Center

I am looking to do some volunteer service for a non-profit online. Is there any websites that are available for this?

Yes, there is online volunteering! There are thousands of organizations that involve online volunteers. These volunteers are:
- translating documents
- researching subjects
- creating web pages
- editing or writing proposals, press releases, newsletter articles, etc.
- developing material for a curriculum
- designing a database
- designing graphics
- providing legal, business, medical, agricultural or any other expertise
- counseling people
- tutoring or mentoring students
- moderating online discussion groups
- creating podcasts
- editing videos
- monitoring the news
- answering questions
- tagging photos and files
- managing blogs, Facebook accounts and other social media sites
- managing other online volunteers

Note that for most of these jobs, you need to already have expertise — you can’t translate text from English into Spanish unless you are fluent in both languages, you can’t design web sites unless you have already done so and have a portfolio to prove your skills, etc.

You can find online volunteering opportunities at VolunteerMatch, http://www.volunteermatch.org (however, note that many opportunities are mislabeled as "virtual" when, in fact, you have to be onsite to do the task) and Idealist, http://www.idealist.org (keyword search: virtual). You can also try the UN’s Online Volunteering servce, http://www.onlinevolunteering.org, though note that most of these opportunities require an area of expertise. You can also try Project Gutenberg, where online volunteers transcribe books with expired copyrights.

I would like to know some Volunteering organizations/opportunities such as the Red Cross which have online registration and orientation. Basically, I want to know organizations with the whole applying process being done online in New York. Any help?

Thank you.

The American Red Cross in Greater New York has just switched to doing everything online.

That said, any organization that puts volunteers in contact with the public is going to want to have a face-to-face interview with potential new volunteers. The organization’s reputation is on the line every time a volunteer represents it, so of course there is some real-time vetting.

It is a good ideal. Also add that to your resume as well with information of duties or you accomplished while you volunteered.

I’m stuck on some mobility issues but I still need to volunteer for experience and whatnot. Are there any online volunteering opportunities? Doesn’t matter what kind as long as a high schooler can qualify for it.

http://www.volunteermatch.org/

great site

I’ve been volunteering at a Senior Center for a month now, and I’m here every Monday through Thursday helping the Seniors learn how to use a computer. Unfortunately, the state (Georgia) has only donated about 14 computers that are running Windows 95, and 3 of them don’t work at all. The Seniors can’t learn this way. It’s a hopeless cause if things stay the way they are.

How can I help them get access to newer equipment? Are there any grants for computers for Seniors, or companies that would be willing to donate a few unused computers?

Ideas please?

That kind of donation is only in a local community. I got mine for free from a computer recycling business who gave them to low income people through a community advocacy group. It is a Linux O.S. Before that, I had Windows for 8 years, the same version but it was crashing all the time. That one I got with money from a local Kiwanis grant as a computer student. (old student)

i just applied for being an online translator. i heard colleges like volunteering, will this count also? even if it is online?

That just depends on your college. Unless you’re applying to a very prestigious school or a top ranked school I wouldn’t worry about that at all. Only things that matter are your grades,Sats,GPA,and your organizations.Toped ranked schools do care about volunteering as well as other things,but I’m sure it wouldn’t matter if it’s online or not.Just about everything is being done online now.As long as you can show the proof,then it will count.

i just need 3 countries and what are the peace corps volunteers doing to help protect the environment and if i could have the website address because i need to print out the article. thanks

Sounds like some kind of homework assignment. How hard have you tried to find the answer? Have you even been to peacecorps.gov to see what of the 70-something Peace Corps countries have environmental programs?

Thing is, it’ll be hard to find specific examples since Peace Corps domestic doesn’t really track individual volunteers so much. That’s done in country.

You can go to peacecorpsjournals.com once you’ve researched which countries have programs and see specific volunteer blogs and figure out who’s doing environmental work.

This particular one sends volunteers to developing countries to teach and help out in other ways. It is called ProjectsAbroad. The website and booklet/brochure seem to be proof that the organization is legitimate, and they explain the fee as a result of no government funding and travel/food/housing expenses. However, charging volunteers a fee still seems a bit odd to me. Has anyone had experience with this organization or know of a similar one that does NOT charge its volunteers?

I do not know of any volunteer program that is free. None of them receive government funding and depend solely on money from fundraisers and other kinds of donations. They provide all of the connections you need to whatever place you are going and then you have to pay for the rest as if you were going on a planned vacation. There is no way a program, or others like it, could afford to send volunteers overseas all inclusive for free.

If you are worried about cost volunteer in the US. Every year colleges, youth groups, and other such organizations do similar projects in the US building houses, working in homeless shelters, etc. No matter where you do such work it will be just as rewarding.

I am thinking of volunteering at a Suicide Prevention Center.
Has anyone done it before, and wouldn’t mind to share their experiences?

YEP!
I volunteered for COPE Teen Hotline in Wisconsin. You had to be at least 15 years old (I was 16 at the time), and I did 40 hours of education. They taught us how to "actively listen", and learned about references and how to use them. The education part was a lot of fun. Then, when I completed the 40 hours of training, I worked under shadow of an experienced volunteer, and you will need to do that for a certain about of hours, as well.
Either way, it was a wonderful experience.

If I am asked this question by the interviewer, what kind of responses could I give? Should I provide specific examples from previous jobs?

i think that is a smart idea! also, make sure that you point out things that show your "people skills" without actually saying "hey! i have great people skills!". usually when i do not know what is being asked of me before going into an interview i follow this outline:
1. smile.
2. talk about alllllll of my volunteer service (because it shows that you really do like to just help & learn because you have had a number of volunteer jobs rather than paying jobs)
3. have an answer to every question. it is better to give an answer that is stupid rather than not to give one at all because it shows that you will be quick to think on your toes.)
4. dress the part.
5. make sure you ask what will be asked of you if you were to receive the position and then reassure that you will be able to provide those things by emphasizing your past volunteer/work experience.

when you do not know what is expected of you then you have to stick to the basics, but make them excel.