Volunteering & Giving Back in MedellĂn
Give where you live.
Living in MedellĂn, whether for a few months or many years, means becoming part of the city in some way.
There are many ways to contribute locally. You can volunteer your time, support a local foundation, choose local businesses, share useful skills, or simply take the time to better understand the community around you.
At DNfG, we make it easier to find a way to contribute that feels right for you.
We connect MedellĂn’s international community with trusted, locally led foundations through volunteering, fundraising and knowledge sharing
Volunteer in MedellĂn
Volunteering can be one of the easiest ways to connect with local organizations and learn more about the city beyond the places you normally visit.
DNfG works with and visits local foundation across MedellĂn, when a foundation is looking for volunteers and if it is a safe environment for volunteers is when we promote the volunteer activity in the weekly Volunteer Calendar.
Opportunities can include:
- supporting community activities
- helping with English classes
- serving or preparing meals
- joining environmental activities
- helping at events
- walking dogs
- sharing professional skills
- supporting one-time projects
Some opportunities ask for a weekly commitment, while others only require a few hours once. Some foundations need Spanish proficiency and for others that’s a non-item. Some activities ask for pro-active volunteers who teach or are very active and other organizations are happy to have an extra pair of hand to help.Â
You do not need to be available every week to contribute. Please always connect with the foundation and let them know you’re coming so there are no surprises.
Support local foundations
Not everyone has time to volunteer.
Financial support can be just as valuable, especially for small local organizations working throughout the year.
DNfG works with a network of vetted local foundations in MedellĂn. These organizations work in areas including education, food security, youth development, homelessness, community development, environmental projects and support for vulnerable families.
You can support an individual organization, a couple of foundations or your foundation will be splitted ecually to the DNfG vetted foundations.
Regular donations help local organizations plan beyond one event, one campaign or one season.
They help create continuity.
Giving is not only about money
Positive impact can also be part of everyday life. Where you eat, shop, stay and spend your money matters.
Choosing locally owned businesses can help more money stay within MedellĂn’s communities. Learning about the city’s social context can help you make more thoughtful choices. Listening to local organizations can help ensure that support responds to what communities actually need.
Small decisions, repeated over time, can make a difference.
Start with listening
Good intentions are important, but they are not always enough.
Local organizations usually understand their communities, challenges and priorities far better than visitors do.
That is why DNfG believes in supporting locally led work.
Before starting a project or offering support, it is worth asking:
- What does the organization actually need?
- What is already being done?
- How can I support existing work instead of creating something new?
Sometimes the most useful contribution is very different from what we first imagined.
Why DNfG?
Finding trustworthy local organizations can be difficult when you are new to MedellĂn.
DNfG was created to help bridge that gap.
We work with locally led foundations and help connect them with MedellĂn’s international community through three areas:
Volunteering
Helping people find practical ways to contribute their time and skills.
Fundraising
Connecting donors with local organizations and community projects.
Knowledge sharing
Helping people better understand MedellĂn and encouraging more responsible ways to contribute.
Our goal is not to create new projects where good work already exists.
It is to strengthen the organizations already doing the work.
Not sure where to start?
That is completely normal.
You do not need to arrive with a plan.
Start by learning what is already happening in MedellĂn, meet local organizations and choose something that matches your time, interests and experience.
You can volunteer once.
You can volunteer regularly.
You can make a donation.
You can support a local business.
You can share a useful skill.
Or you can simply start by learning more.
There is no single right way to give back.
The important thing is that the support is useful, respectful and locally led.
Give where you live.
