Volunteering Cheat Sheet

Introduction

In June 2024, we did a video on volunteering. This cheat sheet summarizes the ideas and guidelines in that video for finding a place to volunteer that is a good fit for you. Volunteering can be rewarding in many ways, but volunteering at a place that isn't a good fit tends to burn us out, turn us off, or just have less of a postivie impact on the world. 

Questions to Ask

Below are five questions to ask yourself to help identify the type of volunteer opportunity that fits you best, especially in retirement. There are other unasked questions that are more obvious, such as - what do you enjoy?

Question 1 - How much time do you want to spend? Are you good at setting boundaries?

This two part question is important, perhaps one of the most important questions. If you have a limit to the hours you want to spend and you are not good at setting boundaries (i.e., saying 'no' to others), then you do not want to volunteer with an organization that will consume all possible hours. Some organizations are good at setting guidelines to act as guardrails on the amount of time a volunteer can be involved, but not all do this.  Asking an organization about the amount of commitment is helpful. In some cases, they may expect, or even require, a certain amount of time to offset the training investment.

Question 2 - Do you want a fixed schedule or more of an ad hoc arrangement?

Some of us are very structured and we want to be able to plan our time out. Or perhaps we have a scenario where we can't disrupt our schedule for random activities. Others may not be willing to commit to a regular schedule, but are more open to ad hoc or impromptu needs for volunteers. Understanding your needs and desires from this perspective will help you find a better fit.

Question 3 - How well run is the organization?

This question is more about the organization than yourself. While you may have no desire to be in leadership or working directly with leadership, I've found that the better run an organization is and better aligned to my vision, the more fulfilling the volunteer opportunity can be. The worst scenarios are where you have a great passion for a mission of an organization, but the leadership keeps it from reaching it's potential. This will leave you frustrated and perhaps resentful. Check out the leadership, attend a business meeting or review board minutes if possible, talk to other volunteers to gain an assessment. 

Question 4 - Are you looking to volunteer to help build connections with people?

Some great bonds can form when people put hands on the plow as a group. So volunteering can be a way to build friendships and stay connected to the world, especially in retirement. For some of us this is really important. In other cases, that isn't a majoy goal. Knowing which you're looking for is helpful when looking at the types of volunteer opportunities.

Question 5 - Are you looking to leverage existing skills and experience or build new ones?

This doesn't have to be an either/or answer, but it is worth asking. If you want to leverage your skills, where can they best be used. If you want to build new skills or knowledge, what is it you want to learn? This helps you match to different organizations and opportunities.

Where to find a Volunteer Opportunity

There are a lot of videos and information on where to find a place to volunteer and many volunteer organization advertise needs. Here are a few other ideas.

What organizations do you already know about and admire?

Think about the groups you may have already been involved or which ones you thought were well run and have a mission you believe in.

Local government and umbrella organizations.

Some county and towns maintain lists of volunteer and non-profit organizations. There are also often umbrella groups such as the United Way and Catholic Charities that know of many organizations. This allows some vetting to be done for you. Related are town or community events like county fairs and festivals where you may have a group of organizations with tables set up so you can talk with them.

Ask friends and co-workers.

Think of your friends and co-workers who either volunteer from organizations or perhaps people who have benefited from an organization. They are often good sources of information with first-hand experience.

Check with your employer.

Many larger employers coordinate volunteer and community involvement. Some provide a catalog or search facility to match volunteer opportunities. The best of these will go the step further to facilitate logging of volunteer hours as well as donations in proportion to your volunteer time.

Think Outside the Box

Don't limit yourself to the traditional non-profit or 501(c)3 organizations. You could do a lot of informal volunteering on your own. Pick up trash on your street or local park. Be the person that gives rides to people for car repairs or medical appointments. Be the one who helps with child or parent care. So many ways to be useful outside the scope of a formal organization.

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