VIV Says: Blog

Online volunteer sites can pair you with offline opportunities.

Nothing makes our lives feel more balanced and full of positive energy than when we support worthy causes, whether it’s spending our Saturday afternoons mentoring high school students or participating in sports leagues that help raise money for charity. If you’re interested in volunteering, finding the right opportunity is just a mouse-click away. First, decide what you want to do, where you want to help and how many hours per week or month you have to donate. Then look up one of these sites and get started!

1. Idealist.org is a 14-year-old international online community that seeks to break down borders between countries by sharing resources and expertise. In addition, they offer more than 18,000 volunteer opportunities.

2. Network for Good features more than 200,000 opportunities, and claims to be “the Internet’s leading charitable resource, bringing together donors, volunteers and charities to accomplish good.” The excellent “volunteering wisely” section offers tips on how to choose a project.

3. One Brick combines socializing with volunteerism. Recognizing how many people (especially singles) volunteer so they can meet people, One Brick organizes social events that follow volunteer activities. The program is available in six major cities and expanding.

4. United We Serve is a nationwide service initiative that was established to help meet growing social needs resulting from the economic downturn. Tutor children, volunteer at a soup kitchen — or register your own community-building project to drum up support.

5. Volunteer Match is the granddaddy of volunteering sites, and the most popular. The San Francisco-based non-profit offers volunteer opportunities at more than 72,000 participating organizations, and boasts 4 million referrals since its inception.

For more ideas on how to give back, check out VIVmag’s November/December issue. And tell us, what causes matter most to you?

Photo credit: Steven Robertson