How to Volunteer in Indianapolis

Thanks to the support of local endowment funds and individual philanthropists, Indianapolis has a high concentration of vibrant, active nonprofit organizations. That makes it easy to volunteer in Indiana’s capital city. Here’s how to contribute to your community--and earn some karmic rewards along the way.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Before you sign up with an organization, ask yourself a few questions about how you’d like to spend your volunteer time. Would you like to work with a specific group of people? Do you have a passion--for reading or cooking, for example--that you’d like to use in your volunteer service?
2. If you’d like to work with a specific group of people, track down the organizations that support that population. To work with children, for example, you could try one of the following: Tutor children in homeless shelters with School on Wheels. Help grant the wishes of sick children with the Make-a-Wish Foundation or Indiana Children’s Wish Fund. Serve as a gallery guide at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. Sign up to serve as a mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana. Work with foster children through the Children’s Bureau. The list goes on and on.
3. What if you know you want to work with a specific group of people, but you don’t know which organizations to contact? Visit the Web site for United Way of Central Indiana and view its list of participating agencies. You’ll find the information you need, plus contact information for the organization you choose.
4. You can also visit the United Way Web site to find organizations related to your passions. If you love to read, for example, you could become a literacy tutor with Indy Reads. If you have a culinary bent, sign up with Second Helpings, which prepares meals for homeless shelters using donated leftover food from restaurants and caterers. If you’re crafty, get involved with Newborns in Need, where volunteers make tiny clothing for premature babies.
5. Many of the city’s arts organizations are supported by volunteer groups that focus on fund-raising efforts. If that sounds good to you, visit the Web site of the Arts Council of Indianapolis for a comprehensive list of local arts organizations.
6. Maybe you’ve survived a difficult experience, and now you’d like to help others who are going through that situation. Again, the United Way Web site will guide you in the right direction. There are numerous organizations in Indianapolis related to specific health problems. Or, if you’d like to work with victims of domestic violence, consider volunteering with Coburn Place or the Julian Center.
7. Can’t decide which organization to support? You need a volunteer “sampler,” and Indianapolis Ambassadors has your answer. The nonprofit group describes itself as a “temp agency” for other nonprofits, and it works by providing extra volunteers for other organizations’ special events. It’s a good way to meet new people and get an overview of the Indianapolis nonprofit scene.
8. If you’re still stuck, consider signing up with a volunteer placement service like Volunteer Match. You tell the program what you’d like to do, and it will return volunteer “job listings” that match your interests. Easy as pie.

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