To cancel your scheduled participation in your Surf For Life program, you must notify Surf For Life at trips@surfforlife.org, of your election to cancel in writing. For any cancellations up to sixty (60) days prior to the first day of your Surf For Life program, you either forfeit the non-refundable registration fee, or have up to one year to apply it towards another trip. Cancellations made after that date are subject to charges up to $1000 to cover pre-payments made to our in-country partner to reserve your food/hotel/travel and pay for building materials. This fee will be charged to your credit card on file. For any donations raised toward your trip, these funds will be handled on a case-by-case basis. All donations, including registration deposit, are non-transferable to another volunteer.

We recommend purchasing travel insurance. It is affordable and could end up saving you thousands of dollars in case you must cancel your trip. There are several options, but we recommend TravelGuard. Be sure to include the Cancel For Any Reason Coverage, which reimburses up to 100% of your pre-paid, non-refundable travel costs for unforeseen events that may cause you to cancel your trip. Plans can include valuable medical coverage, trip interruption emergency travel services, and more.

Your fundraising commitment covers program fees (including all arranged living expenses, transportation from the airport at final destination, surf lessons (if applicable), excursions and volunteer project expenses). Donations support the design and implementation of each project, (that may include the hiring of architects, engineers and local construction crew for construction projects), and cost of materials.

You should be up to date on routine vaccinations while traveling to any destination. Some vaccines may be required for travel, so please consult with your doctor. Do this as soon as possible, as some vaccines may have specific time requirements. Click here to view a list of recommended vaccines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Yes, you have one year to apply it towards another trip.

Since each trip varies, we will go into more detail about what to bring at a group conference call set up before your trip. However, you can refer to this general packing list: Personal Items Current passport, including a photocopy Additional ID, such as a driver’s license Print-out of round-trip flight itinerary Daypack or bag for carrying personal items to/from worksite and excursions Large, reusable water bottle Sunglasses Prescription glasses and/or contacts Flashlight or headlamp Cash and ATM cards: to purchase souvenirs, alcoholic beverages, and to tip the staff at your host hotel Toiletries: shampoo, soap, toothbrush and paste, lip balm, feminine hygiene products, etc. Travel towel Medication: diarrhea medication (Imodium), constipation pills, vitamins/supplements, anti-itch spray or cream Prescription medication, if needed Allergy medication, if needed First aid: ibuprofen, bandaids, antiseptic cream (Neosporin) Rehydration tablets or electrolyte packets Sunscreen (sport or waterproof) Insect repellent with DEET Electronics: travel plug adapter (if necessary), music / portable speakers, camera, GoPro, charging devices, etc. Miscellaneous: journal and pen, book or e-Reader, games, playing cards Snacks for in between meals (i.e. trail mix, protein bars, dried fruit) Ziploc or dry bags to keep electronics and valuables dry Clothing Appropriate clothing for getting sweaty, wet, dusty, and dirty Comfortable clothing to change into for evenings and cultural immersion activities, e.g. light long sleeves and pants to cover up in the evenings (protect your ankles from mosquitoes!) Light jacket, sweatshirt, or wrap Sleepwear Hat with brim Swim suit / swim trunks Swimming cover-up or sarong Rain poncho / jacket Sandals or flip-flops Water/mud/sand-friendly light shoes For Construction Projects Old work clothes or quick-drying athletic clothes Closed-toed athletic shoes or boots Long lightweight pants or 3/4 length pants (athletic or yoga pants okay) - no shorts Shirts with sleeves - no tank tops Extra change of clothes / shoes to change into after construction and before activities with students (optional - simply for comfort as you may get wet and muddy on the worksite) Work gloves (Such as these: Amazon. Also available for purchase at any local hardware store) Bandana to protect against dust and wipe away sweat

Your Surf For Life program starts at dinner on Day 1 (Saturday) and ends after breakfast on Day 8 (Saturday). We ask our volunteers to arrive before 12pm on Day 1 (Saturday) so that we can shuttle everyone to the project site before it gets dark. For your departure flight, we ask that you choose a flight that leaves after 12pm on Day 8 (Saturday) so that there's enough time to get you to the airport. Surf For Life will organize shuttle times based on when the most volunteers arrive/depart as this is the most cost effective and environmentally-friendly option. Please note that you may end up waiting at the airport for up to 2-3 hours for the other volunteers to arrive. Thank you for understanding!

Once you have reached your final destination, a Surf For Life hired driver will be waiting for you outside of baggage claim. The driver will have your name and/or a ‘Surf For Life’ sign. You will receive more specific details closer to the trip.

Yes. If you choose to arrive or depart on dates outside of the volunteer week, we ask that you cover your own airport transfers and hotel accommodations for the extra nights.

To review fundraising tips, event ideas, sample email templates, and matching instructions, please check out our Fundraising and Tips or email us at trips@surfforlife.org!

As an individual fundraiser, you want to do everything you can to maximize your impact. Raising your fundraising goal is a proven fundraising best practice that is sure to maximize your total donations.

You have until the day you depart for your Surf For Life trip to meet your commitment. This means that all donations from friends and families should be submitted to your page by then and all matches should have been applied for through your employer (if your company offers a Matching Gifts Program). If there is a remaining balance, you need to submit that final amount through your page to complete your commitment. If you are having a hard time meeting your commitment, please communicate with us ahead of time so we can give you suggestions for achieving your goal.

The donation process varies from company to company and can take as little as 7-10 days or to up to 3 months. You will receive two confirmation emails: From your company, submit your donation and when the match has been verified send a screenshot or your donation confirmation to donation@surfforlife.org From Surf For Life when the match has been applied to your fundraising page. Volunteers will receive a match confirmation e-mail from donation@surfforlife.org once the match has been processed and has been applied to their volunteer page.

Yes, the registration fee is part of the final cost. However, it is non refundable.

Fundraising for your trip cost must be met on or before the actual date of departure. However, you can keep your fundraising page active for additional donations to future projects.

The donation process varies from company to company and can take as little as 7-10 days or up to 3 months. Volunteers will receive a match confirmation email from donation@surfforlife.org once the match has been processed and has been applied to the volunteer page. Please be patient, this is not a fully automated process. For example, if a donor submits a donation request through the Salesforce.org, the request is first processed by the Foundation. Salesforce.org then sends an alert to Surf For Life to verify the original donation. Then, Surf For Life verifies match requests and applies the funds to the volunteer fundraising page. Any missing information (donor name, volunteer name) in the match request will slow down the verification process. If a Salesforce employee submits a request, and the funds have not been reflected in their fundraising total within two weeks of the request date, please reach out to matching@surfforlife.org to check on the status.

Each company has different requirements, rules, and processes for matching donations. It is best to inquire directly with your employer.

You have until the day you depart for your Surf For Life trip to meet your commitment. This means that all donations from friends and families should be submitted to your page by then and all matches should have been applied for through your employer (if your company offers a Matching Gifts Program). If there is a remaining balance, you need to submit that final amount through your page to complete your commitment. If you are having a hard time meeting your commitment, please communicate with us ahead of time so we can give you suggestions for achieving your goal.

The process to submit a match request also varies from company to company. It is best to inquire directly with the Foundation, or you can Review Corporate Matching Instructions for some of our partners.

Many companies match every single dollar raised or donated made by their employees. Check in with your employer to find out what they offer, and get specific information on how they process matches. Check out some of the companies that offer matching here, and Review Corporate Matching Instructions to see how you can double your fundraising!