Give a little, get a lot

So you want to volunteer…now what? You could absolutely type “volunteer in my area” into a search engine and come up with a lot of options. However, if nothing comes up that interests you, I give you permission to think outside the box!

Think of topics you’re passionate about – gardening, early childhood education, drones, etc. Now you have a few directions to come from. You can look at organizations that specialize in those interest areas OR you could look at places that might need your special skills.

For instance, if you’re interested in drones, you could:

• Reach out to a couple of nonprofits you know of already and ask if they’d like any drone support – e.g., aerial videos of their work.

• Offer a private drone lesson to a nonprofit that's having a silent auction fundraiser. Even if they aren't doing it at that moment, I can guarantee most nonprofits will have a silent auction at some point in the year.

• Offer to teach students how to use drones by reaching out to the local school district.

• See if there are any drone clubs in your area that already do volunteer work.

Just throw a bunch of ideas out there and see if you can brainstorm potential connections.

Other things to think about:

• If you don’t want a specific schedule, be honest and see if they can work with that. If you do have a schedule set up, please stick to it. Be committed, be on time and let them know when you’ll have to take a break.

• This volunteer work could serve as an addition to your professional resume in the future. Please act accordingly.

• If things aren’t working out, discuss with your supervisor. It’s possible that any issues or concerns you’re having could be addressed and fixed. If they can’t or if this isn’t the work you thought it was going to be, don’t just ghost them. Make sure you let them know you’re no longer able to volunteer.

Good luck & have fun!