How to Choose a Service Organization to Join

Volunteering your time and energy to a service organization is a great way to help your community. With so many service organizations and non-profit agencies needing help, though, how do you know where your time is best spent? The following steps should help you to identify the group best suited to your interests and talents.

Instructions

1. Study your calendar for the next month to identify how many hours you would have in a week or a month to give to a service organization. Do you have regular open blocks of time or is your free time all over the place?

2. Visit the website of your local volunteer center to see what organizations might be looking for members or volunteers. Also look online for groups found in most towns and cities such as Rotary, Lions Club and Kiwanis Club. Make a list of the presidents of each organization and their contact information.

3. Make a list of your talents and interests so you can match them up with the organizations you wrote down in Step 2. Do you like to work with animals? Consider the Humane Society. Good with children? Look into Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Do you have a special way with senior citizens? If so, you could deliver Meals on Wheels. Are your interests more widespread? Then perhaps Lions Club or Kiwanis are for you, as these groups perform a variety of services.

4. Contact the president or volunteer recruiter for the organization that interests you and learn when the group has its next meeting.

5. Attend a meeting of the service organization in order to meet its members and see if you fit with the group's personality and overall culture. Make sure to ask questions at the meeting about how much time most of the members devote to the group so you can see if you have enough available time to give.

6. Complete any required paperwork or forms needed to join the group you selected.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a child you would like to have get involved, too, make sure to ask about a group's requirements or restrictions when it comes to children volunteering with you. For some organizations, the work they do comes with liability issues that prevent them from allowing the involvement of anyone younger than 14 or 15. Some, however, leave the decision up to the parent as to whether or not to include the child in service projects.

• Don't just show up at a service organization meeting or a non-profit organization office without calling first. For some of the group meetings, you need to have an official invitation from a member. Some non-profit groups require an application and/or background check before allowing someone to volunteer there.

• Some organizations require annual dues or require some out-of-pocket spending for service projects. Make sure to ask if the group you are thinking about joining accepts donations of time only or if there is a monetary donation required, too. It's always best to know this upfront.

Resources

• Article on choosing a charity to give time and money to.
• Volunteer organizations listed for a local organization, but tips also given for determining where to volunteer.