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Benefits of Volunteering: 9 Ways Helping Others Also Helps You

By Brianna Flavin on 03/30/2020

The most obvious benefit of volunteering is the good it gives back to communities, countries and the world at large. You love volunteering—or at least the idea of volunteering, if we’re being completely honest—but as priorities build up, it can be easy to put unpaid volunteer work further and further down your list of priorities.

It’s true, tutoring kids, assisting people who are homeless, or engaging in any of the thousands of activities that give back to your community might not fill your wallet. But there are more benefits of volunteering than most people realize. And many of them relate directly to your career prospects. Sound interesting? Read on to see what frequent volunteers and hiring managers have to say about the benefits of volunteering.

9 Potential benefits of volunteering you should know about

Looking for volunteer work motivation? The benefits below just might get you ready to roll your sleeves up.

1. You can gain relevant work experience

The specific skills you could learn from volunteering are wide and varied. If you volunteer with an organization in your career field, you can even gain relevant work experience and technical skills with a somewhat lower threshold of entry.

“Volunteering could actually help you to advance your career much faster,” says Nick Bryant, counselor at Houston Case Managers . “It’s a much easier decision for a big company to bring you on as a volunteer than a full-time employee.”

Though your motivation for volunteering may not be your career trajectory, many of our experts encouraged students and new professionals to seek volunteer opportunities in their prospective career field. If employers want to see work experience on a resume, volunteering can absolutely fit the bill.

“Most recent college graduates lack professional work experience, and volunteer experience is the next thing that really matters to a recruiter,” says Rhys Williams, managing director at Sigma Recruitment . Williams says relevant career skills are qualities employers want—whether they came from paid or unpaid experience.

“One of the main benefits of volunteering is that you get work experience that often exceeds what you would get in an entry-level work position,” says Michael Alexis, director of marketing at The Great Guac Off . “When I started learning web development, friends involved with nonprofits started asking for me to volunteer and create websites for their organizations.” This skill-developing experience led to work samples Alexis included in his portfolio.

2. You can strategically bolster your resume

Making up for work experience is awesome, but there are other ways volunteer work can help your resume stand out.

“I like to see volunteer experience on a resume, especially if the volunteer experience allowed the candidate to exhibit skills that may be lacking in other parts of the resume,” says Brian Cairns, CEO of Pro Strategix Consulting . “Most applicants toss volunteer experience at the end of their resume almost like an afterthought. I encourage applicants to add it where it makes the most sense.”

Cairns points out that while volunteering often works in a candidate’s favor—you should still be aware of the potential pitfalls. “Volunteer experience can communicate different political, religious or other information that an interviewer cannot ask you about during an interview, but if it’s on your resume, you are providing this information.”

Cairns says that discrimination based on those factors is illegal, but it would be very hard to prove if your application just never made it past the first read. Consider this, and include your volunteer work strategically when it will communicate what you want about yourself and your skills.

“Because so few students are doing volunteer work, those who do—and include it in their resume—effectively set themselves apart in a really big way,” Williams says.

3. You’ll refine valuable soft skills

Even if your volunteering seems unrelated to your career ambitions, most volunteering arrangements can help you develop an array of soft skills that are transferable to huge variety of careers.

Resourcefulness

The ability to solve problems creatively with minimal guidance, structure or resources is a special thing indeed. “Budgets are tight at nonprofit organizations,” says Monika Adarsh, senior product marketing manager at Beaconstac . “Coming up with a strategy that compensates for the budget needs a problem-solving attitude.”

“Volunteering requires time-management skills, as well as patience and creativity in getting things done when resources are scarce or non-existent,” says Susanne Tedrick, cloud platform technical specialist at IBM .

Collaborative skills

It’s hard to quantify the skill group that covers interpersonal interactions, networking, customer service and teamwork. But volunteering in a situation where you work with people alerts potential employers that you’ve likely developed these abilities.

“Volunteer experience tells me that the candidate is committed, empathetic and can be a good citizen in the workplace,” Williams says. “Volunteering also imparts important soft skills including communication, leadership and collaborative skills, all of which are highly sought-after.”

Since volunteering is, well, voluntary , employers and recruiters tend to see it as a sign that the candidate is motivated and takes initiative. Without the compensation of wages, volunteering indicates personal motivation to contribute, according to Adarsh. “I like seeing it on a resume because it reflects on the entrepreneurial spirit of the individual and a bunch of other aspects that sets them apart from the rest.”

4. Your health could improve

There are a few aspects of volunteering that can positively influence your health. “Helping someone without expecting monetary gain is a beautiful experience,” says Shashank Shalabh, chief marketing officer at Omni Digital . “According to a recent study from Carnegie Mellon University , people who volunteer on a regular basis are less likely to develop high blood pressure than non-volunteers,” Shalabh says. 1 “Giving, itself, is a wonderful feeling.”

And many volunteer positions also involve physical activity, Shalabh adds, which is another overall health perk.

On top the physical health element, many bodies of research support a positive link between volunteering and mental health . Romeo Vitelli , Ph.D., writes that the prosocial and caregiving behavior of many volunteer situations can help people cope with depression, loneliness and even the loss of a loved one.

5. You’ll get closer to the heart of the industry

Volunteering can put you in touch with what matters in an industry in a hurry. If your work involves any level of strategy, problem solving or big picture thinking—then volunteering can be the ‘boots on the ground’ experience that gives you a closer look.

Bryant volunteers for several organizations that provide basic needs. “While volunteering I'm able to interact with clients and fulfill the initial basic need and also learn more about other problems they are experiencing.” Bryant explains that his role in public health often involves the same kinds of issues as his volunteering work. If he can find a solution, he can immediately apply it to his profession as well.

“Volunteering allows you to see around corners and spot problems in your industry sometimes before your colleagues are even aware that there is an issue,” Bryant says.

6. You’ll expand your perspective

The people we meet often influence us in powerful ways. But it’s easy to get into circles of people who all share your personal perspective, more or less. Volunteering can really change this, according to Debbie Chan, electrical lead specialist at Milton Electric . “When you volunteer anywhere, whether abroad or locally, you work with different age groups, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds.”

“It’s impacted my professional life in that I've learned to tailor my communication more effectively according to each patient. In my three eye care mission trips, I've learned that the average person does not care about the technical ‘mumbo-jumbo’ of their eye condition, but rather how it would impact their lives.”

“Perspective and empathy will bring you far,” Chan says. “Whether it be in your personal life or future business relationships.”

7. You’ll gain a network

“Aside from doing good for others, volunteering is a great way to expand your overall network of mentors, peers and others,” Tedrick says. “Having a great and diverse network that you can call on for career advice or future job or project opportunities can make all the difference in your career.”

“Volunteers like to help other volunteers,” says Jennifer Terando , R.N., Esq. “People I have volunteered with offer me jobs, send me clients and introduce me to other professionals in my field. I can definitely say I have earned more money as a result of volunteering.”

On top of the useful network connections, Terando emphasizes that volunteering can put you in the path of inspiration and friendship. “I’ve found people who volunteer to be accomplished and creative individuals who motivate me. I’ve made such great friends along the way.”

8. You’ll discover if you like the work

Volunteering usually only costs time. When it comes to choosing a field or a career—that is actually a very low price to pay to find out if you like the work. “It’s a low-risk way of learning whether the career you are pursuing is actually for you or not,” Bryant says. He explains that going through your education without getting any real experience in a career risks an eventual revelation that you don’t like the career or the industry you’ve chosen.

“Volunteering allows you to bypass all those things and get right to the work,” Bryant says. “Despite what you think you want, you'll never know until you actually do it. Volunteer as soon as possible to ensure that you are pursuing a career you will enjoy.”

9. You’ll help someone

For most volunteers, this is probably the main reason they do what they do. They believe in their work, they believe in helping people, and they are passionate about their mission or vision.

“The greatest part about being human is that we can consciously help others,” Shalabh says. “Every little step that you take towards helping others counts. I understand that with academics, you may not have much time to volunteer, but even spending a few hours on a weekend is something.”

Do the benefits of volunteering justify the time?

For many, the main barrier to volunteering is having enough time. Giving from that resource can feel difficult—so is it worth it to spend time volunteering? Our experts responded with a resounding “Yes!” You never know what your specific experience will bring, but chances are good that you will find your volunteer time to be beneficial and enriching—even as you enrich someone or something else.

“The beauty of volunteering is its broad scope and flexibility,” Chan says, adding that countless opportunities and time frames and locations are out there if you’re willing to look.

Now you can see some of the amazing reasons to sign up with a cause, a project or an organization you are passionate about. And you can see why employers would be interested in that experience as well. Contrary to popular belief, there are many aspects of life experience that can help your resume stand out. Learn more in our article, “ 8 Leadership Experiences You Didn't Know You Already Have ."

1 Sneed, R. S., & Cohen, S. A prospective study of volunteerism and hypertension risk in older adults. Psychology and Aging. [accessed March, 2020] https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032718

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About the author

Brianna Flavin

Brianna is a senior content manager who writes student-focused articles for Rasmussen University. She holds an MFA in poetry and worked as an English Professor before diving into the world of online content. 

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How Does Volunteering Benefit the Community? 5 Key Impacts

• By Christian Brandt
• November 8, 2023

Volunteering is a powerful force that can transform communities and create positive change. In this article, I will explore the five key impacts of volunteering on a community. From economic growth and sustainability to cultural exchange and understanding, volunteering plays a vital role in shaping the infrastructure, social fabric, and educational landscape of a community.

Join me as I delve into the significant ways in which volunteering benefits society and inspires people to take action for the betterment of their community!

Economic Growth and Sustainability

Economic growth and sustainability are significantly enhanced by the active participation of volunteers in community initiatives. When volunteers come together to support various projects and organizations, they contribute to job creation, community empowerment, poverty reduction, resource management, and local entrepreneurship.

Volunteers also play a crucial role in community empowerment. By actively participating in initiatives that address social and economic challenges, they help build a sense of ownership and agency among community members. This empowerment leads to increased community engagement and collaboration, which are essential for sustainable development.

Furthermore, volunteering can contribute to poverty reduction. When volunteers support organizations that focus on poverty alleviation, they provide valuable assistance to vulnerable individuals and families. Whether it’s through food drives, mentorship programs, or skills training, volunteers can help empower those in need and improve their economic prospects.

Resource management is another area where volunteers make a significant impact. They can assist in environmental conservation efforts, sustainable agriculture, and waste reduction initiatives. By actively participating in these activities, volunteers help preserve natural resources and promote sustainable practices, contributing to long-term economic growth and environmental sustainability.

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Cultural Exchange and Understanding

Volunteering frequently promotes cultural exchange and understanding within communities. Engaging in volunteer work creates the opportunity to interact with people from diverse backgrounds, fostering interpersonal connections and expanding their global perspectives. Through these interactions, volunteers gain a deeper appreciation of diversity and develop language skills that allow them to communicate with individuals from different cultures.

Volunteering also provides a platform to learn about different cultures and traditions. By immersing themselves in new environments, volunteers gain insights into the customs, values, and beliefs of others. This exposure helps break down stereotypes and prejudices, promoting mutual understanding and respect.

Furthermore, cultural exchange through volunteering allows individuals to develop global perspectives. By interacting with people from different parts of the world, volunteers gain a broader understanding of global issues, cultures, and ways of life. This knowledge equips them with the tools to become responsible and informed global citizens.

Infrastructure Development

Infrastructure development plays a pivotal role in enhancing the overall well-being and functionality of communities. Through volunteering efforts, various infrastructure projects can be undertaken to improve the living conditions and quality of life for residents. These projects include road construction, housing projects, water supply improvement, public transportation upgrades, and park and recreational facility enhancements.

Housing projects are essential for communities to provide affordable and adequate shelter for everyone. Volunteers can contribute their skills and time to construct new houses or renovate existing ones, helping to address the housing needs of underprivileged individuals or families.

Water supply improvement is another vital aspect of infrastructure development. Volunteers can support initiatives to build wells, install water filtration systems, or repair existing water infrastructure. This ensures that communities have access to clean and safe drinking water, reducing the risk of waterborne diseases and promoting better health.

Public transportation upgrades are necessary to enhance mobility and reduce traffic congestion. Volunteers can assist in improving public transport systems by participating in activities such as painting bus stops, organizing community transportation awareness campaigns, or even providing free transportation services for those in need.

Lastly, park and recreational facility enhancements contribute to the overall well-being of communities by providing spaces for leisure, exercise, and social interaction. Volunteers can help maintain and beautify parks, build playgrounds, and organize recreational events that promote community engagement and physical activity.

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Social and Educational Enrichment

Through social and educational enrichment initiatives, volunteering fosters community development and empowers people to reach their full potential. Volunteering provides numerous opportunities for personal growth, community engagement, skill development, networking, and creating a significant social impact.

Volunteering also promotes community engagement. By actively participating in volunteer activities, individuals become more connected to their communities. They have the opportunity to meet and collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds, fostering a sense of belonging and social cohesion. This engagement strengthens community bonds and encourages active citizenship.

Lastly, volunteering has a significant social impact. By volunteering their time and skills, volunteers contribute to the improvement of their communities. They can help address social issues, support vulnerable populations, and promote positive change. Through their volunteer efforts, individuals become agents of social change, making a tangible difference in their communities.

Environmental Conservation and Preservation

One often overlooked aspect of community volunteering is its crucial role in promoting environmental conservation and preservation. Volunteering for environmental causes not only helps protect our planet’s biodiversity, but also fosters sustainable practices, community engagement, ecological restoration, and environmental education.

Volunteering is also an opportunity to promote sustainable practices within communities. By participating in initiatives such as recycling programs, energy conservation projects, or sustainable agriculture initiatives, volunteers can raise awareness about the importance of reducing our carbon footprint and living in harmony with the environment. By leading by example, volunteers can inspire others to adopt sustainable practices in their daily lives.

Ecological restoration is a critical component of environmental conservation. Through volunteering, volunteers can actively participate in efforts to restore degraded ecosystems, such as wetlands, forests, or coral reefs. By engaging in activities like native species planting, invasive species removal, or habitat restoration, they can help revive and rebuild ecosystems that have been damaged by human activity.

Lastly, environmental education plays a vital role in inspiring individuals to take action and make informed decisions regarding the environment. Volunteering in environmental education programs, such as leading nature walks, organizing workshops, or developing educational materials, allows volunteers to share their knowledge and passion for the environment with others, empowering them to become environmental stewards.

Volunteering has a significant positive impact on our communities. By giving your time and skills, you can help create jobs, promote understanding, enhance infrastructure, enrich your community, and contribute to a healthier environment. So, whether you’re cleaning up a park, mentoring a child, or supporting a local charity, remember that your efforts truly make a difference in building a stronger, more vibrant community for everyone.

Now how about you? Are you ready and willing to do your part and make a difference while traveling? If so, I am happy to tell you that you don’t necessarily need to go on a volunteering adventure to do your part in making this world a better place!

Simply use the search widgets or click on the ad banners on this website to  book your next accommodations ,  flights ,  rental cars , and  more . Every completed booking will earn a commission, with 50% of the profits going towards charity events like the  2021 Christmas gift drive for kids and teens in a children’s home in Montenegro .

So not only will you be enjoying a wonderful vacation, but you’ll also be contributing to a better world. Book your trip through our site and join us in making a positive impact today!

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Why Volunteer? 5 Great Benefits of Volunteering & Community Service

Need reasons to volunteer in this post, we give you five advantages and benefits of volunteering, helping others, and community service..

Are you on the fence about volunteering and need a little nudge one way or the other?

Volunteering benefits others, of course, but you yourself get to reap plenty of benefits of volunteering in your community, abroad, or virtually. 

Volunteering cons are few—it takes time, it takes effort, you may break a sweat, etc. However, volunteering pros are legion, laudable, and lifelong.

So, what are the benefits of volunteering?

Keep reading below to find out!

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Here are five great advantages and benefits of volunteering:

1. Volunteering Makes a Difference

This is the main reason people volunteer, so let’s get this out of the way from the start. Volunteering is a great way to support causes and organizations that matter to you. While donating money is always welcome, most students and young professionals struggle to make ends meet; volunteering lets you help these change-making organizations without costing you a dime. 

And, one of the best parts about volunteering abroad or locally is that you decide who, what, when, where, why, and how. Perhaps you admire the work your local food kitchen does and want to help them help others. Or, maybe you have a soft spot for dogs and prefer to lend a helping hand at the county animal shelter. You can volunteer completely online, or offer your time supporting a specific SDG you’re passionate about. Volunteer working evening shifts , as a side job on the weekends , or once a year on Earth Day . Whatever the case may be, there’s sure to be an organization requiring your assistance.

Related Read : How to Choose a Charity to Support in 4 Simple Steps

2. Volunteering Improves Health & Well-Being

One of the most well-documented benefits of volunteering is its effects on your well-being. In one study published by the American Sociological Association, researchers took a look at the relationship between volunteering and six elements of a person’s well-being: physical health, good self-esteem , happiness, sense of control over life, life satisfaction, and depression. They found volunteering had a significant impact on each aspect of well-being, particularly if the person was less socially integrated to begin with.

Since then (and also prior to that study), dozens of other studies have backed up those claims, such as this one , this one , this one , and this one . 

Related Read : 35+ Inspiring Quotes About Volunteering & the Joy of Serving Others

3. Volunteering Betters Your Understanding of the World

Depending on the kind of volunteer work you seek, you may get a unique opportunity to connect with, learn about, and immerse yourself in a community, culture, or group of people you otherwise may have never encountered or interacted with. Not only will this expand your intelligence and understanding of the world around you, but you’ll get a better sense of how society works—and what you can do to better it.  

Of course, not all forms of volunteering will help you gain a better understanding of other communities, cultures, or walks of life. But just about every type of voluntary work will connect you to new people and experiences, which alone is enough to make the personal benefits of volunteering greater than any time and effort you’ll lose because of it.

Related Read : 25 Small Acts You Can Do to Have a Great Impact

4. Volunteering Advances Your Career

What lets you build great job skills, develop real-life working expertise, and network with amazing professionals? Why volunteering, of course! While volunteering should be about helping others, it’s hard to overstate the impact even a minor stint has on your career. In fact, a “volunteer experience” section is one of the best things to include on a resume . 

And, if you’re just starting out and looking for a first job but wondering how to get a job with no experience , volunteering is experience. On top of that, it shows the prospective company, recruiter, or hiring manager that you are a hard worker, work well on a team and with others, and have an all-around great attitude and character. If you’re looking for the best way to improve your job prospects, volunteering is really hard to beat!

Related Read : How to Turn Your Passion Into a Career in 5 Easy Steps

5. Volunteering Can Create Lifelong Friendships

Finally, friendships! One of the most overlooked benefits of doing community service or volunteering is you have the chance to make friends with people who share your passions, interests, and determination to effect positive change. When you’re working side-by-side with peers towards the same goal, it’s pretty difficult not to create some strong attachments. And, while the purpose of volunteering isn’t to meet your BFF, who knows? You may do just that!

Related Read : How to Make Friends in College: 10+ Easy Ways to Meet People at Uni

These are our top five benefits of volunteering, and, while there are plenty of other reasons to volunteer, we’ll leave it at that. But, if you have any questions, feedback, or more examples of why volunteering is important, we’d love to hear from you! Let us know in the comments below, and thanks for reading!

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Why Volunteer? 7 Benefits of Volunteering that Will Inspire You to Take Action

by Alma Rominger

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Why volunteer? The benefits of volunteering can last a lifetime—not only for those who you are helping, but for yourself as well. 

If you are on the fence about diving into a new volunteer experience or have doubts about whether or not volunteering is right for you, you might find yourself surprised at just how much you can gain from taking the plunge. 

Let’s learn more about the many benefits of volunteering and how to start getting involved!

Why Volunteer?

What is Volunteering?

Volunteering means giving your time and abilities to aid others (usually a nonprofit organization) without the want of financial compensation. Put simply, volunteering is a service to your community.

Many nonprofit organizations rely on volunteers to accomplish day-to-day objectives and to reach long-term goals.  Miles4Migrants , for instance, relied solely on volunteer hours for their first few years of operation. Most nonprofits would not be able to do the important work they do without the power of volunteer work.

Nothing gets done by one person alone, which means we have to band together to make the  changes we want to see in the world . Volunteerism has indeed been the fuel to the fires of change both on international and local fronts. Volunteering your time, skills, and resources is one of the most powerful ways to make a difference, to help others, and as it turns out, to enhance your own wellbeing.

15 things you can do (big and small) to start making a difference today.

7 Benefits of Volunteering

While you won’t get paid for your community service, volunteering comes with a lot of other benefits to boot. Donating your time, energy, and resources can be just as rewarding for you as for those you are helping. Here are some ways volunteering can affect you positively: 

1. Meet New People and Build Community

Everyone loves new friends! 

Being a part of a team with a common goal will help you form bonds that can be life-changing. Volunteering inherently means helping people, and that means you’ll be creating meaningful relationships with others and increasing your social interactions. 

Volunteering provides a unique opportunity: it connects people with very specific shared values. And the values may not be what you think. In addition to likely having shared concerns for children,  sustainable living , healthy eating, or whatever project you’re working on, volunteers are also people who also share things like a willingness to step outside their comfort zone, an openness to spending time on a community effort, a proclivity for engaging in team-oriented activities, and a desire to contribute to the well-being of others.  

You’re sure to meet people and make new friends that share common interests, values, and outlooks. Building a community in which you are all working together towards common future goals will nurture your sense of belonging and purpose and expand your support system. This social benefit of volunteering grows into a bunch of other benefits that we’ll continue to explore in this list!

2. Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Ways of Life

Volunteering might take you to a new part of your community you have never been to before. Volunteer programs can give you the opportunity to bring people into your social network you otherwise wouldn’t get to meet and learn from those who come from different walks of life. This experience can expand your understanding of others who are different from you.

Learning about cultures and ways of life that are different from ones of your upbringing will increase your social flexibility and expand your world-view. It will also raise awareness of the issues that other people deal with and will increase important social skills like empathy and teamwork.

3. Gain a Sense of Purpose and Become Happier

What an amazing reason to do something! Who doesn’t want to become happier?! Volunteering  has been shown  to give you a sense of accomplishment and to increase feelings of happiness. 

“How?”, you may ask? 

Throughout your life you’ve developed social and professional skills that promote your personal achievement. Using those skills for a wider, communal impact can be even more fulfilling. Volunteering will enrich your life and give you a broader purpose and can give you a boost of motivation.

Researchers also posit that it’s the social connections you make while volunteering (as we’ve mentioned) that help increase your feelings of happiness. 

Feeling like you are a purposeful role of your community will make you feel…da da dum…HAPPY! Volunteering is indeed a  known mechanism  to help fight all sorts of mental issues like depression, anxiety, stress, and anger.

Where do we sign up?!

4. Boost Your Self-Esteem

That’s right! Spending time as a volunteer has  been shown  to improve your self-esteem!

The more opportunities you take to learn new skills and gain knowledge, the more fully you will develop as a person. And what safer space to develop those skills than in a context of service?

Stepping out of your comfort zone and building new skills is the best way to develop your self-esteem. Volunteering will increase your sense of pride and thus, your self-confidence! When you challenge yourself through volunteering and receive appreciation from others, it can make you feel better emotionally and mentally. 

Plus, who has time to think negative thoughts about yourself when you’re out saving the world?!

5. Advance Your Career by Improving Job Prospects

Volunteering will offer you skills that can be used throughout your career development. If you are wanting to change to a new career, especially a new environmental or  social impact job , volunteering in that new field can help you develop the skills and knowledge you will need. 

When you have a volunteering experience to add to your resume, you stand out over job candidates who don’t take the time to give back to society. Volunteering highlights your character, passion, and determination! 

Through your volunteer experiences, you have a chance to show that you’re interested in things bigger than yourself, and you are willing to take action to make the changes you want in the world—and that will always help you shine through the competition. 

Volunteering can also give you a better understanding of the issues you are working to solve, and so, you are more apt at discovering where there are gaps in the field. This knowledge can prepare you to enter a new field of work or, for those with an entrepreneurial spirit, volunteering may lead to developing your next business idea or inspire you to  start a nonprofit  yourself!

6. Accrue the Health Benefits of Volunteering

It’s true! There are many  physical benefits  that come from volunteering, including stress reduction! 

Spending meaningful time with others can reduce stress and the health effects it has on our bodies. Reduced stress translates into several physical health benefits. You’ll sleep better, get sick less often, and even prevent heart disease! In fact, some  studies  have even found lower mortality rates in volunteers vs non-volunteers in older adults.

This makes sense because as we give our attention to others, we take our attention off of our own problems and concerns. It can also put our stresses into perspective and feel more gratitude in our day-to-day lives.

Volunteer work can also be an outlet for the frustrations you feel about certain issues and will leave you with a sense of agency and empowerment. Worried about climate change ? Do something about it!

7. Increase Your Brain Functioning

Every volunteer opportunity has its own set of tasks, and some of those might require you to learn new skill sets and challenge yourself. This means you’ll be keeping your brain busy and limber! 

Volunteering  has been shown  to increase your ability for problem solving, improve your long-term and short-term memory, and reduce your risk of developing age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s. So time to get started!

The Good & Bad of Volunteering

• Meet new people and develop lasting relationships.
• Increase your happiness and better your mental health.
• Learn new skills and increase your brain function and self-esteem.
• Stand out on job applications and further your career. 
• Decrease your stress and accrue the health benefits.
• Do good in the world and help make a difference.

• Can be time-consuming.
• Some tasks can be repetitive depending on the volunteer role.
• Might take multiple attempts to find the right fit for you.

Getting Started on Your Volunteer Journey

So you have made up your mind to volunteer—what now? 

One of the many beauties of volunteering is that there are endless ways that you can get involved and make a difference. The thing is, you won’t know which is right for you until you get out into the community and start!

The key to accruing all the benefits of volunteering is to find something you really like in a community that you love. It is time to consider your options carefully so you can find an opportunity that will be realistic for you as well as fulfilling.

How to Start Your Research

There are tens of thousands of nonprofit organizations in the United States with volunteering opportunities ranging from health care and mental health, to sports, to politics, to childhood development. Here are some tips to start finding the right volunteer opportunity for you: 

• Search online for organizations in your interest areas and see if they have a volunteer page on their website. Make sure to check out the organization’s FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page and follow-up with any additional questions or concerns before signing up to volunteer. Ask as many questions as you like of a nonprofit before you volunteer with them! 
• Visit websites like  VolunteerMatch  or  Idealist  and see if posted volunteer opportunities might be right for you.
• Contact your local community centers, nonprofit organizations, senior centers, or libraries to find out if they are in need of volunteers. They usually are!

What to Consider: Finding the Opportunity That is Right for You

It’s important to make sure you only volunteer in a capacity that you are comfortable with and that brings you joy. Here are some things to consider as you search for your next volunteer opportunity.

First and foremost, consider how much time you can give. There is no competition in volunteering (or at least, there shouldn’t be!). If you can only give an hour a month—great. That is an additional hour a month your community will benefit from that it otherwise wouldn’t! 

When volunteering as a part of a team, you should make sure you can commit the time you are promising. If you are volunteering to do things like the  online marketing for the nonprofit , that don’t require working directly with others, make sure you are upfront about your skill levels, abilities, and availability. These practices will ensure neither you or your team feel stretched too thin, which can result in burnout or failure.

Making reasonable schedules for yourself will help you settle in for the long-term. And being upfront about your time constraints will help you avoid disappointing anyone counting on you and your volunteer efforts.

Physical Limitations

Also, consider your physical capabilities. Do you have constraints that will make certain tasks difficult? Be honest with yourself about what you are comfortable with accomplishing. I have found that most nonprofit organizations are very happy to accommodate volunteers who have special requests and needs if you are upfront with them with them about your limitations.

Your Skillset

Another thing to mull over is what kind of skills you already possess. What skills or experiences could be helpful to the nonprofit you are working with? If you’re in marketing, consider helping an organization develop their  nonprofit marketing plan . If you know accounting, help them get their books in order. Organizations will LOVE getting this kind of expertise (that they would usually have to pay top dollar for).

Your Interests

Next, think about where your interests lie and what kind of field you would want to explore. Do you like working with animals? Want to learn more about  farming and agriculture or how to  compost ?  Do you enjoy playing with children? Spending time with the elderly? Do you want to learn  how to help refugees ? 

Deciding what kind of organization you would like to work with first will help you bring enthusiasm and excitement to your volunteer experience. It is no good for anyone if you volunteer to do something you flat out don’t like doing.

Volunteer Abroad or in Your Own Community

Are you interested in working outside of your home country? Do you have the time and finances to travel? Would you rather stay close to home where you might not have to spend money to volunteer? 

Consider, again, what might work best for you. Volunteering abroad tends to be expensive and time-consuming, which may or may not be something you are prepared to do. Plus there are many opportunities right in our own communities!

But if you want to do work to  save the oceans  for instance, and you live in the mountains of Colorado, your local community may not have the right opportunity for you. In that case, you will definitely want to search outside of your hometown. 

If you are considering volunteering abroad, make sure that you work only with reputable organizations and that you can verify necessary information about what to expect before you leave home.

There are some amazing opportunities to combine your travel with volunteering. Companies like  Have Fun Do Good  provide the opportunity to do purposeful travel, arranging for your trip to be structured around a service project.

Learn more about how these travel experiences incorporate volunteer projects in our interview with the Founder of Have Fun Do Good, Adam Kunes!

Kind Traveler  and  Discover Corps  also allow you to take your impact beyond your hometown. Or join the “give-back-packers” at  Bamboo  and take your impact across the world. Or, maybe you prefer  saving sea turtles  on a visit to Costa Rica? The possibilities are endless!

The Power of Giving Back

The reasons people volunteer are many and will vary person to person. What we do know is that when you find the right fit, you’ll enrich the lives of others, and your life will be made better by the experience!

We all contribute to the construction of the world we live in—don’t you want your contribution to be one that makes that world  better ? Working towards equality for everyone will make a better world for all of us! 

Whether you are a high school student volunteering at the food bank, a parent selling girl scout cookies, or a senior volunteering at an animal shelter, when your efforts go towards making society better for all of us, we all feel better. It’s a win-win situation. 

Good luck on your search for the right volunteer experience for you and let us know how your experience goes! Happy volunteering!

Alma Rominger

Grow Ensemble Contributor

Alma Rominger is an educator and farmer passionate about regenerative agriculture, composting, gardening for mental health, and outdoor education. 

Alma believes that the health of the earth and the health of its people are intrinsically connected and has spent her entire career advocating for both. She currently specializes in Bokashi composting systems and soil ecology through her work with Compost Queens, a women-owned community composting company based in the San Antonio area.

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Why volunteer?

Benefit 1: volunteering connects you to others, benefit 2: volunteering is good for your mind and body, benefit 3: volunteering can advance your career, benefit 4: volunteering brings fun and fulfillment to your life, how to find the right volunteer opportunity, getting the most out of volunteering, volunteering and its surprising benefits.

Volunteering can help you make friends, learn new skills, advance your career, and even feel happier and healthier. Learn how to find the right volunteer opportunity for you.

With busy lives, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. However, the benefits of volunteering can be enormous. Volunteering offers vital help to people in need, worthwhile causes, and the community, but the benefits can be even greater for you, the volunteer. The right match can help you to find friends, connect with the community, learn new skills, and even advance your career.

Giving to others can also help protect your mental and physical health. It can reduce stress, combat depression, keep you mentally stimulated, and provide a sense of purpose. While it’s true that the more you volunteer, the more benefits you’ll experience, volunteering doesn’t have to involve a long-term commitment or take a huge amount of time out of your busy day. Giving in even simple ways can help those in need and improve your health and happiness.

Benefits of volunteering: 4 ways to feel healthier and happier

• Volunteering connects you to others.
• Volunteering is good for your mind and body.
• Volunteering can advance your career.
• Volunteering brings fun and fulfillment to your life.

One of the more well-known benefits of volunteering is the impact on the community. Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place. Even helping out with the smallest tasks can make a real difference to the lives of people, animals, and organizations in need. And volunteering is a two-way street: It can benefit you and your family as much as the cause you choose to help. Dedicating your time as a volunteer helps you make new friends, expand your network, and boost your social skills.

Make new friends and contacts

One of the best ways to make new friends and strengthen existing relationships is to commit to a shared activity together. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, especially if you are new to an area. It strengthens your ties to the community and broadens your support network, exposing you to people with common interests, neighborhood resources, and fun and fulfilling activities.

Increase your social and relationship skills

While some people are naturally outgoing, others are shy and have a hard time meeting new people. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice and develop your social skills, since you are meeting regularly with a group of people with common interests. Once you have momentum, it’s easier to branch out and make more friends and contacts.

Volunteering as a family

Children watch everything you do. By giving back to the community, you’ll show them firsthand how volunteering makes a difference and how good it feels to help other people and animals and enact change. It’s also a valuable way for you to get to know organizations in the community and find resources and activities for your children and family.

Volunteering provides many benefits to both mental and physical health.

Volunteering helps counteract the effects of stress, anger, and anxiety. The social contact aspect of helping and working with others can have a profound effect on your overall psychological well-being. Nothing relieves stress better than a meaningful connection to another person. Working with pets and other animals has also been shown to improve mood and reduce stress and anxiety.

Volunteering combats depression. Volunteering keeps you in regular contact with others and helps you develop a solid support system, which in turn protects you against depression.

Volunteering makes you happy . By measuring hormones and brain activity, researchers have discovered that being helpful to others delivers immense pleasure. Human beings are hard-wired to give to others. The more we give, the happier we feel.

[Read: Cultivating Happiness]

Volunteering increases self-confidence. You are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity. And the better you feel about yourself, the more likely you are to have a positive view of your life and future goals.

Volunteering provides a sense of purpose. Older adults, especially those who have retired or lost a spouse, can find new meaning and direction in their lives by helping others. Whatever your age or life situation, volunteering can help take your mind off your own worries, keep you mentally stimulated, and add more zest to your life.

Volunteering helps you stay physically healthy. Studies have found that those who volunteer have a lower mortality rate than those who do not. Older volunteers tend to walk more, find it easier to cope with everyday tasks, are less likely to develop high blood pressure, and have better thinking skills. Volunteering can also lessen symptoms of chronic pain and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Speak to a Licensed Therapist

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I have limited mobility—can I still volunteer?

People with disabilities or chronic health conditions can still benefit greatly from volunteering. In fact, research has shown that adults with disabilities or health conditions ranging from hearing and vision loss to heart disease, diabetes or digestive disorders all show improvement after volunteering.

Whether due to a disability, a lack of transportation, or time constraints, many people choose to volunteer their time via phone or computer. In today’s digital age, many organizations need help with writing, graphic design, email, and other web-based tasks. Some organizations may require you to attend an initial training session or periodical meetings while others can be conducted completely remotely. In any volunteer situation, make sure that you are getting enough social contact, and that the organization is available to support you should you have questions.

If you’re considering a new career, volunteering can help you get experience in your area of interest and meet people in the field. Even if you’re not planning on changing careers, volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice important skills used in the workplace, such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, project planning, task management, and organization. You might feel more comfortable stretching your wings at work once you’ve honed these skills in a volunteer position first.

Teaching you valuable job skills

Just because volunteer work is unpaid does not mean the skills you learn are basic. Many volunteering opportunities provide extensive training. For example, you could become an experienced crisis counselor while volunteering for a women’s shelter or a knowledgeable art historian while donating your time as a museum docent.

[Read: Finding the Right Career]

Volunteering can also help you build upon skills you already have and use them to benefit the greater community. For instance, if you hold a successful sales position, you can raise awareness for your favorite cause as a volunteer advocate, while further developing and improving your public speaking, communication, and marketing skills.

Gaining career experience

Volunteering offers you the chance to try out a new career without making a long-term commitment. It is also a great way to gain experience in a new field. In some fields, you can volunteer directly at an organization that does the kind of work you’re interested in. For example, if you’re interested in nursing, you could volunteer at a hospital or a nursing home.

Your volunteer work might also expose you to professional organizations or internships that could benefit your career.

When it comes to volunteering, passion and positivity are the only requirements

While learning new skills can be beneficial to many, it’s not a requirement for a fulfilling volunteer experience. Bear in mind that the most valuable assets you can bring to any volunteer effort are compassion, an open mind, a willingness to pitch in wherever needed, and a positive attitude.

Volunteering is a fun and easy way to explore your interests and passions. Doing volunteer work you find meaningful and interesting can be a relaxing, energizing escape from your day-to-day routine of work, school, or family commitments. Volunteering also provides you with renewed creativity, motivation, and vision that can carry over into your personal and professional life.

[Read: Building Better Mental Health]

Many people volunteer in order to make time for hobbies outside of work as well. For instance, if you have a desk job and long to spend time outdoors, you might consider volunteering to help plant a community garden, walk dogs for an animal shelter, or help out at a children’s camp.

There are numerous volunteer opportunities available. The key is to find a position that you would enjoy and are capable of doing. It’s also important to make sure that your commitment matches the organization’s needs. Ask yourself the following:

• Would you like to work with adults, children, animals, or remotely from home?
• Do you prefer to work alone or as part of a team?
• Are you better behind the scenes or do you prefer to take a more visible role?
• How much time are you willing to commit?
• What skills can you bring to a volunteer job?
• What causes are important to you?

Consider your interests

You will have a richer and more enjoyable volunteering experience if you first take some time to identify your goals and interests. Think about why you want to volunteer. What would you enjoy doing? The opportunities that match both your goals and your interests are most likely to be fun and fulfilling.

What are your volunteering goals?

To find a volunteer position that’s right for you, look for something that matches your personality, skills, and interests. Ask yourself if there is something specific you want to do or achieve as a volunteer.

For example, you might want to:

• Improve your neighborhood.
• Meet new people with different outlooks or experiences.
• Try something new.
• Do something rewarding with your spare time.
• See new places or experience a different way of living.
• Try a new type of work that you might want to pursue as a full-time job.
• Expand on your interests and hobbies.

Consider several volunteer possibilities

Don’t limit yourself to just one organization or one specific type of job. Sometimes an opportunity looks great on paper, but the reality is quite different. Try to visit different organizations and get a feel for what they are like and if you click with other staff and volunteers.

Where to find volunteer opportunities

• Community theaters, museums, and monuments.
• Libraries or senior centers.
• Service organizations such as Lions Clubs or Rotary Clubs.
• Local animal shelters, rescue organizations, or wildlife centers.
• Youth organizations, sports teams, and after-school programs.
• Historical restorations, national parks, and conservation organizations.
• Places of worship such as churches or synagogues.
• Online directories and other resources (see below).

How much time should you volunteer?

Volunteering doesn’t have to take over your life to be beneficial. In fact, research shows that just two to three hours per week, or about 100 hours a year, can confer the most benefits—to both you and your chosen cause. The important thing is to volunteer only the amount of time that feels comfortable to you. Volunteering should feel like a fun and rewarding hobby, not another chore on your to-do list.

You’re donating your valuable time, so it’s important that you enjoy and benefit from your volunteering. To make sure that your volunteer position is a good fit:

Ask questions. You want to make sure that the experience is right for your skills, your goals, and the time you want to spend. Sample questions for your volunteer coordinator might address your time commitment, if there’s any training involved, who you will be working with, and what to do if you have questions during your experience.

Make sure you know what’s expected. You should be comfortable with the organization and understand the time commitment. Consider starting small so that you don’t over commit yourself at first. Give yourself some flexibility to change your focus if needed.

Don’t be afraid to make a change. Don’t force yourself into a bad fit or feel compelled to stick with a volunteer role you dislike. Talk to the organization about changing your focus or look for a different organization that’s a better fit.

If volunteering overseas, choose carefully. Some volunteer programs abroad can cause more harm than good if they take much-needed paying jobs away from local workers. Look for volunteer opportunities with reputable organizations.

Enjoy yourself. The best volunteer experiences benefit both the volunteer and the organization. If you’re not enjoying yourself, ask yourself why. Is it the tasks you’re performing? The people you’re working with? Or are you uncomfortable simply because the situation is new and unfamiliar? Pinpointing what’s bothering you can help you decide how to proceed.

VolunteerMatch  – Find opportunities that match your volunteer interests, from location to type of work. (VolunteerMatch)

Idealist  – Find volunteer opportunities in your local area or internationally. (Idealist)

National and Community Service  – Federal organization offering volunteer positions across the U.S. (National Service)

Volunteer  – Directory of environmental volunteer opportunities. (Volunteer.gov)

U.S. Peace Corps  – Offers volunteer opportunities overseas and includes a  50 Plus  division. (Peace Corps)

American Red Cross  – Volunteer in any of the Red Cross’s key service areas. (Red Cross)

More Information

• Simple Changes, Big Rewards - A Practical, Easy Guide for Healthy, Happy Living. (Harvard Medical School Special Health Report)
• The Health Benefits of Volunteering: Recent Research (PDF) - Research on the benefits of volunteering, especially for seniors. (Corporation for National and Community Service)
• The many ways volunteering is good for your heart - Includes resources for finding volunteer positions. (Harvard Health Publications)
• 10 Tips on Volunteering Wisely - Tips to make the most of your volunteering experience. (Network for Good)
• Carr, D. C., Kail, B. L., & Rowe, J. W. (2018). The Relation of Volunteering and Subsequent Changes in Physical Disability in Older Adults. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B , 73(3), 511–521. Link
• Kim, E. S., Whillans, A. V., Lee, M. T., Chen, Y., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2020). Volunteering and Subsequent Health and Well-Being in Older Adults: An Outcome-Wide Longitudinal Approach. American Journal of Preventive Medicine , 59(2), 176–186. Link
• Lawton, R. N., Gramatki, I., Watt, W., & Fujiwara, D. (2021). Does Volunteering Make Us Happier, or Are Happier People More Likely to Volunteer? Addressing the Problem of Reverse Causality When Estimating the Wellbeing Impacts of Volunteering. Journal of Happiness Studie , 22(2), 599–624. Link
• Okun, M. A., Yeung, E. W., & Brown, S. (2013). Volunteering by older adults and risk of mortality: A meta-analysis. Psychology and Aging , 28(2), 564–577. Link
• Salt, E., Crofford, L. J., & Segerstrom, S. (2017). The Mediating and Moderating Effect of Volunteering on Pain and Depression, Life Purpose, Well-Being, and Physical Activity. Pain Management Nursing , 18(4), 243–249. Link

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Cochrane Global Ageing

3. what are the benefits of volunteering.

Filges, T , Siren, A, Fridberg, T, Nielsen, BCV. Voluntary work for the physical and mental health of older volunteers: A systematic review.  Campbell Systematic Reviews . 2020; 16:e1124.  https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1124

Picture this…

Rodney is 65.  He recently retired from his job as a teacher and has been re-discovering his passion for photography.  Nonetheless he has been finding the transition into retirement difficult. Rodney loved his job and he feels that he now lacks a sense of purpose.  He has been feeling low, misses having a routine and finds that some days his only meaningful conversation is with his cat. Rodney has noticed a group of people litter picking on Saturday mornings in his town and is wondering whether he should consider volunteering to help them.

Credit: David Henry from Pexels

Summary messages –

• Volunteering improves the mental and physical health of volunteers.
• The strongest evidence is for the benefits of volunteering on mortality.
• Studies took place in a range of countries including Ireland, Israel, Japan and the United States, included men and women and spanned the time period 1984 to 2013, which increases the certainty of the research.

What the research says – 

The World Health Organisation Decade of Healthy Ageing Baseline report defines healthy ageing as the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age.  Functional ability combines a person’s physical and mental capabilities with the environment they live in and how they interact with their environment.  The ability to contribute to society, for example by assisting friends, mentoring younger people or volunteering, is an important element of functional ability.  Furthermore, volunteering has been proposed by many governments around the world as a way to engage people in their local communities, which provides volunteers with personal enrichment and the societal value of the services provided by the volunteers.  During the pandemic, we’ve seen many examples of older people contributing to society through volunteering whether it be retired health care professionals lending their expertise in the mass vaccination campaign or community volunteers delivering food and prescriptions to house-bound neighbours.

Credit: Kampus Productions from Pexels

This systematic review published by the Campbell Library in October 2020, identified 90 studies that looked at the impact of formal volunteering by people aged over 65 on their physical and mental health.  Formal volunteering was defined as voluntary, on-going, planned, helping behaviour that intend to increase the well-being of strangers, offers no monetary compensation and typically occurs within an organisational context.

The review authors were able to summarise the evidence from 26 studies carried out in Australia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea and the USA, which involved over 47,000 volunteers. The evidence from 10 studies indicates that volunteering may have a positive effect on reducing mortality.  The evidence in this review suggests that as a volunteer you are less likely to die than someone who does not volunteer. If volunteering had no effect on mortality, we would expect an equal 50% chance of dying first for people who volunteer and for those who don’t In fact, there is a 43% chance of volunteers dying compared with those who don’t volunteer. There was little evidence of variation in the results between studies which gives us confidence in this finding. Three of the studies looked at the impact of volunteering on depression and overall there was a small positive effect. However, the review authors felt that there were too few studies to be confident about this result. None of the studies reported any negative effects of volunteering.

Although the review authors found 90 research studies about the effects of volunteering on older people there were issues with the design of many of the studies.  Some did not consider other factors which may have had an impact on the health and wellbeing of the older people at the same time as their volunteering activity.  Others, did not include a comparison with people who didn’t volunteer.  Both these aspects of study design make it difficult to tease out whether any changes in mental or physical health were a result of volunteering or something else and hence the review authors were not able to use the data from these studies.  Bearing in mind how many people take part in volunteering activities and report feeling better as a result, it is disappointing that there is so little evidence available about the impact of volunteering on mental health.

Although formal volunteering opportunities are widespread in many countries around the world, people who are less well off or have health concerns are much less likely to be able to contribute their time and talents than those who are wealthier and healthier. The Centre for Ageing Better and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport produced a report in October 2018 on age friendly and inclusive volunteering which contains useful guidance to support organisations working with volunteers to engage with a wider range of people including the over 50s.

Credit: Matt Writtle Ageing Better Age Positive Image Library

Where is Rodney now…

Rodney is now volunteering on a regular basis with the Keep Our Town Tidy group.  As well as litter picking they also spend time tidying up the community garden areas in the town.  He enjoys having a regular commitment in his diary and has met lots of interesting people.

Jo Thompson Coon

Co-Director, Cochrane Campbell Global Ageing Partnership

Editor, Ageing Co-ordinating Group, Campbell Collaboration

University of Exeter

Please note: the stories and pictures used do not represent specific individuals – they are merely utilised to contextualise the data into a more digestible format.

Reference points –

Decade of healthy ageing: baseline report . Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.

Jopling K and Jones D Age-friendly and inclusive volunteering : Review of community contributions in later life 2018; Centre for Ageing Better

If  you have any comments regarding this blog post, please contact us at   [email protected].    We would love to hear your thoughts and answer any questions you may have. 

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The Benefits of Volunteering for You and Your Community

The new year is a great time to pick up different hobbies or try something different. If you’re looking to meet new people and make an impact in your community, consider volunteering. When you give your time to an organization like Family Resources, you can touch dozens of lives and help us further our mission of building healthy relationships and helping the youth of Pinellas and Manatee counties. Consider a few of these benefits of volunteering to see just how far a few hours can go.

Understand the Monetary Impact of Your Volunteer Hours

You don’t have to be a major financial donor to make a positive impact in your community. Any hours you give provide tangible, monetary benefits to Family Resources. 

We consider the efforts of our volunteers to be invaluable, but economic experts have been able to break down the actual financial impact of your efforts. The organization Independent Sector estimates that the average value of volunteer time in 2019 was $25.43 per hour . More than 63 million people volunteered in the United States in 2019, giving more than 8 billion hours of their time, talent, and effort. This accumulated into $203.4 billion of impact in local communities. 

The volunteers who support Family Resources help our staff in a very real way. They support enriching activities at our after-school programs to engage the kids , they work to keep our campuses clean and functioning, and they provide extra sets of hands when our staff members need help. Without the efforts of our volunteers , we would not be able to offer as many programs , and our reach would be greatly diminished because we would need to pay for the services that they so generously provide.

Volunteering Benefits You Mentally and Socially

The benefits of volunteering extend beyond the financial benefits to the organization you work with. Volunteering has been shown to have physical, mental, and social benefits to communities. 

Volunteering gives you an opportunity to meet people, helping you make friends and professional connections. Many people enjoy the social aspects of volunteering and get involved in beach clean-ups or community centers to find people with similar priorities. Additionally, volunteering has been shown to fill people with a sense of purpose and make them happier, boosting their self-esteem and mental health. Even physically, those who volunteer tend to have lower blood pressure and are more mobile due to the physical activity during their giving efforts.

Volunteering Can Actually Give You More Time

Have you ever felt like you don’t have as many hours in a day as you would like? Are you worried that volunteering will take up too much time?  Surprisingly, volunteering can actually make you feel like you have more time. 

Wharton professor Cassie Mogilner found that people who volunteer their time actually feel like they have more of it. “Giving your time to others can make you feel more ‘time affluent’ and less time-constrained than wasting your time, spending it on yourself, or even getting a windfall of free time,” she writes. 

This paradox comes from the idea that people who give their time feel more competent and useful. They feel like they can do more and that their futures feel brighter. The result is that they feel like they actually have more time, whether they’re thinking in the near future or in the coming decade. Interestingly, there are similar studies that found how those who donate to charity actually feel wealthier. 

Try spending a few hours volunteering this month, you may start to feel less overwhelmed by your packed schedule and impending deadlines.

You Don’t Have to Wait to Be Asked

In a survey asking people why they don’t volunteer, one out of four people said it was because they were never asked. Many people aren’t sure how to get involved and don’t understand the process of starting in a volunteer role.

We welcome any volunteers to knock on our door and tell us how they want to help. You can decide what volunteer experience you want to do and the hours you want to contribute so that you get the most meaning out of your service.   

Volunteer Opportunities Through Family Resources

There are many ways to get involved with Family Resources and to help unaccompanied, homeless youth and at-risk kids in our area. You can volunteer directly with our after-school programs and in our Safeplace2b shelters, where we can always use another set of hands to keep our facilities clean and functioning at their best. However, you can also set up fundraisers on your own and conduct supply drives for our hygiene kits and other necessities. We work with many individuals and companies who fundraise on our behalf and provide financial and item-based contributions to our locations. Any effort can make a significant impact in the lives of local families and homeless teens in the area.     

In the coming year, Family Resources will need more volunteers than ever as we continue to build and open our Safe Connections resource center. This location will help homeless youth ages 16-24 head toward a path of stability and success. It will have a clothing closet, emergency food relief, referrals to other services, laundry facilities, hygiene items, and computer stations. By volunteering with Family Resources now, you can help us launch this new service center and provide a line of support for unaccompanied, homeless youth in St. Petersburg.   

If you want to get involved in Family Resources and find a good volunteer fit for your goals, contact us today. You can also call Kim Skrovanek at 727-317-4314 to learn about our volunteer screening and onboarding process.

The Mental and Physical Health Benefits of Volunteering

When you help others, your own health can also benefit..

Posted July 25, 2024 | Reviewed by Gary Drevitch

• Serving as a volunteer has a wide range of physical and mental health benefits.
• If one's primary motive is to help others, volunteering may bring a reduced mortality risk.

It's probably a safe bet that most of us have volunteered our time, talents, sweat, or ideas at least a few times to support a person, group, or cause. Volunteerism seems ingrained in our culture. People frequently help out with school or church activities, or with various community groups to support their many worthwhile efforts.

Although volunteering can require a lot of time and energy, I've usually found it enjoyable because I've had the satisfaction of working with others toward a positive goal. As a psychologist, I began to wonder if there might be other mental, emotional and physical health benefits from being a volunteer.

As I reviewed some of the research literature, I was quite surprised to find a long list of several potential mental and physical health benefits associated with volunteering. I'll share a bit of what I found. This brief summary is certainly not comprehensive, and not all of the benefits will apply to everyone. However, it does capture several of the more significant health benefits that appear related to serving as a volunteer.

Potential Health Benefits of Volunteering

• Improved social skills through meeting others and working alongside them
• Reduced isolation and loneliness from interacting with others
• A sense of purpose and of making a difference from working toward a shared goal
• Increased self-confidence from learning new skills, meeting new people, achieving a goal
• Improved mood and reduced stress and anxiety
• Increased pleasure and happiness from engaging in a worthwhile activity
• Increased physical activity
• Learning skills that can transfer to the workplace or towards career goals
• Meeting potential employers and gaining a foothold toward future employment
• Decreased pain and lower blood pressure
• Decreased mortality or increased longevity

I want to say a bit more about the last point in the list: An interesting 2012 study investigated the relationship between lower mortality and volunteering , a finding which had been previously established. In other words, regular volunteers seem to live longer on average than those who have not served actively as volunteers.

The study also found this same association between volunteer activity and lower mortality. Specifically, the more the individuals had volunteered over the past year and over the past 10 years, the lower their risk of mortality 4 years later.

However, the fascinating twist discovered in this study was that the lower mortality rate was specifically associated with a motive by the volunteers to help others. When the motive for being a volunteer was more self- oriented, the volunteers actually had a greater risk of mortality 4 years later. In addition, the self-oriented volunteers had the same risk of mortality as non-volunteers, suggesting that volunteering may be of little or no health benefit if one's motivation is more self-centered.

I think this research is quite intriguing. The bottom line is that volunteering does clearly seem to be associated with a variety of physical and mental health benefits, but more so if you are truly invested in making a difference to help others.

If you've not done much volunteering lately, give it a try. Find a cause that you're passionate about and step up to offer your assistance. There is no shortage of worthy causes looking for volunteers just like you.

Copyright David Susman 2024

Konrath, S., Fuhrel-Forbis, A., Lou, A., & Brown, S. (2012). Motives for volunteering are associated with mortality risk in older adults. Health Psychology, 31(1), 87–96. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025226

David Susman, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist, mental health advocate, and Executive Advisor for Clinical Services for the Kentucky Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities.

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Creating volunteer opportunities to increase workplace giving and employee engagement

In today's episode, we discuss how employee volunteering can positively impact your employee engagement programs.

We explore how volunteering can be the gateway to increased workplace giving participation, the rise of virtual volunteering, how to encourage employee volunteering and partnerships with non-profit organizations.

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So today I'm joined by Janelle St. Omer, Regional Vice-President with Benevity. And today we're going to talk about volunteering and workplace giving .

So as someone new to this space, I keep sharing how volunteering is kind of like a gateway to workplace giving and also helping grow a CSR program . What do you make of that?

Janelle St. Omer:

Well, I think [00:01:00] in many cases, Karl, employees don't necessarily have a personal passion.

They don't have a cause already that they're aligned to.

So when they get out and they volunteer under a day of service or a week of service or a month of service, it gives them the opportunity to understand more about the organizations that are in their local community and that perhaps they can make a donation towards.

So it really helps, I would say, in a place to dip their toe in to really understand what's out there and the potential impact [00:01:30] that they can have.

What we often see as well is when an employee goes out and has a really, really positive volunteer experience, they get to understand more about the organization, hopefully learn a little bit about the impact of the organization and their operations, and then realizing that they can help do even more with their donor dollars towards that organization.

So that's where we see the connection, because it's one thing to go out and to volunteer one time or even on an ongoing basis, but the reality is nonprofits do need dollars.

So [00:02:00] if you see and you're passionate about an organization and you see the impact that your donor dollars can have, you are that much more likely to actually make a donation towards that cause if you've gone out and had a very positive volunteer experience.

And obviously, in, I guess, the environment that we're in with pandemics and lockdowns, it's a little bit tougher to get someone out to actually do physical volunteering.

So what have you seen in terms of, I guess, online or virtual volunteering opportunities that have been used in CSR [00:02:30] programs to mobilize that and increase employee engagement?

Virtual volunteering opportunities to increase employee engagement?

Well, many of the companies last year really did pivot everything towards virtual.

So many companies will offer an annual day of service, an annual week of service, an annual month of service.

And the inability for any of us to be in person at these organizations was quite limiting.

So what we saw was a lot of companies working with organizations that they either had funded from a grants perspective or they're those long-term strategic partners to [00:03:00] understand what kinds of needs they had and how those needs could then translate into a virtual volunteer opportunity.

So things that employees could do at home, on the computer, outside of the organization.

There are also a number of organizations that have these evergreen, virtual volunteering opportunities, which we saw a lot of companies promoting as well.

Expanding the definition of volunteering

But I think one of the biggest trends, one of the most interesting trends to me that we saw last year was companies expanding or redefining what it meant to be a volunteer.

So not looking at an actual [00:03:30] activity or action that happened on premises with an organization or even connected to a nonprofit organization, but perhaps looking at how I, Karl, am your neighbor and I'm going to buy you groceries, or really looking at what those random acts of kindness or random acts of goodness that also involve employee engagement could actually be.

So we're seeing a lot more of that expanded definition, even from a volunteer reward standpoint, rewarding those kinds of acts of goodness, acts of [00:04:00] kindness activities as well.

But I think any employee can volunteer from a virtual standpoint.

There are so many different opportunities with organizations that do exist, or even just thinking about small activities that you could potentially do in the privacy of your own home.

And I think a lot more organizations were thinking about skills-based volunteering as well.

So taking this time to really look at what are some of the perhaps strategic needs that an organization would have. Do [00:04:30] they need their websites to be redone?

Do they need their books looked at?

Do they need a refresh of their marketing materials? Is there a problem that they want to bring a small cohort of employees together to actually help to solve for a nonprofit?

This sort of virtual world really provided a great space for that level of a skills-based volunteering to happen as well, because we did have the opportunities to take a little bit more time and be a little bit more thoughtful and intentional about how employees were engaging with nonprofit organizations.

And [00:05:00] I guess, is it something where an employee needs to volunteer once or twice and then they get into the flow?

Or is it always you continuously need to encourage those volunteer activities to ensure-

It's a little bit of both. It's a little bit of both.

I think it all depends on the person.

So some folks can go out and they like to get involved and they like to be a part of the week of service every single year, and that's their volunteering for the year.

That makes [00:05:30] them happy.

They're satisfied.

Whereas other people, they will get involved in a certain activity. They'll recognize some of the benefits.

They'll see the impact that they can have.

They'll bond a little bit more with their colleagues, perhaps make connections with the organization, and they'll feel inspired and compelled to want to actually get involved in a more ongoing basis and to do even more.

So it really does depend.

There's a range [00:06:00].

And I think that any company who is thinking about both your volunteering and your workplace giving programs, you want to think about your employees along a spectrum of engagement and recognize that there's not a one-size-fits-all model for your employees.

Some people might want to come out and do one activity once a year and that's it.

Whereas you might have another employee who wants to volunteer every single Wednesday at the Boys and Girls Club, and everything in between.

And that's fine.

All Engagement is Good Engagement

I think that the story or the narrative that you want to create internally is that all engagement is good engagement.

It's important engagement because there's a way that we all can impact the world around us, big or small, and see ourself as that agent [00:06:30] of change.

And I think that that's the story that companies want to tell their employees is that they value, appreciate respect and encourage any engagement, whether that be from one hour of volunteering to $1 in terms of making a donation.

In a previous video, we talked about how brands sometimes partner with other organizations, and then they leverage that partnership to encourage some volunteering activities, I think T-Mobile and Feeding America. [00:07:00]

Is that something that you encourage CSR professionals to actually look for, like partnering with either nonprofits or organizations that would help encourage that volunteering activity?

Partnerships with non-profits to encourage employee volunteering?

Yes and no.

Yes, in that there are usually means from a nonprofit standpoint in terms of having space for volunteers within their organization, whether that be one-time volunteerism, more ongoing volunteerism, or even skills-based [00:07:30] or pro bono volunteerism.

But I think the challenge a lot of companies face is having that expectation that when you partner with a nonprofit, they automatically will have stuff that's available for your employees.

And that's an unfair expectation to have, because some organizations are simply not set up to facilitate volunteerism, workplace volunteerism, particularly those large numbers that companies are often asking for for their weeks of service or months of service.

And I think you're doing a bit of a disservice to the nonprofit organizations [00:08:00] in those cases, because in many cases they're spending time creating volunteer opportunities for the corporations that they're partnering with, but it's not actually meeting the needs of their organization.

It's taking them off their mission.

Perhaps it's taking them more time or even in resources in some cases to create these.

Partnership is wonderful.

I think when corporations and nonprofit organizations can come together in a very meaningful way to understand how both sides can really [00:08:30] bring value to the conversation and to really look at the impact that can be had.

And I think to look at it in terms of equity as well, and not this deficit in that a company's going to help the poor nonprofit and such.

But really thinking about what that partnership could look like, I think that that's really where the beauty can happen.

And yes, volunteer opportunities can certainly come from that in some cases.

So it does require a bit of a retraining of the brain, because historically that's not how funder-fundee relationships have really worked, but I do see more and more [00:09:30] companies approaching their partnerships that way.

And I think that that's lending to greater success.

And it goes to the point where sometimes it feels forced or like, well, we partnered with this company and we're kind of making them create these opportunities that they really never had.

Instead of trying to find those organizations that actually truly need the activities that our employees can provide.

Exactly. Exactly.

I think that that is that forcing that is a challenge, because it then becomes labor- [00:10:00] intensive on the nonprofit organization.

They have to sit here and design a day of service for a company that they might be working with.

And the reason that charities do is because they are fearful in some cases of not then receiving the dollars in terms of the partnership.

So that's why really understanding what those needs of the organization actually are and figuring out what a partnership that's advantageous to both sides would actually look like is really where companies and nonprofits need to start.

And yes, if there are [00:10:30] volunteer needs, absolutely. For a charity to partner with an organization, bring some of their volunteers in.

But I think too, even in that case, even if they do have a volunteer program, it's really understanding the mechanics of that volunteer program.

Is it perhaps more skills-based? Is it perhaps they only need one to two volunteers a month, but it's not ever that they're going to have the need for this great big day of service?

You need to really think about that.

And I think if that's what a company wants to do, there are ways to think about how we [00:11:00] can essentially have a charity be a recipient of their day of service without facilitating their day of service.

So, as an example, if you're working with a small homeless shelter, as an example, and they don't have the opportunity for 50 employees to come in, you could do a kit packing onsite at your office, or facilitate employees doing a kit packing at home where they're then building hygiene kits with toothpaste and toothbrush and socks and combs and brushes and all those kinds of things.

And then [00:11:30] you can donate all of those items to the nonprofit organization. So it's something that you can do en masse with a larger number of employees, but you're not requiring that organization to facilitate the planning for you.

So there are different ways that you can really think about it, and I do encourage companies to think a little bit differently about your needs as it relates to employee engagement and these large volunteer days and the needs of the organizations that you're working with and how you can actually meet those needs without creating even more tension.

So Janelle, do you have anything else to add in terms of volunteering and growing your CSR program?

Yeah. I think volunteering is a really critical part of CSR overall.

I think from that employee engagement lens, I think volunteering allows employees to [00:12:30] get a better sense of what's out there in terms of need, understanding the things that are shaping their community, understanding of organizations that perhaps might be in their localized area.

And I think from a employee engagement standpoint and looking at what companies are trying to do, infusing that culture of purpose and inspiring that employee action, volunteering really does help to do that.

It can help to build teams, really cohesive teams.

It can help to break down silos within an organization. [00:13:00]

So perhaps you actually have volunteer opportunities that will happen across different business units within your company.

So there's a lot of benefits to volunteering overall as part of the strategic part of your CSR program.

And it really can fuel things like your workplace giving.

In some cases, it can help with your sustainability if you're looking at how your employees are involved in green activities.

It also can drive your diversity, equity and inclusion activities as well, whether that be volunteering with your employee resource groups or volunteering with particular organizations [00:13:30] that will serve a diverse population.

So there's so many ways that volunteering can really help.

And there's even been studies to say in volunteering is linked to employee health, employee retention, employee performance, employee absenteeism.

So from a company standpoint, there's a lot of benefits to volunteering.

From an employee standpoint, there's a lot of benefits to volunteering as well.

And then from a charitable standpoint, really having a volunteer program that is designed to meet their needs, volunteers really can help to provide a lot of capacity [00:14:00] to charities and really help them to do more with less if done well, if done right, and really focused on the need of that organization and their service recipients.

And remember, if you want to learn more about other workplace giving strategies and tactics, check out this playlist here , as well as this playlist for other strategies on growing your CSR program .

Thank you very much for watching. We'll catch you in our next episode.

Question of the day

Have you run any volunteer campaigns or activities in your organization? And how have you maximized participation and get employees involved? Let us know in the comment section below.

  Connect with Janelle St. Omer on LinkedIn

Give a presentation about the benefits of volunteering activities

Hướng dẫn nói tiếng Anh Topic the benefits of doing volunteer work bao gồm nhiều đoạn văn tiếng Anh hướng dẫn các em học sinh chuẩn bị tốt bài tập Speaking tiếng Anh lớp 10 Global Success unit 4 For a better community.

Unit 4 lớp 10: Benefits of volunteering activities

Write a paragraph about benefits of doing volunteer work số 1, the benefits of students doing volunteer work số 2, talk about the benefits of volunteering activities số 3.

Volunteering activities can bring us many benefits. Firstly, it helps us connect with other teenagers who have the same interests. For example, we can improve mental-health and well-being. Volunteering in particular has been shown to help reduce the negative effects of stress, anger and anxiety which can lead to depression. Secondly, we can improve lots of essential life skills, such as skills that time management skill, problem-solving skill and leadership skill. All of these skills lead to greater confidence during job search and interviews. Thirdly, volunteering activities help to gain life experiences. For instance, we have opportunities to do things that we have never done before and understand how hard the life is.

Google dịch

Các hoạt động tình nguyện có thể mang lại cho chúng ta nhiều lợi ích. Thứ nhất, nó giúp chúng tôi kết nối với những thanh thiếu niên khác có cùng sở thích. Ví dụ, chúng ta có thể cải thiện sức khỏe tinh thần và hạnh phúc. Đặc biệt, hoạt động tình nguyện đã được chứng minh là giúp làm giảm tác động tiêu cực của căng thẳng, tức giận và lo lắng có thể dẫn đến trầm cảm. Thứ hai, chúng ta có thể cải thiện rất nhiều kỹ năng sống cần thiết, chẳng hạn như kỹ năng quản lý thời gian, kỹ năng giải quyết vấn đề và kỹ năng lãnh đạo. Tất cả những kỹ năng này dẫn đến sự tự tin hơn trong quá trình tìm việc và phỏng vấn. Thứ ba, các hoạt động tình nguyện giúp tích lũy kinh nghiệm sống. Ví dụ, chúng ta có cơ hội để làm những điều mà chúng ta chưa bao giờ làm trước đây và hiểu cuộc sống khó khăn như thế nào.

Spending some time volunteering can be especially beneficial in a variety of ways for students. First of all, doing volunteer work can help student improve time management skills and emotional well-being. They also complete all homework, test and final semester, but they also learn to manage their schedule to take part in volunteering activities. Doing volunteer allows them to get rid of stress, anxiety and depression. Secondly, volunteering builds a strong relationship among humans. By volunteering in a group, students are able to meet and work with people who share common interests, expanding their overall network of diverse mentors and peers. Volunteering also gives students the opportunity to give their time and talents to support a cause that’s important to them. To conclude, there are numerous personal benefits that people can gain by doing volunteer work so it is encouraged that people should spend some free time to take part in this meaningful activity.

Hướng dẫn dịch

Dành một chút thời gian cho hoạt động tình nguyện có thể đặc biệt có lợi theo nhiều cách khác nhau đối với sinh viên. Trước hết, làm công việc tình nguyện có thể giúp sinh viên cải thiện kỹ năng quản lý thời gian và hạnh phúc về tinh thần. Họ cũng hoàn thành tất cả bài tập về nhà, bài kiểm tra và cuối học kỳ, nhưng họ cũng học cách quản lý lịch trình của mình để tham gia các hoạt động tình nguyện. Làm tình nguyện viên cho phép họ thoát khỏi căng thẳng, lo lắng và trầm cảm. Thứ hai, tình nguyện xây dựng mối quan hệ bền chặt giữa con người với nhau. Bằng cách hoạt động tình nguyện trong một nhóm, sinh viên có thể gặp gỡ và làm việc với những người có chung sở thích, mở rộng mạng lưới tổng thể gồm các cố vấn và đồng nghiệp đa dạng của họ. Hoạt động tình nguyện cũng mang lại cho sinh viên cơ hội dành thời gian và tài năng của mình để hỗ trợ một sự nghiệp quan trọng đối với họ. Để kết luận, có rất nhiều lợi ích cá nhân mà mọi người có thể đạt được khi làm công việc tình nguyện, vì vậy chúng tôi khuyến khích mọi người nên dành chút thời gian rảnh rỗi để tham gia vào hoạt động ý nghĩa này.

Volunteering is spending time willingly to help someone else without being paid. It brings many benefits. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people and build healthy relationships. It strengthens your ties to the community and exposes you to people with similar interests. Volunteering also gives you the opportunity to practise and develop your social skills. Because volunteering keeps you in regular contact with others, it can also help you develop a solid support base. As well as helping to protect you against stress and depression, volunteering can help with mental health recovery.

Tình nguyện là dành thời gian sẵn sàng giúp đỡ người khác mà không được trả tiền. Nó mang lại nhiều lợi ích. Tình nguyện là một cách tuyệt vời để gặp gỡ những người mới và xây dựng các mối quan hệ lành mạnh. Nó củng cố mối quan hệ của bạn với cộng đồng và giúp bạn tiếp xúc với những người có cùng sở thích. Tình nguyện cũng mang đến cho bạn cơ hội thực hành và phát triển các kỹ năng xã hội của mình. Bởi vì hoạt động tình nguyện giúp bạn tiếp xúc thường xuyên với những người khác nên nó cũng có thể giúp bạn phát triển một nền tảng hỗ trợ vững chắc. Ngoài việc giúp bảo vệ bạn khỏi căng thẳng và trầm cảm, hoạt động tình nguyện có thể giúp phục hồi sức khỏe tâm thần.

Trên đây là Talk about the benefits of volunteering activities lớp 10 . Hy vọng rằng, Bài viết tiếng Anh trên đây sẽ giúp các em học sinh cách làm bài thuyết trình tiếng Anh hiệu quả.

• Ngày: 13/11/2023

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MSU Extension

Targeted Volunteer Recruitment: Planning Your Presentation

June 21, 2017

Many organizations rely on the support of volunteers to fulfill a variety of needs. Recruiting volunteers on a regular basis is a necessity for many programs. Volunteer recruitment can be labor intensive and a targeted approach can maximize recruitment efforts. Targeted volunteer recruitment involves crafting a message to gain the attention of a specific audience and addressing their questions and needs. From an organizational standpoint, it is crucial to understand the needs of the organization and be aware of which volunteer positions need to be filled. Once you have a clear idea in mind of what it is you are trying to accomplish through volunteer support, you will better understand which groups you might approach for help. It’s also important to tailor your message based on your audience. Just like advertising, each demographic has certain needs and marketers try to package their product in order to make it as attractive as possible. For many individuals, their time is more precious than their money—which is why it is so important to explain your opportunity in a way that will want to make them give your organization that gift. Be clear about the expectations, but share them in a way that showcases what might appeal most to your audience.

Before You Begin

Before you start recruiting, it’s important to think about who you want to target based on the needs of your program. Consider the following questions:

• What population do you serve?
• What volunteer positions do you have available?
• What are the transportation needs of the volunteer position?
• Where do people who meet these characteristics spend time? Consider clubs, associations, types of businesses and community organizations.
• What kind of commitment do you require from volunteers?

Understanding Your Target Audience

Once you identify your ideal volunteer base and select places you may go to engage them, it is important to learn more about this group. Make sure you do your research before heading into a recruiting opportunity. Ask yourself:

• What are the demographics of this group?
• What does this group already know about volunteering? Are they currently volunteering, and if not, why?
• What do they already know about your program?
• What motivates this audience?
• What is the context in which you will be delivering your pitch?

Planning You Recruitment Pitch

Prior to delivering your recruitment presentation, there are many elements to consider. Keep the following things in mind:

• You might not necessarily be the right person to give this style of presentation. The style of the presentation, audience or situation might not be ideal given your talents and skills. You might consider asking a colleague to co-present to share another perspective, or inviting a youth or current volunteer to share their experience.
• Recruiting volunteers can be an intimidating or emotionally draining experience, and sometimes we can carry those feelings in with us when recruiting. Conduct a self-check by tuning in to your current emotional state. If you go into a recruitment event expecting them to say no, it can affect how you share your message—in a bad way! Stay positive and let your light shine.
• Targeted recruitment is about tweaking your message to appeal to your audience. You should not be delivering the same presentation to every group. On the other hand, some things should stay consistent—logos, tag lines, etc.
• Make sure there is a consistent brand identifier so potential volunteers can find you in the future.
• Different approaches appeal to different audiences. Some people are sold by “warm fuzzies” or stories and photos that pack an emotional punch. Others need statistical data about the volunteer program and opportunity in order to be motivated to give their time to a worthy cause. Others need a combination of the two. Plan accordingly.
• The print materials you provide to your audience should reflect their diversity as well as the diversity of your audience. Help your audience to visually imagine themselves volunteering with your organization.
• Certain giveaways can motivate your audience. Some examples include entering them into a raffle or giving them a nice pen or another usable item with your program’s contact information. Base your giveaways on what might appeal to an audience.
• Dress appropriately for the situation. It’s important to always look professional, neat and well-groomed.
• Technology can be a friend or foe when recruiting. Know when to use presentation software, and be certain that if you do so, your presentation helps your audience understand your opportunity. We often use PowerPoints for our own benefit as presenters rather than for the audience’s.
• If you decide to use technology in your presentation, make sure you are well-prepared with a backup plan in case the technology fails.

The Presentation

Depending on the amount of time you are given, your presentation can include a number of things. Some things to consider:

• Cover the who, what, when, where, why and how of your volunteer opportunity.
• Be certain the presentation has a concrete beginning, middle and end.
• Make sure to include the “So what?” and leave them with an impact.
• Describe the benefits of volunteering from their perspective.
• Share what it is you want them to do and how they can get involved.
• Leave them with your contact information and get contact for individuals who are interested.

Following Up

Many volunteer organizations lose out on wonderful volunteers due to a lack of follow through. Here are some things to keep in mind after you make the ask:

• Send the organization a personalized note thanking them for the opportunity to present and encouraging them to get involved.
• Contact the individuals who indicated an interest within a few business days. Make sure you stay fresh in their mind.
• If your program requires an applications process, you will need to continue to motivate and support potential volunteers to get through the process.

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Benefits of Volunteer Work - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Benefits of Volunteer Work

One of the best-known benefits of volunteering is the positive influence on the society. honorary volunteers are regularly the paste that holds a society together. volunteering permits you to join with your society and bring about a noticeable improvement to enhance the livings in a positive way. – powerpoint ppt presentation.

• With occupied lives, it might be tricky to find time to volunteer. Nonetheless, the profits of volunteering are huge to you, your family, and your neighbourhood. Volunteering can help you to find companions, introduce new groups, study new aptitudes, and even progress your vocation. Volunteering can additionally assist you to enhance and secure your mental and physical health. Study more about the numerous benefits of volunteering and find tips on kicking off as a volunteer.
• So be a Volunteer.
• One of the best-known benefits of volunteering is the positive influence on the society. Honorary volunteers are regularly the paste that holds a society together. Volunteering permits you to join with your society and bring about a noticeable improvement to enhance the livings in a positive way. In any case, volunteering can profit you and your family to the extent that the reason you decide to offer aid and support the needy. Committing your chance as a volunteer causes you to make new companions, grow your system, and help your social aptitudes.
• Volunteering offers you the chance to try out a new career without making a long-term commitment. It is also a great way to gain experience in a new field. In some fields, you can volunteer directly at an organization that does the kind of work youre interested in. For example, if youre interested in nursing, you could volunteer at a hospital or a nursing home. Your volunteer work might also expose you to a non-profit organisation working for underprivileged children.
• Volunteering is a fun and simple path to investigate your premiums and ardors. Doing volunteer work you find compelling and intriguing could be an unwinding, stimulating get-away from your normal standard of work, school, or family responsibilities. Volunteering additionally gives you recharged inventiveness, cause, and vision that can extend into your individual and professional life.

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