During these tough economic times more individuals will be looking to charitable organizations for assistance, therefore charities will be looking for more donations and volunteers.

People still want to help, but there is a concern about the impact it may have on their wallets. In fact, a recent poll by Travelocity shows the number of respondents planning to take some kind of volunteer vacation has dropped from 38 percent in 2008 to 13 percent in 2009. This is not surprising considering the current economic environment.

However, volunteering is among the top New Year's resolutions Americans make every year, along with saving money, learning something new and traveling. Travelocity is hoping to turn these yearly pledges into a life-changing experience as opposed to a soon-forgotten promise. By applying for a Change Ambassador grant through Travelocity's Travel for Good program, grant recipients have the opportunity to accomplish all of the popular New Year's resolutions mentioned above while receiving a $5,000 grant to offset the cost of their trips.

"As the economy struggles, people continue to look for creative ways to give back despite being financially challenged," said Jeffrey Glueck, chief marketing officer at Travelocity. "While volunteer vacation opportunities are not financially accessible to everyone, we're hoping to ease the burden a bit for those with a real passion for giving back but without the means to donate money this year."

Whether traveling to South Africa to help in the fight against poverty and unemployment or to Madagascar to study the habits of carnivores, a volunteer vacation allows participants to experience a destination on a deeper, more meaningful level while giving back to the area.

"Whether or not it's on the list of New Year's resolutions, a volunteer vacation can truly change a person's perspective and remind us of what's most important in life," said Glueck.

Under the Travel for Good initiative, first launched in August 2006, Travelocity began a program called Change Ambassadors to help bring the idea of "voluntourism" to a broader, more mainstream audience. The Change Ambassadors program awards consumer and employee grants to those who wish to help others through volunteering, but do not have the financial means to take a volunteer vacation. Travelocity awards two grants per quarter to the public and one grant per quarter to its employees.

Applicants can apply for the Change Ambassadors Grant either as an individual or as part of a team. Each grant will fund up to $5,000 for the transportation to, as well as the costs associated with, any trip organized by one of Travelocity's volunteer travel partners for individuals or groups deemed worthy based on the merit of their applications and their ability to meet the grant requirements. Additional details and instructions to apply for the grant are available at www.travelocity.com/travelforgood. All grants are subject to terms and conditions, which are available on the site.