Types of Volunteer Organizations

Volunteer organizations include community volunteer opportunities

Doing volunteer work can be a rewarding experience. Working for a cause that you are passionate about and seeing progress as a result of your work can make you feel accomplished. There are a variety of organizations that need the assistance of volunteers, and for a person who is looking for volunteer work to take up some of their spare time, it may be hard to choose what type of organization to volunteer for. By looking at different organization types and their causes, it may be easier to choose.

Community Volunteer Organizations

Cities, towns, and villages, often need volunteers for causes that do not have enough funding to pay workers, for their own communities. Things such as fundraisers, local festivals, neighborhood watch and neighborhood trustees are just a few examples of community volunteer opportunities within community volunteer organizations. Not only is volunteering for a community organization satisfying because of serving your own community, but it also has the benefit of introducing you to new people within your community that you may have a lot in common with.

School Volunteer Organizations

Because of the fact that public schools in the United States are so underfunded, these schools are always looking for parents and teachers who wish to take on volunteer opportunities for a variety of different causes. For someone who is looking for a volunteer opportunity, what better cause to fill your spare time than to volunteer for your own child or students' school? Some volunteer opportunities involved in schools include fundraiser volunteers who raise money to fund projects, events, field trips and equipment for students, family nights for the families of the students to get together and enjoy each other's company while getting to know one another, choir performances, plays, Boy Scout leaders, Girl Scout leaders, and committee members and leaders.

Political Volunteer Organizations

Political organizations are quite often in need of volunteers. During election campaigns, volunteers are needed for canvassing and informing the public about important issues and about candidates who are running for public office and the belief systems that they represent. Opportunities include presidential elections, mid-term elections, local elections, issue awareness such as healthcare issues, environmental issues, employment issues and more.

Volunteer Abroad Organizations

For people who enjoy travelling around the world, there are multiple volunteer organizations for volunteering overseas. This includes volunteering on tasks such as visiting an underdeveloped country and teaching the English language to its residents, helping to build shelters and dwellings, delivering food, clean water, clothing and medical supplies and helping to establish schools and education systems.

References

• National and Community Service: United We Serve
• Political Grassroots: Political Participation Ideas
• Cross-Cultural Solutions: Volunteer Abroad

Resources

• Do Something: Volunteer to Help a Youth Team or After School Program in your Town
• Schoolastic: Top 5 Ways to Use Parent Volunteers!