Hey everyone,

I’m looking to volunteer my time and skills for organizations or individuals who need help with data-related work. I have experience in Python, SQL, data analysis, building dashboards, data pipelines, and dimensional modeling.

I’ve worked as a data intern at a few companies and am currently volunteering at a startup, where I help build dashboards and reports to provide insights into customer behavior. I’d love to contribute to meaningful projects, whether it’s for a nonprofit, an early-stage startup, or even assisting an experienced data professional with low-level tasks.

If you need help with:

•Data cleaning & analysis

•Building ETL/data pipelines

•Creating dashboards & reports (Tableau, Power BI, etc.)

•Data modeling & database design

I’d be happy to assist! This is also a great way for me to gain more hands-on experience while giving back. Let me know if you have a project I can contribute to.

This is my first time actively seeking volunteer opportunities like this, so any guidance or suggestions would be appreciated. If you know of any platforms or communities where I could find similar opportunities, please let me know. I’ve heard that places like GitHub (open-source projects), DataKind, Omdena, VolunteerMatch, and even local tech meetups or LinkedIn groups can be great for connecting with data-related volunteer work. Would love to hear any recommendations!

Thanks!

A United Nations program I used to manage, and a concept (virtual volunteering) I've been promoting since 1995, is flourishing, & UN Volunteers has framed it as a wonderful human engagement tool, in stark contrast to AI.

"Online Volunteers are becoming a digital powerhouse of the UN. They are not bots, but real people, able to hit the virtual ground running in just more than a blink." - Toily Kurbanov, UNV Executive Coordinator

https://www.un.org/en/observances/volunteer-day/opinion

I know many of you have tried to volunteer online via UNV and have not had any luck. All I can say is keep trying - a lot of times, organizations recruit before they've thought about how to onboard, and it's been a constant problem for years. Please keep trying.

Hi there,

Policademy (for full disclosure, we are NOT a registered nonprofit or charity) is a platform of contributors and volunteers who create practice questions and guides to help further civics education. Currently, we're looking for volunteers to add and develop on our already existing AP US Government curriculum, in addition to creating topics for:

• AP Comparative Government
• AP United States History
• AP European History
• AP World History
• Political Science (including political philosophy, history, origins, etc.)

On its behalf, Policademy gives a platform and website for you to contribute. More notably, though, we use your contributions (practice questions, primarily) to power our AI Quiz generator and AI FRQ grader, alongside some of our simulations meant to make learning civics more interactive and accessible.

All contributions that are made are licensed under the Creative Commons BY-NC-SA license. This means that any content you contribute is made free, forever, consistent with the terms of the license. We will never profit off your contributions.

By contributing, there are no expectations or commitments. You could simply come in, propose a change on a single article, and not touch it again. We are happy to gain any input and improvement of our content, no matter how minute in quantity.

In addition, there are no limitations or restrictions on who can contribute because all contributions are evaluated and assessed for accuracy and quality prior to being published.

To volunteer, please DM me here, or email policademyorg@gmail.com. Additional information is found here: https://www.policademy.org/secure/core/contributionfactsheet.pdf Our general website is found here: https://www.policademy.org/

Thank you!

I already volunteer at a couple places, and want to do more, and I have emailed a couple places, and none have gotten back to me, and it's been almost a week. I feel really strongly about one them, for which I sent a message on their little contact page, and filled out an application form. With other places I've volunteered, it hasn't taken this long. Why?

A study published in the Journal of Marketing examines how nonprofit organizations can engage a new breed of volunteers who often exhibit weaker organizational affiliations. Traditionally, volunteers were motivated by altruism and sociocultural fit, but modern volunteers seek flexible schedules and personal growth opportunities. The study suggests that nonprofits can manage both traditional and modern volunteers by adopting tailored relationship management practices.

The study is titled "Managing Brand Relationship Plurality: Insights from the Nonprofit Sector" and is authored by Verena Gruber and Jonathan Deschênes.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00222429241253193

If you don't have access to the journal (you can get it through your public library), here's an article about the research:

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-paradigm-volunteering-brand-relationships.html

I do realize that if it’s mandatory then someone working wouldn’t be considered being a “volunteer” but you get what I’m trying to say. I’m opposing making it mandatory and I wondered what the main arguments for and against it would be. If anyone has a link to a good site that has information about it that would be great, I am having a hard time finding good sources lol. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone! I am currently in high school, and I’m planning to apply to universities in Europe soon. I know that volunteering can sometimes improve admission chances and even help with getting scholarships or tuition discounts. However, I can only volunteer online.

Does anyone know good platforms or organizations where I can do meaningful online volunteering? Also, do universities in Europe actually consider this when offering scholarships or discounts? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

hello!! does anyone know whats the best place to recruit volunteers remotely? I've been looking around and can't really figure it out whats the best platform a volunteer is recruited from

Hey everyone, this is NOT an advertisement or promotion of paid services of any kind -- I'm simply opening up my door as a WP dev to any non-profits or state agencies that need WordPress assistance/hosting during the funding freeze. I'm only one person -- but I'll take on as many projects as I can during the freeze. I'm offering general WordPress maintenance and hosting for free as a volunteer until the dust settles. No strings attached. My hope is that other developers will offer up their services as well, given they have the bandwidth. I have a few clients that I'm already offering pro-bono services to as of this morning in light of the news. I have 25 years as a full stack developer and happy to help in any way I can as budgets continue to be locked up.

I want to join a volunteering organisation here in Manchester If anyone have any links kindly reach out #bored #volunteer

The White House budget office is ordering a pause to ALL grants and loans disbursed by the federal government. A great many nonprofits in the US are funded, in part, by federal grants and loans. So this is likely going to lead to many layoffs at nonprofits. And layoffs usually mean a drop in volunteer engagement, because there is no longer staff to screen, onboard, support and supervise those volunteers.

Please be patient with nonprofits that furlough you, as a nonprofit I'm working with is having to do with volunteers now.

https://wapo.st/4gfgcHQ

EDIT: Had someone smugly tell me elsewhere:"Government agencies don't use volunteers."Yeah, except for volunteer first responders (including firefighters), public health educators, victim services counselors with police departments, actual police officers, many police search and rescue groups, national & state & county & city parks & campgrounds, government advisory committees & on & on... no, no volunteers. (sarcasm)

I was researching most effective charities to volunteer for and found child mentorship which produces good results for disadvantaged youth. Do I need wisdom that a 21 year old doesn't have? If so what are some good charities for disadvantage youth or for mental health?

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

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

So, here's the red flags:

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

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

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

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

I volunteer one day a week at a retail shop and my boss is fine most of the time but says really rude and belittling comments to me. I'm a sensitive person and I struggle with not taking it personally and I can't give comebacks. It just hurts my feelings and makes me want to scream and quit. I don't know if its worth staying in this position because it's supposed to be fun for me and yea its work but it shouldn't leave me upset. I love my coworkers and working alone I just don't like my boss anymore. I get that in life you're gonna deal with rude people but I don't want to in this job specifically.

Has anyone experienced this? what advice could you give?

Onsite international volunteering comes in various forms

International Volunteering Type #1

People with much-needed education and/or experience (experts) going abroad for months, a year, even two years, to help with a specific project designed by the volunteer-sending organization and/or the local host organization.

Type #1 Costs

These volunteers do not pay travel or accommodation or insurance expenses themselves, nor have to pay any placement fees; the host organization or the company they work for pays for their travel, housing and all in-country needs. The host organization provides insurance, will evacuate them if needed, etc. Volunteers work full-time on the assignment.

Type #1 Application/Acceptance Process

People apply to participate as volunteers through the volunteer-sending organization and most are not accepted. Unqualified/low-skilled people are not accepted, regardless of their desire to be a volunteer. There are interviews, reference checks and a confirmation of competencies and skills. Samples of work are asked for.

Type #1 Web Site / Brochure Focus

Emphasizes the skills and qualifications volunteers must have, the kinds of projects volunteers engage in, profiles of projects rather than of volunteers. Not much talk about the importance of "inter-cultural exchanges" and how the experience will change/benefit the volunteer.

International Volunteering Type #2

People with much-needed education and/or experience (experts) going abroad for just a few weeks, helping with a specific project designed by the volunteer-sending organization and/or the local host.

Type #2 Costs

These volunteers may be expected to at least pay for their travel to and from the country and insurance; the host organization may take care of their in-country needs, OR, the volunteer may be expected to pay all expenses himself or herself. The host organization will evacuate them if needed. Volunteers work full-time on the assignment.

Type #2 Application/Acceptance Process

People are accepted as volunteers by the volunteer-sending organization both because of their skills and interests. Unqualified/low-skilled people are not accepted even if they can pay all expenses. There are interviews, reference checks and a confirmation of competencies and skills. Samples of work may be asked for.

Type #2 Web Site / Brochure Focus

Emphasizes the skills and qualifications volunteers must have, the kinds of projects volunteers engage in, how local people are served or how they are partners, and profiles of projects rather than of volunteers. Talk about the importance of "inter-cultural exchanges" and how the experience will change/benefit the volunteer may also be present.

International Volunteering Type #3

People that do not have specialized skills in high-demand in developing countries, that want to volunteer for a few weeks in a project that doesn't require any specialized skills. This is usually called "voluntourism" or even "vanity volunteering."

Type #3 Costs

These volunteers are expected to pay for most or all expenses themselves: travel, insurance, accommodations, food and fees to the host organization to cover work permits, security (if any), training (if any), evacuation if needed, etc. The volunteer may also attend language classes, trainings & "cultural" events, go on organized tours, etc.

Type #3 Application/Acceptance Process

Most, even all, applicants are accepted as volunteers by the volunteer-sending organization if they have the ability to pay the fees and, sometimes but not always,  meet minimal interview and self-assessments. Skills or qualifications have little or no bearing on a person being accepted. Focus is on volunteers' personal feelings, like "desire to help others" or a desire for adventure.

Type #3 Web Site / Brochure Focus
Emphasizes the volunteer experience, how the volunteers benefit from the experience, and the volunteer's desire for adventure, fun or a feeling that they've done something important or good. Talks a lot about the importance of "inter-cultural exchanges" and how the experience will change the volunteer.

International Volunteering Type #4

Independent travelers who do not go through any volunteer-sending organization; instead, they make all arrangements directly with an NGO in a country where they want to help, and coordinate all activities themselves. Their skills vary. (transire benefaciendo)

Type #4 Costs

These people pay all expenses themselves: all travel, insurance, accommodations and food. They also arrange for and pay for their own security, work permits, translation services, etc. They decide how much they will work, for how long, etc.

Type #4 Application/Acceptance Process

There is no volunteer-sending organization involved.

Type #4 Web Site / Brochure Focus

There is no web site or brochure, because there is no volunteer-sending organization involved.

Onsite, in-person international volunteering, where a person from one country goes to another country to engage in humanitarian or development activities, is HIGHLY desired by volunteers, but there's less and less desire for it among the communities where such international volunteers want to go. For many people, this is a disappointing reality, because it means you, as a person that wants to volunteer internationally, either need a great deal of highly-desired skills and experience or a LOT of money in order to realize your dream.

Times have changed drastically in the last 30 years regarding "Westerners" (North Americans, Europeans, Australians, etc.) volunteering in economically-disadvantaged countries. In contrast to, say, the 1970s and earlier, the emphasis now in relief and development efforts in poorer countries is to empower and employ the local people, whenever possible, to address their own issues, build their own capacities, improve their environments themselves and give them incomes. The priority now for sending volunteers to developing countries is to fill gaps in local skills and experience, not to give the volunteer an outlet for his or her desire to help or the donor country good PR. It's much more beneficial and economical to local communities to hire local people to serve food, build houses, educate young people, etc., than to use resources to bring in an outside volunteer to do these tasks.

But there ARE options for ethical volunteering abroad. This resource discusses what you can do locally to become a great candidate for volunteering internationally, and how to avoid unethical voluntourism (as opposed to ethical voluntourism - yes, there is such a thing):

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

Hello everyone, I am currently a Freshman looking for any online volunteer oppurtunities where verification of hours can be provided. Anything will help.

hello, I am looking for opportunities to volunteer with a community or organization involving mental health and/or substance abuse advocacy. I live in central florida around Melbourne and I am having zero luck finding anything online. Any tips?

Hello. I’m new to this subreddit. I am interested in volunteer tutoring, primarily grade school students but can do college as well, on zoom. I currently tutor through intellichoice but it’s only provided in person and i do not have the ability to meet in person anymore. I would like to continue adding volunteer hours to my repertoire. Does anyone have any recommendations as far as platforms I could use to tutor remotely and gain volunteer hours for it? Subjects I would like to tutor are: algebra, trigonometry, differential equations, calculus 1-3, physics (particle mechanics, electromagnetism)

Thank you all for your time and input.

I don't know how this happened. The coordinator basically said I had to pause my shift until I could get a friend or relative with more experience caring for animals before I can return to my volunteer shift.

I was doing this to get experience while between jobs and try to help the community while finding work I enjoy. I've only been volunteering there for a month.

I know the whole place is volunteer run, but that's no reason to blackball a rookie. I always followed the rules. So now I need to find something willing to help out, possibly on a weekday, who likely has a job and a life just so I can keep volunteering while trying to build my own life.

Sorry for the long rant, I'm still processing and trying to figure out who I can turn to for help.

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

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

Hi there, I've started a new role in comms and marketing at a non-profit. Part of this role is delegating tasks to volunteers.

Thing is, I'm lost for ideas to provide to the volunteers that aren't soul-numbing tasks or specialised tasks that only I can do. The only ideas I have so far are researching journalists for my media database and researching similar organisations.

I've also asked the volunteers themselves and they just said they'd do whatever I wanted them to do...so back to square one.

If you've ever been an admin volunteer, what have you done in an office environment that you enjoyed or found fulfilling?

Pretty much any volunteer opportunities in the misinformation/disinformation/digital media literacy arena would be great. I'm fine with the volunteering itself being virtual or being local to California. Any ideas?

Hi, I used to be a biology student but unfortunately don't use the knowledge anymore but I want to stay in touch with it. I am looking for volunteering opportunities where I can use my background. However, due to work and geography online opportunities are best for me. Any opportunities to volunteer online where I can leverage my bio knowledge out there?

A few of the companies I've worked for have had company-wide "days of giving", where everyone takes a day off of work to participate in a volunteer activity. Yesterday, I attended a similar annual large scale community volunteer event held by a nonprofit called Big Sunday, in honor of MLK Day. It was even on the same premises as one of the work-related events I'd attended in the past.

It has felt very personally enriching to participate in these events over the years. It's a great community-building and workplace morale-building exercise, and it has also felt good to give back. The work-related activities I've participated included painting murals and building raised garden beds for a school, as well as assembling toiletry packages for unhoused people, crafting no-sew blankets for kids undergoing long term hospital stays, etc. But I've started to wonder if these events actually do much to help. For example I mentioned attending an event yesterday at the same premises I'd volunteered at before. We were painting murals... directly over the same spaces I had painted murals a couple of years ago. The raised garden beds we built were nowhere to be seen. Yesterday we sorted through used clothing from a clothing drive to be given to victims of the fires in Los Angeles (which is where the event took place), but surely it would be much more efficient and cost effective for nonprofits to solicit donations and then give affected people a gift card to purchase needed items. The amount of plastic waste generated, thousands of people driving to a central location (vs. just sending a check), and the parking impact on the surrounding area all felt like potential negative effects of this event that might be canceling out the good we were doing.

I can't tell if I'm being cynical about this or not. Like I said, I have participated in these events in the past, enjoyed myself yesterday, and will continue to do this sort of thing going forward (or just write a check, if I feel like that's a better use of resources). But I'm also curious what role these events play in the nonprofit world and whether they truly provide a lot of bang for the buck?

https://preview.redd.it/vj8q9hbumfee1.jpg?width=1220&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6aea1eabc7204c1496a53ee77ca59a3148efc64d

It is hard not to feel overwhelmed by all the bad news from around the world right now, a sense of hopelessness at all the cruelty and selfishness.
This weekend, I will be joining a small group of like-minded friends doing voluntary conservation work in our local woodland - we aren't looking to fix the world, just make our little bit of it better.
So, my friends, do what you can to make the world a better place - kindness costs nothing, except perhaps a little time and effort.
#DoSomeGood

From Steven Lawson Photography on Mastodon.

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

I coordinate volunteer and community service projects for our small company. We have employees in New England, Midwest, and Texas. Do you know of any organizations that do a community service project nationwide? A couple of years ago, a cancer organization did a fundraiser and walk in many cities throughout the country which our employees could participate in throughout the year. We also did a fundraiser and walk with the Alzheimer's Assn. which folks could participate in because there were national chapters. Any ideas for 2025?

An Oregon couple has been arrested for impersonating firefighters with fake fire truck in LA.

The couple was arrested in a California wildfire exclusion zone with a fire truck that claimed to belong to the “Roar River Fire District” in Oregon, which does not exist. The truck was actually decommissioned by a Northern California fire department and sold at auction.

According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, a genuine firefighter at the scene thought there was something wrong with the decals on the truck and asked sheriff’s deputies to check the man’s ID. When they did, the deputies discovered he had served five years in prison in Oregon for arson.

Here's an article about the article:

https://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/oregon-couple-arrested-for-impersonating-firefighters-with-fake-fire-truck-in-la/article_1f3d7e28-c047-51ce-980d-bda982d3fe06.html

When people get angry because this subreddit requires a minimal amount of verifiable information in order for an organization to be allowed to recruit volunteers, or people get angry because of messages on this group saying that, if you are not a part of a credible disaster relief effort with verifiable training, do NOT go to a disaster zone, this is a perfect example of why.