Program visits are a unique opportunity offered by the IRC to a select group of our supporters to see our crisis response, recovery, and development efforts in-person. During the visit, you will meet IRC program delivery staff, local implementing partners, and most importantly our clients. Invitees for these visits include members of IRC's Board and Advisors, our most loyal supporters, and prospective donors interested in making a significant gift to IRC. These visits are designed to demonstrate the impact of our supporters' contributions on our work.
Upcoming Program Visits
Germany (November 18-21, 2024)
Registrations are now open until September 3rd. To register, sign up here.
During this program visit, you may have the opportunity to see our Education, Economic Recovery and Development, and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support programs.
Registration will open in Fall 2024. To register your interest in this visit, sign up here.
In El Salvador, you may have the opportunity to see our Protection and Empowerment, Education, Economic Recovery, and Development programs, and in San Diego you may visit our Cultural Orientation, Financial Literacy, and Job Readiness programs.
One overarching impression I took away from this trip was how fortunate the IRC is to have such a talented, adaptable, resourceful and dedicated group of local staff on the ground working to deliver programming…in the most challenging of circumstances.
Victoria Long Foley
IRC Board Member, Bangladesh 2020
Program Visits Testimonies
Watch the below video that features testimonies from Andra Ehrenkranz, IRC Advisor, and Patricia Hackbarth, Member, IRC Partners for Freedom Legacy Society.
The positivity, dedication and innovation of the IRC team was ever apparent, whether offering safe and cheery spaces for emotional support, swift assistance for emergency deliveries, or working around the clock to launch the pop-up learning pilot. They were always ready with a smile to provide top quality services to [refugees] and local communities.
Andra Ehrenkranz
IRC Advisor, Colombia and Ecuador 2023
Completed Program Visits
IRC Italy (October 2023)
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IRC Italy (October 2023)
In October 2023, a delegation of IRC supporters visited Milan and Trieste to see IRC’s direct support of refugee clients including those impacted by the Ukraine war and migrants transiting through the Balkan route.
In March 2023, a delegation of IRC Board members and Advisors visited Cúcuta, Medellín, and Bogotá in Colombia, as well as Tulcan in Ecuador, to see firsthand the IRC’s Venezuela Crisis Response work with migrants, internally displaced persons, and host communities in the areas of Health, Economic Recovery and Development, Education, Information Sharing, and Protection for women and children.
In January 2020, a delegation of IRC Board members and supporters visited Cox’s Bazar, a district located along Bangladesh’s southeast coast, to see firsthand the IRC’s work with Rohingya refugees. Through 57 IRC and partner facilities, IRC staff provide lifesaving services in health, women’s protection and empowerment, education, child protection, and protection rule of law. Over three days, the delegation visited a safe healing and learning space, an integrated women’s center, a basic emergency obstetric and newborn care center, a primary healthcare center and a pop-up education program, as well as the IRC’s main offices in Cox’s Bazar and Ukhiya.
What is IRC’s COVID-19 policy regarding the program visit?
IRC puts forth the greatest possible effort to provide a safe and secure operational environment. However, given the nature of our work, participants on the trip may be exposed to healthcare risks, including but not limited to the risk of communicable diseases such as COVID-19. While IRC communicates and expects all operating partners to comply with and encourage appropriate safeguarding measures, the risk of COVID-19 and other potentially infectious diseases still exists. Visitors are required to review the medical guidelines that are provided by IRC prior to participating in the trip and to carefully consider them as they relate to your own medical profile and medical risk tolerance levels.
Can I bring my spouse or child(ren) on the program visit?
Yes, a spouse or partner is welcome to join you for this visit. Please register separately so that required forms may be completed by each individual participant.
IRC cannot host children on our program visits because our Safety and Security measures are not designed with children in mind, and cannot reasonably be adapted to ensure children’s safety.
After the visit, a trip summary, as well as photos and videos from the visit will be shared with all trip participants, which can then be shared with family, friends, and stakeholders of foundations and partners who were unable to join.
What happens after I register?
Immediately after you register, you will receive an email from the IRC's Program Visits team. This will be your primary contact for trip-related questions or concerns in advance of the visit. Before the visit, you will receive many resources to support your preparation process (see the response to the question below “Are there resources to help me prepare for the upcoming visit?”)
I would like to see specific a program during the program visit — can you help coordinate that?
Trip registrants should assume that the itinerary shared with their invitation is the itinerary for their visit, for all intents and purposes. The itinerary is shared at this stage to help set expectations around the locations and program types to be seen, and the pace of the visit. Making changes to meet the interests of individual participants will make it impossible to set realistic expectations.
That said, the itinerary distributed with the invitation is tentative and subject to changes at any time due to circumstances out of our control, such as weather, politics or safety. The itinerary is designed by the hosting country and program teams based on accessibility of programs and priority of funding needs, with the objective of showing as many program highlights as possible.
We aim to avoid having idle time, ensure travel routes are safe and destinations are secure, and recommend flight arrival and departure windows to ensure the best experience.
Are there resources to help me prepare for the upcoming visit?
Immediately after you register for your trip, you will be contacted by the Program Visits team. This will be your primary contact and provide any support you will need in advance of the visit, such as visa invitation letters, flight recommendations, and itinerary updates. Several weeks before your trip, you will receive a Pre-departure Briefing containing history of the regional crisis and IRC’s response efforts, IRC emergency contact information, packing list, safety precautions and cultural norms to be aware of, IRC reports and information sheets, as well as additional recommended readings. Several days before your trip, you will participate in a mandatory Safety and Security briefing with the Program Visits team and the local Security officer from the region you will be visiting.
Can you accommodate dietary restrictions?
During the registration process, we ask about any dietary restrictions or preferences. Within reason, most dietary needs can be accommodated during program visits and if for some reason this is impossible, the registrant will be notified in advance of the trip. Because IRC operates in many remote locations, there will likely be limited options for meal alternatives at some points during the trip, and therefore it is important to be prepared for the likelihood of meal repetition.
What is your cancellation and refund policy?
How to cancel: If you would like to cancel your participation in the trip, contact Program.Visits@rescue.org. In your email, please indicate whether you would like a partial refund (see below for our refund policy) or prefer to donate your trip fee. In the case of a cancellation, the non-refundable deposit, and any additional donated portion of the trip fee, will be used as a donation to the hosting IRC country office and a thank you letter and tax receipt will be emailed to the cancelled registrant.
Refund policy: In order to register for the trip, a non-refundable deposit is required. This amount is different for each trip and can be found on the trip invitation and registration page. The deposit cannot be refunded for any reason, other than IRC has cancelled or postponed the trip. The remaining balance of the trip fee may be refunded if the registrant cancels more than 45 days prior to the trip arrival date. Within 45 days of the trip, IRC may have already incurred expenses related to domestic air and land travel, accommodations, and other non-cancellable charges, which the registrant may be held responsible for. Any refunds will be applied back to the credit card used to pay for the trip fee.
When would IRC cancel a program visit?
IRC will cancel a program visit if the number of registrants does not meet the threshold for covering trip costs and allowing for a minimum donation size to the hosting country program. A visit may also be canceled due to unforeseen circumstances related to safety, or changes in the hosting country program staff capacity.
How many spots are available?
These visits can accommodate six to ten participants depending on the location on a first come, first served basis. When the trip is full, a waitlist will open.
What are IRC’s safety and security protocols during a visit?
IRC Safety and Security has a global network of professional security officers, including a local IRC security team that provides advance checks of the routes and locations where we host our visitors. The IRC provides 24/7 ongoing monitoring of traffic, politics, weather and other potential security obstacles, and are on-call 24/7 via cell phone for any security concerns throughout the visit. A mandatory on-arrival briefing will be provided to all the visitors, which will cover travel to the program sites, a communications plan, and IRC local safety and security measures.
