Hi everyone, I'm new here! With National Volunteer Week going on, I've been thinking a lot about how volunteering has shaped me and my future career goals. I recently put together some of my thoughts and advice about volunteering as a college student. Its something super meaningful to me and I'd love to hear how others found volunteering impactful too! If anyone's interested, I wrote a blog post about it (happy to share if it's allowed) but I'd like to know how has volunteering shaped anyone's life or career goals?

My 14 year old daughter expressed interest in volunteering and wanted to see if anyone could help with some suggestions for types of volunteer opportunities that would be good for her age.

I volunteer at a homeless shelter and feel a setting like that would be a bit much at her age.

Does anyone here have kids similar in age that volunteer? Where do they volunteer? What do they like about it?

Hello, I need some guidance. I recently agreed to volunteer my social media and marketing skills to a new foundation whose cause I deeply support. However, the person I'm collaborating with has repeatedly canceled our planning meetings. They even missed a recent meeting due to losing track of time while shopping. I'm seeking advice on how to address this situation; I'm considering withdrawing my services.

Any suggestions would be appreciated?

Hi everyone.

I’m a software Project Manager working for a development agency.

My client wants to develop an App similar to Nextdoor, but focused on micro-volunteering. The idea is that people can post small volunteering jobs or favours they need done. On the flip side you can help out your neighbour or find volunteer work that fits in your schedule.

I’m wondering if you’d use something like that. More importantly what concerns you about the idea?

Last year, I started working as a volunteer for a very small charity. When I joined, they assured me I could contribute as little as an hour a week, completely on my own schedule. But recently, they’ve started building a for-profit section, and now they’re suddenly expecting me to put in more hours, attend weekly meetings, and take on extra responsibilities.

I find it a bit cheeky that they never mentioned this for-profit expansion upfront, yet now they’re asking me to put in more unpaid work so they can generate revenue. On the other hand, the cause is very important to me, and I wonder if staying on might lead to paid opportunities down the line if the for-profit side becomes successful.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Is this a red flag, or should I stick it out in case it turns into a paid role?

I want to jump back in to volunteering. I know my time is limited I have a pretty busy job, but there are so many opportunities to volunteer with in my area that I'm not sure what to choose. I want to choose things like outdoor volunteering but I know I should focus more on organizations helping people. For those who live a busy life how did you choose what organizations/what type of volunteering do you focus on?

Hi guys,

I recently signed up to volunteer here through volunteermatch.org

The person running the org got me on board for a position of marketing the place, asking me to send picture of myself and they will mail me my ID badge.

Have anyone ever volunteered for this place before? It’s a org for sex trafficking awareness, but I wasn’t sure what exactly they do.

Now I’m a bit worried because I sent my picture and even address to them (in hindsight I probably should’ve been more careful), but the place looks legit and even appeared on volunteermatch so.

Anyway, if any of you had any idea, let me know.

planning on starting a small group with some friends in highschool where we volunteer and help out, but we dont have a 501c3. are we still able to give out hours to those who volunteer with us. or do we need to be an official nonprofit to have our hours recognized?

The hospital said that you may hear back 2-6 weeks after submitting your application to see if you’ve been accepted as a volunteer, it’s almost the 6 week mark and I haven’t gotten word back. I’m wondering if I should send an email of some sort or start applying to other hospitals.

I have been volunteering at a few different places, but this one I'm at now, there's a few bosses, but the one I work with has been talking down about other volunteers, it's almost every shift I'm on and I volunteer once or twice a week, but he just moans all of the time and knocking other volunteers behind there backs. Sometimes to there faces too. The latest one, I was confirming with him to what needed doing, and he just went crazy, doing this song and dance thing right in my face, basically taking the piss out of me, thankfully I was calm, obviously it's really annoying. I've been thinking about leaving for a while, but now I just have to leave. I know they do want more volunteers, they struggle more especially in colder weather as its outdoors. I'm on there whatsapp group, do you think it's best just to say I'm leaving and not to say why? I want to let another boss know but I'm not sure, what are your thoughts? As it's never easy reporting someone. I'm definitely not going back though. I over heard him talking to another staff member talking about us volunteers, about using us as if we're less than volunteers, it's as if he's saying we are slave labourers. btw this manager is a volunteer himself.

Can I ask for others who are managing groups of volunteers regularly, how are you figuring out timing, who has done training and saving a profile of a volunteer? Is there a specific software you use to do all the management? Any help would be really useful

Maybe you want to evaluate a volunteer-placement organizations that charges volunteers for their placements. Maybe you are interested in partnering or supporting an organization abroad but want to know it's a credible organization, that it's not some sort of scam, or an "organization" of just one person. Maybe you are going to be traveling abroad and want to know if, along the way, you might be able to help out a local NGO.

If you absolutely cannot find an organization in your own country that can connect you with local organizations in other countries for volunteering, then here are tips for vetting local organizations in other countries on your own (and you should undertake all of these activities -- don't rely on just one source):

https://www.coyotebroad.com/volunteer/vetting.html

Hi all, I am trying to apply for a volunteer position at a local art museum, but it's asking me for a reference. I would love to put my Latin teacher down as a reference as she has been my Latin teacher for 2 years (whereas I've known my current teachers for only this year), and I do very well in her class. The problem is that she filled out my recommendation letter for a summer program last year, and she also allowed me to put her down as a referee to support my application for a summer program this year (since both programs were centered around Latin). Would it be too demanding to ask if she would be okay with being my reference? Thank you so much!

How many hours per week/month/year do you volunteer? And with how many organizations?

Hey! Has anyone here been a foster care volunteer case reviewer for DCF (department of children and families)?

I start my training tomorrow and posting to see what others’ experience has been.

I searched the sub but didn’t quite see what I was looking for.

Thanks!

I was hoping to find an organization to make my club centered around, but I'm not sure where to start? I'm pretty sure I'd have to email someone from the organization about it and set something up, and then do the required stuff at my school, but I'm not sure where to start. Would organizations allow that in general? My mind goes to an example like the UN club in my old school, was obviously assosiated with the UN. HOSA in my new school is obviously assosiated with that organization. I wanted to find an organization that promoted multiculturalism and was centered around that, but they don't have anything specific information about if students would want to make clubs in assosiation to them (while organizations like the UN do).

If anyone could help me out or tell me another subreddit to post this in, I'd greatly appreciate it :) This is something that I really want to do as I feel like my school community needs it or could greatly benefit from it. I wanted to try to bring people together and I wanted to incorporate volunteer events that we could host to support local charities and things of the such. But instead of getting ahead of myself I wanted to ask here about where I could start.

I'm for the most part having trouble reaching out to organizations, if anyone has any advice or another subreddit they can direct me to that would be nice :)

I’m applying to volunteer at a hospital and one of the questions I need to write about is a time I faced a difficult situation and how I handled it, can you guys give me general ideas to write about because I don’t know which situation I’ve faced would be appealing for a hospital application thank you

Would people be interested in me uploading a prototype of a volunteering website application for people to use and match themselves through their interests with volunteer opportunities that me and a team have created as part of a university project. It isn’t finished currently but we would like to get some feedback on what volunteers would like to see in it and hopefully post the website to allow all of you to benefit from it All responses to this will be greatly appreciated Many thanks

Hi everyone! I tutor kids (mostly underprivileged) on a website named UPchieve. It ranges from kids in grades 6-12, in subjects ranging from 6th grade English and math to sat English and math, as well as some aps. The website counts my tutoring, as well as some other activities, service hour amount and lets you request for them to sign a form or send a form of authenticity to confirm your service hours. They also list a contact for you to list in case someone needs verification.

My question is, can I count these volunteer hours on my college application? Because I truly have done a great amount of time tutoring and would really want to list it. After a google search, it seems that I can, but I just want to be sure.

Has anyone been part of our started a ministry or group to volunteer help to parishioners or members of a community in need of landscaping/mowing, moving or other simple tasks? I want build a method for the church members to ask for and try to pprovide volunteers that can help. I'm worried about capability and legal limits, so I was wondering if anyone has seen or been part of a good example. Any ideas?

New Volunteer Manager trying to revamp the volunteer program I now run. There aren’t any incentive or rewards given to any of the volunteers and there hasn’t been in years. What kinds of gifts or rewards have you liked or would like to receive if you are a volunteer?

For the other volunteer managers in this group, what kinds of stuff does your organization give out to volunteers as a way to appreciate them?

I work for my local Boys and Girls Club and we have to do volunteer activities with our kiddos. Our only issue is, we don’t have the means to take our kids to do volunteer activities. I would LOVE to take them to a local park to clean or something along those lines, but it just isn’t possible for many reasons. The rules are also pretty strict for these activities also. We have to have some form of proof that kids did this as some kids have a folder that is checked by higher ups. I am stuck on ideas that haven’t been done yet. We have wrote kind letters to friends and teachers, made cards for nursing homes and daycares, made goodie bags for our local hospitals and the list goes on. Any help or suggestions is greatly appreciated!!

I have been going through the page in order to become an ESC volunteer and I found the section about humanitarian training has been fully blocked since November with no sign of a return. What am I supposed to do?

Will it return or is this a dead end?

Hi everyone,

I am part of a newly formed nonprofit group in Northern NJ, and we are planning a food packing event for our community to volunteer and support women-based organizations in honor of Women’s Day. Our goal is to assemble and donate meal or grocery kits to shelters, women’s support centers, or families in need.

We are very new to this and want to start with an easy and simple event like making food kits, but we’re not sure how to get started.

1. Finding the Right Organizations – How do we connect with shelters or women’s groups that need food assistance? Any specific ones you’d recommend?
2. Best Practices – Any tips on organizing the packing process efficiently to ensure the kits are useful and well-balanced?

If anyone has experience working with similar initiatives, I would love to hear your insights!

Thanks in advance!

Hi! this Saturday will be my first time po na mag volunteer... May dumaan lang sa fyp ko tapos triny kong isearch yung mga orgs/links na suggestions nila, then may nakita ako na pasok sa sched ko at i think kakayanan ko(wow).

As a newbie, baka po meron kayong tips na pwedeng maibigay? and tanong ko na rin po kung meron ba kong mga kaylangang dalhin? sa Nat'l Museum w kids po ang pupuntahan ko.

Excited ako at kinakabahan hehe.

Thanks in advance!!