Globalteer – Terms & Conditions
Globalteer is a UK registered charity (number 1119706), if you wish to see confirmation of our charitable status please use the UK Charity Commission website link below. Globalteer is also registered in Peru (number 11159055).
www.charity-commission.gov.uk
This website will also give you full details of the conditions that we must abide by to maintain our charitable status.
Globalteer Peru Mega Raffle - click here for the link to the specific terms of service for the Globalteer Peru Mega Raffle.
We request that all volunteers are fully aware of the nature of the project and country they are visiting before arrival by reading information supplied by Globalteer on our website and other materials easily found on the internet. We request that all applicants agree that the amount paid for a volunteer placement is acceptable before making their booking.
We recommend that you research other volunteer organisations to compare the services we provide and our costs before applying. We are a non-profit charity organisation and therefore keep applicants fees to the minimum possible whilst maintaining a high standard of service and substantial donation levels to the projects we work with.
Project information must be used as a guide only, changes may occur in hours worked, volunteer duties or accommodation to allow the projects to be flexible.
By making an application for a volunteer placement you are deemed to have agreed to all the terms and conditions in this document without exception. All bookings are deemed to be subject to and governed by the Laws of England and Wales no matter what the nationality of the volunteer.
Placement Fees
We reserve the right to make changes to the suggested placement fee amounts payable or correct any mistakes in published prices at any time prior to you making your deposit payment. Due to currency fluctuations, Globalteer reserve the right to alter the placement fee to ensure no losses in real terms occur.
Placement Fee Payment Terms – All Projects
A deposit of GBP£300 / US$300 per person is required within 7 days of acceptance of your application to join one of the projects. This deposit is non-refundable under any circumstances. The remainder of the payment is required at least 10 weeks before the start date of your placement. Failure to make the balance of payment at least 10 weeks prior to your start date may result in the loss of your placement and deposit without exception.
If your placement starts in less than 10 weeks from the date of your booking, payment in full is required within 7 days of acceptance of your application.
If you are including additional trips to your volunteer placement then the deposit amount required will vary depending upon the package.
For more information on how the placement fee is used, please visit our 'where your money goes section'.
Crowdfunding Fundraising – Select Projects
Some of our projects require volunteers to fundraise a minimum US$250 (or the equivalent in your home currency) through a personalised crowdfunding page that Globalteer will provide for each volunteer. This is separate from the placement fee. The fundraising requirement is indicated on the fees section on our website if it applies to a given project, and you must agree to the fundraising condition upon booking. These donations can come from any public source available to you (family, friends, co-workers, social media contacts, etc.) or can be paid fully and directly by you yourself through the page, if preferred.
For UK based donations, Gift Aid does not count towards your total of US$250.
The full amount must be raised at least 10 weeks prior to the start date of your placement. If your placement starts in less than 10 weeks from the date of your booking, you must complete the crowdfunding requirement within 7 days of acceptance of your application.
The US$250 crowdfunded donations, as well as anything more raised through the designated page, will be sent directly to the project via Globalteer. These funds are exclusively for the designated project to put towards its mission and charitable objectives, at the project’s discretion. These donations cannot be applied as payment towards your travel or personal expenses, such as accommodation, flights, meals, or in-country experiences.
Crowdfunded donations will be considered as donations to the charity from the distinct individuals making each contribution on the crowdfunding page. Please see the “Donations” section of our Terms & Conditions for specific terms regarding donations.
Cancellation by the volunteer
Cancellation refunds are only available if requested in writing by e-mail at least 10 weeks prior to the start date of your placement, this is due to the fact that we make a financial commitment to the projects before your arrival. Your deposit is non-refundable under any circumstances. The internship admin fee is non-refundable under any circumstances.
Depending on the reason for cancellation you may be able to claim on your travel insurance, minus any excess they may impose. All claims must be sent directly to your insurance provider and not to Globalteer.
Globalteer can take no responsibility for curtailment or cancellation of a placement by the volunteer as a result of any circumstances not directly related to services provided by Globalteer and covered by the placement fee.
Date Changes
Changes to placement dates will be considered provided requests are made in writing (by e-mail) at least ten weeks prior to your arrival date. Acceptance of requests to change date will be dependent on availability of suitable placements at the project concerned.
Date changes of more than twelve months from your original date will not be permitted. More than one date change per volunteer will not be permitted. Please note that if you wish to change date and a suitable alternative date is not available, your deposit will not be refunded.
Please note that any date change will incur an administration fee.
If you request a date change for any reason within ten weeks of your agreed arrival date this will be viewed as a cancellation by you which will mean the loss of all monies paid. For this reason we strongly urge you take out cancellation insurance to cover the dates of your trip as this is the only way you may be entitled to any kind of reimbursement should you cancel your trip for any reason.
Cancellation by us
Changes to your programme
Child Protection Policy
All staff and volunteers that work at children's or community projects are required to undergo a background check. Volunteers who fail their background check are entitled to a full refund of monies paid to Globalteer.
Code of conduct
The Globalteer code of conduct requires that volunteers and staff must:
- behave honestly and with integrity, act with care and due diligence and treat everyone with respect and courtesy, and without harassment or discrimination
- comply with the Globalteer Child Protection Policy where applicable and comply with any lawful and reasonable direction given by Globalteer or project staff
- maintain appropriate confidentiality in your dealings with any member of staff, volunteer or persons representing Globalteer or our partner projects, and in regard to any information that may be shared with you in the course of your work with Globalteer or our partner projects
- disclose to Globalteer management any involvement, formal or informal, with any other professional or charitable organisation or NGO whilst you are working with or for Globalteer, and take reasonable steps to avoid any conflict of interest, real or apparent, in connection with your work with Globalteer
- not provide false or misleading information in your application for work with Globalteer
- use provided resources in a proper manner and not make improper use of:
- information gained whilst working with Globalteer or a Globalteer partner project
- your duties, status, power or authority in order to gain or seek to gain a benefit or advantage for yourself or for any other person - behave at all times in a way that upholds the Globalteer values, our integrity and the good name of Globalteer and our partner organisations, and to never behave in such a way that may bring the Globalteer name into disrepute
- comply with all the rules of any Globalteer partner project you work with as part of your role with Globalteer
- pay for any damage you may cause at any partner project or at Globalteer’s offices
- respect the culture of the country in which you are based, refrain from engaging in any religious or political preaching, proselytising, or demonstrating, and to respect locally acceptable standards of dress code and public personal conduct
- respect all local laws and regulations of the country in which you are based. In addition gross misconduct will be considered to have occurred if your actions may jeopardise the functioning or good name of Globalteer or our partner organisations in any way. Gross misconduct is considered as but not limited to:
- Physical violence, Excessive alcohol consumption, drug abuse, deliberate damage to property, theft or fraud
- Negligence which causes serious consequences for Globalteer or partner organisations
- Breaking the laws of the country in which you are based whilst working with or for Globalteer, even if it is not an offense in your country of origin
Volunteer dismissal
If the volunteer is considered to have committed gross misconduct or any serious breach of the Globalteer code of conduct occurs, the volunteer may be removed from the project. This will be effective immediately and no compensation or refund will be forthcoming in these circumstances.
Accommodation and Transport
Due to the nature of the countries in which our projects operate, the standards of accommodation and hygiene may, in some cases, be below Western standards. There may be occasions when specified accommodation may change at short notice due to circumstances beyond our control. Globalteer will provide alternative accommodation of similar standard in this instance.
Globalteer use local transport for our volunteers which may be very different to your home country. Public buses, tuk-tuks and shared taxis are common and the most efficient and economical ways to get around. We do not usually use private tourist transport as the cost can be considerable and detracts from the experience of being a volunteer and part of the in country team.
Travel insurance
Globalteer considers comprehensive travel insurance, provided by a well established company, to be of an absolutely essential nature. Please do not forget to take all documentation provided by your insurer with you when you travel. Travel insurance should be purchased upon confirmation of your volunteer placement, you must declare to your insurer the nature of your volunteer work.
It is a condition of booking for some projects that all volunteers have a valid travel insurance policy to cover the entire duration of their trip which extends to include volunteer work. If you are unable to provide documentary evidence of a valid insurance, your booking may be cancelled at the sole discretion of Globalteer without any refund
Health and medical consent
Visit your doctor for your vaccinations, tell your doctor where you will be going and that you will be working with children and / or animals, you can then discuss the vaccines required. Some vaccines can take months to become active so please consult your doctor at the earliest possible opportunity.
It is each volunteer’s responsibility to ensure you are fully informed about any possible health risks you will be taking when attending one of our projects.
You agree that Globalteer or project staff can give consent for you to be treated if you are unable to give that consent for yourself due to your medical condition.
In country safety
We advise that all volunteers follow the up to date information and advice from their own countries governments regarding safety while travelling abroad. Here are some links to government foreign travel advise.
United Kingdom
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
United States of America
http://www.state.gov/travel/
Australia
http://smartraveller.gov.au/countries/Pages/default.aspx
Working with Children and Animals
Globalteer only operates and partners with responsible organisations and with partners that align with our charitable objectives. At our projects and partner projects the charitable objectives always come first and the volunteers assist the projects in achieving those objectives. Activities vary depending upon the time that volunteers are present at the project but will always be part of the long term objectives of the project. We do not partner with irresponsible projects that are set up as businesses or encourage contact with wild animals or use animals as photo opportunities for tourists. We do not partner with irresponsible children's organisations, only those that align with our objectives and that have robust child protection policies.
Visas and flights
You are solely responsible for arranging all your visa and transportation needs to reach the projects. We will not be held liable for your being refused access to any country or transportation due to failure by you to obtain the correct documentation.
Globalteer and partner organisations will not be responsible for any extra costs incurred due to flight cancellations or delays.
Force Majeure
Globalteer will not be deemed to be in breach of these terms and conditions in the case of Force Majeure. We cannot accept liability, pay compensation or meet any additional costs or expenses of the volunteer in these situations. This is any circumstance beyond the control of Globalteer which results in us being unable to provide the services we have agreed to supply. This is defined as, but not limited to, War, the threat of War, acts of God, disease outbreak, terrorist attacks, civil unrest, nuclear accidents and government acts.
Donations
Agreement
By donating to our organisation, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions for your donation.
The stated donation options in the menu are only suggestions of what the donation may be used for, based on what the amount could possibly cover. We will use your donation at our discretion but always within our stated charitable objectives. Your donation will only be used for a specific purpose if agreed by both parties beforehand.
Monthly Recurring Donations
When you set up a monthly donation you will be scheduling a series of donations to be made on the day of the month that you choose until further notice. You agree that these Terms and Conditions will apply to each of the donations in that series.
By confirming that you wish to proceed with a monthly donation, you authorise our payment service provider to request funds from your payment card or PayPal account on the day of each month that you set.
To cancel your monthly donation please contact us or your own bank. You can also manage your recurring monthly donation using the link in the donation receipt you received via e-mail.
Volunteer and Intern Fundraising Donations
Donations raised and collected through our fundraising pages as part of a volunteer or internship placement are only for use for our projects and charitable objectives. They cannot be applied as payment towards volunteer or intern accommodation, transportation, meals, or other volunteer expenses.
Refunds of donations (this does not include the volunteer placement fees)
Contact Globalteer for refunds within 14 days of making the donation and a full refund will be made to you.
Privacy
Any personal information we receive from you is handled appropriately and lawfully. We will not sell or share your data. We do not capture or store your payment or credit card details. Your payment data is securely collected and processed by outside payment processors bound by their own secure privacy policies. Please read our Privacy Policy for additional details.
General
We reserve the right to amend these Donation Payment Terms and Conditions at any time. These Donation Payment Terms and Conditions are governed by English law and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
How we spend monies received
As a UK Charity, Globalteer is transparent about how we spend money received by the charity. Our accounts are independently audited yearly by a UK Charity Accountant. The audited accounts are posted online on the UK Charities Commission website. Globalteer is a non-profit organisation and the Directors of the Charity are volunteers and cannot make any financial advantage from the charity. All monies spent by the charity must be in accordance with our Charitable Objectives.
As a UK charity, we are only allowed to publish and provide financial information that has been independently audited by a UK registered accountant. This is to ensure that the highly regulated charities only provide 100% accurate financial information to donors.
Our accounts are audited each year. The accountant audits all money received from various sources and then audits all money that we spend. For our latest accounts this audit shows us that for every pound or dollar we receive:
11% was used on Operational Costs
29% was used for Support Costs for our Volunteers
60% was used as Donations and Grants
Although not every donation is broken down in exactly the same way, from the accounts you can see that only 11% of all our expenditure is used for operational costs such as banking fees, accounting, rents and the many things that are needed to allow an organisation to operate. The remainder of the money is used to support our volunteers (if the money was received for a volunteer placement) and direct donations and grants to achieve our Charitable Objectives.
Globalteer receives thousands of individual donations each year. It is therefore not viable for us to audit every single individual donation as this would hugely increase our accountancy and administration costs and limit our valuable charitable expenditure. By auditing all expenditure in the way we do, our Operational Costs are kept to a minimum and our Charitable Expenditure is maximised.
Even though not all individual donations are broken down in the same way, you can see that approximately 11% of your donation is used on those inevitable operational costs. If your donation was for a volunteer placement then approximately 29% of that money was used as support costs for volunteers in country and then approximately 60% was used on donations and Grants to support the Charities. If your donation was not for a volunteer placement then a much larger percentage was used for the charitable purposes as there was no need for support costs. If you volunteered at a children’s project then we use your money to support that children’s project, we do not transfer this money to a wildlife or conservation project and vice versa.
Individual payments are not audited one by one to determine their exact percentage breakdown. If you would like a complete breakdown of your individual donation, then we respectfully ask that you pay for this service as a UK Charity Accountant would be required to provide this service. Globalteer is unable to provide individual breakdowns of how donations are spent, as all financial information that we provide must be independently audited.
As a UK Charity, we are committed to keeping our admin fees to a minimum, ensuring that as much money as possible goes towards achieving our charitable objectives and not administration costs.
Our accounts are posted on our website as well as the Charities Commission website:
In our last audited accounts only 11% of all expenditure was spent on operational costs. Since 2006 Globalteer has invested almost GBP £4 million (USD $5.1m) in achieving our charitable objectives.
Complaints Procedure
The nature of volunteering in developing countries means that occasionally things do not go as planned. Our in-country teams and partners will always do their best to mitigate against any adverse circumstances. By agreeing to our terms and conditions you agree to take all necessary steps to notify our staff and partners of anything you are dissatisfied with at the time in order to give us the opportunity to put things right before it is too late.
In addition we have a formal complaints procedure in the unlikely event that your placement is not up to expectations