Aldeas de Paz works hard to keep costs to an absolute minimum and offers financial transparency by practicing a open book policy.

Required Minimum Donation

Our minimum volunteer donations are set up so that the longer you stay, the lower your monetary donation becomes per week. We do this to encourage longer stays, recognizing that longer stays lead to more significant volunteer work and more energy contributed in the form of donated time in place of donated money. The cost schedule clearly illustrates the decrease in the per week cost for the total amount of time you plan on staying. All Donations are indicated in Euro € and are allocated to Fundación Aldeas de Paz.

All Money Contributions are referred to as Donation since what you pay is generally 100% tax-deductible. Speak with your tax advisor to learn how the cost of international airfare can be tax-deductible as well. We are a registered charity. See our documentation: “Tax Exemption Status”

We encourage you to “shop around” before you commit to our placement to ensure your complete satisfaction with the experience. Many people successfully fundraise. The schedules are valid for bookings before January 1, 2011. Please also read Terms & Conditions. For currency conversion visit www.xe.com

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Volunteer related work and services:

Volunteer related work and services make up 30% of our spending and include but are not limited to: communication with the volunteers before they arrive, answering phones, emails, sending information and the process of recruiting, attending and supervising volunteers during their placement in Santa Elena (24/7 back-up), volunteer accommodation and board, volunteer program coordination costs, organizing social exchange and involvement as well as promoting cultural immersion. Administrative costs: legal and accounting services, office, bank fees, etc.

Community-based Outreach Programs

35% of our spending goes into outreach and community-based development projects & programs: Operating costs and expenses, didactic materials, allowances, stipends, local staff, services, mobile school, therapeutic horse riding, educational radio program, small sustainable environmental conservation and occasional education projects, wood, hardware materials and tools for workshop and for maintenance work on children's playgrounds, recreational parks and public-schools, equipment reparation and occasional "give away" didactic toy production. Occasional donations to worthwhile causes and projects run by local organizations and grass-roots initiatives in indigenous communities.

Development & Maintenance of our Attention-Center: Centro Comunitario Integral

35% of our spending goes toward financing the final construction phase of our special-needs kids' therapy centre, the CCI "Centro Comunitario Integral" - due to be fully functional in 2010 and to include: workshops for art therapy and vocational craft and woodwork training, a special-needs kids educational & therapeutical attention centre and recreational facilities, a progressive school, tree nursery and fruit and vegetable gardens. Maintenance of the foundation's facilities, grounds and equipments.

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Terms & Conditions

Payment Procedure

You send us the application form. Once you receive the written confirmation, your volunteer placement is being held. The written confirmation includes a financial schedule which sets out the details of the calculated volunteer minimum donation and the 50% deposit to fully secure your placement, due within two weeks of receipt of the financial schedule. The remaining donation should be settled through one of four options:

1. Paid at least four weeks before arrival at Aldeas de Paz onto our bank account
2. Paid on arrival at Aldeas de Paz in Santa Elena in cash Euro or Dollar
3. Paid directly together with the initial booking deposit onto our bank account
4. Through monthly installments previous to your arrival

Cancellation

Alterations can be made to your placement, accommodation or arrival/departure date, provided we receive your request in writing before the placement start date. In the event of cancellation, Aldeas de Paz will retain the entirety of the calculated volunteer donation or part of it depending on the number of days before the placement start date that you cancel. Cancellation Policy:

• 90 days prior to start date
  Aldeas de Paz retains 50% of the total calculated volunteer donation
• 60-90 days prior to start date
  Aldeas de Paz retains 75% of the total calculated volunteer donation
• less than 60 days prior to start date or cancellation during placement
  Aldeas de Paz retains the total calculated volunteer donation

The reason for limited refunds

We need to maintain a good working relationship with our program coordinators, beneficiaries and hosts. We will try to find a suitable replacement volunteer to carry out your cancelled placement, and the less time left before the placement is due to start, the more expense and difficulty we will have in recruiting this person. Alternatively we may decide to make a financial or other contribution to the relevant program or host family or contract a paid replacement professional to ensure the projected work will be done and the programs will not suffer.

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