By Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

December 7, 2007

Bud Philbrook, the CEO of GlobalVolunteers.org, has never seen anything like it.

After years of slow but steady growth, the tiny volunteer vacation industry that he helped found is suddenly exploding. Bookings at 23-year-old GlobalVolunteers.org, which organizes trips to 20 countries, have shot up 25% in just the past year. And other organizers such as GlobeAware are seeing even bigger surges — as much as 100% in a year.

Legislation now before Congress, meanwhile, could propel the industry even further. The Global Service Program Fellowship Act would provide up to $2,500 per person in government money for short volunteer trips that last fewer than 90 days.

As Philbrook says, "volunteer vacations are going mainstream."

What has long been a tiny niche of the travel business — tours that include as much time volunteering in a destination as seeing the sights — are no longer drawing just the most hard-core, service-minded people. They've begun luring a broad range of travelers.

"There's been a big change," says Doug Cutchins, co-author of Volunteer Vacations: Short-Term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others, who traces the surge to the one-two-three punch of the Sept. 11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina and the Asian tsunami.

"These were huge, devastating things that made people want to (do more) good in the world," he says. "They give money, but it feels impersonal. People want to feel like they're having a hands-on impact.."

Volunteer vacation outfits also have benefited from increased media attention in the wake of the disasters, which fueled a cascade of bookings, Philbrook says. And then there's the rising tide of demographics, as retiring baby boomers find themselves with "more time and more resources, along with a desire to give back and make a difference," he says.

Still, a fair amount of the growth is the result of simple word-of-mouth, Philbrook says. As more people do it, more are returning to preach the virtues of a volunteer vacation, which organizers say go well beyond the satisfaction that comes from helping other people.

One of the biggest allures, says Cutchins, is the chance to meet and talk with the locals, to see how they live and to form bonds in a way that typical tourists never do.

"The definition of a volunteer vacation is to go someplace new and interesting to help out and do good," Cutchins says. "But what's not obvious is that the cultural exchange is just as big a part of it."

Kimberly Haley-Coleman, founder of 7-year-old GlobeAware, says the non-profit firm's volunteers get as much or more out of it as the locals they help, often taking away a new view of the world and their place in it.

Parents, in particular, see it as a way to pass on values to their children, she says, noting that GlobeAware has had kids as young as 3.

"We live a relatively privileged life here in the United States, and a huge number of parents are concerned that their children don't realize that," she says.

GlobeAware has been a leader in a trend toward shorter volunteer vacations, another growth factor. Its programs last just one week, far shorter than the four to eight weeks that was common when she launched GlobeAware in 2000.

The shorter trips, which have been copied by others and are now widely available, have been criticized by some who say they don't allow enough time for volunteers to have a meaningful impact.

But Haley-Coleman, 38, says the shorter trips open up volunteering to a wider cross section of people, and that alone makes it worth it.

Philbrook also argues that even the shortest volunteer vacations can end up having a big impact.

The effect of a single volunteer engaging children at an orphanage or teaching English in a foreign land may be minuscule, he says. "But what they become is a vital link in a long chain of volunteers. We can point to many, many communities where in fifth grade, (the kids) spoke no English, and by high school, they were fluent — all because of volunteers."

Still, he adds, "the biggest impact is on the volunteer. The volunteer works with people who may… have different ethnicity, a different language, and they learn to come together and become friends.

"We talk about this as waging peace and promoting justice one person at a time."

HOW YOU CAN HELP BETTER THE WORLD: Ready to volunteer?

"If you have something you want to do, chances are you'll find an organization that does it," says Doug Cutchins, co-editor of Volunteer Vacations: Short Term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others (Chicago Review, $17.95). Some groups, such as Habitat for Humanity, focus on building projects in poor areas. Others, such as Earthwatch, offer participation in science and conservation projects. Still others emphasize care for kids or what's known as "human and economic development." Among Cutchins' top picks:

Cross-Cultural Solutions. This organization offers trips to 12 countries, including Costa Rica, Guatemala, India and Thailand. Programs last one to 12 weeks and focus on everything from working in orphanages to teaching English. 800-380-4777; crossculturalsolutions.org.

Global Volunteers. A 23-year-old granddaddy of the volunteer vacation movement offers trips to 16 countries from Italy to Tanzania. Activities include caring for at-risk children, teaching English and repairing community buildings. 800-487-1074; globalvolunteers.org.

Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Outdoorsy types will love the programs at this 82-year-old volunteer organization, which offers one- to six-week trips to rebuild and maintain the 2,100-mile Appalachian National Scenic Trail. 304-535-6331; appalachian trail.org.

Amigos de las Americas. Geared to students, this 42-year-old, Houston-based organization offers a dozen summer programs in nine Latin American and Caribbean countries. Programs focus on public health, education and community development and last four, six or eight weeks. 800-231-7796; amigoslink.org.