How to Conduct an Online Volunteer Job Search
Volunteering is always a great idea, but connecting with a nonprofit job that matches your interests usually entails a great deal of work. To help ease this burden, the Points of Light Foundation, with the help of former President George H.W. Bush, launched 1-800-volunteer.org, a national online database of volunteer opportunities. As of January 2010, this one-stop resource contains 26,434 volunteer jobs, pooling data from more than 28,100 nonprofit organizations and 110 volunteer centers. Although searching without an account is possible, registration is free and allows you to apply online and view contact and other relevant details on the jobs that interest you; registering also permits prospective volunteer opportunities to find you.
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Instructions
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Create An Individual Volunteer Account
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Sign up as an individual volunteer. Go to 1-800-volunteer.org and click on "Create Account" on the upper right corner of the page. Click "Sign Up as Volunteer" under "Volunteers & Groups." Fill in your name, email address, username, password and communication preferences, check the privacy box and click "Continue to Skills & Availability."
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Fill in the "Skills and Availability" section. While most of this section is optional, checking off your experience for one or more skills increases the likelihood that you will be connected with an opportunity that matches your interests and allows organizations to search for you. At a minimum, select your location, availability and contact preferences. If you select "Open" under "Preferences," for instance, a nonprofit can anonymously search for your particular skill and invite you to volunteer.
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Click "Create Account." You should see a "congratulations" on the next screen. You will also receive a confirmation email from the Points of Light Foundation with your username and password.
Search & Apply for Volunteer Jobs Online
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Click on "Advanced Search." This provides you with more options than the general search box, including if you can volunteer only on certain days or if you need to volunteer for a court-referred program. The "Advanced Search" option also allows you to look for virtual volunteer opportunities so that you can work remotely, and enables you to choose the population with whom you would like to work. You can also specify "your needs from a volunteer opportunity," such as appropriateness for youth and handicap accessibility. At a minimum, include your city and state or ZIP code, the distance you are willing to travel and the days or times that you are available. Click "Search" once you are satisfied.
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Browse through your results. You can sort by job title, organization, city, distance and date posted. Click on a position to view all pertinent information relating to the job, including a description of the position, the number of volunteers needed, complete contact information, interest and skill areas needed and the population served. You can also choose to have these search results emailed to you.
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Express interest and apply for the position. Check off your availability, include an optional note and click "Express Interest" on the right side of any job description. You will be contacted by someone at the nonprofit about the job. You can also track the jobs you applied to on your "My Account" page.
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Tips & Warnings
Your account provides you with additional resources for tracking your volunteer work and staying organized, including records of service, personal progress goals, schedules, favorite opportunities and invitations received.
