Travel with Purpose with GDS
Custom-curated trips for groups of all sizes with a focus on community service, built around real projects in collaboration with nonprofits served by Global Development Solutions (GDS).
Your team doesn't just give, but also gets to learn about the people you'll work with and the places you'll go — and return home with new friends and a fresh perspective.
Request a quote for your groupAbove: Travel with Purpose trip to Florianópolis, Brazil 2026.
We Support the Work of Nonprofits
Everything GDS does is aimed at bringing resources and support to community-serving organizations. We do that through grant writing and consulting, professional trainings, and coaching. Travel with Purpose is yet another way GDS brings awareness and resources directly to the organizations with whom we work.
GDS will design and coordinate your entire travel experience — matching your group with the appropriate organization, project and destination. We handle all travel arrangements, project implementation, logistics, and cultural exchange experiences from the first conversation to the flight home.
Your group can Travel with Purpose
We work with companies and other organized groups, not individual travelers. There is no calendar of scheduled departures to buy a seat on — every trip is especially curated for your group, with your priorities matched to what host organizations need most.
Love the idea but don't know where to start? Whether for a corporate retreat, youth groups, sports teams, fraternities/sororities, family reunion, religious or education group trip, we can help you offer your group an unforgettable experience of a lifetime.
A Different Kind of Charity Trip
We do things a little differently than other charity trip organizers. We believe the intercultural exchange is as important as the charity work, so every trip we build incorporates cultural experiences, team building opportunities, lots of fun and opportunities to visit some of the most instagrammable places in the world.
GDS is a USA-based nonprofit consulting firm specializing in securing resources, program development, and impact analysis. What this means for your group is that we work directly with nonprofits around the world, every day. We can connect you with real organizations doing real work in their communities — so the days your group spends on the ground make a genuine difference for the people who live there.
Your contributions matter and all funds above travel and coordination costs go directly to legitimate, local community-based organizations and the people they serve.*
What a Trip Means for the Organization Hosting You
An old Chinese proverb says, “Many hands make light work.” Your visit is one of the most concentrated forms of support local organizations can receive. In just 2 to 3 days, we transform lives and create lasting impact. Our organizational partners do remarkable work with very little. Your contribution makes a meaningful difference.
A project that gets finished
By the time your Travel with Purpose trip comes to a close, the organization you are matched with will accomplish something they could not have done without you — a shelter rebuilt, a trail restored, a park constructed, a forest replanted.
Human resources
A group of motivated people for several days, plus professional skills the organization does not have on staff and could not afford to hire.
Awareness beyond their community
Extraordinary work that is well known locally but unknown to the outside world. A visiting group carries the story home with them.
An international connection
The trip creates a link between a local organization and a community of people abroad who now understand its mission first-hand.
Resources that follow
Groups leave as advocates for the organizations they worked with, and that relationship continues to generate support long after the flight home.
From Our March 2026 Trip to Florianópolis
I just got back from a trip with Global Development Solutions and I can honestly say it was one of the most impactful experiences of my life.
This was not just a charity trip where you show up, take pictures, and leave. This was real work, real people, and real change. Every single day we were on the ground making a real difference and you could actually see the impact of what we were doing.
The organization was next level. Everything was structured, intentional, and focused on creating long term impact, not just short term feel good moments. The team they brought together was unreal too. Driven people, high energy, all there for the right reasons. It pushes you to level up.
What surprised me the most was how much it changed me personally. It gives you perspective fast. You come back sharper, more grateful, and more motivated to win in life and give back bigger.
If you are even thinking about doing a trip like this, stop thinking and just go. This is the kind of experience that resets your mindset and reminds you what actually matters.
Global Development Solutions is doing it right. I will one hundred percent be back.
Tate Breyer
CEO, The Academy Marketing
Travel with Purpose on YouTube
Our channel follows the trips as they happen — the projects, the communities hosting us, and the groups doing the work. All trips combine community service, intercultural education, and massive amounts of fun, and this is the closest you can get to being there without boarding the plane.
Subscribe to see where your group could be going next.
How It Works
Every trip is tailored to the group.
Who is traveling, when, for how long, and what you hope your team takes away from the trip.
We work directly with nonprofits around the world, so we can connect your group with real organizations doing real work in their communities.
We scope the project with the organization and prepare it before your team lands — along with the cultural experiences that go with it.
Your group has one point of contact from the first conversation through the work days on the ground and the flight home.
Where We Work
We work in these places because we already have relationships with organizations active in their communities. Participating organizations are fully-vetted. We know their staff, their communities, and the projects on their list that never get done for lack of hands. Projects vary by season and by what each organization needs most when your group arrives.
Reforestation & wildlife rehabilitation
Organizations restoring native forest and rehabilitating wild animals. Projects may include construction and clean-up at an otter rescue center, reforestation, removal of invasive species, and trail improvements.
Shelter for survivors of domestic violence
An organization that supports victims of domestic violence with temporary housing and support until they can get back on their feet. Projects include building and rehabbing shelters and other structures.
Children & community development
Various organizations working with children and on community development projects across the city and surrounding communities.
Public & community art
Public and community art projects in conjunction with local studio and street artists. Projects may include public murals, site preparation, art projects with children, and historic preservation.
Rural community development
An organization working alongside rural communities on medical, education, social, clean water, agricultural, and community development projects.
Rural community development
Various organizations working with rural communities implementing medical, education, social, clean water, agricultural, and community development projects.
Urban poor communities & animal rescue
Various organizations working with urban poor communities on medical, education, and community development projects, as well as street animal rescue.
United States
Not every meaningful project requires a passport.
Urban poor communities
Various organizations serving urban poor communities, including free libraries, housing for vulnerable populations, day care centers, and community gardens.
Urban poor & unhoused communities
Various organizations working with urban poor communities and people experiencing homelessness.
Somewhere Else in Mind?
Every trip is tailored to your group, and we can develop partnerships in new places — that is how each destination on this page started. We simply cannot quote prices or confirm project details for a new location until the partnership is established, so tell us early where you are thinking of going and we will scout the possibilities.
Coming Onboard
International
- Dominican Republic — New communities across the country, in partnership with Peace Corps Volunteers
- Paraguay — Partnerships currently in development
- Costa Rica — Partnerships currently in development
United States
- Houston, Texas — Partnerships currently in development
- Portland, Oregon — Partnerships currently in development
- Asheville, North Carolina — Partnerships currently in development
Our team takes the stress out of international travel
Our team speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Haitian Creole, Punjabi, and Hindi — so your group is never guessing at what is being said, and neither are the communities hosting you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an individual join one of your trips?
No. Travel with Purpose works at the group level. Each trip is built around a specific group and a specific partner organization, so we do not run scheduled departures with individual spots for sale. If you would like to travel with us, the place to start is putting a group together.
Can you organize a trip somewhere you do not already work?
Yes. Every trip is tailored to your group, and we can develop partnerships in new places. We cannot quote prices or provide project details for a new location until those partnerships are established, so new destinations need more lead time.
How much does a trip cost?
Because each trip is built for the group taking it, cost depends on the destination, the length of the trip, the size of your group, and the projects you take on. Tell us your dates and what you expect your members to pay, and we will tell you what is possible.
What kind of work will our group actually do?
It depends on the partner organization and the community. Past and current projects include construction and renovation of shelters and community buildings, reforestation and trail work, clean water and agricultural projects, public murals, and programs with children or animals.
Is the whole trip volunteer work?
No. We believe the intercultural exchange matters as much as the charity work, so we build cultural experiences into every itinerary as well as team-building and free time to explore. We typically incorporate 2 to 3 days at nearby tourist destinations for rest and relaxation before returning home.
What languages does your team speak?
Our team speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Haitian Creole, Punjabi, and Hindi.
Request a Quote for Your Group
Email us and we will start building the trip around your group. Here is what we will ask you first:
- Where you would like to go — or whether you are flexible on the location
- The dates you have in mind and how long a trip you are considering
- How many people are traveling, and whether they will be bringing guests
- A general demographic profile of your team members
- A general idea of what you expect your members to pay
Start the conversation
Send us as much as you know so far. Nothing has to be final — even a rough group size and a season is enough for us to start dreaming of the possibilities.
admin@gdsgrants.com*because we mostly work with international organizations not recognized as charities in the United States, your contributions may not be tax deductible. Please consult your tax advisor.