For example, if you’re passionate about animal welfare, maybe you want to volunteer at an animal shelter. If you believe in literacy, maybe you want to volunteer at a library or a school.
For example, you may find that volunteering with your local parks, at a prison, with youth organizations, or even for disaster relief may be more to your liking.
Volunteering with friends can make it less scary and more enjoyable because you’re with people you know and have fun with.
For instance, volunteering at a clinic can teach you some about the healthcare system, while volunteering at library can teach you about community programs, literacy initiatives, and library organization. If you volunteer with the park system, you’ll learn about park management. You could also choose organizations that would develop skills you already have. For instance, if you are partially fluent in another language, you could offer your skills as a translator to community organizations, improving your skills along the way.
When volunteering abroad, you can go on short, week-long excursions, or you can commit to much longer periods of volunteering You could even join an organization like the Peace Corps for a long-term experience, where you can volunteer in fields like agriculture, education, health, economic development, and youth development. [7] X Research source
For example, maybe you have stellar people skills, so you’d do well at a place where you interact with people often, such as a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. On the other hand, if writing is more your style, look into opportunities that can put that skill to use. For example, maybe you could write brochures for local nonprofits.
Try not to over-commit yourself. If you try to do too much, you’re more likely to give up.
Knowing the length of time you want to commit to can also help you choose an organization and type of volunteering. For instance, if you only want a short-term commitment, you might want to help organize an educational talk at the local art museum. On the other hand, if you want a long-term commitment, you might become a docent at the museum. You can even find one-time volunteer opportunities, such as volunteering at a pet adoption event, helping at the library’s annual sale, or joining a group park cleanup.
You’ll find there are all kinds of ways to volunteer. You can run in a marathon to raise money for an organization, work as a big brother or big sister, or organize food at a food bank. If you do want to volunteer online, you’d still need to find the right organization. You could send emails to local organizations and offer your writing or design skills, for instance, though they will probably still want to meet you in person at least once. You could also do things like tutor kids on the internet who are in need of homework assistance.
Spend some time preparing for the interview, much as you would for a job interview. Be ready to talk about yourself, your background, and what you have to offer to the organization. Remember, the interview is also a time for you to assess whether the organization is the right fit for you. Don’t be afraid to ask any questions you may have.
For instance, volunteers at a museum may be expected to learn parts of the galleries to give tours, while volunteers at a clinic will be expected to maintain certain privacy standards. If you’re helping with a 5K charity run, you may find volunteers are expected to do things like sign people in, assist at water stations, or help organize the crowd.
