The biggest facilitator of grassroots humanitarian aid in
Europe, Help Refugees fill
gaps and acts where other NGOs and governments don’t. Funded by a
group of “normal” people, the organisation provides vital aid to
those fleeing war, persecution and poverty.

Work ranges from life-saving emergency treatment to sustainable
initiatives such as education and housing. 94% of donations are put
directly towards supporting refugees across Europe and the Middle
East, and the charity now funds more than 80 projects worldwide.
Among other initiatives, their work in Syria
– in partnership with the White Helmets – has funded 10 ambulances
to help the Syrian Civil Defence in their response, as well
providing resources for psychological therapy and rehabilitation
treatment needed to enable injured first responders to return to
work.

Bridging the gap between media and impact, Action Button is about doing more
than simply reading headlines; it’s about changing them. Founded by
Jordan Hewson (Bono’s daughter), it was created to provide media
consumers with an accessible way to make a difference. Using
inaugural technology, the application moves readers beyond passive
news consumption by enabling them to immediately donate to a cause,
sign a petition or email a policymaker. Partnering with charities
including Amnesty International, Planned Parent-Hood and One
Campaign and working media partners include VICE, The Guardian and
The Huffington Post, it’s a quick way to achieve positive and
reactionary change.

One of the primary barriers to global progress is a lack of
access to expertise, aka “the talent gap”. Go Experteering aims to
fill this by utilising the skill sets of international volunteers
to solve worldwide challenges. Ethical placement partners like
MovingWorlds.org, can help
you find the right match with organisations that provide benefits
in exchange for your skills. Ranging from arts to architecture,
finance to fashion, you can search for hundreds of live projects
across Central America, Europe, India and beyond. Training is
provided pre-trip to ensure a high-impact experience and sign-up is
straightforward. Simply create a profile, become a member, get
matched, take a training course and get ready to go
experteering.

Flying one international roundtrip has the warming effect of
about three tons of carbon emissions. TerraPass helps you
calculate your emissions and donate directly to offset them. To
start, purchase their Eco Tourist Bundle worth a carbon offset of
10,000lbs, the equivalent of five average flights of four hours or
10,800 miles travelled by car. Funds collected are contributed to
projects to further clean energy from wind farms and catalyse
landfill gas capture among other initiatives.

When large-scale emergencies like the Ebola outbreak, Syrian
Refugee Crisis and Philippines cyclone occur, a rapid coordinated
response is critical to ensuring that the UN can cope with the
demands, support the host government and reorient its programmes.
Becoming a UN Volunteer enables
you to be directly involved in humanitarian, peace-building and
post-conflict recovery, as well as sustainable development and
poverty eradication. Profiles in high demand include technical
specialists, legal and medical professionals, political scientists,
public information officers, administration and finance experts as
well as professionals with experience in development, management,
humanitarian affairs and peacekeeping. In most cases, a college
degree and fluency in English is required in addition to other key
skills.

When you stay at an international chain, 80% of profits leave
the country you’re in, fact. To tilt that statistic back to at
least neutral, opt to stay local with groups like Airbnb, Innclusive, CouchSurfing, or a locally owned hotel. Small choices
like this couldn’t be more simple and help to keep travel income in
the areas that need it most.