Where can I find or post volunteer opportunities?
If you're looking for volunteer opportunities, start with organizations whose causes you support. Your school, workplace, or place of worship also are good places to start inquiring.
If you want to post volunteer opportunities, use your communication channels -- website, email, social media, etc. Many web sites, local and national, also are available to search for volunteer opportunities. Candid's state-by-state nonprofit startup resources list many of them. Scroll down and click on your state.
You can also try an Internet search for "volunteer opportunities" plus the city name to find searchable websites where you can submit postings.
Below are selected web sites that often provide searchable lists and will assist you or your organization in making a difference in your community.
You might also contact local organizations that train and match volunteers with nonprofits, such as:
- Some United Way chapters
- Points of Light
- Schools, colleges, universities, and organizations that require students to perform community service
- Colleges and universities that have nonprofit management programs or classes in the specialty you need, e.g., grant writing courses -- professors might match students with local nonprofits to provide practical experience
See also our related Knowledge Base articles:
- Where can I learn more about recruiting and managing volunteers for my nonprofit?
- How can I learn about involving youth in volunteering and philanthropy?
- What is the monetary value of volunteer time?
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See spanish versionExplore resources curated by our staff for this topic:
Staff-recommended websites
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Catchafire
Post or find virtual volunteer opportunities. Volunteers can browse opportunities and create a profile to find and apply for projects needing their expertise. Social good organizations can post opportunities and browse volunteer profiles to find a match.
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Points of Light
Global Network
Search by location for volunteer and local service opportunities from nonprofit, school, faith-based, corporate partners and others.
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idealist.org
Find Volunteer Opportunities
Post or find volunteer opportunities. Searchable by area of focus, project description, country, state, city, skills needed, language needed, or age. You can also indicate the dates when you would like to volunteer.
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United Way
Volunteer
Search by ZIP code to find opportunities or your local United Way chapter, which may match and train volunteers and nonprofits.
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All for Good
This open source application web site aggregates other volunteer sites, and lets you find and share volunteer opportunities based on your location or interests.
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LinkedIn Volunteer Marketplace
Linkedin members can specify their skills and types of volunteer opportunities they're seeking. Nonprofits can find prospects with desired skills and post opportunities.
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VolunteerMatch
Searchable by ZIP code, interest, distance, skills needed, age groups, and more. Offers email alerts of new postings related to your interests, and other online services to support a community of nonprofit, volunteer and business leaders committed to civic engagement.
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InnerView
InnerView is a non-profit organization on a mission to engage and empower the next generation of volunteers by supporting service commitments and great opportunities for people who want to serve in their communities.
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International Volunteer Programs Association
The International Volunteer Programs Association (IVPA) is a nonprofit accrediting body dedicated to promoting awareness and access to quality volunteer abroad programs. The volunteer programs and the members must meet and adhere to stringent guidelines in order to be part of the organization.
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Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is a service opportunity for motivated changemakers to immerse themselves in a community abroad, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation.
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ReServe
ReServe matches individuals age 55+ with the needs of government agencies and nonprofit organizations to help fill critical gaps such as support for strategic planning, foundation outreach, administrative support, event planning, IT administration, and much more.
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Corporation for National and Community Service
nationalservice.gov
Online resource for finding volunteer opportunities in your community and creating your own. Managed by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that is the nation's largest grantmaker in support of service and volunteering.