Terms and conditions
The terms of Volunteer Aware
These terms apply to everyone who uses volunteeraware.nl, to organisations we review and to organisations that may display our logo on their website. We have written them as clearly as possible. If you have a question, email info@volunteeraware.nl.
Version 1.0, effective from 19 October 2026
Article 1. Definitions
In these terms:
- Volunteer Aware means the Volunteer Aware initiative, reachable at info@volunteeraware.nl, which manages the website volunteeraware.nl and publishes the quality index and the transparency index.
- Website means volunteeraware.nl and all of its pages, in all languages.
- User means anyone who visits or uses the website.
- Organisation means an organisation offering volunteering or internships abroad that is listed on the website or requests a review.
- Review means the scores on the quality index and the transparency index, with the explanation per criterion, as shown on the website.
- Logo means the mark and the name Volunteer Aware in any form, including the quality mark that organisations with a sufficient score may place on their website.
- Logo licence means the agreement under which an organisation, for an annual fee, obtains the right to use the logo.
- Report means anything a user or organisation sends to Volunteer Aware through a form, by email or otherwise.
Article 2. Scope
These terms apply to all use of the website, to every review, to every report and to every logo licence.
The general terms of an organisation do not apply, even if the organisation refers to them. Deviations from these terms only apply if Volunteer Aware has confirmed them in writing.
If any provision of these terms is invalid or voidable, the other provisions remain in force. The invalid provision will be replaced by a valid provision that comes as close as possible to its purpose.
In case of any difference between the Dutch and the English version of these terms, the Dutch version prevails.
Article 3. Use of the website
The website is free to use. You may read and share the information and use it to make your own choice for volunteering or an internship.
You may not:
- read, copy or store the website or the reviews in an automated way, for example with scrapers, bots or other software, without written permission;
- use or resell reviews, scores or texts from the website commercially;
- take reviews out of context or edit them so that they give a different picture than the website does;
- use the website in a way that harms Volunteer Aware, organisations or other users, or that breaks the law;
- disrupt or circumvent the operation or security of the website.
Volunteer Aware may change the website at any time, take it offline temporarily or restrict access for a user who does not comply with these terms.
Article 4. Reviews and scores
Volunteer Aware reviews organisations using fixed, public criteria: twenty for quality and twenty for transparency. Every organisation is reviewed with the same criteria. How this works is explained on the pages Quality index, Transparency index, Knock-outs and Our sources.
A review is based on the information an organisation itself makes public, mainly on its own website, on the date shown with the review. A review is a reasoned judgement of what an organisation shows. It is not a guarantee of the quality of a project, not a statement about the people who work there and not a prediction of the experience of an individual volunteer.
Volunteer Aware decides which organisations are reviewed and when. An organisation has no right to a review, to a particular score or to the removal of a review.
Organisations do not pay for a review. A score cannot be bought. An organisation with a logo licence is reviewed with exactly the same criteria as any other organisation, and the logo licence has no influence whatsoever on the score.
Volunteer Aware uses artificial intelligence when reviewing. Volunteer Aware remains responsible for the review as shown on the website.
Volunteer Aware may revise a review at any time, for example when an organisation changes its website or way of working, when the criteria are sharpened or when information turns out to be incorrect.
Article 5. Responses, new reviews and objections
An organisation that disagrees with a review, or that has made improvements, can request a new review through the page Request a review or by email. Please state which criteria it concerns and where the information can be found.
Volunteer Aware considers every request carefully and lets the organisation know within a reasonable period what will happen. A new review is free of charge.
Volunteer Aware decides whether a review is changed. Volunteer Aware only looks at information that is public to every volunteer. Arrangements or promises that are not public do not count.
If an organisation believes a review is factually incorrect, it first reports this to Volunteer Aware and gives Volunteer Aware reasonable time to check and, if necessary, correct the review before taking any other steps.
Article 6. Reports from users
Through the report page and other forms, users can let us know that information on the website is wrong or outdated. Anyone making a report ensures that it is accurate to the best of their knowledge.
A report may not contain information that is unlawful, offensive or discriminatory, or that violates the privacy of others. Volunteer Aware may ignore or delete such reports without giving reasons.
Volunteer Aware checks a report itself before anything changes on the website. A report therefore does not automatically lead to a different score.
By making a report you give Volunteer Aware permission to use its content to check and improve reviews. We never share your name with an organisation, unless you ask us to.
The report page is not meant for emergencies. If someone is in danger, contact the local emergency services or your embassy straight away.
Article 7. The logo licence
An organisation may only use the logo with a valid logo licence. Volunteer Aware may offer a logo licence to an organisation that, at the time of the request and throughout the term:
- has a quality score of at least 60%;
- has a transparency score of at least 60%;
- has no knock-out on the quality index.
Volunteer Aware may refuse a request without giving reasons.
The logo licence is personal, non-exclusive and non-transferable. The organisation may not sublicense the logo and may not let partners, subsidiaries or other brands use it, unless Volunteer Aware gives written permission.
The organisation only uses the logo:
- in the form and colours supplied by Volunteer Aware, without editing, cropping or combining it with other signs;
- with the year or validity as supplied by Volunteer Aware;
- with a link to the organisation’s own review on volunteeraware.nl, when the logo is shown online;
- on its own website and in its own communications about its own programmes.
The logo shows that an organisation scored sufficiently on the date of the review. The organisation may not give the impression that Volunteer Aware has visited, approved, recommended or works with its projects, and may not use the logo for projects or brands that have not been reviewed.
Article 8. Fees and payment
For the logo licence the organisation pays an annual fee. The amount is stated in the quotation or on the website. Foundations and other non profit organisations pay half of the regular rate.
All amounts are exclusive of VAT, unless stated otherwise.
The fee is invoiced annually in advance. The organisation pays within fourteen days of the invoice date. The right to use the logo only starts once the first invoice has been paid.
If the organisation does not pay on time, it is in default without notice of default being required. Volunteer Aware may then charge the statutory commercial interest and suspend the use of the logo. All reasonable costs of collecting the amount, in and out of court, are borne by the organisation.
Volunteer Aware may adjust its rates once a year. A new rate applies from the next renewal and is announced at least two months in advance.
Article 9. Term, termination and withdrawal
A logo licence applies for one year and is then automatically renewed for one year at a time, unless the organisation or Volunteer Aware terminates it in writing or by email no later than one month before the end of the current year.
Volunteer Aware may withdraw the logo licence with immediate effect, without the organisation being entitled to any refund or compensation, if:
- the organisation’s quality score or transparency score falls below 60%;
- the organisation receives a knock-out on the quality index;
- the organisation uses the logo in breach of these terms;
- the organisation does not pay on time, even after a reminder;
- the organisation acts in a way that may damage the reputation of Volunteer Aware, or provides misleading information;
- the organisation goes bankrupt, applies for a suspension of payments or ceases its activities.
If a score falls below the threshold, the organisation first gets the opportunity to request a new review within thirty days. If the score then remains below the threshold, the logo licence ends.
When the logo licence ends, for whatever reason, the organisation removes the logo from all its communications, online and offline, within fourteen days. If it fails to do so, it pays Volunteer Aware an immediately due penalty of € 250 for each day the logo is still used after that period, up to a maximum of € 25,000. This does not affect the right of Volunteer Aware to full compensation.
An organisation that uses the logo without a valid logo licence infringes the rights of Volunteer Aware. Volunteer Aware may publicly mention such an organisation and use all legal means to stop the use.
Article 10. Intellectual property
All rights to the website, the texts, the criteria, the reviews, the scores, the design of the indexes, the logo and the layout belong to Volunteer Aware or its licensors.
You may quote short parts of the website, for example in an article or on social media, provided you clearly name Volunteer Aware as the source and link to the website. Any other use requires written permission.
Volunteer Aware uses the name, logo and short quotes from an organisation’s website only to make clear which organisation is meant and what a review is based on. If an organisation wants its logo removed, Volunteer Aware will do so. The review itself will remain.
Article 11. Liability
Volunteer Aware does its best to keep the information on the website careful, complete and up to date, but cannot guarantee that everything is always correct. The website and the reviews are meant to help you make a choice. You choose an organisation, a project or a trip yourself and at your own responsibility.
Volunteer Aware is not liable for:
- damage resulting from someone relying on a review or other information on the website;
- the acts or omissions of organisations, their partners or projects, and the content of their websites;
- damage caused by the website being temporarily unavailable, by errors in the website or by viruses;
- consequential loss, lost profit, lost revenue, reputational damage or other indirect damage.
If Volunteer Aware is nevertheless liable, its liability is limited to the amount the organisation paid to Volunteer Aware in the twelve months before the damage occurred, up to a maximum of € 2,500. For users who have not paid anything to Volunteer Aware, liability is limited to € 100.
These limitations do not apply in case of intent or deliberate recklessness on the part of Volunteer Aware.
The organisation indemnifies Volunteer Aware against claims of third parties relating to its use of the logo or to information it has provided to Volunteer Aware.
A claim against Volunteer Aware lapses if it has not been reported to Volunteer Aware in writing within twelve months after the injured party knew or should have known of the damage.
Article 12. Force majeure
Volunteer Aware is not obliged to fulfil an obligation if it is prevented from doing so by force majeure. Force majeure includes failures of hosting, internet or other suppliers, illness, cyber attacks and government measures. If force majeure lasts longer than three months, either party may terminate a logo licence in writing, without compensation.
Article 13. Privacy
Volunteer Aware handles personal data with care and complies with the General Data Protection Regulation. How we process personal data is explained in our privacy policy.
Article 14. Complaints
If you have a complaint about Volunteer Aware, email info@volunteeraware.nl. Describe the complaint as clearly as possible. Volunteer Aware confirms receipt and responds in substance within thirty days. If that is not possible, we will let you know when you can expect a response.
Article 15. Changes
Volunteer Aware may change these terms. The new version is published on the website with the date on which it takes effect. For organisations with a logo licence, a change only takes effect thirty days after Volunteer Aware has announced it by email. If an organisation does not agree with a change that substantially disadvantages it, it may terminate the logo licence as of the date the change takes effect.
Article 16. Applicable law and disputes
These terms, the use of the website and every logo licence are governed by Dutch law.
The parties will first try to resolve a dispute together. If that fails, the dispute will be submitted to the competent court in the district where Volunteer Aware is established, unless the law mandatorily designates another court.
Questions about these terms?
Email info@volunteeraware.nl. We are happy to help.