize costs for partner organizations.
3. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from supporters to support VFP program operations, Haiti programs, teen camps, and general organizational support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Volunteers For Peace is a nonprofit that places individuals in international and domestic volunteer projects (workcamps) lasting from two weeks to one year. Each project includes placement coordination, accommodation, meals, project leadership, and work materials, and fees start at $495 per project. The organization accesses roughly 3,000 projects annually across 90+ countries through its CCIVS/UNESCO, SCI, and Alliance of European Voluntary Service partnerships.

Product overview

Volunteers For Peace (VFP) operates as a nonprofit organization offering international and domestic volunteer placement services. The core offering is the Volunteer Project Placement Service, which encompasses multiple project types: Short-Term Volunteer Projects (2-3 weeks), Medium-Term Projects (1-6 months), Long-Term Projects (1 week to 1 year), Teen Volunteer Projects for ages 14-17, Group Volunteer Opportunities, and Family Volunteer Vacations. The organization also maintains a Project Search Engine platform for finding and applying to projects. All projects include placement coordination, accommodation, meals, project leadership, and work materials. VFP supports approximately 3,000 projects annually across more than 90 countries, with approximately 80% of projects occurring between May and September.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Volunteer Project Placement Service Core placement service that places volunteers into international and domestic service projects, bundling placement coordination, accommodation, meals, project leadership, and work materials for participants paying a one-time registration fee.
• Short-Term Volunteer Projects Volunteer projects lasting 2-3 weeks where participants live and work alongside international volunteers from multiple countries in communal settings such as schools or community centers.
• Medium-Term Volunteer Projects Volunteer projects lasting 1-6 months with orientation provided by project leaders, offering more independent and cultural immersion experiences with host families or dorm accommodations.
• Long-Term Volunteer Projects Flexible volunteer projects ranging from 1 week to 1 year in established communities, allowing volunteers to select arrival and departure dates and craft personalized experiences working with local community members.
• Teen Volunteer Projects International volunteer projects specifically designed for teenagers aged 14-17 who live and work alongside volunteers from five or more countries, typically 2 weeks long during summer months, with structured supervision and an additional fee of approximately $250 payable on arrival.
• Group Volunteer Opportunities Customized volunteer experiences tailored for school groups, church groups, professional groups, and other multi-person cohorts seeking coordinated international service adventures.
• Family Volunteer Vacations Family-oriented international volunteer experiences designed for parents and children to serve together, creating connections and memories through collaborative service abroad.
• U.S. Domestic Volunteer Projects In-country volunteer opportunities across the United States, organized as 30-60 projects annually in partnership with non-profits, parks and recreation departments, and local communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4,700 international volunteers hosted since 1999 in USA alone
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CCIVS (Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service) at UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVFP is a member organization of CCIVS at UNESCO. CCIVS coordinates international voluntary service organizations worldwide. Within the CCIVS network, over 100,000 volunteers are exchanged annually. CCIVS was created in 1948 with UNESCO support to coordinate international voluntary service organizations.
• Service Civil International (SCI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVFP works in partnership with SCI, an organization founded by Swiss pacifist Pierre Ceresole following WWI. SCI emphasizes constructive, voluntary service for peace through international work camps. SCI and VFP exchange volunteers through the global network.
• Alliance of European Voluntary Service OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVFP works in partnership with the Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organizations to exchange thousands of volunteers each year through collaborative international voluntary service projects.
• Green Mountain ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVermont-based partner hosting international volunteers for trail building and environmental projects in Waterbury, VT.
• Williowell FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVermont-based nonprofit partner in Monkton, VT that hosts international volunteers for various community projects.
• Spontaneous CelebrationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoston, MA-based nonprofit partner hosting international volunteers for community projects.
• USDA Forest ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency partner for conservation and environmental volunteer projects in the USA.
• National Park ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency partner for volunteer projects within national parks and public lands.
• Habitat for Humanity AffiliatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVarious Habitat for Humanity affiliates partner with VFP for construction and housing volunteer projects.
• Lowernine.orgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Orleans-based nonprofit focused on hurricane recovery and neighborhood revitalization, hosting international volunteers.
• Dismas of VermontminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVermont-based nonprofit serving formerly incarcerated individuals, hosting volunteers in Burlington, Rutland, Hartford, and Winooski locations.
• Burlington Parks and Rec Dept.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Burlington Parks and Recreation Department partner for local volunteer projects in Vermont.
• Montpelier Parks Dept.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Montpelier Parks Department partner for volunteer projects in Vermont's capital.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Workaway.info: Global volunteer/work exchange platform with hosts in 170+ countries. Targets similar budget-conscious international volunteers but emphasizes longer stays and host-direct matching versus VFP's organized workcamps.
• Worldpackers: Marketplace platform connecting travelers with volunteer work exchanges worldwide. Comparable to VFP in audience (gap year, budget travelers) but uses a digital marketplace model rather than direct placement; emerging alternative.

Direct peers

• Projects Abroad: Global volunteer placement organization offering short-term and long-term projects across 30+ countries. Competes head-to-head with VFP in education, community development, and conservation projects for adult and gap-year volunteers.
• Global Volunteers: US-based nonprofit offering short-term volunteer programs in 20+ countries with a philosophically similar 'voluntourism' model. Strong peer given mutual nonprofit status, comparable fees, and analogous target audience.
• Service Civil International (SCI): One of VFP's explicit partners, SCI is a global volunteer exchange network founded in 1920. Operates the same international workcamp model and shares reciprocal volunteer flows through CCIVS, making it the most structurally comparable peer.
• International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ): One of the world's largest volunteer abroad platforms, IVHQ places volunteers in 50+ countries at price points often below $500. Directly comparable to VFP in short-term international volunteer placement, target market (gap year, college, adult), and project types (construction, education, conservation).
• GoEco: International volunteer and eco-travel organization with projects in 40+ countries. Directly competes with VFP on affordable volunteer placements in conservation, community development, and animal care segments.
• AllForClub - Jugend für Europa / Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organizations: European volunteer exchange network coordinating international workcamps across Europe. VFP is an explicit partner; together they form a transnational placement network with overlapping project types, fees, and target demographics.

Broad incumbents

• Habitat for Humanity (Volunteer Programs): Large international nonprofit with which VFP partners on construction and housing projects. Overlaps significantly in construction volunteer placements but is a category-defining incumbent rather than a multi-project placement broker.
• Peace Corps: US government international volunteer program serving as a long-term (2-year) counterpart to VFP's short-term model. Represents a strategic alternative for US volunteers considering international service and frames the broader mission category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/VFPUSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/VFPUSA
• Instagraminstagram.com/vol4peace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/volunteers-for-peace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Volunteers For Peace