Generosity isn’t something you just read about in a book, or debate in a classroom. It has to be lived, tested, and seen in action — it doesn’t get real until you see the “real” real.
So every student who completes the GivingU class is invited to participate in a Giving University trip. International or domestic, you’ll take what you’ve learned and put it to the test in the real world.
You’re not going to “save people” or for some relaxing “R&R.” You’re there to see for yourself what real need is and what real impact looks like. To walk into communities, sit with nonprofit leaders, and decide whether their work creates the impact they claim it does — and to support it if that’s the case.
When you come back, you’re never the same. You will have witnessed need with your own eyes. Felt the resilience of people living with almost nothing. And gained the wisdom to know where generosity really changes lives — and where it doesn’t.
The cornerstone of Giving University, our international research trips are structured, investigative, and deeply eye-opening.
GivingU students travel to some of the most impoverished countries in the world – Cambodia, Kenya, Nepal, Lebanon, Ukraine, and nearly 40 more – because you can’t really grasp the scale of need or the power of generosity until you visit a place where “middle class” means owning 2 pairs of shoes.
Every GivingU team is tasked with asking each nonprofit the hard questions, like is it:
You’re not going to paint a wall, dig a ditch, or swing a hammer. GivingU students walk the facilities, talk with staff, and meet the people being served — watching, listening, and evaluating impact.
Every student helps evaluate the impact of the nonprofit’s work. Sometimes that means saying “Yes.” Other times it means a firm “No.” Both of which can be the right answer.
Giving University provides a grant purse for every trip, but the team ultimately votes on where those funds should go. On top of that, students often recommend additional funding when they see real impact meeting true needs.
If you’re looking for comfortable hotels or a tourist agenda, GivingU isn’t for you. These trips are humbling, sometimes heartbreaking, always clarifying. They’re structured, planned, and guided by experienced Giving University leadership, but they are not easy — we create an environment where you can stretch outside your comfort zone with the support of a capable team.
Every trip builds in a “cultural day” — a chance to learn history and traditions, share meals, and honor the country you’re in. But make no mistake, these trips are about generosity, not tourism.
While research trips are about evaluation, work trips are about rolling up your sleeves and serving directly, side-by-side with locals and other GivingU students.
Giving University partners with several nonprofits and ministries in Mexico that provide outreach to people in need — from local orphanages and rehabilitation programs for young men to aid for those with disabilities. Among them is an orphanage in Ensenada, Mexico, where GivingU students and alumni go every year to paint classrooms, build homes, run sports activities, and even provide dental care through GivingU alumni nonprofits.
The focus here isn’t research — it’s practical, hands-on work. You’ll still see impact up close, because you’ll be making it happen.
Many students return year after year, turning a one-week trip into long-term friendships with leaders and kids they’ve served.
Since our founding, Giving University has taken students to more than 30 countries and several U.S. cities. Click through each to read about the experiences of real GivingU participants spreading generosity around the world.
No matter where Giving University students have gone the last 20 years, they return with clearer eyes, greater empathy, and the ability to say “Yes” to supporting what truly matters.
Places we’ve helped:
Bahamas • Belize • Bhutan • Bosnia • Burma • Cambodia • Chile • Colombia • Croatia • Cuba • Ghana • Guatemala • Haiti • Hungary • India • Iraq • Kenya • Kurdistan • Lebanon • Mexico • Moldova • Morocco • Mozambique • Myanmar • Nepal • Nicaragua • Nigeria • Pakistan • Peru • Philippines • Romania • Russia • Serbia • Sierra Leone • South Africa • Siberia • Sri Lanka • Taiwan • Thailand • Turkey • Uganda • Ukraine • United States • Vietnam
From Guatemala to Siberia, Thailand to Mozambique, GU trips take you out of the theoretical and thrust you into reality — where your generosity gets tested, refined, and galvanized into something real.
These trips aren’t an “extra” — they’re the heart of GU’s mission. They connect classroom learning to lived reality. They help you discern real impact from empty promises. Students describe being humbled, moved to tears, and forever changed.