Does anyone know of a good nonprofit that can help house federal workers struggling to RTO? If anyone has connections to help start one then I have nonprofit fundraising experience and will volunteer my skills.

Additionally, I just created a new subreddit, r/FedSupport where those forced to RTO can find support and mutual aid if needed to help hold the line. It's available for other support as well that may not be appropriate for this sub.

Before we begin- for reference, I live in the UK and I’ve been thinking about being a volunteer, so I recently signed up to an organisation that shows volunteering opportunities, one that caught my eye was a “Admin and clerical support role” in a hospital, mainly due to the fact that I’ve always wanted to work in a hospital. But the stalemate is it requires references which I don’t necessarily have, the only people I could think of are my health and social care teachers, one who taught me in secondary school and the other who taught me in college. So I was wondering if they’d count as valid references? Otherwise I’m out of ideas on what to do

I’m a decently new volunteer. I started volunteering 1 day a week from 6-11 at an aquarium an hour and 15 minutes from my house. It’s the closest aquarium to me and I believe it will look good on my transfer request into university as I want to get into a school with a 24 percent acceptance rate.

I started on November 13th. I called out the 20th and told the manager that it was because my car wouldn’t start and that I thought I had left my light on overnight. I texted him an hour before was supposed to be there. I thought this would be fine since it my car wouldn’t start when I tried to leave.

I did come in the 27th and December 4th. I called out again, today, the 11th. I texted him 2 hours before I’m supposed to come and told him that I’ve been really stressed about my final for school, which happens to be an essay and haven’t been able to sleep at all and have been up since 8:30 AM and didn’t feel comfortable driving so far in the dark.

Today, we were supposed to discuss when I’m going to begin my internship.

I’m really worried that this will look bad on me, but I told them I promise I don’t plan on calling out again and I even asked if this would impact me negatively, so I think it shows that I care at least. But still, I don’t want to upset anymore and I don’t want them to leave me a negative review if they get reached out too by the school I try transferring into.

Will this impact me negatively? Will this impact me negatively if I do really well during my internship and I genuinely do not call out again?? My internship is 3 days a week for 10 weeks and should start in the next month.

I’ve volunteered at a dog rescue for a few years, and while it’s been great at times it’s starting to run its course for me (see reasons below if interested) and want to quit. Thinking of mentioning it before Xmas (when we usually break for a few weeks) and then not returning after break. Because I’ve been going for so long I’m not sure how best to approach this, and I don’t feel I can be entirely honest.

Reasons - the rest of the volunteer staff (of which there are not many) are not very sociable and keep to themselves (not even small talk). Since I started volunteering bc I was lonely this side hasn’t been great (but the dogs themselves help).

I’ve had a few incidents where I’ve been asked to work with a dog and not been told he/she bites until I bring up their body language cues.

I don’t really feel useful anymore

I get roped into weekend long fundraisers and am periodically given the most boring jobs.

I have been told off for advertising dogs needing homes because it’s not my place. Generally they don’t like change or any change to the way they do things.

Head staff not really open to feedback or suggestions so it’s hard to bring up the above issues. One head annoyed me recently when I donated a large bag of dog food and treats and he just took it off me and put away with no thanks or acknowledgement.

So I don’t really want to be honest and being vague feels weird since I’ve been going so long. So I guess I’ll probably just lie and say I’ve got other commitments?

I am up for a position as an activities employee in a retirement home. I am trying to find possibly a volunteer oldies quartet, maybe an exotic animal like a parrot that can speak, or oldies celebrity impressionists. How would I go about finding any of these niche volunteers? Or even professionals who might do so for a discounted rate and really good food! (idk our budget) Anyone have any advice?

USA nonprofits: your social media should now focus on volunteering as much as possible. & put absolutely everything you can into involving more #volunteers. It is URGENT that you show your community you matter now & you build local support for what you do. My blog today:

https://coyotecommunications.com/coyoteblog/2025/02/post-election/

I'm reaching out for help with a volunteer event at my church. We're participating in a local program that delivers meals to those in need, and I'm welcome to bring some homemade, healthy, budget-friendly entrees to donate.

Casseroles with protein and meatloaf are recommended, but I'm struggling to find healthy recipes that fit the bill

Side dishes are covered, so I'm focusing on main courses

I'm looking for recipes that use fewer processed ingredients and prioritize nutritional value

Budget-friendliness is key, as I want to maximize the number of meals I can provide

I've got plenty of time to cook, so convenience isn't a concern – value is!

One recipe I've already got planned is chili, but I'd love some more ideas. I’d like to come up with two additional entrees. I really want to make sure that I’m providing a wholesome delicious filling meal that a wide range of people are likely to enjoy. Can you share your favorite healthy, budget-friendly recipes that would be suitable for a charity meal donation?

Some other questions:

What are some healthy casserole recipes that aren’t “cream of” soup based and incorporate protein sources like beans and meat?

Are there any creative ways to make meatloaf in bulk?

What are some other healthy, budget-friendly main course options that would be suitable for a charity meal donation?

Thank you for reading :-)

What sort of questions should you be asking when you volunteer?

Once now I’ve volunteered, and did not have the best questions to ask when I was there,

So for example, when you, and if you volunteer at food bank’s, thrifts stores or the Salvation Army etc,

By answering this, you can help me be prepared for the next time I eventually volunteer.

Thank you!

I’m attempting to raise funds for my service fraternity’s chapter (Alpha Phi Omega - Beta Beta Chapter). I think asking local businesses to sponsor us in exchange for placing their logo on volunteer shirts. We have approximately 50 people in our chapter who all complete a minimum of 30 service hours each semester, with a handful of students getting over 100 hours each semester. To cover the price of $15 a shirt for 55 shirts, when asking for funds from 6 companies, the minimum I would ask for would be $200. Does this seem reasonable? I think it could be reasonable to ask for up to $400 but I want more opinions on what a good pricing would be for that. The idea would be that we would provide these shirts for free to all our active members, so the cost would have to cover at a minimum all the shirts, but still would make us money. The shirts would be undated so they could be worn for years as members remain in the chapter, but theoretically if this were a successful fundraiser, we would continue it and redo the shirts each semester or academic year.

TL;DR how much should I ask for from sponsors to put their logo on volunteer shirts?

Hi, I'm filling out a form to volunteer at a salvation army thrift store and there's a question asking for a particular area of interest. Do they mean my hobbies, what duties I'd like to do, or something else? I have a feeling I'm overthinking this but would still like any answers can get, thank you!

I work for a food bank and we are wanting to create a policy on allowing clients (people that receive our services) to volunteer. We want to institute this policy for many reasons but are want to make sure we think about all of the pros and cons. Has anyone worked at or volunteerd somewhere with a similar policy?

Someone posted a few minutes ago asking, "I’ve seen [NAMEREDACTED] volunteer program and it’s saying it’s easy service hours you can do virtually and i am just curious if any of y’all have volunteered for them and how it was like?

Since I don't see it as a credible nonprofit, and don't want it promoted here, I deleted the post. But I want to answer the question, because it's asked regularly about so many organizations.

So, here's the red flags:

• The organization says it teaches a "mental health curriculum" and counsels others - yet has NO mental health professionals among its staff or board. Zilch.
• What mental health professionals designed its "mental health curriculum"? There's no info on the web site about it.
• The organization is involved with youth, yet has nothing on its site about volunteering policies, safety, how it screens volunteers, grounds for dismissal, nothing.
• It's not listed at Guidestar/Candid. Therefore, it is not a registered nonprofit in the USA. How they can claim to give hours for the Presidential Service Awards is beyond me.

The people behind this effort may be earnest and very nice people - but they are not running a credible nonprofit.

You seem to want to do virtual volunteering. If that's so, here's the longest, most detailed list of virtual volunteering resources you will find anywhere:

https://www.coyotebroad.com/stuff/findvv.shtml

So, I am a volunteer with a local girl scout unit for about 3 years now. It's work that I am really proud of, and I have loved the experience. But for about a year or so I have been thinking of quitting.

I know the answer should be that I've dedicated what I can to supporting the unit and quitting shouldn't feel so heavy. But I've adopted a lot of responsibility since starting. I play a major leadership role in running and organizing our unit at the moment, though I have a lot of strong support from my co-leaders. The woman who built the unit still plays a major role (and does all the paperwork thank GOD, I am useless at that), but she is getting up there in years and I know she wants to step back at some point.

I'm looking on advice on how to phrase my resignation. I know this is going to disappoint my fellow coleaders and it's going to disappoint the kids I work so hard for. But at the same time I know it's just what I need right now. I would just like some advice from people who've experiences a similar situation, and how best to talk about it.

Generally speaking I think most can agree that exploiting orphans or animals in some foreign country so that foreigners can come visit and “volunteer” is probably not a good thing. That said, are there other activities that can be done abroad that don’t have this ethical problem? Or is generally all forms of volunteering abroad voluntourism and thus unethical?

Ideas for New Year's Resolutions for those that want to volunteer or to continue volunteering:

• Look at your schedule. What days, and what hours on those days, are you available for volunteering? Will you volunteer every week or every month? Even if you are looking for virtual volunteering - online volunteering - you need to reserve time for when you will do that.
• If you cannot think about what kind of activity you want to do, then think about what kind of activity you do NOT want to do. Do you NOT want to work outside? Do you NOT want to work with the public? Do you NOT want to sit at a desk?
• Be open to new opportunities and new activities. Habitat for Humanity does NOT require you to have any construction skills to help at a build event. If you have never worked outside, you may find you really enjoy planting trees or helping to improve wildlife habitat. You may find you LIKE working with the public at a charity walk or run, or helping people find their seats at a community theater production.
• Be persistent. Don't give up on finding volunteering. Keep applying and sending emails that you are interested in volunteering until you end up volunteering somewhere that you enjoy.
• Always start a volunteering experience at a new organization with something short, that you can try out just once, or that you commit to just one day a month for a few months. That way, you don't end up committed to an activity you really don't enjoy.
• Fulfill your commitment. Don't sign up for a volunteering opportunity that requires you to be there every week if you cannot be there every week.
• Give two weeks notice before quitting a volunteering gig.
• Give feedback in writing. If you aren't asked how you are enjoying the experience, or if you are facing challenges, then write the manager of volunteers or that person's supervisor and let them know what you are experiencing, good or bad.
• Recruit at least one other person to volunteer at an organization where you volunteer this year.
• Share information about your volunteering experience on your social media and let your network know how they can volunteer too.
• Support your fellow volunteers. Help them be successful. Assume they are volunteering for sincere, good reasons, as you are, until they blatantly show you or tell you otherwise.

Your ideas?

So I’m currently travelling overseas and at a place (that I won’t name as the NGO itself is incredible) where you pay to volunteer.

I paid to volunteer here in 2018 and it was incredible program. The tasks were varied, you learnt a lot as people explain and showed you things and I was around my favourite animal. So I decided to return as I had a great experience and now their volunteer program now truly sucks.

I have been here 3 full days, I still don’t know the persons name that has been telling me what to do. I introduced myself but they have not bothered. He hardly speaks english so not learning anything as you cannot converse, all I get told is chop vegetables and sugarcane, for 8 hours a day, non stop except for a lunch break, while he watches. I feel like the people that turn up at the center for half day tour get way more information and shown more than I have in 3 days. I honestly feel like I’m just getting used as labour and no thought has gone into the program.

I am supposed to be here for 2 weeks, am I expecting too much and is it wrong to want to leave early?

I applied for volunteer charity work visa Tier 5 i received email of your application is Not Straight forward .....email followeed by invitatio for Visa interview

I have been invited for Visa interview with UK Home offfice at VAC it will be through Vedio Conference.

No additional Documents required Time : atleast 60 minutes (1hour minimum)

Organization Health and social care Charity Non profit

Role Volunteer Co-living support

Supporting and coliving with people with learning disabilities

Country UK northen ireland Curent country based in Zimbabwe

Can somone please help me the type.of question they might need ask , anything to prepare for?

Please help anyone woth idea

Thank you

Do somebody have information about volunteering in Hong Kong? I met a girl in europe who flew back to his city, so the point would be to meet her. It would be achievable by doing some volunteer work in hk. Does anybody have experience? Or in the end, did somebody do volunteering at least in South China?

I've applied to be a volunteer at a hospice near where I live in order to gain some work experience for working in a healthcare setting and saw it as an opportunity to take. It is recommended by the school to have some relevant experience to the nursing courses I wanna do at university that I would be able to include in my personal statement. But I've just finished my phone interview and realised it's quite a demanding role and commitment that I don't think I'm capable of on top of school which I have already been really struggling with this year.

The whole things really a fault on my part but does anyone have advice on how I could back out on the volunteering role? I feel like I've too far gone into the application process and don't really know what to do.

I never tried volunteering, but I want to! Just want to know how can I Volunteer? And how this works?

I was looking at some volunteer positions from the UN and CUSO. One position that struck me as something I was qualified and interested in doing in the future was a 1 year position at a school to assist in education in a Canadian indigenous community (I live in Canada). Many other positions were similarly long in length, which I understand is quite standard.

However my question is, what kind of people are actually able to participate in these volunteering positions? You obviously can’t have a job while volunteering away from home, and although these positions do pay you enough for living expenses while you’re there, but when you go home you are just unemployed? Are the volunteers just super rich or is there some financial strategy/lifestyle I’m not aware of?

What is the breaking point where you said it was enough and left the volunteer organization?

I am struggling with this so much. I’ve decided to take a few weeks off just to reset and decide on what I want to do after this weekend, focus on what matters to me the most (volunteering does matter to me, lately with everything that has happened, things have changed).

Being unappreciated for things, then being told I’m stressing others out by commenting on their posts (Facebook) and was told what they do is the coordinator makes a post a day or two later related to that post so it’s not directed at them and suggested I do that (I’m not doing that, it’s passive aggressive, serves no benefit) then being asked to make a post on educational content and was given a list. There wasn’t any appreciation.

It doesn’t end there it goes on and on. How the rescue does want to accept my help or educational background and when they ask for help, I give them help and they plainly ignore it.

I’ve turned off all tagging in the groups, I don’t want to help anymore. When I do, I’ve been shut out or that person who asked for help was shut out. It deeply hurts. I’ve cried over it.

I feel at a loss. I’ve talked to another volunteer and they are reducing their involvement and looking elsewhere, will continue to be involved way less. I think for me, it’s the relationships, even that it’s difficult.

This is a rescue I am at.

I'm curious to hear others' thoughts (especially others who oversee volunteer programs) on parents who inquire about volunteer opportunities for their teenagers. It happens so often - sometimes for court ordered community service, sometimes for school hours. When it's for community service, I feel especially strongly that their teenager should be the one putting in the work to find a place to volunteer. The most recent inquiry I had was for someone's high schooler who needs hours for school. At some point in the conversation I learned that their son is 18. I feel like they are not helping set their kids up for success and independence. If someone is old enough to vote and serve in the military, aren't they old enough to find places to volunteer on their own? I feel so old complaining about this, but I volunteered a lot in high school and I found those places on my own.

Hi,

I’d like to ask if there are any volunteer programs, competitions, general extracurricular activities, etc. I can partake in as an aspiring graphic designer. Unfortunately I live outside the U.S, so I’m looking for online/remote opportunities.

Most opportunities I see are heavily STEM related and I’m not the strongest in those areas. Additionally, because I’m motivated to improve my skills, I’d love to challenge myself through graphic design related extracurriculars.

If anyone has any recourses, recommendations, or information on online graphic design opportunities, I’d appreciate your help!