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

I signed up as a volunteer to mentor elementary children in my Community. It is once a week for 30 minutes. We attended a brief one hour training basically on boundaries. I'd love feedback on your experiences and what worked for you, your child, and practical advice on conversations, goal setting and ideas.

Hey, we're a group of working creative individuals who are looking to volunteer our time to produce a commercial/s for a non-profit who can benefit from this while expanding our body of work in our portfolios.

By commercial, I don't mean talking head interviews. Our goal is to ideate something impactful, meaningful, something that would hit people's insides.

We're relatively turn-key. After an initial conversation, from your end we'd only need to run ideas, decks, and revisions by you for your approval prior to any actual production.

If you're based around Boston, that would be incredible. But it can also be done remotely (assuming there's no on-site filming).

I should also mention, considering the amount of effort this will take, it's important that this is of actual use to your non-profit. Not just something to post on social media.

If there's interest, feel free to reach out!

I'm in high school and need volunteer hours for National Honors Society, for my last set of hours I worked with Luv Michael sending out a donation page and spreading the word about their organization and I really enjoyed that however, I can't earn any more hours with them so I'm looking to do something similar (and just as flexible). I have to earn at least 10 hours by the end of February so anything helps!

More than 200 years worth of U.S. documents need transcribing (or at least classifying) and the vast majority from the Revolutionary War era are handwritten in cursive – requiring people who know the flowing, looped form of penmanship.

“Reading cursive is a superpower,” said Suzanne Isaacs, a community manager with the National Archives Catalog in Washington, D.C.

She is part of the team that coordinates the more than 5,000 Citizen Archivists helping the Archive read and transcribe some of the more than 300 million digitized objects in its catalog. And they're looking for volunteers with an increasingly rare skill.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/read-cursive-superpower-national-archives-100612982.html

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some other questions:

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

Are there any creative ways to make meatloaf in bulk?

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

Thank you for reading :-)

Hello Redditors, I'm doing a gap year and have been thinking about volunteering abroad(not just for a month tho, Id like to dedicate a whole year of my life) for quite a while. I think it's a beautiful opportunity, but I recently found out that there is this so called "voluntourism" and after looking into it a little I've come to the conclusion that that is 100% not what I want to do. I genuinly would like to help people in a way that does not ultimately harm their community or only benefits me. Some of you might be asking "if you're just there because you want to do good then just volunteer in your own country" but tbh my intentions are not entirely selfless. While I don't expect much in return for my work or an awesome hotelroom-like place to live(totally fine with living in a guest room of a family or whoever really as long as their ok with it. Obviously I'd help out with chores too), I would really like to go to a spanish-speaking country to learn the language and get "payed" by experience and knowledge.

I read an article about how you should reach out to organisations in whichever country youd like to work in, instead of trying to get a fully 3rd person organized trip. I am however a little busy atm and would prefer the latter(I mean who wouldn't). To all my germans reading this, is weltwärts a safe organization for volunteering(not voluntourism)?

Regarding the work I also read that many believe working at schools or eith children in general isn't really ethical as many people are not wualified for such work. I personally believe I could do a very decent job even without having have studied how to be a teacher, and a lot of teachers at my old school didn't do so either. They just studied whatever subject they ended up teaching and then went straight to my school. As for working ad a glorified babysitter I'm not entirely sure I could watch over a whole group of children. One or 2 is fine, I've done it before, but anything double digits might be very difficult and, depending on the age of the children, even dangerous.

I've come to the conclusion that physical labour would probably be the best and most ethical work to do, even if I love working directly with people. Do you guys think planting trees or working on a farm would be a good idea? I'm just scared any social factors might fall short and I might spend more time with other foreigners than actual residents of the country.

The news is out! Idealist and VolunteerMatch are merging to become an even mightier force for good in the world!

I’m so excited to be a part of this process as we expand Idealist’s community of volunteers and the organizations that support them.

VolunteerMatch has worked for decades to make it easier for anyone to volunteer. It’s an honor to help steward this transition into the next decades of those efforts.

https://www.idealist.org/en/careers/idealist-and-volunteermatch-are-merging

Hello, are there volunteer opportunities to help businesses affected by the Los Angeles fires ? I mean to help these businesses restore services. Are there any WhatsApp groups , Reddit groups that discuss such activities?

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

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

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

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

Thank you!

Recently, I tried to volunteer to help kids with their college applications over Zoom. Unfortunately, it seemed unbearable for everyone involved because it was too long, the kids seemed to be not super comfortable talking and preferred to talk in the chat (and some volunteers were annoyed by this and a little pushy.)

Is there any method of volunteering where you can just use an online chat to answer kids questions about applying to college? It seems like it would be quick and easy to answer most questions they had about what to ask during a college visit etc.

I am more knowledgeable about art school admissions, but I can certainly help with most things, maybe beneath the specialized world that is ivy league admissions.

Hello!
I'm 16 and turning 17 in march, and I live in San Fransisco. I really want to volunteer on a 988 suicide hotline of any kind, yet I literally cannot find any that both accepts teens as volunteers and is in my area- googling suicide hotline volunteering+"teens" led me to only find one possible association that offered volunteering for teens nationally(I don't mind taking the bus up to a place in order to volunteer, but if it's too far away I'd have to do it online), a organization named Samaritans localized in Massachusetts
Are there any associations that I don't know of that offer volunteering for teens either online(if they aren't in San Fransisco) or locally?
Thanks!!

Hi,

I’m looking for volunteer opportunities in Dallas or Collin County that involve mild exercise. I’d love to support a good cause while staying a little active.

If you know of any organizations or activities—like light lifting, organizing supplies, or anything with some physical movement—I’d greatly appreciate your recommendations. I’m not super strong! So activities involving light lifting or gentle physical tasks would be ideal. Thanks in advance for your help!

as the title mentions, im working on a community project to help my barrio, is a volunteer experience from my part, i would also like the help of the community and organizations, so to be professional i need a written paper.

is there a format for this?

should i go by titles and then in those sections the info related to the theme, including graphs, photos, etc?

if theres a youtuber, or a forum or whatever i would appreciate it!

Thank you for the help!

I'm a 13 year old that wants to volunteer for computer science related work. I want to major in computer science as well as study it more, build a good portfolio, etc.

Here's the thing though: I live in Korea, and on the 1365 volunteer portal (Volunteering app for Koreans), there weren't lots of computer science related things. There were a few things (teaching seniors on how to use a phone, teaching elementary students coding, etc, but only a few).

Anyone that lives in Korea or knows any international volunteer programs, please tell me what to do.

Hi everyone, so I'm putting a post up on Nextdoor using the 'Offer Help feature. I'm in Delaware and we just got this snow, and I was thinking about people nearby, especially elderly/disabled. I don't have a vehicle, but I can walk to someone's house and shovel snow (I have a small snow shovel) or put down rock salt (I DON'T have that). So what else can I offer to volunteer as a service in this post? Walk the mail up to their front door? What else? I'm drawing a blank... and I would feel kind of awkward suggesting to actually go into someone's home. It feels weird, ya know? I mean, if they ask for something, and I can help and am capable, I'll do it. So what other things could I do to be of service to my neighbors? I'm a 40/F if that matters (idk, hopefully people that need help may be more likely to accept it from a woman, I would think?) Thanks guys!

The Canine Rescue Club is a network of caregivers who foster dogs from shelters in from the communities in and around Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Pasadena, Sylmar and Hollywood.

The club is looking for volunteers to offer temporary foster care for dogs displaced by the fires. You need to provide all transportation. You can apply to temporarily house an affected dog by filling out an online form.

Hi Reddit!

We’re Trans-Continental Freedom, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQIA individuals, minorities, and women by:

• Providing relocation support, temporary housing, food, water, and job assistance to those fleeing unsafe situations.
• Offering aid to individuals needing help without relocating.
• Organizing peaceful protests to advocate for policy and social change.

Our ultimate goal? To create a nationwide LGBTQIA network where everyone can live with safety, security, and freedom.

To achieve this, we’re looking for passionate volunteers to join us in the following roles:

Running Booths at Events
Spread the word about our mission and connect with community members. Your engagement will inspire hope and attract more supporters to the cause.

Research
Help us gather insights on urgent needs and identify resources that can make a real difference for those we serve. Your work will shape our strategy and programs.

Logistics
Be the organizer behind the scenes! Help manage relocations, coordinate resources, and ensure our operations run efficiently to support those in need.

IT Support
Strengthen our tech systems to support our growing network. From onboarding new users to improving outreach tools, your expertise will connect us with those we help.

PR/Social Media Management
Share our stories of impact and advocate for change. Your creative skills can amplify our message and help grow our community of supporters.

Recruiting
Help us find more volunteers who are just as passionate as you! Your efforts will ensure we have the people power to create lasting change.

Why Volunteer With Us?
At Trans-Continental Freedom, we embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion in everything we do. Volunteers from all backgrounds and walks of life are welcome—you are what makes our mission stronger.

📩 Ready to make a difference?
Visit https://transcontinentalfreedom.org/contact to complete our volunteer intake form, and a member of our team will be in contact!

Join us in creating a world where everyone can live without fear, with the freedom to thrive. Let’s make it happen, together.

With 1 or 2 men in a small truck what are some services that could help the community that could be accomplished with that set up? I’m mainly saying volunteer work outside of the usual “cut grass”.

Students in Rice University’s Program in Poverty, Justice and Human Capabilities gathered in March of last year for an edit-a-thon to create and edit Wikipedia articles on hunger and homelessness.

“We decided several years ago that PJHC would hold an annual Wikipedia edit-a-thon on a theme that we decided merited better coverage,” said Diana Strassmann, Rice’s Carolyn & Fred McManis Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Humanities and a Baker Institute scholar and senior research fellow. “There’s no end to worthy topics.”

Strassmann explained how the program has evolved to address pertinent societal issues. From amplifying the voices of marginalized communities in the aftermath of tragedies like the George Floyd murder to shedding light on environmental challenges such as climate change, PJHC’s edit-a-thons serve as pivotal moments for collective action and advocacy.

Rice University is based in Texas.

https://news.rice.edu/news/2024/editing-equity-wikipedia-edit-thon-transforms-digital-discourse

Role: Treasurer 

Reports to: Chair & Founder of SEDSConnective 

Location: Remote 

Application: Please send a copy of your CV along with a covering letter to general@sedsconnective.org

Application Deadline: 20th February 2025 

Role Overview 

The Treasurer of SEDSConnective plays a critical role in maintaining the financial integrity of the organisation. As a member of the Board of Trustees, the Treasurer oversees the financial management of the charity, ensuring that resources are effectively allocated and financial activities align with both legal requirements and the organisation’s mission. The Treasurer works closely with the Chair, the Board, and any finance or operations teams to provide transparent reporting, support strategic planning, and guide the financial strategy to advance SEDSConnective's vision. 

Key Responsibilities 

1. Financial Oversight 

• Oversee all aspects of the charity’s financial operations, including budgeting, accounting, and financial reporting. 
• Ensure that the charity adheres to all legal financial obligations and maintains accurate financial records. 
• Monitor the charity’s cash flow, income, and expenditure to safeguard its financial stability and sustainability. 
• Regularly review and update financial policies and procedures in line with best practices. 

1. Financial Reporting 

• Present regular financial reports to the Board, providing analysis and insights to facilitate decision-making. 
• Prepare and present the annual financial statements and coordinate with auditors for annual audits. 
• Ensure financial reports meet the standards required by relevant regulatory bodies (e.g., Charity Commission, Auditors, HMRC). 

1. Budgeting and Financial Planning 

• Lead the preparation of the charity’s annual budget and financial forecasts. 
• Collaborate with other Board members to guide the strategic planning process and ensure alignment with financial resources. 
• Identify and manage financial risks, recommending strategies to mitigate potential challenges. 

1. Governance and Compliance 

• Ensure compliance with all relevant financial legislation and charity law, including VAT and tax requirements. 
• Serve as the Board's lead on compliance matters related to finance, and maintain a strong understanding of regulatory changes affecting the charity sector. 
• Work with the charity’s finance team (if applicable) to maintain effective internal controls and safeguarding measures. 

1. Supporting Fundraising and Development Efforts 

• Work with the Board and fundraising teams to develop financially sound strategies to support growth and stability. 
• Assess the financial implications of new projects, partnerships, and fundraising initiatives. 
• Works collaboratively with volunteers and stakeholders. 

Person Specification 

Skills and Qualifications 

• Experience: Proven experience in a senior finance role, ideally within the charity neurodivergent or disability sector or in a similar nonprofit environment. 
• Financial Expertise: Strong understanding of charity finance, accounting, and reporting requirements, including charity law and SORP guidelines. 
• Analytical Skills: Ability to analyse complex financial information and communicate it effectively to non-finance Board members. 
• Ethics and Integrity: A commitment to transparency, ethical practice, and upholding the values of SEDSConnective. 

Personal Qualities 

• Strategic Thinker: Capacity to think creatively and strategically to contribute to the charity’s long-term goals. 
• Collaborative Leader: Excellent communication skills with the ability to work collaboratively with Board members, staff, and external stakeholders. 
• Commitment: Dedicated to advancing the vision and mission of SEDSConnective and supporting its growth and financial sustainability. 

Time Commitment 

• Attend quarterly Board meetings and other meetings as required (estimated 10-15 hours per month), during the day and evening meetings. 
• Additional availability during financial reporting periods and annual audit. 

Compensation 

This is a volunteer role, though reasonable expenses may be covered, if able by a voluntary charity. 

Hello. How can I find volunteer work remotely;

Access to the Arts via Volunteering: A Look at Accessibility and Exclusion in the European Union (December 2024)

Published by the Centre for European Volunteering

The arts sector, especially within the museums and heritage, can often be seen as an elitist and closed-off sector. This is especially relevant for those who wish to volunteer their time to museums. This report, through desk-based research, seeks to look at examples of volunteer schemes that offer wider accessibility to minority or disadvantaged groups, and how they work. To start it will look at why this topic is important to both the European Union, but also the volunteering sector as a whole. Within this it will look at the need for broadening, increased educational skills, and an increased number of volunteers, in line with the European Union aim of combating social exclusion and discrimination, and principles of the EU Pillar of Social Rights. It will then go into looking at the key factors that make volunteering schemes inaccessible, such as strict eligibility criteria, lack of support and training, or only offering opportunities that require long-term commitments. The report will look at two key case studies of volunteering schemes that exemplify increasing accessibility in this volunteering sector and have made this into a successful scheme. From this, the report will suggest its findings and suggestions for the future of volunteering within the art museum and heritage volunteering sector, based on what can be learnt from these examples and common restrictions.

https://www.europeanvolunteercentre.org/_files/ugd/7b7efb_f84c810dc80548e1855cd6cc9f611c29.pdf

Volunteering as a tool for social reintegration of ex-offenders in Europe - research paper

December 2024

"This report will explore issues surrounding the reintegration of ex-offenders, including the impact this has on individuals and society more widely, before discussing the potential role of volunteering in aiding the re-integration process. Recommendations will then be established, based on observations of the current challenges faced by this group and the success of existing schemes."

Published by the Centre for European Volunteering

https://www.europeanvolunteercentre.org/_files/ugd/7b7efb_9a836b9aa22a4aa98786a53bac38fa2f.pdf

This year I want to volunteer more and find other ways to give back, what else can I do? I started with a volunteer organization, I began recycling, etc… but I feel as if I can do more.

The third day of January, in the USA, is the MLK Day of Service. It is the national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and while banks, schools and government offices are closed, many nonprofits are not, and many try to use the day to engage with volunteers and communities. If you want to volunteer on MLK day this year, on January 20, you should start looking NOW for an opportunity.

Some places to look for volunteering opportunities in your community that day:

• www.volunteermatch.org
• www.pointsoflight.org/mlk-jr-day-of-service/
• Facebook events
• the subreddit focused on your community/city
• nonprofits in your community focused on equity, human rights, economic empowerment, worker's rights, access to jobs and housing, racial justice, etc. Remember that Dr. King was in Memphis as part of his “Poor People's Campaign,” fighting for better housing, wages, workplace safety and better schools for the underprivileged. 

Most nonprofits will not be hosting an event on MLK day because they lack the resources to do so, or their usual group volunteering activities are outside and, in most places in the USA, January is a really lousy time to be outside.

If you are looking to host your own DIY community event with friends, in the spirit of MLK's activism, you could:

• host friends at your home and write postcards to your city, county, state and national representatives, asking them to support legislation for something that relates to a cause MLK supported (equity, human rights, economic empowerment, worker's rights, access to jobs and housing, racial justice, better housing, wages, workplace safety and better schools for the underprivileged, etc.) - and you could consider doing this once a month!
• organize a gathering at a central place in your neighborhood or community and someone read's one of Dr. King's famous speeches or essays, or excerpts from such. A great resource for such:

https://crossculturalsolidarity.com/mlk-speeches-sermons-essays/

• Make food for striking workers in your community, if any. Dr. King believed passionately in worker's rights, and was in Memphis when he died in support of the sanitation workers' strike there.

So I'm in a student organization where I need to get 7 hours of community service by next Wednesday. A retirement home I'm trying to volunteer at is being slow to respond about when I can start volunteering there, so I was wondering if there were any volunteer opportunities where I could just show up and start helping? I was thinking maybe something like a soup kitchen or food bank might be like this? Let me know if you have any ideas.

I am doing some volunteer work soon,

However, it’s my first time volunteering.

So I’d like advice from those who’ve done it before,

What to expect, to do

And if dress code matters,

Or if it doesn’t,

Thank you ^^

Code with the Carolinas, a project of Social Good Fund, is a community of people working together as civic tech volunteers to improve wellbeing in North and South Carolina.

We work with community organizations, nonprofits, and government to improve public services and leverage open data to improve knowledge, transparency, and accountability. Current projects relate to housing, pedestrian accessibility, affordable broadband, and open government.

Upcoming meetups: https://www.meetup.com/codewiththecarolinas/