Go Online to Find a Way to Give Back
- Most people say they
want to volunteer, and many Americans already do.
But for some, the challenge with volunteering is not
in the doing, but in the finding. Sure you want to
get involved, but how do you find out where you are
needed? Like so many other things these days, the
best answer can be found on the Internet.
America’s Internet use has grown substantially
in the last few years -- at the rate of approximately
2 million new users a month -- to the point where
more than half the nation is now online. The Internet
has become the place to go for all kinds of information
and services. In fact, the power and convenience of
this technology can even help you get involved in
your community.
Since 1998, a nonprofit Web
site called VolunteerMatch has connected volunteers
with the right organizations and opportunities. Whether
you want to support the arts, the environment or social
issues; and regardless of whether you can volunteer
one hour a month or five hours a week, VolunteerMatch
will help you connect with the right organization
and opportunity.
VolunteerMatch serves as a community
network for both organizations in need of volunteers,
and volunteers looking for organizations who can use
their skills and experience. Any nonprofit or tax-exempt
organization can list volunteer opportunities on VolunteerMatch,
and nearly 30,000 already do.
In fact, tens of thousands of
volunteer opportunities at soup kitchens, schools,
animal shelters, churches, local parks and more, are
available every day on VolunteerMatch, making it easy
for anyone to get involved and give back. As a result,
they have collectively received over 1.5 million volunteer
referrals.
The site has delivered this
staggering number of referrals precisely because the
service is, at its core, very simple to use. Potential
volunteers simply enter a ZIP code to find local opportunities,
and also have the option to search by interest, date
and keyword. Once an opportunity is found, the interested
volunteer simply clicks on it to sign up and get involved.
“The Internet removes
the barriers to communication, and VolunteerMatch
removes the barriers to doing good,” says Deborah
Dinkelacker, president of VolunteerMatch. “In
just a few seconds, VolunteerMatch can help anyone
find a great way to make a positive difference.”
A recent survey of volunteers
and nonprofits bears these comments out. Among volunteers,
nearly 90 percent of respondents agreed that the VolunteerMatch
service made it easier for them to find a volunteer
opportunity of interest, and 86 percent were satisfied
with the volunteer opportunity they found through
the service.
In addition, nonprofits also
gave the VolunteerMatch service strong marks, with
85 percent agreeing that the service made it easier
for their organization to find the right volunteers,
and 94 percent expressing overall satisfaction with
the VolunteerMatch service.
Although VolunteerMatch’s
nonprofit services are free to volunteers and organizations
that need volunteers, the service is made possible
in part by generous contributions from national foundations
and more than 20 corporate partners including The
Gap, McDonald’s and Washington Mutual, that
rely on VolunteerMatch’s award-winning corporate
volunteering service to make it easier for their employees
to get involved.
To find volunteer opportunities
in your area, or to learn more about VolunteerMatch,
visit www.volunteermatch.org.
