There are so many ways to give back to your community. But one essential, constant way you can help people in your community is to start volunteering. You can make a positive impact with causes you care about and feel better about working selflessly for the people around you.
Here are four ways you can look for volunteer opportunities that will boost your community and inspire you:
Consider what skills you can offer when you volunteer.
Ask yourself how you can offer your expertise or time to an organization in need. Do you have experience coaching or teaching? Are you good at taking direction? Do you have a knack for organization? Be realistic about the time and talents you can offer to local organizations. This will help you get a clear direction about where to look for volunteer opportunities.
Ask organizations you’re already involved with.
Start by thinking about non-profit organizations that you’ve already worked with. Maybe you adopted a pet from a local animal shelter, ran a 5k for a local charity, or currently attend a church. Look for organizations you have connections with to see what opportunities they have for you. Even a quick search online for volunteer opportunities in your community will likely turn up needs organizations have that might inspire you.
Search your local news outlets for advertisements.
If you’re looking for one-off opportunities to volunteer, look at your local newspapers and radio stations for ads. If you know there’s a big event coming up, like a charity auction or a bake sale, organizations may put asks directly into the community to look for help.
Look for jobs with companies that incentivize volunteer time.
Corporate volunteering is a way businesses commit to giving back to their communities. It’s becoming more common, especially because it incentivizes young professionals to join their work. This could be in a cause that employees volunteer with every month, like packaging meals, or they could offer Volunteer Time Off (VTO) to allow employees to make an impact outside the workplace.
Interested in learning more about how to find volunteer opportunities? Listen to our episode of Dream, Plan, Live with Nate Amborn, one of Bank Midwest’s 2021 Volunteer of the Year Awards.
Bank Midwest is committed to serving families and organizations in communities across our branches. Learn more about our promise to give back with our employee volunteering and local grants.
Looking for more ways to give back?
- How you know if a volunteer board member position is right for you
- 5 ways donations help you and causes you care about