LiveDifferent’s development model combines sustainable community development practices with integrated volunteering, resulting in meaningful and long-term positive outcomes for all parties involved. Our projects focus on mutual empowerment, as our volunteers work alongside community members to meet basic human needs, while motivating one another to shift their perspectives towards life-long kindness, hope, and change. The five key elements of this model are community, relationship, basic needs, dignity, and humility.

Learn more about our development model. 

When working in a developing country, there are many factors that we need to consider to ensure we are making the most positive and sustainable impact possible. We know that we are not equipped to solve all of the problems in a given community, and so we work hard to focus on the projects that are within our area of expertise which can result in the largest impact for the greatest number of people.

Currently, our primary focus is on building projects; new homes for families in Dominican Republic and Mexico, and a school in Haiti. We have found that concentrating our skills and resources on one type of project can make the biggest difference, rather than having our resources and attention divided between various types of programs, with the likely result of making little to no impact.

Learn more about our commitment to responsible and sustainable projects. 

When we host volunteers in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Haiti, we are always amazed at the generous hearts of those who come to work with us. Many volunteers bring donations with them in hopes of being able to give them directly to those they meet on their trip. After years of working in various communities and countries, we have unfortunately seen this create many problems.

Instead, we want to inform and inspire our volunteers with the many valuable ways that LiveDifferent already has in place to enable them to make a contribution to the communities we work in.

Learn more about how LiveDifferent handles aid and donations. 

We recognize the ongoing need for funds to be available for urgent or critical matters in the communities we work in, so we have set up the Emergency Relief and Community Development Fund. This fund is used to meet the immediate needs of the families and communities that we work with, giving us the freedom to help whenever they are brought to our attention. They provide for things such as emergency medical costs, school uniforms and supplies, home repairs, and other much-needed community projects such as recreational facilities, bridges, and water cisterns. These funds are also available to aid these communities if they experience hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters.

Learm more about our Emerfency Relief and Community Development Fund, or make a donation here.