Becoming a Volunteer for Charity

Becoming a volunteer for a particular charity can be a very rewarding experience.  It not only helps the charities, it also helps you feel like you’re making a difference in the world! If you’re thinking about volunteering for charity, good on you – here are some tips to put you on the right track.

Choosing a Charity – Choose a charity that you feel passionately about or that you would like to help for personal reasons. Perhaps you’ve lost someone to cancer and want to help with cancer research or help other cancer patients? Think about where your interests lie and where you want to make a difference.

Deciding What To Do – Volunteering activities can cover a wide range, from teaching children in an impoverished community to running a charity greeting card drive to simply help put up church decorations. Which do you want to do or are you able to do? Consider your life situation and how ‘extravagant’ you want your volunteering to be.

Assess skills and talents –Assess your skills and talents to help you decide which volunteering activities are best suited to you. If you’re quiet and organised, perhaps you can help with administrative work. Talkative people could be great at volunteering for public promotions and creative types can be great in putting together fundraisers or events.

Are you a Leader or a Follower? – Asking yourself this question will help in determining the level of responsibility you crave as a volunteer. If you’re a leader, you’ll probably be great at organising things, heading up committees or coming up with ideas. Followers are much better at joining teams, following instructions and contributing to something greater, without having to be responsible for it.

How Much Time? – You’ll also need to decide how much time you have to donate to your charity. This can be challenging, especially if you’ve got kids or you go to school or work fulltime. Could you volunteer once a week or only once a month? If you’re considering volunteering abroad, determine how long you will go for.

Understand the Role – Once you’ve chosen a charity, find out as much as you can about what the volunteering position involves. Make sure it’s exactly what you want to do and inquire about any tasks or areas you’re unsure of. What will your daily duties involve? Who do you report to? What time will you start and finish? 

Reimbursements – While volunteering is a selfless act, it’s also important that you don’t end up being out-of-pocket. Look for a charity that appreciates your time and effort by reimbursing your expenses for any travel or supplies.

Finishing Volunteering

When you’ve finished your volunteering program (if you ever do), consider sending a thank you card or a gift basket to the organiser, thanking them for the opportunity. Note down your best (or worst) experiences while on the job and write down anything that you would like to do differently next time.

Volunteer Again

Remember, you can always volunteer as much as you like, as many times as you like! You may want to become involved in a different area with the same charity or try a different avenue of volunteering altogether. Volunteering is all about increasing the happiness of yourself and others, so choose a charity that will reward you for as much as you put in.