Many people tell me that they wish they had the ability to volunteer more and get out into the community and help out somehow, but they don’t know where to begin.
And when you don’t know where to begin, it’s really easy to let all the other stuff that life brings you – like work and family and friends and stress and vacations or whatever – all become more pressing than picking up a new commitment.
In my work, I connect with different charities, helping them find volunteers or partners from the tech sector. From this I’ve picked up a few tricks to volunteering that I’m happy to share with you. These are in no specific order, but are good approaches to help you get the ball going on volunteering more.
Decide what type of volunteer opportunity you’re looking for. Namely, do you want to use your expertise and skills to help an organization advance, or do you want to do something much different from your day-to-day? If you’re looking to use your skills, that can look like anything from coding or comms help to serving on a board or committee. If you want to do something different, youth mentorship, construction work, driving help, kitchen help are among many great ways to help that are probably going to challenge you in unique ways.
Figure out how much time you have to give. I’ve found an hour a week is reasonable to start with and can be allocated weekly, or as an afternoon or evening a month. If you have even more time, that’s great! Check and see what your employer’s HR volunteer policy is; you may even be able to schedule the time during work hours. Also, try to set a consistent time to volunteer that works for you (for example, I have a weekly lunch meeting where I help a Syrian refugee practice her English through the KW Multicultural Centre’s Conversational English Programme, which I detail in this Pitch In video) so you don’t get distracted or too busy to return consistently. Consistency is one of the best gifts you can give a charity because when you’re reliable and know what you’re doing, then you require less supervision and resources.
Finding something you’re passionate about is a critical part of the process, but it’s also one of the hardest. Not because it’s hard to get interested in a cause, but often there are just so many important causes out there, it feels impossible to know where to begin. How do you choose between the environment, poverty, education, equality and more? I don’t have a satisfying response to that, because you might have to try a few different volunteer opportunities before you get to one that’s a really great fit. But the good part is that you can then start to collect volunteer commitments that you can build into your life, adding new areas you’re passionate about as you go. I find that a mix of hands-on volunteering and board of directors work can be more satisfying and fit different schedules. But just know that a cause that you’re super passionate about is only one part of the perfect volunteer fit – the energy, environment, organization and communication that you get from a charity will also be what keeps you committed.
Finally, don’t be afraid to talk to people about volunteering! For some reason people want to be really humble and minimize the work they do in the community, but I think everyone who commits their time to helping others needs to broadcast that information as loud as we can. You can be the motivation or inspiration for someone who admires you to start volunteering just by normalizing it and sharing what you do. You could become a champion for your cause, or even for volunteering in general, with your friends, colleagues, social media followers and more. The reason someone else thought, “They do that? I could too!” And also, when you open yourself up to hearing more about the great stuff other people do, you might find a new cause to support or even a volunteer-buddy.
If you need some resources, check out Communitech’s Giving Guide and the Volunteer Action Centre’s local volunteer database and, as always, feel free to contact me if you need any help.
Something Good
We recently launched a Community Building webpage, which we hope will become a one-stop hub for great charitable volunteering and campaigns info, as well as housing a bunch of resources for tech people who’d like to get more active in the community. Please check it out and be sure to note the Communitech in the Community page, where some of the stuff Communitech has been doing with non-profits, charities and more is outlined.
What can I do?
Stone Soup V: The Museum, Saturday, April 6 at 7:00 p.m., Stone Soup KW
Good Neighbour Summit: Stanley Park CC, Wednesday, April 3 at 6:30 p.m., City of Kitchener
DemoCampGuelph25: E Bar, Wednesday April 17 at 6:30 p.m. Demo Camp Guelph
Plasma Car Fundraiser: Conestoga Mall, Friday, April 5 at 7 a.m.- KidsAbility
Not Another Gala: Victoria Park Pavillion, Friday, June 14 at 6:30 p.m. - Reception House
