CouchSurfing's newest Collective is off the ground in Costa Rica!

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CouchSurfing's Costa Rica Collective isn't just a new Collective--it's also the first temporary Collective since our permanent BaseCamp was established.  This is an important moment in our development as an organization, so read on for a little more of the nitty-gritty. 

BaseCamp and Worldwide Collectives

Since the last CouchSurfing Collective in Homer, Alaska, the purpose of Collectives has evolved significantly.  In September 2008, the donations of members allowed CS to establish an ongoing center of operations called BaseCamp.  BaseCamp and temporary  world-wide Collectives will now run side by side, and both will house full-time on-site CouchSurfing volunteers.  Both BaseCamp and temporary Collectives have their benefits and draw-backs.  By using both models, CouchSurfing can take advantage of the opportunities of each one while avoiding their individual pitfalls.

As a steady office, BaseCamp is a key addition to the CouchSurfing structure:

• BaseCamp eliminates down-time between Collectives.  It doesn't have to be set up or taken down, so work can keep moving without logistical interruptions.  It also provides a consistent place for new volunteers to train.
  
  
• BaseCamp allows CouchSurfing to provide stability for on-site volunteers.  With BaseCamp in a steady location, CouchSurfing can hire volunteers who either aren't able to or prefer not to travel frequently.  This allows CS to include volunteers with a wider variety of life situations.

• BaseCamp provides a center for legal and administrative tasks.  Because CouchSurfing is legally registered in the United States, having a full-time office in that country allows these things to be taken care of more easily.
  
  
• BaseCamp means that volunteers apply for a career with CouchSurfing, not just a temporary position.  Before BaseCamp was established, on-site volunteers applied to visit a specific Collective.  CS couldn't guarantee housing to volunteers beyond the length of any particular Collective, so volunteers were forced to join the team only for a fixed length of time.  With BaseCamp in place, on-site volunteers can stay with the organization long-term.
  
  

Collectives, meanwhile, continue to provide many benefits:

• Collectives allow more interaction between CouchSurfing volunteers and CouchSurfing communities. As an international organization, it is essential to our mission that our centers of operation aren't holed up in one place.  CouchSurfing should never be cut off from the global community, and Collectives help make sure that doesn't happen.
  
  
• Collectives help us recruit and retain the best talent for our positions. Our volunteers put in long hours. In order to keep morale up and quality high, we compensate them with great experiences. Top on this list is the opportunity to live abroad at least once a year. We are CouchSurfers and travelers, after all.  The chance to continue to do a little traveling and experience the world while getting things done is one of the best rewards we can offer our volunteers.
  
  
• Collectives allow us to diversify our staff.  CouchSurfing is a global community and we hope to have a volunteer base that reflects that. Diversity is one of our guiding principles, and getting people from all cultures together to collaborate on projects brings that value into all levels of our organization.  CouchSurfing is inclusive, but national borders are exclusive.  If CS was based only in one location, many qualified members of the community would be unfairly disqualified from volunteering.
  
  

The Costa Rica Collective

Following the new model, the Collective in Costa Rica will run for roughly six months, and will house members from each of our teams at various times. We want this to be an efficient, well run office, so the first group in is our Technology Team.  A CS base can take some time to set up, particularly in countries where internet access is not always widely available.  Tech is definitely the team to get this taken care of so that when other volunteers arrive they can start getting things done right away.  Plus, they're a great first wave for any Collective.  They're our largest on-site team, and they work with clearly defined tasks.   Also, they need to be together in one place so that volunteers with different specialties can collaborate to get goals met.   

The Collective is set to finish sometime in August.  We've just filled up the house, and may be looking for additional space in the future.  During its run, most of our full time volunteers will spend some time there. There will also be volunteers at BaseCamp. This will be the first time CouchSurfing has taken on the challenge of running two offices at once, and we are working out all the details on an ongoing basis. Both groups, though, are continuing to collaborate through online meetings and calls.

CouchSurfers who want to visit the Costa Rica Collective will be able to do so during planned social events. Unlike in the past, there are no Collective-specific positions to be filled. However, we have an ongoing need for more on-site full-time volunteers, all of whom have the ability to attend Collectives after their training period. We also have various short-term volunteer needs for both BaseCamp and our Collectives. All open positions can be seen on the career page.