How to Volunteer

Volunteering is a way to connect with your community, meet new friends, and add a rewarding dimension to your life. Zeroing in on the right organization can be challenging, but with a little research, you'll learn How to Volunteer and begin reaping the rewards of this important experience.

Volunteering is a way to connect with your community, meet new friends, and add a rewarding dimension to your life. Zeroing in on the right organization can be challenging, but with a little research, you'll learn How to Volunteer and begin reaping the rewards of this important experience.

• 61.2 million Americans volunteered in 2006. Volunteering in your local Community is not only a rewarding experience but will often allow you to meet like-minded individuals who may become important friends or professional contacts. Volunteering could even help you live longer and derive greater satisfaction from your life. If you've moved to a new city or are new to volunteering, it's important to do a little Research before diving into a volunteer position. Once you've read through the following steps, you'll have a more distinct idea of where you'd like to volunteer and how to go about doing it.

• You will likely want to volunteer in an area that is of personal interest to you.

1. What are your favorite interests (e.g., writing poetry, basketball, global warming)?
2. Why do you want to volunteer in the first place? Your motivations may lead you to a certain cause.
3. Is there a particular population or group of people you wish to work with: the elderly, teens, domestic violence victims, young children, women with breast cancer, the homeless population, adults attempting their GED, etc.?
4. Alternatively, is there an area you'd like to know more about—Animal Shelters, Animal Rescue, art therapy, emergency care? Volunteering can allow you to explore something new or a subject you have long been interested in but haven't had the time to pursue.

• You'll also want to think about what skills or experience you can contribute.

1. Do you want to try something new in a volunteer capacity or use volunteer experience to help you learn a new skill?
2. If not, what skills do you possess that may be beneficial to a particular organization? These could be professional (experience in marketing, fundraising, or teaching, for example) or personal (you used to be a terrific soccer player, you have a passion for beach clean-up, you know a lot about how to look for a job).
3. Make a list of your top five skills and your top five interests. Look for any parallels before starting to research organizations. If you enjoy working with people and you recently retired as a lawyer, for example, you might want to advocate for homelessness rights.

You could work with this Peace Corps-organized group in Mozambique. (Creative commons photo by Christopher van Belle)

• If you don't have the time or schedule to contribute to an organization on a regular basis, you might consider a one-time volunteer opportunity or taking a trip to volunteer for a couple of weeks.

1. Organizations like Habitat for Humanity offer projects ranging from one day to a few weeks.
2. Stocking your local food bank is another idea that provides flexibility.
3. Annual events like Earth Day provide unique volunteer opportunities.
4. Volunteering around the holidays is another way to involve yourself on a limited basis. Check out our guides on How to Help The Less Fortunate During the Holidays and How to Give Back on Thanksgiving for more ideas.
5. Organizations that offer volunteer-based trips (some of these charge program fees, including airfare):
   • • Idealist
     • Cross-Cultural Solutions
     • Global Volunteers
     • International Volunteer Programs Association (IVPA)
6. And of course for a more extended volunteer opportunity, there is the Peace Corps, or for options within the U.S., Americorps.

• You'll need to learn about the volunteer opportunities in your area before finding the right match.

• Your search should start online, where the most volunteer opportunities are listed.

1. Websites like Idealist offer listings by city and by category.
2. Volunteer Match helps bring together volunteers and organizations in need.
3. Other resources to look into include:
   • • 1-800 Volunteer
     • Volunteer Solutions
     • Great Non-Profits

• Smaller organizations may be broadcasting their opportunities on a smaller scale.

1. Look in your local newspaper.
2. Also check out independent weeklies, like the Village Voice in New York or the LA Weekly in Los Angeles. Many of these will run classified ads for volunteer opportunities.
3. Even larger, regional papers will often run information about volunteering, usually in the Classifieds section.
4. You might also learn about local museums, arts organizations, or community theaters in your local papers that will lead you to additional volunteer opportunities.

• Do you have a friend who is always raving about her experience with a local volunteer group? Now's the time to ask her some questions.

1. Ask friends and family if they are involved with an organization that might be of interest to you.
2. There may be additional opportunities through your school, church, or other professional organizations. If you don't find the information you're seeking right away, ask an administrator for more details or about who the right person is to ask to about volunteer ideas.

• Many companies offer volunteer opportunities or have partnered with non-profit organizations.

1. Find out if your company works regularly with a particular organization.
2. Many companies offer their employees the option to do a certain amount of pro bono work. Lawyers may take cases for which their clients can't pay; marketing gurus may offer to help a fledgling non-profit with its launch; event planners may be able to get discounts and donations from vendors for a volunteer event.
3. You might be able to sign up for a single activity, like a project with Habitat for Humanity, or participate on a more regular basis.
4. If your company doesn't have any such opportunities, you might start something!
5. After determining what your interests are and those of your co-workers, you could spearhead a company-wide volunteer opportunity that will get the whole team involved.

The American Red Cross has various opportunities for volunteers. (Creative commons photo by Elaine Vigneault)

• Depending on the organization and its guidelines for volunteers, you may need to complete an application. Or, you might simply walk through the door.

1. If the organization you've targeted has a website, read its section about volunteering. Otherwise, call their office to ask how you should proceed. Questions you might ask:
   • • Is there an upcoming meeting for new volunteers?
     • Will you need to be interviewed?
     • Will you need to complete any tests (volunteers working in schools or nursing homes usually need tuberculosis tests, for example) or show proof of vaccinations?
2. For an organization without an expressed need for volunteers but for which you are eager to work, write a cover letter much as you would for a potential job. Explain why you are interested in this particular organization and what skills you could contribute. Include your resume.

• Now that you've found the right organization and have contacted their volunteer department, it's time to dig in.

1. If you haven't heard back from an organization you've contacted, try again. Remember that many non-profits, especially smaller ones, are overworked.
2. Sign up for your first visit or activity! This might mean a few hours in the office, an activity out of doors, or a group project with kids.
3. Prepare yourself for what to expect. If you've had volunteer training, you will likely know what to look out for, but each experience will come with its own challenges. Be sure you are well versed in the organization's protocol, especially if you are working with kids or a specialized task.
4. Remember that you may come in contact with people or environments that are starkly different from your own. Make sure your own support system is intact if you are going to be doing work with the terminally ill or severely impoverished.
5. Once you are in the routine of your volunteer experience, it might be time to recruit a friend or family member to join!
6. Not only will you be introducing someone to a newly rewarding experience, but you might be passing on the habit of volunteering: kids who volunteered are twice as likely to do so as adults.

• Introduction
• Step 1: Consider Your Interests
• Step 2: Start Researching
• Step 3: Contact Organizations
• Step 4: Sign Up!