We Know How Hard It Is To Afford To Travel Abroad

Although the economy in the US is rolling along and unemployment is almost nil, we hear from a lot of people who have difficulty saving up $350 for the program deposit. People who call us want to travel different. They want to travel and while they travel they want to make a difference. They also want to be able to afford the GeoVisions program fee, the airfare, and some personal spending along the way. Who can blame them? It's what we all want.

Not only do GeoVisions participants come up with a $350 program deposit, most of our travel adventures include 1-12 months away from home, friends, work, school ... whatever is going on in their lives at the moment. It’s both a financial and time commitment. Most of our participants take over 3 months just to make the final decision to participate.

We get it. Since 2001 we’ve been serving people who want to travel different. If they’re going that far, spending their hard-earned money and taking that much time to make a difference ... that’s a decision that takes time. Trust me, we have had more than 70,000 travelers participate with GeoVisions since we started in 2001, and that means we’ve talked to hundreds of thousands of people over these 17 years. We’re good listeners and we’re accustomed to hearing all kinds of concerns, and we’re good at helping people reach their travel goal who use our plan.

So what plan could you use to reward yourself with a working holiday that would make a lasting impact in people’s lives as you travel? And afford to do it? Here are 5 steps you may find very helpful to your financial issues:

1. Consider choosing one of our programs that have a fee of only $350. These opportunities include Teach in China, Teach in Taiwan, Walk & Talk China, Au Pair in the Netherlands. When you pay the $350 program deposit with your formal application for one of those 4 programs ... you’re done with having to pay anything more for your program. We designed these with you in mind.
2. We encourage everyone to check with the person who prepares their taxes to see if any of the money you’re spending is tax deductible. GeoVisions Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity, and funds paid to GeoVisions can, under the proper circumstances, be deducted on your taxes. But be certain to check it out with your tax person first. Tax laws are always changing.
3. To stay in compliance with the BBB Charities, we have to prove that a minimum of 65% of your funds go directly to programming and program services. Failing to do so means we would lose any accreditation and could possibly have our public charity designation removed. We strive to make sure this figure is closer to 75%.
4. If you need to stretch out your payments to make your travel dream come true, we can do that. And we don’t charge a fee for it. Just talk to us and tell us the issues with the finances. We can help. Many people prefer to have steady payments made and that helps with budgeting.
5. Choose a program where you can travel and earn money. You can earn over $20,000 a year in Taiwan. Over $30,000 a year in South Korea. Even if Thailand, although you earn around $12,000 to $14,000 for the year, the cost of living is so low, most teachers come home with money.

Pressing the red button you see here will give you an opportunity to set up a phone meeting with one of our staff.  You’re not going to ask us anything that hasn’t been asked before. There are no obligations if you set up a phone call, and you’re not going to be pushed into a decision. We know people take their time to make a decision as important as this. All we want to do is provide the answers to your questions, go over a plan that works for you, and one day welcome you to GeoVisions Foundation. People overseas need the services you can provide, whether its teaching, being a tutor, providing childcare or volunteering.

What happens if you don’t press that red button? I can’t tell the future, but my 44 years of doing this tells me that if you don’t set up the phone call, you could miss out on an opportunity to travel, live like a local and really immerse yourself in another culture.  All the while, making a lasting difference on the people you are traveling to help.

What I can promise, if you press that button and set up that phone appointment, is that you will have an understanding professional on the other end of the phone who has done this thousands of times. Who loves to support anyone who wants to travel and make a difference. And when you hang up, you will have a proven plan on how to make this work for you. And knowing exactly how you will make a difference in a school, a host family, a local community … how the faces you meet will light up each time they see you, each time you help them. And they will remember you for the rest of their lives.

Please, press that red button.