How to Help Your Community: The Ultimate Guide to Volunteering

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Co-authored by Asa Don Brown, PhD, DNCCM, FAAETS and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: July 26, 2024 Fact Checked

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Getting Started

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Places to Volunteer

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General Advice

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Volunteering Benefits

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Video

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Expert Q&A

Volunteering helps you give back in countless different ways—and with websites like VolunteerMatch, it’s easier than ever to get started. You can also search for organizations that match your passions and interests, and look for volunteer positions that seem like a good fit for your skills and capabilities. We’ll cover everything you need to know, including how to become a volunteer, different organizations you can work with, and all the different benefits volunteering has to offer.

Things You Should Know

Visit VolunteerMatch to find volunteer opportunities in your area.
Volunteer internationally with organizations like International Volunteer HQ and the Peace Corps.
Work with organizations that match your interests and passions, like the ASPCA (animal welfare), Greenpeace (environmental advocacy), or Amnesty USA (human rights).

Section 1 of 4:

How to Become a Volunteer

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1
Find local opportunities with VolunteerMatch. Type your location into the main search bar on the website’s homepage and see what volunteer opportunities come up. If you’re interested in specific opportunities, use the website’s built-in filtering system to narrow down your options.
- VolunteerMatch only displays USA-based volunteer opportunities. They also offer a wide variety of virtual volunteer opportunities (that are based in America).
- American citizens can also sign up with AmeriCorps, a government-based volunteer organization that offers benefits to its workers.
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Volunteer internationally with organizations like International Volunteer HQ. Want to explore the world while you make a difference? International volunteering organizations can place you at a variety of global locations. Keep in mind, though, that these organizations often require you to pay a somewhat expensive fee for their programs.
- International Volunteer HQ: Offers short- and long-term volunteering opportunities around the globe
- Peace Corps: Offers 2-year international volunteering opportunities for Americans
- UN Volunteer: Offers long-term volunteering opportunities

Section 2 of 4:

Common Places to Volunteer

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1
Advocacy & Human Rights Organizations Do you want to support marginalized communities? You might be a good fit for organizations like:
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Animal Welfare Organizations Are you passionate about helping the animals in your community? You could be a good fit for an animal welfare organization or shelter like:
- ASPCA
- Animal Humane Society
- The Humane Society of the United States
- World Wildlife Fund
- Your local animal shelter or humane society
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Environmental Organizations Are you passionate about protecting the environment and advocating for issues like climate change? You might find a lot of value in organizations like:
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Healthcare & Medicine Organizations Do you find a great purpose in caring for others, or are you hoping to get a little expertise in healthcare and medicine? You might like organizations such as:
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Homeless Shelters & Advocacy Organizations
- National Coalition for the Homeless
- People Serving People
- Your local homeless shelter
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Humanitarian Aid Organizations Do you want to help communities in need of support, like migrants and refugees? You might like working with organizations such as:
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Senior Support Organizations Do you want to assist and support your local elderly community? Check out organizations like:
- Elder Helpers
- Serving Seniors

Section 3 of 4:

Advice for Volunteering

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Choose opportunities that can teach you useful skills. Are you trying to get expertise in a specific field? Look for volunteering vacancies that would allow you to learn these skills so you can put them on your future resume.^{[1]
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- Are you hoping to be a teacher? A tutoring position could give you valuable expertise.
- Do you want to work with animals in the future? Volunteering for an animal shelter could be helpful.
You don’t have to volunteer every day to make a difference—even 2-3 hours of weekly work can make a difference.^{[2]
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HelpGuide
Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources.

Go to source} Take a look at your current schedule and factor in your necessary obligations (e.g., work, school, pets, etc.) before committing to a volunteering role.
Plenty of organizations need online/remote volunteers to lend a hand. If you’re fluent in another language, for example, you could volunteer your services as a translator. If you want to advocate and help people going through mental health crises, you could volunteer for an organization like Crisis Text Line.^{[3]
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Treat the application like a job. A lot of volunteer positions need you to fill out an application form. Give this application the same focus and attitude that you’d give a job application, and double-check the organization's requirements (if they provide any) to make sure that you’re a good fit.
- Similar to a job application, check in with the organization to see the status of your application.

Section 4 of 4:

Benefits of Volunteering

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The world doesn’t improve in large, grandiose leaps, but in small, intentional steps. By dedicating your time and resources to a specific cause, you are doing your part to make the world a better place in your own way. Even the smallest gestures can have a momentous impact!
Volunteering is an amazing way to make friends who share the same values as you. It’s also a helpful way to make connections after moving to a new neighborhood.^{[4]
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HelpGuide
Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources.

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Maybe you feel a little nervous and awkward when you connect with others—that’s totally valid! Many volunteering opportunities give you the chance to beef up your communication skills as you work with and assist a wide variety of people.^{[5]
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Trustworthy Source

HelpGuide
Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources.

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It feels good to help others and make a difference—in fact, the frequent social demands of volunteering can help stave off isolating mental illnesses like depression. Volunteering offers plenty of other health benefits, too, like boosting your lifespan and lowering your chance of developing symptoms for illnesses like heart disease.^{[6]
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Plenty of volunteering positions give you valuable training and skills that you can apply to future careers. For example, if you’re hoping to start a career in psychology or social work, you could volunteer at a domestic violence shelter and learn how to properly interact with and advocate for victims.^{[7]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

What are the best volunteer opportunities?

Archana Ramamoorthy, MS
Chief Technology Officer, Workday
Archana Ramamoorthy is the Chief Technology Officer, North America at Workday She is a product ninja, security advocate, and on a quest to enable more inclusion in the tech industry. Archana received her BS from SRM University and MS from Duke University and has been working in product management for over 8 years.

Archana Ramamoorthy, MS

Chief Technology Officer, Workday

Expert Answer

Focus on what you are passionate about. When I was looking for volunteering opportunities, I thought about what I really wanted to give back to people. Leadership is one area I'm very passionate about, so I wanted to see how I could help women develop leadership skills.

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Where can I find work in a voluntary organization?

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Look online for opportunities near you or reach out to an organization in your area.

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Where can a kid volunteer at?

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A kid can volunteer at many places! Just check the age requirements and/or if a parent/guardian needs to accompany you before you sign up. The organization's website might have this information, or a phone number you could call to find out.

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If you’re offered a leadership position or nominated to be an officer, carefully consider whether you can handle the extra commitment. If you love being in the middle of the action, a leadership position might not be the best option for you in the long term.

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