According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 77.4 million Americans volunteered in 2018. These volunteers also contributed 6.9 billion hours to their volunteer work that year.
Are you thinking about volunteering some of your free time? You might be wondering how to find the right volunteer organization.
This guide will offer tips to help you find it. Keep reading if you want to learn more.
Know Your Skills
There are all kinds of opportunities when it comes to volunteering your time. Different volunteer work will require different skills though. Knowing what skills you have will help you find the right opportunity.
If you’re a skilled event planner, writer, or web designer, you can use these skills in your volunteer work. This will help you narrow down your list of options.
Find Your Passion
Before you start looking for an organization to volunteer your time it’s important to think about some of your passions. Are there specific causes you feel strongly about?
Perhaps you’re interested in volunteering in the public services or you want to help young entrepreneurs. Whatever cause you feel strongly about should help you find the right volunteer opportunity.
Some of your interests and hobbies can help you find quality volunteer opportunities too. If you want to help feed others you can volunteer for your local food bank.
Find Something That Fits Your Schedule
Another way to find the right volunteer organization is to find what kind of opportunity works best for your schedule. Some types of volunteer work are grueling and require a lot of dedication, while others only need you for a few hours a week.
You might be in a place in your life where you’re able to dedicate yourself to volunteering full time for long periods. If so, you might consider doing some overseas volunteering.
Reach Out to Your Networks
If you’re not sure where to start on your search for a good volunteer organization, it’s best to reach out to someone you know. Your networks are there to offer you guidance when you need it.
Whether you’re involved in your alumni association or not, this is a great resource to find different kinds of volunteer opportunities. Community groups and faith organizations can be a great place to reach out for volunteer work too.
Search Online
You’ll be able to find volunteer work examples by searching online. If you aren’t sure what kind of organization fits you best, many websites offer volunteering suggestions based on the interests, skills, and time commitments you input in the search bar.
Find the Right Volunteer Organization With These Tips
If you’re interested in volunteering some of your time you’ll need to find the right volunteer organization. This guide offers some tips on how you can find what you’re looking for.
Find some causes you’re passionate about and determine how much time you can give to narrow down your list of volunteer opportunities. Check out some of our other blogs if you found helpful tips in this one.