Voluntary organizations have filled the gap to provide social and community services in Ecuador in areas where government or profit-making agencies were absent. There was a proliferation of activities for the poorest sector of society in response to government neglect. Activities focused on economic and social progress through community development and the American Field Service (AFS) stressed the development of an international perspective. Volunteer organizations in Ecuador fell into five groups: (1) social service; (2) community civil service; (3) cultural promotion; (4) education and apprenticeship programs; and (5) community development. Volunteers were classified according to age, social class, motivation, and the settings in which they worked. AFS volunteers in Ecuador included both scholarship recipients and their parents. Generally they were from upper and middle-class families and were university students or graduates. A meeting with AFS volunteers and other volunteer groups for the purposes of this study was held in May 1988. The information forthcoming from the meeting indicated that members of other social action volunteer groups did not perceive clearly the nature of the work done by the AFS volunteers and considered them an elite group uninterested in addressing social needs. Seven recommendations were offered for the creation of a strong AFS Program in Ecuador. (NL)