Volunteering is a powerful way to give back to your community, gain new skills, and connect with like-minded individuals. Whether you’re looking to make a difference in someone’s life or simply want to explore new interests, there are countless options available. Here are 19 ways to find the volunteer opportunity that resonates with you.
10 min read
19 Ways to Find Your Perfect Volunteer Match
By Darcy Hughes on October 27, 2024
Topics: virtual volunteering inspiration
4 min read
Magical Moments: The Story of Ridgebury Riders
By Darcy Hughes on December 22, 2023
“Magical moments happen daily at the farm” Haley Levesque, Program Coordinator.
On a repurposed dairy farm in Ridgebury Connecticut, "magical moments" are a regular occurrence. The farm is home to Ridgebury Riders, a nonprofit organization changing the lives of individuals, primarily children, with special needs through hippotherapy, which is occupational, speech, or physical therapy done on horseback.
Topics: inspiration local volunteering Stories from the Field
2 min read
Volunteering as a family: 7 opportunities to give back together
By Darcy Hughes on May 9, 2023
Volunteering as a family is a great way to connect with your community and each other. Make time for what matters most this summer with these fun and family-friendly volunteer activities.
Topics: inspiration
3 min read
7 Ways to Honor Black History this February and Beyond
By Darcy Hughes on February 15, 2023
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. This list offers a few ways to delve deeper into Black history and support a more equitable future.
Topics: nonprofit resources social justice inspiration advocacy
5 min read
7 Ways Show your Love on Valentine’s Day
By Elysia Gabe on February 13, 2023
Valentine’s Day is a great time to come together and celebrate love—and there are a lot more ways to do that than is typically associated with the holiday! Love is about expressing compassion, generosity, and kindness to others. That’s why we’re highlighting 7 ways to volunteer and put that love into action.
Topics: inspiration
5 min read
For the Love of Volunteering: A gift both given and received
By Guest Contributor on January 26, 2023
SNAPkids is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children with disabilities by providing community-based swimming and fitness activities. By providing volunteers with a chance to work closely with our special swimmers, we open hearts, change attitudes and create more respectful, inclusive, and just communities. Learn more at: snapkids.org
Topics: inspiration local volunteering Stories from the Field
4 min read
Tutor a child, change a life.
By Guest Contributor on January 17, 2023
School on Wheels is an organization enhancing educational opportunities for children who are experiencing homelessness from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
- 1/3 of unhoused people are under the age of 18
- 1:20 children in CA don’t have homes
- 64% of children experiencing homelessness do not graduate high school
Topics: virtual volunteering inspiration local volunteering Stories from the Field
2 min read
Pledge to volunteer in the new year!
By Darcy Hughes on December 7, 2022
One thing I have learned as a marketer on a small team is that making content that serves multiple audiences or multiple purposes is invaluable. The same goes for our efforts in life. We only have limited energy and hours in the day so we need to be efficient—this is how I approach New Year's resolutions.
Topics: inspiration
5 min read
The Process was Magic: How a Creative, Skills-Based Volunteer Opportunity Became a Documentary Short
By Darcy Hughes on November 14, 2022
In 2020, Cedar Schimke, Executive Director of Slow Food Minnesota, posted an opportunity on VolunteerMatch, seeking creative volunteers to tell her organization's story. At the same time, filmmaker Kish Daniels was looking on VolunteerMatch for an engaging, skills-based project. He saw Cedar's posting and clicked the button, "I Want to Help," what came next was a project neither party could have expected.
Topics: inspiration local volunteering
4 min read
Senior Prom celebrates life, love, and legacies of resistance for LGBTQ+ retirees
By Guest Contributor on October 4, 2022
Guest Post by Luisa Conlon, Director of Senior Prom
As we celebrate National LGBTQ+ History Month this October, we can work together to raise up the experiences and voices of our LGBTQ+ elders, and learn about the sacrifices so many of them made to get us here.