VOLUNTEER

VOLUNTEER
VOLUNTEERING

VOLUNTEER

VOLUNTEERING

HOW TO VOLUNTEER

VOLUNTEERING RELATED TOPICS

PEACE CORPS

PEACE CORPS RELATED TOPICS

VOLUNTEER LINKS

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SECTION 1

VOLUNTEER

Volunteering, the practice of people working on behalf of others
without being motivated by financial or material gain.

Volunteers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volunteers

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SECTION 2

VOLUNTEERING

Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity and is intended
to promote good or improve human quality of life. In return, this activity
can produce a feeling of self-worth and respect. There is no financial gain
involved.

Volunteering is also renowned for skill development, socialization, and fun.
It is also intended to make contacts for possible employment. Many volunteers
are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education,
or emergency rescue. Others serve on an as-needed basis, such as in response
to a natural disaster.

Volunteering
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volunteering

AmeriCorps
https://americorps.gov/

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SECTION 3

HOW TO
VOLUNTEER

Volunteering is a great way to further a cause, support an organization, and
make a difference in your community. It can also be an opportunity to meet
new people and learn new skills. If you'd like to give something besides money,
consider lending your time and talents to organizations that are important to
you. It is an opportunity to serve.

Steps

1. Your help is needed. Consider why you want to volunteer. Do you want to help
the world or your community? Do you want to build your own skills, make new
friends, and learn? Do you love what you do? Do you want to share your gifts with
others or give something back? Examining these sorts of questions can help you to
choose the right direction for your volunteer work.

2. Choose an organization that is meaningful to you. If you feel strongly about
literacy, for instance, volunteer at your local library or find out if there is
an organization of volunteer tutors in your area. There are organizations doing
all sorts of work, and it is especially important with volunteer work that you
choose something that you value. Organizations exist for all sorts of purposes,
so if dishing up food at a soup kitchen doesn't sound like your cup of tea,
consider ushering at your local theater, building homes, or volunteering at a
hospital or animal shelter.

3. A neighborhood cleanup effort. Look for an organization or activity in your
area or community. While some volunteers do sign up for the Peace Corps or other
worldwide organizations and travel to remote parts of the world, you should
probably start on a smaller scale than that, especially if you already have
commitments at home. If you do plan on venturing abroad in your volunteer work,
get lots of information about what to expect there and ask your doctor about
getting immunizations appropriate to your destination. Talk to others who have
traveled with your intended organization and ask them to share their experiences,
too.

4. This organization refurbishes bicycles for public use. Seek out an organization
and tasks within it that suit your skills and interests. Of course, you can develop
new skills and learn many things by volunteering, but your volunteer work can still
be compatible with your interests. If you're an outgoing "people person", you might
not have much fun in the back office stuffing envelopes or filing papers. Others,
by contrast, might find it uncomfortable to solicit funds door-to-door. Do you love
to work with people? With animals? With children? With numbers? Are you handy? Do
you love to speak or to write? Organizations need all sorts of skills. If you're not
sure what sort of work you like or dislike, a volunteer organization may be a great
opportunity to dabble a bit and try different things.

5. Start small. If you already have a busy schedule, volunteer your time for an hour
or two per week or perhaps one day per month. (Just about anybody can free up that
much time easily. Try turning off the TV!) You might be surprised how much you can
accomplish in even a little bit of time. Then, if you find you enjoy the work and
have more time to pursue it, gradually take on more.

6. Your organization can help you succeed. Get to know others in the organization and
how the group supports volunteers. Attend a training or orientation session, if one is
available; if not, talk to local group leaders and other volunteers in the community
about their experiences. You'll learn what to expect of an organization and your work
with it, and you'll pick up some good tips to make your work there more productive and
more meaningful.

7. Explain your own background and preferences to those in charge. They can help to match
you with meaningful, suitable tasks, but only if they know a bit about who you are.

Ask, don't demand. The people in charge of organizing, whether or not they are also
volunteers, have certain needs to meet and may be quite busy.

Especially if you're just starting out, consider helping with an immediate need even if
it is not the ideal match for your abilities. Work doesn't always neatly match the people
available to do it. You will still be helping the organization and you might learn a new
skill or discover something about yourself. The favor you earn may also help you into a
more suitable or desirable task next time.

8. Get started. Ask plenty of questions and do your research, but until you sign up and
get your feet wet, you won't know if volunteering for a particular organization is really
right for you.

9. Get training. If your organization has a formal orientation or training, attend it. If
not, or if you still don't know where to begin, ask to work with an experienced volunteer
or group. Then, ask lots of questions and give it a shot.

10. Too much to take? Try not to give up. Volunteer organizations, too, sometimes have
less-pleasant tasks, difficult fellow workers, busy times, slow times, or bad management.
If you find your work unpleasant, you have choices:

Work through it, anyway. If you feel it needs doing, but it's dull or heavy work, put the
music on, divide it into manageable pieces, take breaks when you need them, and get the
job done. Don't forget to look for ways to ease the task or prepare better next time.

Get help. If you're overwhelmed, confused, or stuck, ask if there is anyone else that could
step up and give you a hand, even temporarily to get through some backlog or difficulty.
Organizations may also have other resources to draw on, from contacts to sister organizations
to libraries and municipalities.

Fix the problem. If there's something in your way, it's probably in everybody else's way, too.
Lead the charge to get more volunteers, more money, better equipment, or skilled help. Clean
up messes when you see them. Suggest (gently, please!) how matters could be better handled or
organized. Or, simply bring the problem to the attention of the organization or its leaders
and ask what can be done.

Take a break or back off. If you're exhausted, you may not be doing yourself or anyone else any
good. Would everybody be better off if you came back with fresh energy later?

Ask to do something else. If you feel you can better serve the organization by doing something
more in line with your talents or skills, say so, and let organization leaders know what sorts
of tasks or talents you would rather contribute.

Look to another organization or branch. If you have tried all your best diplomatic skills and
still have difficulty with the tasks or people you encounter, leave graciously and look elsewhere.
Mismatches and mismanagement can happen in volunteer organizations, too.

Start your own organization or volunteer freelance. Remember, though, that you may be on your own
to provide the money and talent that.

11. Have fun! You will accomplish more if you love what you do, and chances are good that your
enthusiasm will infect others.

Tips

If you are offered a leadership position or nominated as an officer, consider carefully whether
that is what you want. If what you love is the in-the-trenches work for an organization, its
board meetings and budgets may only prove to be a burden and an extra commitment of time. On the
other hand, if you feel you can best contribute by helping an organization to run smoothly, give
it a try.

Don't forget that wikiHow needs volunteers, too! Share your knowledge by writing or improving an
article, or simply fix an error. You can begin here.

If you are asked to lead other volunteers, remember that they are volunteers and that their only
compensation for their time is the enjoyment they get out of helping. Lead by example. Suggest,
guide, advise, and organize. Rather than dictating or demanding, aim to serve your team by clearing
their path of obstacles.

Volunteer organizations, too, often have hierarchies within them, up through which volunteers must
make their way. If you think you would like to volunteer during your retirement, for instance,
consider starting on a small scale now to build your track record and contacts within that
organization.

Warnings

Try not to get pressured into volunteering, or taking on too much. If it stops being rewarding
and starts being a chore, back off or take a break.

Don't be a zealot. Enthusiasm for your chosen organization or cause is great, but balance and
moderate it so that you don't burn out. Remember, too, that others may not feel as strongly
about your cause as you do.

Pay attention to safety and don't be bashful about asking for training.

How to Volunteer
http://www.wikihow.com/Volunteer

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SECTION 4

VOLUNTEERING
RELATED
TOPICS

How to Enjoy Community Service Trips
http://www.wikihow.com/Enjoy-Community-Service-Trips

Know when Not to Volunteer
http://www.wikihow.com/Know-when-Not-to-Volunteer

How to Start a 501c3 Nonprofit Organization
http://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-501c3-Nonprofit-Organization

How to Become a Volunteer Firefighter
http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Volunteer-Firefighter

How to Get Picked As a Volunteer at a Major Theme Park
http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Picked-As-a-Volunteer-at-a-Major-Theme-Park

How to Succeed at Community Organization Fundraising
http://www.wikihow.com/Succeed-at-Community-Organization-Fundraising

How to Switch Careers
http://www.wikihow.com/Switch-Careers

How to Pay It Forward
http://www.wikihow.com/Pay-It-Forward

How to Practice Random Acts of Kindness
http://www.wikihow.com/Practice-Random-Acts-of-Kindness

How to Volunteer Overseas
http://www.wikihow.com/Volunteer-Overseas

How to Assist Recently Liberated Arabs
http://www.wikihow.com/Assist-Recently-Liberated-Arabs

How to Create Urban Rainforests
http://www.wikihow.com/Create-Urban-Rainforests

How to Beautify and Improve a Ghetto
http://www.wikihow.com/Beautify-and-Improve-a-Ghetto

How to Solve a Problem
http://www.wikihow.com/Solve-a-Problem

How to Volunteer Aid Nepal
http://www.wikihow.com/Volunteer-Aid-Nepal

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SECTION 5

PEACE CORPS
PEACE-CORPS

Peace Corps Volunteers serve in over 60 countries.
Find your place in the world.

From leading health campaigns to boosting local entrepreneurship
to teaching digital literacy, we offer a range of opportunities
for making a difference.

Peace Corps
https://www.peacecorps.gov/

Peace
Corps
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_Corps

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SECTION 6

PEACE CORPS
PEACE-CORPS
RELATED
TOPICS

National Peace Corps Association
http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org

Peace Corps Journals
http://www.PeaceCorpsJournals.com

Peace Corps Wiki
http://www.peacecorpswiki.org/

First Response Action
http://www.firstresponseaction.org

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Volunteer.gov
http://www.volunteer.gov/

The
Volunteer
Search
Network
VSN
http://www.vsn.org/

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SECTION 7

VOLUNTEER
VOLUNTEERING
LINKS

1-800-Volunteer.org
http://www.1-800-volunteer.org/

AZ Volunteer.Com
http://www.azvolunteer.com/

Cross-Cultural Solutions
http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/

e-Volunteerism
http://www.e-volunteerism.com/

Get Involved!
http://www.getinvolved.gov/

Hands On Network
http://www.handsonnetwork.org/

Hearts and Minds Network
http://heartsandminds.org/

Help From Home
http://www.helpfromhome.org

IC Volunteers
http://www.icvolunteers.org/

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Idealist - Action without Borders
http://www.idealist.org/

Institute for Volunteering Research
http://www.ivr.org.uk/

International Medical Volunteers Association
http://www.imva.org/

International Volunteer Managers Day IVM Day
http://volunteermanagersday.org/

iparticipate.org
http://www.iparticipate.org/

Krista Foundation for Global Citizenship
http://www.kristafoundation.org/

The National Association of Volunteer Search and Rescue Teams, Inc.
http://www.navsar.org/

Nicodemus Wilderness Project
http://www.wildernessproject.org/

Search for volunteer opportunities
http://www.redcross.org/volunteertime/

Servenet.org
http://www.servenet.org/

Serve.gov
http://www.serve.gov/

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Single Volunteers
http://singlevolunteers.org/

Volunteer Abroad
http://www.volunteerabroad.com/

Volunteering
http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/jobs/volunteering.html

Volunteering Australia
https://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/

Volunteering and Civic Life in America
http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/

Volunteering England
http://www.volunteering.org.uk/

Volunteering and its Surprising Benefits
http://www.helpguide.org/life/volunteer_opportunities_benefits_volunteering.htm

Volunteer Imagery Analysts for Search and Rescue VIASAR
http://www.viasar.org/

Volunteer in your area
http://www.dosomething.org/volunteer

Volunteer Match
http://www.volunteermatch.org/

Volunteer | Network for Good
http://www1.networkforgood.org/for-donors/volunteer

Volunteer Resource Center (VRC)
http://www.idealist.org/info/Volunteer

Volunteers of America
http://www.voa.org/

Volunteer Today
http://www.volunteertoday.com/

Volunteers Week
http://www.volunteersweek.org.uk/

World Volunteer Web
http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/

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Go Fund Me
https://www.gofundme.com/

17 Samples and Templates for
Nonprofit Organizations
https://www.thebalance.com/samples-and-templates-for-nonprofit-organizations-2502286

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