Getting Started

Volunteering is something that I have wanted to do for some time and have made phone calls, sent e-mails and filled out applications, but nothing seemed to pan out. I’ve finally buckled down and done some serious research to make it happen and have some first-hand information to share with those who are looking to get involved in volunteering.

You may have noticed that one of the big trends at the moment is pay-to-volunteer programs and there certainly are many of these organizations, particularly for volunteer abroad programs. Volunteerism is turning into big business these days and there are many organizations that are doing amazing work and others that are well-intentioned and happen to be making quite a profit. No matter what path you choose in your volunteer career make sure that you do your homework so that you are able to make informed decisions that will help ensure you have a positive and fulfilling volunteer experience.

When I first began trying to find an organization I was totally overwhelmed with the amount of information available and the vast array of organizations to choose from that I actually gave up on a few occasions as it was just too difficult to sort through. I have friends who have had some rather unfortunate volunteer experiences and others who have worked with truly wonderful people and have made a real difference in the lives of others. Like most ventures, it isn’t always easy to make the best choice when there are so many decisions to be made, and learning from experience is often the norm rather than the exception.

These are the steps that I followed when sifting through all of the information and finding an organization to work with and I hope you find at least something here that will be of use to you in your journey into the world of volunteerism.

1. Decide Where you Want to Volunteer
What I mean by this is do you want to volunteer locally or do you want more of an exotic experience and are therefore interested in volunteering abroad. If so, decide what country interests you the most and start researching volunteer organizations in that country.

2. Length of Commitment
a. short-term opportunities that have a clear start and end date
b. ongoing volunteer work that you can do in your free time
c. long-term volunteer opportunity that lasts more than 1 month

It’s important that you are realistic in what you can do and how much time you are able to contribute to ensure that you have a successful and rewarding volunteer experience.

3. Evaluate your Skills Set
Think about what you’re good at and how those skills might be beneficial to your volunteer work. It’s best to do volunteer work in an area that you have special skills or knowledge and it’ll help you find an organization that needs your special skill set.

4. Decide What Interests You
What are your areas of interest? What group(s) of people do you want to work with? Is there something that you have a passion for like the environment or animals?
a. Women and children?
b. Disenfranchised people, political or economic refugees?
c. Environmental or animal conservation issues
d. Elderly

5. Rural or Urban
Think about whether rural or urban volunteer opportunities suit you so that you can narrow down your search. If you’ve haven’t done much traveling it might be best to start with shorter length projects so that you aren’t overcome with total culture shock if you are interested in doing a lengthy volunteer abroad program at some point.

6. Start Researching Volunteer Organizations
If you follow the previous steps this part will be much less intimidating than if you just start looking for volunteer opportunities straight off the bat.

No matter what your interest might be you will find countless organizations and they all need volunteers. Google searches will help you find the information you’re looking for so you can start narrowing down your search. Wikipedia has a great resource that is constantly updated with NGO’s organized by category with their website links, which is extremely handy. This is the link for Thailand where I live and I found this resource invaluable.

7. Now you have to start narrowing down your search.

Think about the following when evaluating the organizations.

a. How long have they been around?
b. Are they an NGO (non-profit) or for profit organization?
c. How long have they been organizing volunteers and do they have testimonials on their website?
d. Is there a fee involved to volunteer? If so, what does it cover?
e. Can you find a volunteer organization that doesn’t make you pay in the    same field?
f. How much support do they provide to their volunteers?
g. What kind of accommodation is provided?
h. Will you be with other volunteers?
i. Do they give you all of the information necessary to work with them?
          1. visa information
          2. health information and guidelines
          3. pre-trip consultation
          4. detailed information about the project you are interested in

8. Start Applying
Most organizations have online volunteer applications or will email them upon request. Choose 3-5 organizations and send in your applications and wait to see who contacts you. Don’t be discouraged if all of the organizations you contact don’t respond or respond slowly. A lot of them are overworked and understaffed and would love to have the help but just don’t have the time to respond to all applications.

9. Choose an Organization
Once you’ve gotten some responses back, choose the volunteer opportunity that most closely matches with your interests, background, and availability.

I wish you all the best in your volunteer adventures and hope that you find what you’re looking. Happy volunteering!