VSO is a not-for-profit international development organization charity with a vision for "a fair world for everyone" and a mission to "create lasting change through volunteering".

Each Executive Board member is responsible for a function of VSO: People, Programmes, Business Development, and Finance.

[4] VSO was founded in 1958 by Alec and Mora Dickson through a bishop's letter to the London paper,[5] The Sunday Times, as an educational experience overseas for school-leavers, initially only male, before starting university.

VSO's structure evolved to become an international federation which now includes Ireland, China and India as well as the above named countries.

The three-year initiative aims to improve quality and access to health and education services as well as livelihood opportunities for the most poor and vulnerable, and targets more than 2 million of the poorest and most marginalised people across the globe.