Questions to Ask Yourself About Volunteering

Here are a few topics that should be contemplated as you take an introspective look at your opportunity to volunteer:

• Time commitment. How much of my free time am I willing to give? Is that per week? Per month? Am I looking for a one-time event to participate in or an on-going project I can contribute to? How about time of day… am I looking for a project in the evenings after work or am I willing to dedicate time on the weekend?

• Interests. What issues are important to me? What organizations might address the needs of those issues? Do I want to work with other volunteers or have more of a one-on-one experience? What do I hope to get out of this experience?

• Type of Work. What do I want to do? Something that will relate to my job or something completely unrelated to the tasks I perform everyday? Do I want to have a lot of responsibility and take a leadership role or would I rather sit back and just fit into a system already in place? Am I interested in physical vs. mental assistance? Do I want to help kids or adults? What kind of skills can I offer?

• Organization. What am I looking for in an organization? Location? (i.e. close to work or close to home) National status vs. local? Am I willing to attend orientation/training sessions?

• Personal Network. Are there friends or coworkers that are associated with the organizations I’m interested in to hear about their experiences?