You know the traveler's Catch-22: When you have the freedom to travel, you don't have the money. When you're working and making some money, you can't take time off from your job. Most people who travel for work never get to see much more than the inside of hotel rooms and conference centers. At CouchSurfing, discovering new local cultures through travel is not only an option, it's expected and included in your compensation package. Experiencing new cultures and local CS communities is essential for all staff members. That's why every full-time volunteer has the opportunity to live abroad for several months of each year at one of our amazing Collective locations, with the support of a stable center of operations (BaseCamp) in the San Francisco Bay Area. CouchSurfing Collectives have been located all across the globe. To date, CouchSurfing volunteers have been to Montreal in Canada, Nelson in New Zealand, Rotterdam in Holland, Pai in Thailand, Alaska in the United States, and Samara in Costa Rica. For more information on our Collectives and BaseCamp, click here.

Volunteerism is a CouchSurfing ideal. CS is powered primarily by onsite and remote volunteers, and we believe that this approach serves the CS mission best. We want our staff to be internally motivated by their commitment to giving back to the global community. Those who are willing to contribute as volunteers demonstrate this drive to make a difference in the world. These motivated individuals are in turn given an opportunity to improve their skills, take on large projects and responsibilities, learn through their work, and add something great to their resume. Finally, as CouchSurfing is a non-profit charity, no individual or investor is profiting from the contributions of our volunteers. All of their donated hours and skills help further the CS vision and support the community.

The majority of CouchSurfing's volunteers are part-time, specialized contributors who work from their homes around the world. Many of them have existing careers, while others are traveling nomads. If you can make a commitment of a few hours each week, these roles are a great chance to have a global impact in your spare time. Check out our Remote Volunteer Information Group if you're interested in receiving updates on available roles!