Posts Tagged ‘Volunteer Tips’

Short on Time? 6 Quick Volunteer Ideas!

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

Have you ever found yourself saying, “I’ve always wanted to volunteer, but I don’t have the time,” or “I just don’t know where to start”?

Challenge your definition of volunteering and you might just discover that you are doing it already! A volunteer, to put simply, is someone who gives his or her time willingly and expects nothing in return.

Have you ever helped a friend write a letter or a job application? Have you helped at your child’s school with an outing, at a book sale to raise money, or a community sports event? Ever “paid it forward” and committed a random act of kindness like helping a stranger with his or her suitcase at the airport? These acts are all forms of volunteering. I bet you didn’t even notice the time it took out of your day!

If time is short but you want to get involved, lending a hand can become a way of life. Here are six quick and easy ways to volunteer and start making a difference.

• Multitask!

You have to go food shopping. Why not call an elderly neighbor, or someone who can’t get out, and do his or her shopping? How about picking up a few cans for your local food bank? You are going anyway!

• Like to chat?

Do you have 30 minutes to spare, maybe once a week, and access to Facebook? Check out . You could partner up with someone wanting to learn your language and maybe learn his or hers, too.

• Throw a swap party!

Grab your friends for an hour and have a swap party. Choose a theme (books, clothes, toys, etc.). You might come away with something you didn’t know you needed, and all of those unused items will be recycled as something someone didn’t know they needed. All the unclaimed items can be donated to the charity of your choice.

• Are you a gamer?

Did you know that you can play online games for free that donate to charities on your behalf? One example is Charitii – a charity-donating crossword Web site that raises money to provide clean water, food for the malnourished, and protection of the rainforest worldwide.

• Utilize your own connections

If there is a cause that really means something to you, you can help raise awareness of its work using your own network. You never know who might be listening who can help! Colleagues at work, friends and family, acquaintances that you find yourself chatting with – help spread the word by talking to people. If you have time free during your lunch hour, maybe that charity needs help writing e-mails or posters that need to be put up. Why not write to your newspaper to tell of the good work that the charity does?

• Do what you know!

If you can cook, you can help. If you can read, you can help. Are you a computer programmer? A nurse? There are countless ways of using your existing skills to benefit others. Cook someone a meal, advise on health matters, fix a computer for an elderly neighbor or underfunded organization. Become aware of the people around you and figure out how much time you can spare each month. Even half an hour can make a huge difference for those who could benefit from your skills.

These are just a few small ways of donating a little bit of your time to help others. They are all unique volunteer activities and there are hundreds of more options out there. Small acts of kindness count, and add up overtime!

How do you volunteer in short time periods? Let us know in the comments below!

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Posted in Equip, Service, Volunteering, Volunteerism | 1 Comment »

Five Tips for Volunteer Management from Groundhog Phil

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

Don your best top hat, for today is Groundhog Day! Today we celebrate Punxsutawney Phil’s 126th prognostication!Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day is celebrated on the second of February. The celebration began as a Pennsylvanian German celebration in the 18th and 19thcentury. Groundhog Day is the day that the Groundhog comes out of his hole after a long winter sleep to look for his shadow. If he sees it, he regards it as an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his hole. If the day is cloudy and, therefore, shadowless, he takes it as a sign of spring and stays above ground.

The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club claims that Phil’s prediction is correct one-hundred percent of the time. However, spoilsport scientists say he’s no more accurate than your local weatherman: An analysis by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed that, from 1988 to 2010, there was no correlation between the groundhog’s prediction and the weather for the rest of the season.

Regardless of Phil the Groundhog’s accuracy, there are important lessons to be learned from Groundhog Day for the field of volunteer management. Read on for Phil’s lessons!

Have patience Winter can often seem endless, especially in the usually cold days of January! Every year we must exercise patience, waiting for the groundhog’s revelation, and even more so when Phil predicts six more weeks of winter! In your service and volunteer management, patience is just as important of a virtue. When you encounter red tape, when funding is at risk, or even when you just can’t seem to find a volunteer position that suits your skill set, patience is key. Let Punxsutawney Phil’s hibernation be your inspiration for peace and patience this winter!Phil

Keep an eye out for industry predictions As in any evolving industry, it is important to keep an eye out for new trends and best practices in the field of volunteer management. Just as Punxsutawney Phil prognosticates future weather conditions, movers and shakers predict nonprofit and volunteer trends for the year based on the past year. Keep an eye on blogs for this information to stay ahead of the curve; congratulations, you’re in just the right place!

Take risks When we put our collective trust in a rodent’s notice of his shadow each year to determine the season, we take quite a risk! Don’t be afraid to take risks in your field, especially as the new year is the perfect time to implement the new trends you’ve discovered.

Embrace silliness Its easy to get bogged down in the administrative burden and various minutiae of volunteer organization and begin to see it as a burden. If nothing else, Groundhog Day teaches us not to take ourselves too seriously and to embrace a little silliness. Why not send Groundhog Day cards to your volunteers? A little fun will fit into nearly any setting, and your volunteers are more likely to remember your organization fondly if you show your goofball side!

Don’t drive angry! This may be the most important lesson Phil teaches us this year. Keep a cool head!

Did you watch Phil’s prognostication this morning? How will you apply these tips to your service? Let us know in the comments below!

UPDATE: Groundhog Phil saw his shadow this morning and predicted six more weeks of winter. From his , “BREAKING: A terrifying shadow = 6 more weeks of winter! No complaining. We haven’t even had winter yet”.

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Posted in Volunteer Management, Volunteerism | 2 Comments »

Volunteering During the Holidays

Monday, November 29th, 2010

We love when people volunteer.  It’s a great way to build community and help out your favorite nonprofits.

People want to volunteer even more during the holiday season, and we love everyone who wants to.  Because so many people want to volunteer during this time of year, a lot of nonprofits have trouble accommodating everyone who wants to give their time.  This can be frustrating to both the nonprofit that is being inundated with volunteer requests but doesn’t have the availability to accommodate them, and the volunteers who really want to help out but can’t find an opportunity.

Here are some tips to make volunteering during the holidays easier.

  • Start Early – Just like doing all of your holiday shopping before the rush of Black Friday makes your holiday gift giving a little bit easier, so will starting a relationship with the nonprofit you want to volunteer at during the holidays in September or October.  Whether it’s to start volunteering, or to sign up for events during the holiday season, starting a relationship with a nonprofit before the holiday rush will make it easier to volunteer during the holidays.
  • Be Realistic About the Time You Can Commit – Lets face it, no matter how well you plan things, something’s going to happen to make your well planned holiday time line fall apart.  Shopping is going to take too long, you’re going to have to go to seven stores to find any kind of gift wrap, or decorating those cookies just got out of hand but you have a surprisingly accurate depiction of van Gogh’s Starry Night.  So, when you sign up for that volunteer event, be sure to stick to the amount of time you think you’ll have available.  Don’t try to squeeze in an all day event if you only have a few hours.
  • Be Flexible – Your ideal type volunteer opportunity might not be available when you can volunteer.  Use the opportunity to try something that you’ve never done before!  It just might be your new favorite thing.
  • Donate – If you can’t find an opportunity to volunteer that fits your schedule and what you want to do, consider taking the time you were going to volunteer and turn it into a donation.  Ask the organization what they really need and try to fill that need.  If your local homeless shelter needs toiletry kits, pick some items up the next time you’re at the grocery and put some together for them.  You’re still supporting the organization and its clients, but you’re able to do it at a time and in a way that’s convenient for you.
  • Be the Gift That Keeps On Giving – The holidays aren’t the only time that nonprofits need volunteers!  Use your holiday volunteering as a springboard for a relationship with the nonprofit.
  • Include Your Family – Start a tradition of volunteerism at the holidays with your entire family, and carry it through the year.
  • Have Fun – This might be the most important part of your holiday volunteering.  Have fun doing it!

Are you and your family volunteering over the holidays, or do you have a tradition of volunteering at the holidays?  We’d love to hear about it!  Let us know in the comments!

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