Want to give-back during this giving season? These 3 websites make it easier than ever to lend a helping hand

This time of year I find myself looking for ways that I can volunteer some of my extra time. I’m sure many of you find yourself in a similar boat. It’s like all of the gift-receiving that’s done during the holidays needs to be balanced out by doing a little gift-giving.

Since college, I haven’t fully committed to volunteering with a single organization. These days, I find myself giving bits of my time whenever the right opportunity presents itself.  Finding those opportunities however, seems to be the most challenging bit.

This year, I’ve found three websites which seem to offer a solution. These sites make it easier than ever to search, find, and get started with opportunities in your area.  If you’re in the gift-giving spirit you’ll definitely want to check these out!

All for Good

Consider All for Good your Craigslist for finding volunteer opportunities. This makes sense when you consider that the Craig behind Craigslist also had a hand in All for Good’s creation. The site boasts the largest database of volunteer opportunities online and currently lists local opportunities in 12 US cities.

If you’re looking for a way to give back this holiday season, All for Good is a great place to get started. When you create an account you are asked to identify what your skills are. This allows organizations to reach out to you when they are in need of a specific skill set. If sitting back and waiting to be called on isn’t your thing, you can also search for opportunities in your area.

 

Volunteer Match

Love dogs? Determined to end hunger? Passionate about saving the environment? If you’re interested in volunteering with a particular cause, Volunteer Match is a great tool for you. When you create an account you are able to input which types of volunteer efforts you’re most interested in. Volunteer Match then does it’s best to serve those up to you in your dashboard feed. Alternatively, you can search for specific types of opportunities and the site will show what’s available in your area.

 

Create the Good

If you are interested in creating your own volunteer opportunities, you’ll want to take a look at Create the Good. The site was founded by the AARP to help baby boomers give back in their own ways. Never mind that, the site is an excellent source for finding ways to use your skills and experience to help others without having to commit to a regular volunteer position.

The section of the site you’ll definitely want to look into is their projects library. This is a suite of ideas and tools to help you start your own effort. For example you can find resources for organizing a food drive, help others go green, or even offer care to a caregiver.

 

Have you used any of these sites before? How else do you find volunteer opportunities? 

 

Superbly Single,

Jen