Volunteer Travel

Travel to foreign countries to visit or work at JOS project sites is not sponsored or required by JOS in any way. Such travel is an individual decision and responsibility. Individuals who travel to JOS project sites in foreign countries do so at their own risk.

Volunteers should have their own personal health insurance coverage and are strongly encouraged to purchase comprehensive travel insurance that covers the duration of their trip. JOS is not liable or responsible for any physical or financial harm suffered by the volunteer directly or indirectly from participation in the project.

Individuals who travel as volunteers to JOS project sites in foreign countries are expected to pay for all of their travel expenses. JOS will acknowledge their travel expenses were for volunteer service if requested for tax purposes. The only exception to this policy is for an “emergency” trip when a JOS project lead deems unplanned travel essential to support a project and requests help with travel expenses. In this situation, which should be rare, the board must approve the use of JOS funds for travel. Only the volunteer’s expenses will be covered, and only in the amount the volunteer cannot cover from their own pocket. It is expected such JOS funds will be restored by future donations.

Volunteer Sponsor Direct Communications with In-Country Minors

JOS will facilitate transparent bidirectional communications as the go between volunteer sponsors and the minors (less than 21 years old) they are supporting. Direct communications between JOS volunteer sponsors and the minor children they are sponsoring in their native countries will not be facilitated by JOS even if it is well intentioned. The objective is to protect minors from unintended negative cultural and financial consequences.

Donations of Stock

Donations of stock are accepted from individuals. Journeys of Solutions will provide donors with the following information.

• Nonprofit’s name, EIN (Employer Identification Number), brokerage account number, and Depository Trust Company (DTC) ID.
• Specific instructions for initiating the transfer with the donor’s broker.
JOS will send the donor a timely and compliant tax receipt to the donor, acknowledging the gift of stock. This receipt must include:

• Donor’s name.
• Date of contribution.
• Description of the contribution (stock name, ticker, number of shares).
• Statement confirming no goods or services were provided in exchange for the donation.
• Nonprofit’s information (name, EIN, etc.).

Donors must be US citizens or otherwise have legal status. The donated securities must consist of individual stocks or stock funds traded on US based exchanges. The security will be valued at fair market value upon receipt in the JOS brokerage account. The security will be sold immediately upon receipt with the net proceeds going to the project account designated by the donor or the general fund if no project is designated.