Portugal is a beautiful country. It’s colorful, vibrant, lively, inspiring. It’s got amazing nature and stunning cities. It’s very easy to forget that this country is struggling with many issues and there are a lot of charities in Portugal needing our help.
I have a rule that whenever I am moving to a different country, I always try to help local organisations. In Thailand I also had my list of charities, which I shared with you before. Now, in Portugal, I’m doing the same. I want to give back to this beautiful country that is hosting me and encourage others to do the same.
I’ve had quite a problem to find charities in Portugal as most of the websites are in Portuguese and putting my inquiry in Google didn’t bring any results. Only when I met Ann from Venture with Impact, I got some good information on a few local organizations. Below you will find those that you can support.
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If you’re in Portugal and would like to get involved in some social projects, you can do it in a number of ways. Here are the most popular ones.
Donate
Helping others has never been so easy! You can do it by bank transfer, or by PayPal, which is even easier. You can choose one of the organisations below and donate online. It’s simple and fast! Another advantage is that you can write it off on your tax return.
Volunteer
Volunteering can develop your social skills, help you make new friends, meet the locals and improve your CV, and of course you make an impact and improve our planet. Sounds good? Then you will find a lot of volunteering opportunities in Portugal. Nearly all of the below charities accept volunteers. Some have specific requirements, so read the information on their site first before applying.
Volunteering for digital nomads
If you’re a digital nomad, or you would like to be one, check out Venture with Impact. They help professionals in finding volunteering opportunities abroad. VWI work with charities in Portugal and they can find a placement for you with the below organizations. When booking your palcement use coupon code ‘The Blond Travels’ to get $100 discount!
Here are some charities that try to make a change in our society.
AMI
Who they help: people in poverty, homeless people around the world.
How they help: they send volunteers to underdeveloped countries and organise workshops and trainings for local people. Their recent project is to raise awareness of sustainable menstrual hygiene in Uganda.
How you can help: you can volunteer, donate, or buy something from their shop.
Website: AMI
APAV
Who they help: victims of domestic violence.
How they help: they provide psychological and legal support to victims of domestic violence.
How you can help: you can volunteer, or dontate money.
Website: APAV
Check-In
Who they help: young people, who have limited access to education.
How they help: they organise workshops, trainings, seminars and team building activities as well as long-term volunteering opportunities.
How can you help: you can volunteer.
Website: Check-In
Crescer
Who they help: those addicted to drugs and alcohol, homeless people, refugees.
How they help: they provide moral and psychological support to those in vanurable situations. They monitor refugees seeking asylum in Portugal and provide housing to the homeless.
How you can help: you can volunteer and get involved in their projects. You can start from collecting unwanted food from supermarkets.
Website: Crescer
If you’re an animal lover, you can help these organisations.
União Zoófilia
What do they do: it’s an animal shelter for dogs and cats. We took Mitsy from there (our cat) and try to support them every year.
How you can help: you can volunteer, donate money, or adopt a pet.
Website: Uniao Zoofilia
BIANCA
What they do: they are a shelter, but also an information centre. They educate the public about overpopulation of domestic pets.
How you can help: you can donate money, or adopt a pet.
Website: BIANCA
Sociedade Protectora dos Animais
What they do: they protect and rescue animals. They campaign for better treatment of all animals in Portugal.
How you can help: you can donate money.
Website: Sociedade Protectora dos Animais
Remember that helping others doesn’t only need to happen in December. You can help all year round by donating and volunteering. Good always comes back, so don’t wait, do something amazing today!