Making A Difference

AmeriSpan prides itself in making a difference in the countries where we work. Even though we are not a traditional non-profit, we contribute money and supplies to many countries. Over the years, we have participated in numerous projects, including rainforest preservation, literacy projects in Hispanic communities and aiding Latin American health-related organizations. For example, we recently sponsored a shipment containing nearly $250,000 of medical supplies that was sent to Peru and distributed to numerous health clinics serving the less fortunate. The year before, we sponsored a similar shipment of medical supplies which included four dialysis machines which were used to set up a kidney dialysis center in rural Guatemala.

AmeriSpan has recently announced the AmeriSpan Collegiate Scholarship Fund, which will award more than $100,000 in scholarships to universities, which will award these scholarships to students interested in volunteering or studying abroad. The AmeriSpan Collegiate Scholarship Fund is in addition to the approximately $25,000 in scholarships that AmeriSpan awards directly to students.

By offering affordable and high-quality programs, AmeriSpan has sent nearly 20,000 (of our 30,000 total participants) to study or volunteer in the lesser-developed world. After witnessing first-hand the struggle of those less fortunate, many of our participants have gone on to donate their own time, money and supplies to 'make a difference.'

Do My Program Fees Make A Difference?

Many non-profit organizations boast that 85% to 90% of their fees are used on the volunteer program and enriching the volunteer's host country. Did you know that a large portion of these so called 'volunteer fees' are actually used for the salaries of US staff, web design, paid advertisements, office space and other administrative costs? In actuality, a much smaller percentage of the fee actually makes it to the country. A quick look at the Field Expenses on any non-profit's Form 990 will show that some volunteer non-profit agencies send less than 50% of your fee to the host country, while the best send 70% to 80% of your fee. AmeriSpan sends over 83% of your fee directly to your host country. Check out the table to the right where we compare the percentage of total receipts that AmeriSpan sends abroad versus other volunteer organizations.

Why are AmeriSpan's Fees So Low?